Note: This is a web copy of the original guide that I wrote for the philosophy freshmen in my university.
Introduction
The goal of this guide is to help you survive your freshman year in philosophy by providing you with practical tips on reading and writing. As important as the two skills are, it is too often the case that they are not taught well enough early on. I know many bright students who took at least two years before they can say that they’ve written something “philosophical” or worth reading; I know some who never learned to write properly at all. In other words, reading and writing philosophically are things you will learn on your own. You are a college student now, after all; self-learning is a valuable skill to have. Online classes also added another level of challenge to teaching these skills.
Still, I wrote this guide to at least alleviate the frustration of being left in the dark. Attempting to study philosophy without knowing how to properly read and write is a perilous thing for both your sanity and grades. Here, you will learn how to conquer your readings efficiently, and to write essays effectively.
I hope you find this guide useful as you set out on your philosophical journey.
Chapter 1: College
Some few words for freshies
College is basically another chance to do whatever you want, and to be whoever you want to be. This is now your opportunity to break any bad habits, and to form new ones that could help you become more productive.
Go ahead and make new friends, for they will make the next few years of your life bearable and memorable. You are all strangers to each other on your first day of class, so don’t be afraid to start talking with people, as they probably are just as nervous as you are. You will meet fascinating new individuals with different backgrounds and beliefs that’ll help you understand not only people but also yourself more. They are your allies, so build strong bonds with them. Have a sort of friendly competition in your class, but never forget to help your classmates. There is nothing fun about graduating alone.
It might be overrated, but time-management really is key if you want to avoid being overwhelmed in college. Have a simple to-do list in your arsenal; it doesn’t have to be fancy or aesthetic, a to-do list is a to-do list. Plan out the day, or even the week if you can. Stay organized; there are so many free productivity applications out there you can download and utilize. This can help you ease the anxiety of not knowing what to do throughout the day. Know your priorities and stick to them. Don’t be afraid to say no when you know you already have so much work to do.
Also, stop the cramming. While some of you might object and say that you work better under pressure, it is definitely not healthy for you. Try to break such habit early on, and start your work as early as you can. Not only will you produce much better outputs, your mental health will thank you for doing so. Isn’t kind of ironic that students still choose to cram, then go on to complain how difficult school is? College is hard, that is an undeniable fact – but deliberately making it harder for yourself is just plain stupid.
Lastly, your studies are important, but it is not everything. Get as much rest as you can, drink plenty of water, and try to get enough sleep. PLEASE take care of yourselves. These are things you hear every day and may seem obvious to you already, but they matter especially when you have so much work to do. Do not commit the same mistakes that some of your burnt-out seniors have done. While you may feel guilty for taking breaks, just think that in the future you will look back in your life and you’ll be happy that you chose yourself first before everything else. I repeat: PUT YOURSELVES FIRST.
Oh, and don’t fall in love with a classmate. Just don’t.
Chapter 2: Philosophy
Are you sure you’re in the right program?
Here’s a revelation: most philosophy majors I know don’t even want to be in philosophy. They were supposed to be in other programs, but for a multitude of reasons ended up in the wonderful world of philosophy. Some of them are not prepared to study something they had no knowledge or interest about, and sadly drop out or transfer. Some stick around, but only because they don’t want to abandon what they’ve already started.
Don’t take this the wrong way, though; I am only stating the truth about the program. I’m also not going to force you into studying something you don’t want. If you do decide to stay, I hope this guide would help you spark your interest in philosophy; if not, I shall quote Confucius: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Don’t rush studying Philosophy
Like all things in life, studying philosophy requires a solid foundation. Without it, you will never fully understand and appreciate the concepts and lessons you’ll learn along the way. There’s also a likely chance that you’ll be lost and confused, and thus lose interest. Parang pag-ibig lang yan mga tol, hindi dapat minamadali kung gusto niyong magtagal.
It is tempting to read primary texts early on, but try to curb those desires for now. Stop reading Marx and Nietzsche and pretending that you understand them. You will be far more appreciative of the texts you will read if you equip yourself first with the foundational concepts in philosophy. Read a lot of introductory secondary texts, immerse yourself in the different branches of philosophy, ponder on the different definitions of “philosophy”, and study the ancient philosophers. Master the basics, and it’ll be smooth-sailing from there.
Be open-minded
This is already common sense for those who would want to study philosophy, but always keep an open mind to everything you will learn here. There will be many ideas that can clash with your beliefs, but always aim to be rational. Whether your beliefs change or are even strengthened throughout your journey, what matters is that you’ve learned to examine your own perspectives – something that is important not only in studying philosophy but in life in general.
Also, don’t be too afraid of changing interests in philosophy. A classmate of mine was into existentialism, but got turned off when he started to read Sartre and Heidegger. The beauty of philosophy is that there’s so much more to learn and to be excited about even if something about it did not meet your expectations. Just read on, and keep exploring.
Prepare
Try to engrain in your brains that philosophy is difficult. Sure, it can be very interesting and maybe even life-changing at times, but there is nothing easy about studying it. It is a laborious program that requires patience and constant reflection. Thus, the only thing you can do to make things life easier for you is to prepare – and prepare well, you must.
Chapter 3: Readings
Expect a lot of readings
In philosophy, you will live and die reading. There’s no other way around it. Prepare yourself for the countless hours trying to decipher what your readings are trying to say. Crash courses and YouTube videos help, but they should not be treated as substitutes. You’re only doing yourself a disservice if you depend on them too much. In short, if you want your life to be easier in philosophy, do the readings. No shortcuts, no ifs and buts: sit down and read.
If you’re someone like me whose attention span is as short as my temper, you ought to find the best time, space, and mood for you to read, and read as much as you can during that period. Have you ever experienced that at some random time, you suddenly understand everything you’re reading? While sometimes, it just doesn’t, no matter how hard you try? Figure out why that is. Maybe you’re hungry, or there’s too much distractions around you, or you’re simply tired. Whatever it is, try to remedy it ASAP, and get yourself in that headspace when you can read as efficiently as possible.
Remember: the goal is to read as efficiently as possible. Actively reading for an hour or so a day is better than reading mindlessly for 12 straight hours. Don’t trick yourselves into cramming either, like I mentioned earlier. You will be given enough time to do your readings, so do them.
Take care of your eyes as well. Don’t take them for granted: you don’t know what people with poor eyesight will give up just to have 20/20 vision again.
Philosophical texts are not novels – do not expect to understand them on the first read.
Philosophical texts demand painstaking amounts of careful rereads before you can properly understand them. They are not novels that you can easily picture in your head and breeze through without missing anything. Adopting such technique with philosophical texts will only make you more confused. You can, of course, trick yourselves into thinking that you get the gist of the text in one go, but that can only get you so far.
There are many different reasons as to why philosophical texts are difficult to read. Some texts are poorly written, with long-winded sentences and no regard for conciseness. Some adopt unique writing styles, like aphorisms, irony, and dialogue when presenting their ideas, adding another level of challenge. Some texts simply deal with abstract concepts that are not easily articulated in everyday language.
Regardless of the reason for their difficulty, the best advice is to simply be patient with your readings. Don’t ever rush them; try to savor every word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, and page. Do not worry if it still doesn’t seem clear to you in your first or second read. No matter how impressive your reading comprehension skills are, there will be moments where you will be stumped and frustrated. That’s just the way it is. Even your professors will sometimes admit how much of a pain it is to read.
I should also mention that since you’re still a freshman, chances are you will be prescribed introductory texts in philosophy. These are quite easy to read, but I would advise you all to still read them as you would a difficult text. Train yourself into reading like that, and maybe you’ll have an easier time in philosophy. Maybe.
Imagine the book as a living person talking to you
I’m sure you’ve heard of the term active reading before, and some of you might have never really understood how to do it. Many people, including myself, find it difficult to sponge up what they’ve read and to be critical with it. So how can we remedy this? Try to imagine the book as a living person talking to you.
Unless you’re a spineless, uninterested bore of a person, you’re typically more engaged when you’re in a live conversation with someone. Whenever they say something to you that you didn’t quite understand, you ask them what they meant. You might even disagree to some of the things they’d say, and some you agree with.
Try to do the same thing with your book. I know it’s kind of stupid, but try to imagine the philosopher talking to you through their work. Whenever there’s a passage you don’t understand, mark or highlight it, and come back to it later. Mark also the passages that you disagree or have problems with, and those that truly strike you. If you’re reading off of a PDF file, utilize the annotation functions of whatever program you’re using.
Of course, the book won’t magically respond to you; it is your job as a reader to answer your questions yourself. By doing it this way, you’ve not only made the reading process more enjoyable, but you’ve also managed to engage and develop a deeper appreciation of the text. It also helps you to stay awake: the more engaged you are, the less likely you’ll feel drowsy and bored.
Research on the background/context of the readings
Diving into your readings without any sort of idea what it’s about is never a good idea. As much as possible, try to research as much as you can about the readings before you tackle them. Note, however, that the information you’ve researched is second only to what the readings themselves tell you. In short, the summaries and notes you will find are only tools that can help you understand the readings; SparkNotes and YouTube Crash Course videos are NOT substitutes.
Again, don’t waste your time on too much researching. Just a quick glance on other references can help you understand the readings. Allow yourself ample amounts of time to read the actual prescribed texts.
Skimming and Scanning
Skimming the text provides you with a rough outline of what you’re about to read, and helps you anticipate the parts that you should give more attention to. Trying to read and understand at the same time is a strenuous task, so spare yourself from the unnecessary effort. Let your eyes glide through the first sentences of every paragraph, and try to construct in your head how they all relate to each other. You can also just check the table of contents (if your readings have one) and figure out the flow and development of the ideas in the text from there. This part will be easier if you’ve done some research as previously mentioned.
While reading the whole text is preferred, there are instances that you don’t really have to read all of it, especially if you just need to find a specific passage or topic. Try to also scan the texts and mark or highlight the passages that seem relevant to your question. Still, reading the whole text makes for a more comprehensive understanding of the concepts in it; there’s nothing to lose if you decided to read more.
Retaining what you’ve read
I cannot prescribe you the best way to retain what you’ve read, as that would vary from person to person. But to name a few:
- Write summaries of your readings. I personally summarize every paragraph I read in one sentence. And after reading the whole text, I summarize it too in the most concise possible way. Condensing helps me to remember what the whole paragraph or text said without having to read it all again.
- Discuss it with your classmates. One of the most enjoyable things you can do as a philosophy major is to simply discuss or teach what you’ve learned with your friends or classmates. In turn, they too will teach you what they’ve learned. In short, if you can teach it, then you’ve learned it.
- Familiarity. Try to relate what you’ve learned with something that you already know by heart. Though it may feel silly to relate philosophical concepts to, say, the recent k-dramas you’ve watched, but it is effective. The beauty of philosophy is that it’s pretty much everywhere; try to utilize that as best you can. This also works with other books or texts that you’ve read. In other words, to retain what you’ve read, sometimes it is better to read even more.
- Have a good note-taking system. There are loads of incredible note-taking systems out there that you can experiment with. Try to also use note apps, such as Notion (which is free if you use your school email), OneNote, Evernote, among others. The good old notebook too is excellent; just try to keep them intact. Digital notes are more convenient for most, as they are far easier to organize and are synced, but use whatever works for you.
Chapter 4: Writing
Learn to Cite
Before I can talk about writing, I must instruct you to learn how to properly cite. Proper citations are often overlooked and thus underestimated by many students. Incorrect citations are, and always will be, inexcusable in academia.
The citation style used in the philosophy program is Chicago Turabian. It is a footnoting type of citation, instead of the in-text citation styles that most high-schoolers are familiar with like APA or MLA. I’m not going to exhaust teaching it to you here; there are loads of articles on the internet on how to do it, and it will be taught to you by your instructors.
Writing is a skill
No serious writer would ever tell you that writing is easy. Along with reading tons of philosophical texts, you would have to write about them. By write, it means to articulate your thoughts, present your arguments, and explicate what you have understood in a clear and coherent manner. Learn to write effectively, and you will not only get good grades, but you’ll be a better communicator and thinker as well.
While writing may be difficult, it is just like any other skill that can be developed overtime. The more you do it, the more you get the feel of it, and it will be much easier for you to put what’s inside of your head into paper. Put simply, the way to get better in writing is to, well, write.
Try to develop a writing habit. Write any thoughts that come into your head anywhere you like (paper, MS word, your notes in your phone). Don’t try to make them perfect yet – this will only paralyze the development of the habit. What matters for now is to make it second nature to you to construct your ideas into written words.
Writing is a process
Writing is difficult because it’s quite the tedious task. You can never produce a good paper in one go, so don’t even think about doing that (unless, of course, the deadline is in a couple of hours). Thus, it is best for the writer to think of writing as a process: the more effort you put into your papers, the better the final product will be. It also helps to get rid of the anxiety of starting to write a paper. In fact, one of, if not the hardest thing about writing is actually starting. Most of us dread about starting to write, because we feel like we don’t have anything good to write down. This sort of mentality will cripple you into doing nothing.
But everything you create will naturally look bad in the beginning. That’s simply a natural part of the writing process. The American novelist Ernest Hemingway once wrote in a letter to his also novelist friend F. Scott Fitzgerald, “I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit”.
What is the writing process? It varies, but almost all follows the rough format of generating ideas, outlining, drafting, editing, and polishing.
Generating Ideas
The first thing you need to do is to generate ideas that you can use for your paper. Assuming that you’ve done your research, go ahead and do a brain dump on whatever word processor you’re using. This technique is called freewriting: write down every single thing that comes up to your mind in one go. Write them down in bullet form, or write them in stream-of-consciousness style paragraphs. It’s kind of like having a brainstorming session with yourself. The point of this is for you to see every single idea that might be of use to your paper. Do not worry about grammatical or spelling errors yet: that’s what the editing step is for. And whatever you do, do not press backspace.
Here’s a tip: do not ever delete any information that you ended up not using in the paper. Store them all in a separate word document. They may come in handy the next time you need to write something. A trash idea for one paper might be precious to another.
Outlining
Outlines are important because they act as like the blueprint or road map to your paper. It allows you to see if the ideas of your paper flows coherently, and to determine the scope. It might seem time consuming to write an outline when you can go ahead and write the paper itself, but you will actually save more time if you aren’t confused about what to write next. Also, having an outline breaks down the paper into manageable chunks. This helps to get rid the anxiety that comes when you think that you have to write the whole paper in one sitting.
Go back to your idea dump, pick out the best ideas, and construct them in the most logical way possible. Most essays follow the introduction-body-conclusion format, but try to make your outline as detailed as possible: indicate the different sub-topics in every major topic you will discuss in your paper. The vaguer your outline is, the more you’ll have to guess what to do next.
The Thesis Statement
The most important part of your paper is the thesis statement. The clearer and more focused your thesis statement is, the better your paper will become. Thesis statements are usually one sentence, and are written in a subject-copula-predicate format. Let’s have an example:
Hawaiian Pizzas are delicious.
The point is made clear: in our paper, we are claiming that pineapple on pizza is delicious. We cannot write that “pizzas are delicious” or “food is delicious” because that would be too general, nor can we write something trivial and obvious. It is now your job to argue why and how Hawaiian pizzas are delicious. Now let’s have something more fitting to our subject.
Saint Anselm’s Ontological Proofs do not prove the existence of God.
Again, there is nothing vague about the statement. Your paper should contain a discussion of St. Anselm’s proofs, and why they don’t, or why they aren’t enough to prove the existence of God. We cannot simply claim that “God does not exist” because that’s a question that philosophers have asked for God knows how long, and you’re nothing but a clueless, self-proclaimed nihilist who claims that God is dead just because you read that quote from some angry German with a fantastic mustache.
Make your thesis statements short, specific, and straight-to-the-point.
Drafting
Now that you have your outline along with the ideas you will use, the next step is to actually write the paper. Writers draft in different ways, so do whatever it is that makes you write comfortably. Once again, do not expect it to be perfect the first time. Do not worry about your grammar for now; just write and make sure you’re following your outline.
If during your writing you realized that some topics need to be omitted or that you have to arrange your outline again, go ahead and do it. The point of writing a draft is to see the rough sketch of your paper, thus allowing to see what needs tweaking. By the time you’ve finished your first draft, you must be at least ninety percent confident in the structure of your paper.
Revising/Rewriting/Editing
Next is revising/rewriting/editing your paper. Most students dislike this step; they see it as more work. But revising or rewriting your paper is the essence of writing. No matter how good you think your first draft is, it can always be made better. Be appreciative of the opportunity to make your work better.
Some papers need major revisions (usually done with research papers), some papers need little. There really is no limit as to how much you can polish your work: a piece of writing can be rewritten again and again. Most of the time, it just comes down to the amount of time you have left. If the deadline is in a few hours and you feel like your paper needs a complete overhaul, you’d be better off just turning it in than having a blank for a grade.
What to look for when editing your paper? Here are some questions you can ask:
- Is my grammar correct?
- Do my sentences convey an idea in the clearest way possible?
- Do the paragraphs express one general idea, and are not all over the place?
- Do the ideas of my paper flow logically from beginning to end?
- Have I presented my general idea clearly?
Ideally, you can also ask your instructors for help. Some instructors mark passages that need revising, so try to learn from your mistakes.
Clarity
Many of the great philosophers’ works are infamously obscure, but doesn’t mean that yours should be too. Clarity in your writing reflects the clarity of your understanding. If you understood a philosophical concept, then it would be no problem for you to explain in it a simple and readable way. An ambiguous paper will only get you an ambiguous grade.
Many philosophy undergraduates submit to the temptation of using highfalutin words to help compensate their lack of comprehension. This only makes their paper more pretentious and less substantial than it already is. This does not mean that you should use plain everyday colloquialisms when talking about complex topics either: clarity is not synonymous with dumbing down your writing. You’re an academic writing in an academic setting, not some sort of Socratic busybody.
Use only the words you know, and write in a manner that is clear not only to you but your reader as well (in this case, your instructor).
When talking about clarity, we must also talk about the importance of having a good writing style. This, however, is very difficult to talk about: there are too many dimensions to consider, and one’s writing style may appeal to one but not to another. But there are two things to keep in mind when writing: be yourself, and keep the scholarly tone alive. You can always bring out your creativity when writing your paper. The joy of being a philosophy major is having liberty on how you present your ideas; it is, after all, your paper. But never forget that you are writing an academic paper and not a memoir. Save the dramatics for your fanfictions.
Coherence
Unless you write like how a certain president speaks, you should always intend to make your ideas come together in a coherent manner. Showing how one idea relates or flows to another demonstrates your ability to properly analyze the ideas of your readings. It also makes for a more pleasant read for your instructor.
The easiest way to do this is to have one specific idea for every paragraph you write. Have a topic sentence around the beginning of each paragraph, and make sure everything you write relates to that. Your outline comes in play here also, so make sure to check if the sequence of topics make sense. Most people swear by the “general idea to specific idea” type of flow, but there are many more creative ways you can do.
Avoid too many digressions: you’re not writing a Slam Dunk episode where you have to spend too much time explaining some other thing before you can progress your main thesis. You are also not a modernist writer, so use long sentences wisely. Have someone critique your paper as well; if they understood it, chances are, your paper is coherent enough.
Conciseness
In my experience, instructors appreciate it when you immediately get straight to the point in your paper. Beating around the bush only exposes your lack of understanding. When describing how you woke up, you do not write: “I opened my eyes: my left eyelid opened for around 47 milliseconds faster than my right eyelid. I stretched my arms and legs, and subconsciously reached for my phone resting on the drawer beside my bed to unplug it from charging, blablabla”. You simply say: “I woke up”. Simplify as much as you can.
Probably the biggest issue when it comes to conciseness is minimum word counts for written requirements. Some, or maybe more than half of students abhor word counts. They argue that if you can write your whole point in a paragraph, then that would be enough; anything more is excessive, and can only lead to repetition or redundancy of ideas.
Thankfully, it is rarely the case that instructors give an absurd number for the minimum word count. If some students still think that the “usual” is too lengthy, then that just means they haven’t read enough about the topic. There is always something more to say about a topic, no matter how basic or trivial it is.
Conciseness is not only about expressing an idea in the shortest way possible. Conciseness is comprehensiveness without being exhaustive or redundant.
There is no such thing as a perfect paper
You could spend a lifetime trying to perfect your writing skills, but what matters is the gradual improvement. With every paper you submit, try to make the next one better than last, even for a little bit. Try to ask for feedback as much as you can. Ask your closest friends if they find your writing effective and engaging. Ask also your professors if there’s anything you need more work on. I know that almost all writers, including myself, are insecure about their own writing, but there can be no way of knowing whether you’re getting good or not if you’re the only one who gets to read it.
Learn with every mistake, and don’t beat yourselves too much if you still can’t write as good as you want to be. Write poorly at first: put in the work, and you will be rewarded greatly. Aim for progress, not perfection.
Recommended Readings
Here are some of my personal reading recommendations for you to get prepared. Some of the books here were recommended by my professors, but I also added in some of my personal favorites. Still, always consult your instructors for your references since they’re the ones who know what’s best for you.
Guides for Studying Philosophy and Writing Essays
- Claire Saunders, et al., Doing Philosophy: A Practical Guide for Students
- Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays
- A.P. Martinich, Philosophical Writing: An Introduction
- UW-Madison Writer’s Handbook
Introductory Texts in Philosophy / History of Philosophy
- Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World
- Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy Vol. 1: Greece and Rome
- Anthony Kenny, A Brief History of Western Philosophy
- Anthony Kenny, A New History of Western Philosophy Vol. 1: Ancient Philosophy
- Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy
- Nicholas Bunnin and E.P. Tsui-James, The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy
- Douglass J. Soccio, Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy
- John Shand, Fundamentals of Philosophy
- Robert C. Solomon and Kathleen M. Higgins, The Big Questions: A Short Introduction to Philosophy
- Richard H. Popkin, The Columbia History of Western Philosophy
- Samuel Enoch Stumpf, Socrates to Sartre and Beyond: A History of Philosophy
- Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy
- Carl Cohen and Irving Copi, Introduction to Logic
- You can also read some of Plato’s Dialogues: Apology, Crito, Euthyphro, Symposium, and most importantly, the Republic.
For Citing and Research
- Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers