Doing Philosophy: A Practical Guide for Students

by Danielle Lamb, Danielle Lamb, David Mossley

Doing Philosophy provides a practical guide to studying philosophy for undergraduate students. The book presents strategies for developing the necessary skills that will allow students to get the most out of this fascinating subject. It examines what it means to think, read, discuss and write philosophically, giving advice and analysing philosophical textsPreparing for and participating in seminarsChoosing essay topicsConstructing arguments and avoiding plagiarismUsing libraries, the internet and other resourcesTechnical terms, forms of expression and logical notation The second edition is fully revised and expanded throughout, packed with practical exercises, useful examples and fully up-to-date resources. It also features for the first time a full companion website with additional resources and a range of pedagogical tools and activities designed for students and lecturers to use both in the classroom and in seminar preparation.Concise and accessible, Doing Philosophy equips the student with the tools needed to successfully engage in discussing, reading and writing philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2008

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in English • en Français • en Español
Good book. In general, I find it relevant for any first year university students in social sciences. And personally, there are a lot of good insights and practical tips, especially for reading and writing better.
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Un bon livre. En général, je le trouve pertinent pour n’importe quel élève universitaire de première année en sciences humaines ou sociales. Personnellement, j’y ai lu plusieurs bons conseils pratiques, particulièrement pour mieux lire et écrire.
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Un buen libro. Generalmente, lo encuentre muy pertinente para cualquier alumno en primer año de universidad en ciencias humanas o sociales. Personalmente leí muchos buenos y prácticos consejos, particularmente para leer y escribir mejor.

[Mdk]

Doing Philosophy is a great introduction to the study of, or doing of philosophy, which includes reading, taking notes, discussing and writing essays. It is aimed toward university undergraduates beginning their study of philosophy, but it can be applicable to anyone wanting to study philosophy, of which I belong to the latter.

I really enjoyed the section on Reading Philosophy as I found it more applicable for my immediate needs, and is in fact, the cornerstone to doing philosophy. Different kinds of texts are discussed. If that journal article has you stumped, it's okay; the authors claim that even professional philosophers sometimes need to read an article several times to understand it. They say that when reading about a subject, it is essential to review arguments both for and against an idea. When reading philosophy, you must be careful to read thoroughly, and not skim. No speed reading! They offer a "structured reading" guide which will enhance your experience. Reading philosophy poses many challenges, such as technical language and translation issues, just to name a few. The authors cover this adequately.

Applicable to university students, they explain how plagiarism can take many forms, and how to avoid it.

Included in the "Writing Philosophy" section are four types of sample questions that one may need to write essays about. They discuss how you should think about the issue or question.

I believe my having read this book will benefit me in my self-study of philosophy and can do the same for you, whether a university student or on your own.

[Karlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know absolutely nothing about philosophy, as in you are starting from absolute ground zero, this is a fabulous book.

[Keely · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally finished this. Although it had a lot of information and helpful tips in it, a lot of it seemed like common sense and stuff that by now you should know anyway, otherwise how would you have got through A levels.

To me, it seems rather dull and I don't think I will be reading it again. I may look at bits if I need guidance on, say, approaching a type of essay question.

This book is okay to read once... but once is enough.

[Tracy Poff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, but much more focused on the 'student' aspect than the 'philosophy' aspect, in many places. Where it gave guidance specific to philosophy, it was interesting. Where it acted as a general guide for how to be a student, it was very dull.

[Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful for people considering a degree in Philosophy but have never had formal education in the subject. A great how-to, but empty of the content of philosophy.

[Ietrio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite a dull read. It prepares you to the silly activity of brown nosing philosophy professors. That is about it. It is okay. But it won't start a love of knowledge.