Writing a Good Critique

A critique is an opportunity to consider possible weaknesses in the argument(s) of opposing authorities on an assigned topic. Sometimes I will assign two specific readings that present opposing opinions, otherwise you will have to find two opposed authorities of your own. Because these views are opposing, they will necessarily provide you with an opportunity to consider the views of someone who thinks differently from yourself on the issue. You must carefully analyze your two authorities' views to discover the main arguments for their position on the specific topic.

Each critique must contain a description of at least one significant argument from each reading (the POS1 and POS2 components) and a detailed discussion of some possible reason(s) to question the acceptability of a least one of those arguments (the CRIT component). In larger papers, more arguments than one can be critiqued.

When marking these critiques, I use this scheme:

Explanation of relevance and details of positions of two authorities	/4 (POS1 and POS2)
Presentation of objection(s) to at least one of the positions (critique)	/4 (CRIT)
Clarity of writing (spelling, grammar, style, etc.)	/2 (WRIT)
Participation in class discussion	/3 (ORAL, if assigned)
Total	/13 or 10 (See Course Outline for actual weight)

One of the most common deficiencies in these critiques is inadequate critical assessment. Therefore, at least half (roughly) of the paper should be devoted to discussing your criticisms. That means that your description of relevant arguments should be restricted to the first half of the paper. When it comes to the critical analysis, do not try to be comprehensive. Focus on specific reasons that you find a particular argument not to be compelling and develop such criticisms in detail. For example, specify claims you find false or highly questionable and explain why they are questionable (providing citations from relevant authorities to support your concern might be helpful). Or discuss possible counter arguments, perhaps raised by an opposing author.

Remember that in a Philosophy class, it is always important to practice the Principle of Charity. This principle states that when someone's arguments or claims are open to multiple interpretations, you should choose the interpretation that makes that person's argument the strongest. In other words, always seek to avoid the temptation to set up a "straw man" version of opponent's arguments that can be easily "knocked down," rather than addressing their actual arguments.