We

Academic Writer

Use of 'we'
If you wish to identify your reader with your own viewpoint, you can use 'we' rather than 'I'. This has the effect of 'carrying' your reader with you as you develop your argument. It may also have the effect of convincing your reader of your point of view. It is a rather more subtle device than always using the personal pronoun 'I' or such phrases as 'In my opinion'.

EXAMPLE
In the following example, the position outlined is not necessarily true! Do we live 'in strange times that resemble the superstitious fervor of the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries'? This is open to question. If the writer had said:
'In my opinion we live in strange times that resemble the superstitious fervor of the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries' readers might think "Ah ha! That's only an opinion!" or "What rubbish!". However by cleverly starting off with the pronoun 'We', the reader is invited to agree with the writer.

The same impersonal argument can be created by the repeated use of pronouns.

We live in strange times that resemble the superstitious fervor of the witch trials of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. There is today a "great fear" that grips our society, and that is fear of child abuse. Rightfully we wish to identify and punish these genuine "enemies" and point every finger of accusation at them. But this does not mean, of course, that every perceived enemy, every person with whom we may have fought, should be labeled in this same way.

You can also use 'we' to point your readers backwards and forwards in your paper:
We have seen how the religious houses were destroyed. Now let us turn to the effects of their destruction on the people as a whole.
We have noted the effects of an unrestrained free market economy, for examples the 'boom-bust' cycle.
We may wish to see more evidence in support of this viewpoint, but this must await the publication of ongoing research.

Academic Writer 2000