In this section you will find a collection of articles to help orient you to the activity of doing philosophy. To do philosophy, you must step beyond the kind of learning you may be accustomed to, in which you collect and organize facts and strive to grasp existing theories. The heart of philosophy is the examination of questions which are not settled and which generally cannot be settled merely by assembling more facts. Doing philosophy requires speculation, evaluation and argument. Here are links to some explanations provided by the Philosophy Department.
Reading Philosophy Texts
- "Reading philosophy is hard for everyone, not just beginners..."
- "What is a philosophy paper?"
[Another helpful reference on this topic is "Writing a Philosophical Essay" by Ronald de Sousa of the University of Toronto.]
Logic
- "...philosophers...attempt to persuade readers by providing reasons why their view should be accepted..."
Avoiding Plagiarism
- Appropriation of the intellectual work of others is a common pitfall and a major offense in any academic field. As our media environment blurs the boundaries of intellectual property and promotes a laisez-faire attitude about appropriation, it becomes all the more important for intellectual workers to recognize the provenance of our ideas. This collection of references should help to clarify the issue.
