How to study for a philosophy course in college? ?

Question

I will be start attending college next week and I just recently received my textbooks. I'm taking Biology, Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, and Philosophy my first semester. I'm fine with all of my textbooks except philosophy. This will be the first time I've ever taken philosophy. I know absolutely NOTHING about this subject. I'm going to a Jesuit school that requires Philosophy and Theology.

I have a book about Aristotle, another huge one about Plato, a small one about Theogony (I don't know what that is), and a Presocratics reader book. I know I should think positive and be optimistic but this books look ridiculous. I have a feeling I'm going to fail my philosophy class.

How should I stay this semester to maintain an A or B? Does it look harder than it really is? Any advice?

Answer 1

Philosophy can be very subjective, so it is difficult to study for. The best advice I can give you is to read all of your assignments. In the philosophy class I took last year, we just had the writings of philosophers and we were supposed to figure out what they meant on our own. That can be very difficult to do, but there's nothing wrong with looking them up on the internet to learn what has been said about them before.

Just remember that philosophy is not like the other classes you will be taking. The other classes require memorization and have basic facts. With philosophy you need to think deeply about the subject. If that's something you're not used to, you're going to be using the internet a lot this semester!

Answer 2

Check out this course by Shelly Kagan at Yale. He's a great lecturer and he will give you some idea about doing and studying philosophy. Be sure to read his handout on how to write a philosophy paper. Hey, philosophy is fun.

Answer 3

Start reading.

Answer 4

Check out Socky, Plato, and Aristotle on wikipedia.  Print out the pages if possible.

Highlight the main terms.

Learn them by love and empathy, rather than by rote mentality.

Make 3 x 5 index cards of the major points of each.

Ask yourself how moving one concept from one thinker to another thinker's concept set would change the thinking.

When you encounter the professor and the grading system, find out what's required in the way of term papers, fact memorization, etc.

You might give "Harry Potter and Philosophy:  If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts," ed. Baggett, a read, for a more loosey-goosey introduction to the field, and for some "perspective."

Also, it's worthwhile noting that getting bogged down in convoluted or complex arguments is less important than simply reading for the main idea or three or ten found in any general reading assignment.  That's usually more than enough....(Check with the exams to be sure about the degree of emphasis on detail, but really, most philosophic original text is not applicable to the general introductory course grade.  Such details are worthwhile, insofar as you are learning to think along with, or in some additional way to, the author.)

"A Philosophy of Universality," O. M. Aivanhov.