Arguments for God’s Existence: Present one of Aquinas’s arguments for God’s existence.Be sure to demonstrate that you understand the argument’s fundamental principles and logic, and then offer a critical analysis of the argument. Is Aquinas’s reasoning sound? Is the argument persuasive?
Basic Paper Outline:
Your paper should include four basic parts:
1. Begin with an introduction that includes a thesis sentence. Your thesis should be easily
identifiable: state clearly and straightforwardly what subject matter you are examining.
Moreover, your thesis must formulate an interpretive or evaluative claim, and it should
offer the most significant reasons for why you are taking this position. (recommended
length: 1 paragraph)
2. Next, your paper must accurately represent and demonstrate understanding of the views
of the particular philosopher(s) you are engaging.1 (recommended length: 1-2 pages)*
3. Next, you must include a critical analysis, be sure to consider some or all of these
questions: is a particular argument sound? Would additional premises be needed to
support any of the conclusions? Are there any false or questionable premises (or
assumptions) that ground a theory or argument? If the argument seems strong and
persuasive, what in particular makes it so?2 (recommended length: 2-3 pages)*
4. Your essay must have a conclusion. A conclusion can serve to recapitulate your
evaluative argument and the conclusion(s) you have just reached, and/or present
questions or points that warrant further examination (i.e. highlighting what important,
related points your current essay could not explore sufficiently). (recommended length: 1-
2 paragraphs)
Note:
Each paper needs to include a close textual analysis and should never be mere summary. The analysis
should reflect your own engagement with the philosophical ideas and arguments presented.
*Your “summary” and “critical analysis” components do not need to be organized as separate parts of the
essay. However, you must be sure that both the expository and analytic aspects are present and work in
tandem. Furthermore, be sure that there is an evident organizational structure to your paper as a whole.
1. Whenever you summarize or reference a specific claim or argument, be sure to cite the relevant text.
Also, always be clear when you are presenting your own interpretation (i.e. making an interpretative
argument), as opposed to when you are merely presenting what you see as a basic fact of what was said.
Integrating direct quotes from the text is important; however, this should be done strategically.
Quotations should not serve as mere “filler” or be random. Rather, these insertions should serve to offer
evidence for your summary and subsequent analysis.
2. Remember that a critical analysis should be an assessment of the relative strengths or weaknesses of one
or more arguments from the text. Whether you think the argument is strong or weak (or that it has
different elements of strength and weakness), be sure to offer specific and clear explanations for why this
is the case.
