The essay of affirmation takes the position I agree. If you want to write an essay agreeing with—affirming—the ideas of another, such as a philosopher, a simple statement of agreement (“Works for me!”) will not cut it in a philosophy class. You will need to present an exposition of the philosopher’s point of view, identify your areas of agreement, and then present these along with reasoning that supports your agreement. An especially strong development to include in an essay of affirmation is available to you if a philosopher’s insight inspires in you not mere affirmation but a significant change in your own thinking and belief system.
Remember, you are writing an essay, not a book. You may certainly express admiration for a philosopher’s body of work (to the extent that you know it), but your essay should focus on some specific insight, concept, or relatively brief published work of your chosen philosopher. A workable format for an essay of affirmation might adhere to this outline:
State your purpose and define your focus: “Ralph Waldo Emerson’s metaphor of the‘transparent eyeball’ in his 1836 essay Nature showed me a way in which philosophy can explain how one may feel the presence of God in nature.”
Explain the “transparent eyeball” metaphor. Present Emerson’s reasoning behind the metaphor. Present your support for this metaphor, including your argument for that support. Present the broader significance of the metaphor—not just its implications for your beliefs, but for those others as well. The essay of affirmation needs to exhibit three skills:
- Expository skill adequate to explain the expressed thought of another person.
- Expository and argumentative skill adequate to explain and justify your support for that thought.
- Argumentative skill adequate to persuade others that your position of support is relevant to them.
