TerryDoo
New member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2026
- Messages
- 8
I'm a junior in philosophy, and I've always been an APA person. That's what all my psych and sociology classes used, so I just assumed that was the way to write academic papers. My papers were fine, but they always felt a little... dry. A little robotic.
Then I took a class on ancient philosophy with this incredible professor. For our first paper, I submitted it in APA, thinking I was being professional. She returned it with a note: "Great ideas. But next time, let's try the Chicago style writing. I think your arguments will breathe easier."
I was nervous to switch, but I trusted her. And wow, was she right!
With Chicago style writing, I can let my philosophical arguments flow without interruption. No more clunky parenthetical citations breaking up my beautiful sentences about Plato's cave. Instead, I have these elegant little footnotes that quietly say, "Here's where I got this idea, in case you're curious." It's so much more elegant!
The other thing I love is that Chicago allows for commentary in the footnotes. I can add little asides, like "For a contrary view, see Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics," without messing up the flow of my main text. It's like having a second voice whispering additional wisdom in the margins.
I'm so grateful my professor pushed me out of my comfort zone. The Chicago style writing has made me a better, more thoughtful writer. Has anyone else had a similar experience with switching styles?
Then I took a class on ancient philosophy with this incredible professor. For our first paper, I submitted it in APA, thinking I was being professional. She returned it with a note: "Great ideas. But next time, let's try the Chicago style writing. I think your arguments will breathe easier."
I was nervous to switch, but I trusted her. And wow, was she right!
With Chicago style writing, I can let my philosophical arguments flow without interruption. No more clunky parenthetical citations breaking up my beautiful sentences about Plato's cave. Instead, I have these elegant little footnotes that quietly say, "Here's where I got this idea, in case you're curious." It's so much more elegant!
The other thing I love is that Chicago allows for commentary in the footnotes. I can add little asides, like "For a contrary view, see Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics," without messing up the flow of my main text. It's like having a second voice whispering additional wisdom in the margins.
I'm so grateful my professor pushed me out of my comfort zone. The Chicago style writing has made me a better, more thoughtful writer. Has anyone else had a similar experience with switching styles?
She was SO right! APA is fine for science, but philosophy NEEDS that flow. Those parenthetical citations (Smith, 2019, p. 45) just murder a beautiful argument mid-sentence. Footnotes let your ideas soar and then go "oh by the way, here's the source" like a polite little whisper. Welcome to the Chicago club!