I. Intro

A. The article that you are discussing

B. The author’s thesis

C. Your thesis

II. Body

A. The author’s argument

1. Provide a general overview of the argument

2. Reserve detail for the parts of the argument that are most relevant to your objection

3. You should provide enough detail about the author’s argument for someone who’s never read the original article to understand your objection

B. Your Objection

1. This is where you say what’s wrong with the author’s argument

2. DON’T STRAW MAN

3. Make sure that you defend your controversial claims with argument; in other words, provide the reader with reasons to believe that your claims are true

4. DON’T MACHINE GUN; focus on making the case for your strongest objection rather than introducing multiple objections

C. The Author’s Reply

1. Consider what the author might say in response to your objection

2. Give the author the strongest possible reply to your objection

D. Rebuttal

1. Give a counterargument to C

2. This should take more than a single sentence; if you can successfully rebut C with one sentence, you probably haven’t considered a strong enough reply

3. Again, if you make a controversial claim, you should defend it

III. Conclusion

1. Summarize everything that you’ve said- AND THAT’S IT!!!

2. Resist the urge to introduce new claims; conclusions should NOT introduce new information or new claims

· In general, very few papers with less than 1000 words receive A’s. Papers that are shorter than 1000 words tend not to argue rigorously or they’re missing entire sections. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible. However, if you’re aiming for an A, your best bet is to be close to the max word limit.

· More objections does not equal a better paper. There’s just not enough space to provide a rigorous argument for multiple objections.

· Don’t disparage the author. As you write your term paper, pretend that your opponent will read and grade it. The disagreement isn’t personal, so don’t make it personal.

· Target philosophical claims rather than empirical ones.