This guide has been prepared primarily for use by Part II Philosophy students writing essays and dissertations. It offers further guidance for students who have already read and used the Part I Philosophy Essay Writing Guidelines which appear in the Part I Handbook. In most of your philosophy courses, the essay assignment offers a set of topics from which to choose, and often there is particular reading set out for each topic.
Further reading is useful, but use discretion.
Don't try to read everything. Focus on a few relevant sources. Sometimes you will deliberately be asked to seek out relevant reading on your own. This is to prompt you to develop skills of being able to work independently, finding relevant materials, and also learning to judge what is authoritative and what is less so. In cases where you choose your own topic, although you may be given advice by your tutor about relevant sources, you will need to explore the further reading list and the library.