Read over and explore your philosophy coursework in order to choose a topic, philosopher or branch of philosophy that interests you and which you would like to examine deeper. Avoid choosing a subject that you are not familiar with, as this will make the research element of your work much more time consuming, which will take away from the time you spend creating argument.
Brainstorm. It may take some time to figure out what you want to discuss and argue in your thesis paper. Brainstorming will help you clarify ideas and decide on the types of arguments you are interested in making.
Meet with your professor or philosophy department to discuss the area that you would like to explore. Clarify ideas, assure that the area you wish to explore could support a fruitful thesis, and develop your thesis statement with your professor.
Research the thesis topic deeply. Read and understand all the relevant literature on the topic, the philosophers involved and the philosophical and historical context of the literature and philosophers. Understand the relevant material in order to create strong philosophical arguments.
Create very focused and unambiguous questions that will constitute the core of your entire thesis. The questions you ask should challenge, support or oppose philosophical ideas. For example, if you are exploring Buddhist environmental ethics you may ask, "Can a Buddhist environmental ethic be developed as an extension of Buddhist virtue ethics?"
Choose a viewpoint and do not stray from it. For example, if you are making an ethical argument, do not make both ontological and utilitarian arguments; choose one philosophical framework and develop your arguments from this viewpoint.
Structure your thesis paper in a logical way. Begin with an introduction explaining what you will be discussing and arguing, explain the philosophical concepts that you have researched, develop your own philosophical arguments and finish your thesis with a strong conclusion summarizing what you have achieved in your discussion.
Make strong and logical arguments that follow sound reasoning. State your premises clearly and show how your conclusions logically develop from and are supported by your argued premises.
Couple your arguments with a demonstrated knowledge of the relevant philosophical literature. Reference and discuss the philosophical concepts you have researched and use logical arguments to explain why you agree or disagree with these ideas.
Use strong references. Include a wide range of references to demonstrate you have done adequate research. Reference and properly cite your researched information throughout your paper. Use the relevant style guide, whether MLA, APA or Chicago styles.
Proofread, rewrite and make further developments of your first draft. Make as many drafts as necessary until you have created a strong, polished thesis.