Also see Help Studying Philosophy, Writing Philosophy Papers, and Reading Philosophy Papers.

Different people have different ways of revising, but these are some suggestions based on my experience of what can work well. It might seem like a lot of work to go through all these steps, especially because I recommend that you read over your paper several times, each time doing something different (checking clarity, checking transitions, etc.). But it's easier to read a paper looking at one thing at a time than trying to check everything at once, and you're more likely to do a good job of improving each aspect of the paper that way.
Heed your instructor. Obviously, if you have comments from your instructor, use those and do what you can to respond to them. Similarly, make sure you've carefully read the paper assignment and are doing all and only what it asks for. If you want to write about something other than what's assigned, it's best to talk this over with your instructor before doing so.

1. Outline your rough draft. Outlining is probably the most helpful tool students don't use nearly enough. Try to get the main point of each paragraph into as few words as possible - say, 5-10. If you can't do that, the paragraph may have too many main points and probably needs to be broken up into separate paragraphs.
2. Check paragraph main points. Make sure each paragraph has a limited main point. If a paragraph is trying to do too much, break it up into separate paragraphs with more limited points. It's a good idea if somewhere in each paragraph there's a sentence containing the main point of the paragraph. This would be a good time to add sentences like that if you don't already have them.
3. Check paragraph consistency. Make sure each sentence within each paragraph contributes to that main point. If part of the paragraph seems off the point, maybe it is. It might need to be cut or moved.
4. Check paragraph transitions. Check to see if each paragraph flows into the next paragraph. Will it be obvious to the reader why you're now talking about some other thing when you start a new paragraph? If not, add a transition sentence explaining what the new point is and how it's connected to the last point or to the overall structure of the paper.
5. Group paragraphs into sections. On your outline, group the paragraphs into sections and label them. For example, "Locke's view on obligation to political power." "Hume's criticisms of Locke's view." "My criticism of Hume's argument about tacit consent." "Conclusion." If your paragraphs don't clump into sections like this, you might be jumping back and forth too much, and might need to reorganize. In a short paper, you don't need to have breaks between sections, but your paper should go from one main purpose to another to another.
6. Check section main points and consistency. See #s 4 and 5 above, and do the same for groups of paragraphs. Make sure you've expressed the main point of each section somewhere within it, and that each section is doing a limited job. Make sure each paragraph within a section contributes to the purpose of that section.
7. Check section transitions. Once you have the paragraphs organized into sections, make sure the transitions between sections are obvious (see #5). If they're not, add transition sentences (for example, "Hume had several criticisms of Locke's views on obligation to political power. Following are two of those criticisms.").
8. Make cuts. Look over your outline and your paper for things to cut. I know it's hard to cut when you worked hard to write everything, but unnecessary, irrelevant, or poorly-worked-out material makes a paper worse. Figure out what's really relevant to this paper and what needs to be said to make your points, and cut out what's not or doesn't.
9. Make additions. Look over your outline and paper for things to expand on. If in reorganizing you realize you have a three-line paragraph making one of the main points, it needs expanding. Try to read your paper with unbiased eyes, pretending it's your first encounter with the material. Which parts would leave you really needing more explanation? Do some more explaining to this uninformed reader. Adding examples can help in many explanations.
10. Revise your own argument. For your own arguments, make absolutely sure you've given enough reasons for your points, as well as clear specifications of what exactly your points are. Remember to make your reasons ones that should convince reasonable people. Imagine a reader looking at your argument and saying, "Why should I agree with this?" Make sure there's something in your paper you could point to and say, "Because of the reasons I've given here."
Your reasons should go beyond just agreeing with something one of the philosophers you've read has said. Try to expand on others' points or come up with your own.
If you're having trouble coming up with your own argument, try brainstorming or "free writing" on a piece of paper or the computer. Write down everything that comes to mind when you ask yourself the question, "what do I think about this? Why do I think that? How might the philosopher I'm criticizing respond to me, and how would I answer back?"
Make sure your reasons are in the form of statements, not questions. The statement, "Locke is wrong that people tacitly consent to their governments' rules" is much stronger than the question "Why should we think people tacitly consent to their governments' rules?" A statement can form part of an argument in a way a question rarely can.
Using examples to help back up your argument can be very helpful, as long as you explain how they should help convince the reader of your points.
11. Check clarity. Read over your paper for clarity. If you get to a sentence that you're not sure is clear enough, or that you think might be worded awkwardly, try reading it out loud. This often helps you spot unclear or awkward phrasing. If you've stuck in some "fancy" words and you're not absolutely sure they mean what you think they mean, either look them up or, better yet, change them into more simple, ordinary words. Again, reading out loud can help here - if you would never say, "Thusly, the impingement of the refutation on Locke's orthodoxy is abundant," don't say it in your paper. Instead, say, "There are many problems with Locke's theory."
12. Check definitions. Make sure you've defined all your "technical terms" - words or phrases used in particular or unusual ways in this topic or by this philosopher.
13. Check accuracy. Double-check the accuracy of your portrayals of other philosophers. It's especially important not to misrepresent the view you're disagreeing with, since that would look like you're being unfair.
14. Check references. Make sure you have your references in the paper, including page numbers. For more on when and how to provide references, see the links I've distributed on Plagiarism and How to Avoid It.
15. Rewrite intro and conclusion. The first and last paragraphs of your paper should be rewritten to reflect the way your new draft goes. (By the way, just as a piece of advice, never start a philosophy paper with a phrase like "throughout history" or "from the beginning of time". For various reasons, this drives philosophers crazy.)
16. Double-check grammar and spelling, by hand. Don't rely on spell-checkers and grammar-checkers alone.

last revised 11/02