Introductions

In Philosophy essays - as in all essays - the introduction needs to be well constructed, both to orient readers to your content, and to give them a good overall impression of the piece.

Generally, a Philosophy introduction should:

1. introduce briefly the broad debate with which your essay is concerned, e.g. the ethics of abortion
2. introduce briefly the arguments of the philosopher(s) you will be dealing with in the essay
3. state clearly the case you will be arguing, i.e. your response to their arguments

Note that this sequence should not be thought of as a strict formula to be applied to all philosophy essays; instead you should treat it as a rough guide that can help you to get started. Later in your course, when you feel more confident about introducing your work, you may wish to try other approaches.