Description
Trade ReviewAnyone coming to the study of philosophy at university for the first time will find help here, and some more advanced students might gain from reading it, too...by offering a clear account of some of the barriers to successful engagement with philosophical texts and questions, and helping to overcome them, [the authors] have done a real service. -- Dr Dave Leal, Brasenose College, University of Oxford, UK
'This is an excellent book, and I'll definitely be advising my first-year Philosophy students to buy it. Doing Philosophy basically tells the student beginning philosophy at university everything they need to know. The topics include finding resources, reading philosophy, plagiarism, referencing, taking notes, seminar discussions, and more. In particular, I think the chapter on writing philosophy - and especially the examples of essay questions, together with advice on how to tackle them - will be hugely useful. It's easy to forget just how different writing a philosophy essay is to anything else most beginning philosophy students have done; even (perhaps especially) those who have studied philosophy at A-level. The authors guide the student through each question, showing them how to find and filter relevant information, how to make sure they stick to the question, and how to maintain a properly philosophical approach to the topic. I'm sure beginning students - and their teachers - will be very grateful. Professor Helen Beebee, University of Birmingham, UK.
"...well worth a read for those either preparing to or currently studying philosophy for the first time. Indeed, it will help many students to understand that, as the authors recognise, ‘the focus of your philosophical study will be to learn not what to believe, but how to think.'" Emma L Williams, Philosopher in Residence, Rugby School, UK
Table of ContentsIntroduction \ 1. Studying Philosophy \ 1.1 What is philosophy? \ 1.2 Why study philosophy? \ 1.3 What does studying philosophy involve? \ 1.4 Summary \
2. Reading Philosophy \ 2.1 What to read \ 2.2 How to read \ 2.3 Summary \
3. Taking Notes \ 3.1 Why is note-taking important? \ 3.2 Content- what should I write down? \ 3.3 Method- how should I go about taking notes? \ 3.4 An example of effective note taking 3.5 Tailoring your methods to your context \ 3.6 Making best use of your notes \ 3.7 Summary \
4. Discussion \ 4.1 The value of discussion \ 4.2 Discussion seminars \ 4.3 Other forms of discussion \ 4.4 Summary \
5. Writing Philosophy \ 5.1 What to write \ 5.2 How to Write 5.3 Example assignments \ 5.4 Assessment and feedback \ 5.5 Summary \
6. Resources \ 6.1 Library resources \ 6.2 Internet resources \ 6.3 Support systems \ 6.4 Some useful philosophical terms \ Index
