Briefly introduce your topic (one or two sentences, maximum)
(ii) State your thesis (viz., whether Platos argument succeeds or fails)
(iii) State how the paper will proceed (e.g., First I will…, then I will…)
II. Exposition: (i) Explain why Plato wants to prove that the soul divides into parts; why is his
doing so crucial at this point in the Republic?
(ii) Summarize and explain the Platonic argument. That is, dont just state the
premises and conclusion of his argument; make clear what the ideas mean.
III. Evaluation: Defend your thesis by taking a stand on Platos argument; is he right or wrong? This will
require subjecting Platos position to criticism in the form of objections and/or
counterexamples, showing that Platos view either can or cannot be defended. In other
words, argue for your position regarding Plato.
IV. Conclusion: (i) Briefly restate the main points of the papers body