Approaching the Unseen Text (Paper 3)

READ Read carefully, underlining all the important ideas and issues, identifying the main theme or themes. Ask yourself, what is the text about? Is it about knowledge, morality, religion, etc.? NOTES Jot down the things that you will want to cover in your essay (you have plenty of time). Make sure that you have a good list of things to write about: what the author is saying, the type of language used, theoretical / practical approach used, key strengths and weaknesses, and evaluation. WHAT THE AUTHOR IS SAYING Your response should include a brief summary of the main themes and argument from the passage. Remember to quote key arguments and ideas. Also, what type of writing is this? Is it argumentative, theoretical, historical, defensive, expositing a theory, etc.? THE LANGUAGE USED Explain briefly the style and language of the essay. Is it technical? Is it poetic? What type of vocabulary is used? Is the meaning clear? Is the expression well chosen, successful, or persuasive? Also perhaps ask: does a philosopher have to be a good writer? PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH Try to identify the type of philosophical approach taken and use this in your explanation. Is there an obvious theoretical approach? If so, what is it? And, what theories or assumptions does it draw upon? Is it a more practical or applied approach to philosophy? If so, what is the practical point, and how could it be applied in our day-to-day lives? Keep referring to the text. Also, have you encountered this type of approach before? If so, where? Does this fit with your experience of doing philosophy? STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES What is convincing or unconvincing about the text? Keep referring back to the text, with short quotes if necessary, evaluating the key claims it makes. As you do so, show that you have a clear understanding of what philosophy means as an activity, reflecting upon your own experiences. Do these experiences lead you to agree or disagree with the author? PERSONAL RESPONSE AND CONCLUSION

Make sure that your overall response is personal and suggest to the examiner (yes, do!) that philosophy is something which has affected your life. How has it changed you? Make sure that you have a strong, clear conclusion, which links your experiences to the text.

SIMPLE STRUCTURE CHECK-LIST: - Brief summary of main ideas and style/language/tone o - Identification of philosophical approach, referencing text o - Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses, referencing text o - Throughout the essay, compare with your experiences o Clear conclusion, rounding up your personal response