11. Writing Clearly and Precisely
Refrain from using stuffy words and long-winded sentences. Avoid pretentious prose such as, “alas,” “deem,” “quest,” “ponder,” “propound,” etc. Being clear is far more important than appearing to have a sophisticated writing style. Avoid using vocabulary that you are unaccustomed to using in ordinary conversation. Too many students think that being philosophical involves being convoluted and obscure. Quite the opposite, simplicity and clarity are the ideals of philosophy.
You should choose your words very carefully. Ask yourself: Does what I’ve written precisely express the thoughts that I mean to convey? Do not leave something unclear and just assume that your reader will be able to figure out what you mean. For instance, don’t write something like “Abortion is the same thing as murder.” Abortion and murder are not the same thing. If abortion and murder were the same thing, then one could say that Jack the Ripper aborted many women. But, of course, this is absurd. Jack the Ripper murdered many women but aborted none. Of course, most people would understand that what you meant was that abortion is a form of murder. But whether or not your reader is able to figure out what you meant is irrelevant, because either way it is bad writing.
You will find that philosophers write with a degree of precision that goes well beyond that which is customary in ordinary conversation, and I will expect the same degree of precision in your essay. The best way to ensure that you write clearly is to keep your prose simple and direct. Don’t try to make your writing “colorful.” For instance, don’t use metaphors—just plainly say what it is you have to say. And avoid overstating what you have to say. Overstatement is common in everyday conversation but unacceptable in a philosophy paper. For instance, in conversation someone might say, “Everyone in the tropics is so relaxed.” But, of course, not everyone living in the tropics is relaxed. So be careful when using words like “every” and “all.”
And avoid the following pitfalls:
Bad Diction: This is where a word is used inappropriately.
- Example: "Rachels's argument is false." (Statements, claims, beliefs, etc. can all be true or false, but not arguments. Arguments are valid or invalid, sound or unsound, cogent or not cogent.)
- Example: "Utilitarianism believes that the right act is the one that produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number." (Utilitarianism is a view, not a conscious entity. Thus utilitarianism is incapable of the mental act of believing. So you must revise this sentence. In its place, you could say, "Utilitarians believe..." or "Utilitarianism is the view according to which...")
Vagueness: This is where one fails to express what s/he means precisely.
- Example: "Abortion is not the best solution to an unwanted pregnancy." (Does this mean that although you think that abortion is morally permissible, you believe that it would be preferable for women with unwanted pregnancies to carry them to term and put their unwanted children up for adoption? Or, does this mean that you simply think that abortion is morally wrong?)
Ambiguity: This is where one uses a word that can have more than one meaning but fails to specify which meaning is intended.
- Example: "A fetus is an innocent human being." (By claiming that a fetus is human, are you merely claiming that it is a member of the species Homo sapiens? Or, are you claiming that it is human in the morally relevant sense of that term, the sense in which we think you and I are human but someone in a persistent vegetative state is not?)