What is Organic Arrangement?

The word ‘organic’ itself suggests that something is ‘in nature, or ‘natural.’ Likewise, organic arrangement of an essay involves looking for a way to organize a composition that is “natural,” given the subject matter and the thesis.

The idea of organic arrangement of a speech or composition goes way, way back. All the way back, in fact, to the philosopher Plato (428-347 BCE), in his dialogue The Phaedrus. Though the central focus of Plato’s dialogue is on differing conceptions of love, as it happens Plato’s teacher Socrates is represented in the dialogue railing against fixed patterns or formulas for organizing speeches and instead advocates for organizing communication based on the ideas that are being communicated and how they can be effectively and logically divided into parts.

When someone follows a principle of organic arrangement, rather than applying an arbitrary organizational pattern, they instead attempt to find an organizational pattern that logically fits the topic and focus of the composition, usually by analyzing their own thesis, breaking that thesis into parts, and making each part an area of concentration with body of their draft. They then arrange those parts based on how the ideas contained in one part leads logically to the next.

First, break your thesis into parts

Consider the thesis below.

Example:

Though public and political opinion tends to see the 2nd amendment as a carte blanche freedom to own firearms, court interpretation and constitutional history show a more complication picture. As a result, our laws about guns ought to reflect that more complex and refined understanding of the right to bear arms.

How can this thesis be broken into logical parts that can then be elaborated and developed in the body paragraphs or sections of an essay?

There are many possibilities. One approach, though, is to look for possible assertive statements or claims made within the thesis. Often, these statements or claims can be found by identifying key words that suggest a position being taken on aspects of the topic.

• The thesis begins with the word “though,” a transitional term that suggests an idea or view that will be refuted. The statement led by the word “though,” then, might be one statement or claim the writer may need to demonsrate or prove.
• Related to the previous statement, the next one in the same sentence uses the word “show,” kind of suggesting something that will have to be demonstrated or illustrated to readers about this topic. That sounds like another idea or claim that a writer would need to demonstrate or prove to readers.
• The second sentence of the thesis statement uses the word “result,” a word suggesting a consequence, as well as the word “ought,” a word that suggests the writer sees the issue differently than some readers might. This may be a third idea that the writer needs to prove.

So now we’ve found three potential parts to this thesis that could make up parts or sections of an essay. There may still be more parts to discover, but we’ll start with these.

Example:

1. Though public and political opinion tends to see the 2nd amendment as a carte blanche freedom to own firearms,
2. court interpretation and constitutional history show a more complication picture.
3. As a result, our laws about guns ought to reflect that more complex and refined understanding of the right to bear arms.

Second, consider what other claims or explanations may need to be made

We’ve found three parts to this thesis statement that we can develop into three sections of an essay. But when arranging organically, we can’t stop there. As a writer considers the arguments they will make based on these parts, she also needs to consider whether there other claims to be made or explanations to provide that help connect one major part to another.

Reviewing the thesis statement above, for instance, we see that a writer would need to demonstrate, through research, what public and political interpretations of the 2nd amendment exist, as well as possibly how common those views are. We also see that a claim is being made that the interpretation of the courts, and a historical understanding of the US Constitution, differs from these public and political opinions. This is good, but this claim can be taken in two ways. One is that it calls on the writer to establish how court interpretation and constitutional history affects interpretations of constitutional amendments. Another is that US courts interpreted the 2nd amendment, in particular, differently than the public and politicians. Thus, one part becomes two: a section is needed to explain role that the courts play in determining constitutional rights based on the amendments and another section is needed to discuss how the US courts interpret the 2nd amendment in particular.

Another approach to finding additional parts to the essay may involve additional examples or arguments a writer may want to give. In the the above example, for instance, a writer may consider whether the history of interpretation of another cherished amendment might give readers a perspective on how the 2nd amendment ought to be interpreted. If the public assumes that rights are “carte blanche,” total and independent without exceptions, can this idea be refuted by example of another amendment? Sure enough, such an example can be provided by examining the 1st amendment, which grants citizens the freedom of speech. Though a cherished right, the courts have decided that there are limits on freedom of speech. Citizens can be prosecuted when their speech appears to be intended to incite violence, viably threaten others, or intentionally cause public havoc. In addition, one can be sued for lying about others in such a way that it harms them. Thus, we have the freedom of speech, but that freedom has limits. Discussing the 1st amendment as an example, then, of how limits apply to constitutional amendment provides another part or section to the essay.

Here is where we are at so far…

Example:

1. Public and political opinion tends to see the 2nd amendment as a carte blanche freedom to own firearms.
2. Court interpretation and constitutional history, though, show a more complication picture.
3. The United States Supreme Court has weighed in on the 2nd amendment and finds there limits to this amendment.
4. The United States Supreme Court has found limits to other constitutional rights, such as the freedom of speech.
5. As a result, our laws about guns ought to reflect that more complex and refined understanding of the right to bear arms.

Third, rearrange the parts or claims in a more logical order.

We have found five parts to develop or claims to prove in an essay based on the thesis above. But is this the most logical order? Let’s consider.

The first part discusses what is publicly assumed about the 2nd amendment. This may seem to be a good place to start, acknowledging what many readers may think before questioning that stance. It also makes sense after that to discuss how the courts function in interpreting amendments in general before discussing specific amendments.

The next parts listed involve the court’s interpretation of the 2nd amendment and the 1st amendment. Here’s where we may want to reconsider the order. If the writer is trying to get the audience to agree that the 2nd amendment should be understood in a different way and wants to end by arguing for the kinds of laws we should pass in light of that understanding, it may make more sense to make these the last two claims made. Meanwhile, it may be a good idea to provide the example of how first amendment rights to speech are limited, thus making readers more comfortable with the idea that 2nd amendment rights may also be limited. As a result, we have a new, more logical order.

Example:

1. Public and political opinion tends to see the 2nd amendment as a carte blanche freedom to own firearms.
2. Court interpretation and constitutional history, though, show a more complication picture.
3. As an example, the United States Supreme Court has found limits to freedom of speech rights found in the 1st amendment.
4. Similarly, the United States Supreme Court has weighed in on the 2nd amendment and finds there limits to this amendment as well.
5. As a result, our laws about guns ought to reflect that more complex and refined understanding of the right to bear arms.

In addition, of course, any composition needs an introduction and a conclusion. So in total, there could be at seven, logically and organically arranged parts to this essay.

1. Introduction and thesis statement
2. Public and political opinion tends to see the 2nd amendment as a carte blanche freedom to own firearms.
3. Court interpretation and constitutional history, though, show a more complication picture.
4. As an example, the United States Supreme Court has found limits to freedom of speech rights found in the 1st amendment.
5. Similarly, the United States Supreme Court has weighed in on the 2nd amendment and finds there limits to this amendment as well.
6. As a result, our laws about guns ought to reflect that more complex and refined understanding of the right to bear arms.
7. Conclusion

In short, since in organic arrangement, an essay’s organization is tailored to the thesis being presented and the stance the writer has taken, each essay organized in this fashion will look quite different from the next. But in the end, such an approach to organizing an essay leads to content that is closely tied to a writer’s thesis and is organized in such a way that each argument leads logically to the next.