there should be a required course on how to read philosophy

What is it like to read Philosophy?

May 22, 2014 · Step 6: Summarise what you’ve read. (1) It forces you to check you’ve been paying attention, and how much. If there’s a step in the argument you can’t summarise, you need to go back and review the text. (2) It consolidates your first reading so enhances your ability to recall the information later.

What classes do you need to take to become a philosopher?

To build great philosophical reading skills you'll need to cultivate some philosophical empathy and self-criticism. Writing philosophy is challenging. Be empathetic: after you come up with some possible criticism, imagine taking the role of your opponent and try to answer your criticisms.

What is the course curriculum for a philosophy major?

Aug 20, 2013 · Instead, flip through the book looking for something that grabs your eye — a word, phrase, picture. Read from there until it annoys or confuses you, then flip again. And then sit with it. Let the one thing you understood sink in and then try the book again a few days or weeks or even months later.

What to expect from an introduction to philosophy course?

Feb 28, 2017 · This sounds pretty obvious, but reading Philosophy requires a lot of your time and focus. It is totally different to reading for fun or reading to get facts from things; theoretical reading requires an appreciation of precision and logic and a willingness to be open-minded to new ways of thinking. Philosophical texts offer up arguments, which ...

What is the proper way to read philosophy?

Read Secondary Texts. The entirety of Philosophy is like one continuous story. ... Develop a Philosophers Toolkit. Analytic Philosophy is really rigid. ... Don't Miss the Bigger Picture. Philosophers write with an agenda in mind. ... Be Open to Interpretation. ... Take Things Slow.

Why is philosophy a required class?

The study of philosophy enhances a person's problem-solving capacities. It helps us to analyze concepts, definitions, arguments, and problems. It contributes to our capacity to organize ideas and issues, to deal with questions of value, and to extract what is essential from large quantities of information.

Where do I start if I want to read philosophy?

The Best Philosophy Books for BeginnersPlato: Five Dialogues by Plato.The Emperor's New Mind by Roger Penrose.Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries translated by Bryan W. ... Meno by Plato.Republic by Plato.Discourse on Method by Rene Descartes.Symposium by Plato.The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.More items...•Mar 14, 2021

Why should you read philosophy?

A study of philosophy will help you develop critical thinking skills. It will encourage you to understand the constraints you operate within when you make certain choices or even when you decide which goals you should pursue. You will be able to think intelligently of how you live and why you live that way.Nov 29, 2018

What is the study of philosophy?

Philosophy is the systematic study of ideas and issues, a reasoned pursuit of fundamental truths, a quest for a comprehensive understanding of the world, a study of principles of conduct, and much more.

Why does the study of philosophy necessary for a teacher?

By learning philosophy, a teacher would be able to view and analyze from the perspective of their students. Apart from understanding why students are behaving in a particular way, teachers would also be able to know how students perceive their actions.Aug 22, 2018

Which philosopher should I start with?

When people ask where they ought to begin in reading philosophy I always suggest starting with Plato. And given how important his teacher, Socrates, was in Plato's own philosophical development, why not begin with these dialogues that set out the drama of Socrates' trial, conviction, imprisonment, and execution?May 11, 2018

What age should you start reading philosophy?

I would recommend it for ages 12+ given its clear writing style that illuminates and contextualises some of the most important ideas in philosophy.Dec 22, 2016

What is the best introduction to philosophy?

The Four Best Introductory Books on PhilosophySophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton.The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant.Jan 27, 2020

Why do we need philosophy in today's world?

It belongs in the lives of everyone. It helps us solve our problems -mundane or abstract, and it helps us make better decisions by developing our critical thinking (very important in the age of disinformation).Nov 16, 2017

Do you need philosophy to live?

Without philosophy, there would be no equality; human beings wouldn't be given the freedom to make their own choices, and every day would be the same. There would be no freedom of anything because no one would have the strength or the ability to speak up.Jan 21, 2019

What is the task of a philosophy reader?

Your task as a philosophy reader is not just to take in information, as you would do with a biology textbook: you are engaging with an argument. You may agree or disagree — but either way, you need to know why you've formed a particular opinion. As you're reading, look for flaws in the writer's argument, and mark them.

How long does it take to read a philosophy book?

Philosophical writings are dense and difficult. When reading, set realistic goals. While reading a page of a novel can take as little as thirty seconds, some pages in philosophy require at least ten minutes or even more .

Who is Andrea Borghini?

Andrea Borghini, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at the University of Milan , Italy. His research focuses on metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of biology. our editorial process. Andrea Borghini. Updated July 31, 2019. So you have a philosophical piece in your hand, for the very first time.

How to build a philosophical reading skill?

Writing philosophy is challenging. Be empathetic: after you come up with some possible criticism, imagine taking the role of your opponent and try to answer your criticisms. This exercise can improve your understanding of a philosophical text dramatically, showing you viewpoints that were not clear to you before.

How to understand a philosophical piece?

One of the best ways to understand and analyze a philosophical piece is to discuss it with others. It isn't always easy to find friends interesting in discussing philosophy at length — but often other members of your class will be willing to talk about the content of assignments.

What is philosophical writing?

Philosophical writing is persuasive writing. When you read a philosophical piece you are reading the opinion of an author who is trying to persuade you of the plausibility or implausibility of a position.

What is the difference between theoretical and philosophical reading?

It is totally different to reading for fun or reading to get facts from things; theoretical reading requires an appreciation of precision and logic and a willingness to be open-minded to new ways of thinking.

Is reading philosophy difficult?

Reading Philosophy is a difficult task, especially coming to uni with little or no background in the subject. Reading lists can look long and daunting, vocabulary can be confusing and it seems to take ages to understand even the smallest part of a chapter. Even as a third year, I still find myself taking a long time to get through a reading ...

What is philosophical writing?

Philosophical writing is quite unique in that it usually offers an internal dialogue. Not dissimilar to the back-and-forth of philosophical debate, the text will often have the author refuting and defending his own theory all in the same work. This is to be expected – philosophical thinking isn’t straightforward! So, when you’re reading, don’t be disheartened if you don’t understand something on the first go. Often, rather than dwelling on that same paragraph over and over again, it is better to carry on reading and come back to it later. Sometimes finishing the text and having an overall picture may clarify any issues you were having earlier on.

What do philosophy majors study?

Students, who are philosophy majors, may study logic, ancient philosophy, modern philosophy, ethics, reasoning, metaphysics and epistemology as part of their course curriculum. View Schools.

What is modern philosophy?

Modern Philosophy. The curriculum of a course in modern philosophy covers thinkers during the Enlightenment age, along with those of the critical, empiricist and rationalist traditions. Students study the ideas of morality, human knowledge and freedom through the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume and Bacon.

What are the ethical issues in philosophy?

Students look at the ethical issues surrounding just punishment, freedom, civil disobedience, justice, distributive justice, community, rights and the relationship between law and morality. They may go on to consider current and tradition theories of freedom, duty, happiness, evil, good, wrong, right and value.

What is logic class?

Logic courses also typically cover the basic laws of reasoning and common logical fallacies by using examples in reasoning.

What is the purpose of metaphysics?

Metaphysics. Metaphysics explores the relationships between different aspects of the natural world, causation between different things and the unchanging nature of others. The curriculum covers possibility and necessity, the nature of causation, the nature of events and the idea of existence. Students study such metaphysical ideas as freedom, ...

What is a 100 level philosophy course?

Typically, 100 and 200 level courses are for beginners, people who have taken few or no philosophy courses.

Is philosophy a general education?

It also illustrates the wide range of philosophical questions that can be asked, revealing that philosophy can apply to any situation or subject area. Introduction to Philosophy is almost always a general education requirement, so its skill set is usable in every class you will take in school.

What is the introduction to philosophy?

Description: Introduction to Philosophy is always an introductory course. Most of the time it is a “survey” course, meaning that you read lots of smaller pieces from a variety of different philosophers. Sometimes they are presented chronologically, starting with the Classical Greeks and moving forward. Most of the time, however, they are presented thematically, dividing the philosophers into subject areas such as ethics, the study of reality (metaphysics), philosophy of religion, and the study of knowledge (epistemology). Typically, you will read selections outside of class, comment on them for homework by either submitting questions or writing reactions, and talk about the reading in class. The instructor will usually go through the text in class, sometimes with the book in front of all of you, and sometimes by writing lecture notes on the board. These classes almost always have at least one, but more often two, larger papers to write for a midterm or final assignment.

What is critical thinking class?

The critical thinking class will probably focus more on everyday arguments in books, newspapers, and on the internet. In some schools, though, these names are interchangeable. If you take one philosophy class at all, this is probably the one to take, but keep in mind, this is not an introduction to the subject of philosophy.

What are some good books to read about philosophy?

Two good places to start are Simon Blackburn's book Think and Julian Baggini's The Pig That Wants to be Eaten. The Blackburn book clearly and concisely goes through most of the large areas of philosophy and talks about how various philosophers have thought about them. The Baggini book presents interesting little thought experiments and puzzles that can help acquaint you with some of the interesting and odd topics that philosophers have addressed. Both books provide enough citations for you to start digging on your own once you've identified things you find interesting.

How to make quick buck?

One way to make quick buck is to grab a bunch of important stuff and stick it in a book, then sell it to people. Thankfully when philosophers do this, it makes it easy to get into a topic.

Is philosophy a large field?

As pointed out elsewhere in this FAQ, philosophy is a very large field. You could spend your entire life studying political philosophy and never touch metaphysics, or vice versa. This makes it difficult to recommend good places to start for people who know nothing about philosophy: it's a bit like recommending a food to someone who has ...

Is Plato a good philosopher?

As mentioned above, Plato is a good place to dive in. He sits near the beginning of the Western philosophical tradition, his writing is often engaging, he covers practically every topic, and he was massively influential. In addition to this collection of five dialogues, Plato's Republic is a masterpiece that touches on many areas of philosophy and which has often served as the first introduction students get to the field.