Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Prepare your mind
• Part 2 of 3: Practicing Philosophy
• Part 3 of 3: Becoming a pro
• Tips
• Warnings

The word "philosophy" means "love of wisdom." But a philosopher is more than just someone who knows a lot or loves to learn. The philosopher is someone who actively engages in critical thinking about the big questions in life to which there are no clear answers. The philosopher's life is not easy, but if you enjoy exploring complicated relationships and think deeply about important yet often vexing topics, then studying philosophy may suit you.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Prepare your mind

1. Question everything. In philosophy you have to study life and the world as a whole thoroughly and critically. In order to do that, you absolutely must not be biased, ignorant or dogmatic.
   • The philosopher is someone who dwells in reflection and observation. Philosophers take an experience and try to fathom it, even if they have to be ruthlessly honest about it. This means that philosophers reject preconceived ideas that they have accepted in the past, and that they look critically at all of their views. No religion or ideology is immune, regardless of its origin, authority or emotional strength. To think philosophically you have to be able to form your own opinion.
   • Philosophers do not base their opinions on simple assumptions and do not engage in empty talk. Instead, philosophers develop their arguments based on assumptions that can and will then be tested by other philosophers. The purpose of philosophical thinking is not to be right, but to ask good questions and strive for a deeper understanding.
2. Read philosophy. Hundreds of years of philosophical thinking preceded your own perceptions of the world. Studying the ideas of other philosophers will provide you with new ideas, questions, and problems to think about. The more philosophy you read, the better you can become as a philosopher.
   • Reading is one of the most important tasks for the philosopher. Philosophy professor Anthony Grayling described reading as a task of “extreme intellectual importance,” and suggests reading literary works in the morning and philosophical works later in the day.
   • Read the classics. Many of the most enduring and powerful philosophical concepts in Western philosophy come from the philosophers of yesteryear, such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Descartes, and Kant. Contemporary philosophers therefore recommend reading the important work of those philosophers. In Eastern philosophy, the ideas of Lao Tse, Confucius, and Buddha have stood the test of time, and those ideas too deserve the attention of budding philosophers.
   • At the same time, you should not hesitate to put the work of these thinkers aside for the time being if you do not find it stimulating enough. You can always start again later. For the time being, opt for the work of a thinker you find more fascinating. You can always come back to it later.
   • You can structure this study by taking a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, but many philosophers are self-taught.
   • Try to combine reading a lot with self-examining writing. Where reading broadens your view of the world, writing will deepen the level of understanding. You can start this by writing down your own thoughts about the philosophical texts you read.
3. Think big. Spend time thinking about the world, what it means to live, to die, what it means to exist, and exactly what it is all about. These topics will lead to big, unanswered, and often unanswerable questions — questions that only philosophers, young children, and extremely curious people have the imagination and courage to ask.
   • The more “practical” topics, such as those arising from the social sciences (e.g. political science or sociology), the humanities and even the exact sciences (e.g. biology and physics), can also provide food for philosophical reflection.
4. Enter into discussions. While sharpening your critical thinking ability, you should engage in discussion as much as possible. This will increase the ability to think freely and critically. Many philosophers see the powerful exchanges of ideas as an important path to truth.
   • The goal here is not to win a competition, but to learn and develop thinking skills. There will always be someone who knows something better than you, and arrogance will hinder your ability to learn from them. Keep an open mind.
   • Make sure your arguments are always valid, logical and rational. The conclusions must flow from presuppositions and those presuppositions must be supported by evidence. Weigh the actual evidence carefully and do not allow repetition or ignorance to convince you. It is critical for any developing philosopher to put together and criticize arguments.

Part 2 of 3: Practicing Philosophy

1. Develop an investigative mindset and put it into practice. An important part of philosophy is research and analysis of the world. To put it another way, a central task of philosophy is to find ways to define and describe the basic structures and patterns of life - often by breaking them down into smaller parts.
   • There is no superior research method that is by definition better than any other. That's why it's important to develop an approach that is intellectually rigorous as well as engaging.
   • The decisions you make at this stage depend on the types of questions you ask and the relationships you explore. Are you interested in the human condition? Political Arrangements? Relationships between concepts, or between words and concepts? The different focus areas can lead to different approaches to the research question and theory formation. Reading philosophical texts will help you make these trade-offs. It does so by exposing you to ways other people have approached philosophy in the past.
   • Some philosophers rely entirely on their mind and rationality; and not on the senses, which can sometimes deceive us. Descartes, one of the most revered philosophers in history, was one who took this approach. There are also philosophers who use their own observations of the world around them as the basis for their investigations into the nature of consciousness. These are two very different ways of philosophizing, but both are equally valid.
   • If you can, it is great to be the source of your own research. Since you are always available to yourself, any inquiry into yourself (and there can be many) can enable you to make progress. Consider the basis of what you believe. Why do you believe what you believe? Start from scratch and question your reasoning.
   • Whatever you focus your research on, try to be systematic in your thinking. Be rational and consistent. Compare and contrast, mentally separate things to try to understand. Ask yourself what would happen if two things were combined (synthesis) or if something was removed from the process or context. Under these different circumstances, keep asking questions.
2. Start writing out your ideas. Write down what you think about the topics of your research, including ideas you think you shouldn't write (possibly because you think others would find those ideas stupid). While you may not reach conclusions immediately, you will map out your own assumptions for yourself. You will probably be amazed at how silly some of your assumptions can be, and it will make you more mature.
   • If you don't know where to start, you can address questions that other philosophers have already explored. Consider, for example, how one should treat the existence of god, whether we have free will or whether our existence is determined by fate.
   • The true strength of philosophy lies in the continuity of thinking that you will maintain in your writing. When you investigate an issue, a single note probably won't do that much. But if you return to that matter during the day, the various circumstances you encounter that day will provide you with new insights. It is this cumulative brainpower that will lead to those "Eureka!" Moments.
3. Develop a philosophy of life. As you write, you will begin to develop a philosophical perspective and come to logical and deliberate ideas about life and the world.
   • It often happens that philosophers adjust or adjust their perspective over time, especially when it concerns a specific issue. These are frameworks, thinking patterns. Many of the greatest philosophers of all time developed such frameworks. At the same time, you should keep in mind that you need to keep a critical eye on each issue.
   • The core task underlying the philosopher's efforts is that of model development. Each of us is driven by a reality model that is continuously adapted to stay in tune with our observations. We can use deductive (eg "because of gravity the stone will fall to the ground where I let go of the stone.") And inductive (eg "I have seen this weather pattern many times; I am sure it will rain") reasoning methods to to create this model of successive approaches. Developing philosophical theories involves making these models explicit and then studying them thoroughly.
4. Rewrite and ask for feedback. You should rewrite the first and draft versions of your work to better organize your ideas. You can then have your work read by others. You can ask your friends, family members, teachers or classmates what they think of your work. You can also upload your texts online (on a website, blog or internet forum) and ask for responses.
   • Be prepared to receive criticism, and use that criticism to improve your own ideas. Always remember to analyze the evidence presented to find a broader understanding. Let the criticism and insights of others help you improve your own thinking skills.
   • Be wary of criticisms that show little or no sign of a thoughtful exchange (whether the thesis has been understood or read at all). Such critics assume that they are thinkers, without accepting the philosophical discipline presented here, but nevertheless assume that they are entitled to philosophical consideration. These kinds of discussions will be sterile and ad nauseam Get on.
   • Rewrite your texts if you have received feedback from your readers, making sure to take into account the useful criticisms that have been given.

Part 3 of 3: Becoming a pro

1. Get a high academic degree. If you aspire to a professional career as a philosopher, you will need to earn a PhD or, at the very least, a master's degree.
   • Earning a living with philosophy means using your knowledge and (hopefully) wisdom to produce original philosophical insights and teach philosophy. In other words, the contemporary professional philosopher is an academic - and a high academic degree is required for that.
   • In addition, the advanced training will help you expand your philosophical thinking ability. For example, you will have to learn a very disciplined writing style that is used in academic journals.
   • Spend some time exploring the philosophy programs at the various universities in the country. Choose the university that suits you best and register. Competition for research masters is fierce, so chances are that you will not be immediately admitted to the first program you sign up for. It is therefore wise to register for multiple courses.
2. Publish your ideas. Even before you have fully graduated, you should try to publish your ideas.
   • There are several academic journals that focus on philosophy. Publishing your essays in these journals will build a reputation as a philosophical thinker. This increases the chance that you will score a job as a Philosophy teacher.
   • It is also wise to present your work at academic conferences. By participating in these events you can also get more feedback from other professional thinkers. Moreover, this form of networking is good for your career prospects.
3. Learn to teach. Many of the greatest philosophers of all time have taught. In addition, universities that hire you to study philosophy professionally will assume that you will be teaching other aspiring philosophers.
   • Opportunities for teaching are likely to arise while you are still studying. In this way you can teach bachelor students about philosophy and at the same time work on your pedagogical skills.
4. Find a job. After you have obtained your doctorate (or master), you can start looking for a job as a teacher or professor of Philosophy. Where possible, competition is even fiercer in this process than when applying for the research master's degree. Assume that you will be rejected at least a few times before you finally land a job.
   • Many graduated philosophers do not eventually find a job in academia. However, know that the skills you have acquired during your studies can be of service to you in many different ways. In this way, those skills can help you find another job, and you can of course always focus on philosophy in your spare time. Also know that the work of many great philosophers was never fully recognized during their lifetime, and only received the attention and appreciation it deserved posthumously.
   • The benefits of disciplined thinking cannot be overestimated. In today's society, with direct access to vast amounts of information (sometimes partly misleading, sometimes a little worse, sometimes even deliberately aimed at degenerating one's mental health), the philosopher's inquiring mind is indispensable. The philosopher has the tools necessary to recognize half-truths or total untruths.

Tips

• To wonder is philosophy, philosophy is to wonder. Never stop asking yourself why or how something works - even if you get an answer.
• Try to unravel the meaning and meaning of everything around you. If you come across something that your gut tells you doesn't make sense or seems “shady,” try to find out why. Philosophy is about more than reading philosophical texts. True philosophy arises from thinking about and analyzing everything around us on a daily basis.
• Do not hesitate to dispute positions contrary to what you believe. Being able to consider as many aspects of issues as possible is an excellent way to sharpen your own arguments and thinking patterns. A great philosopher can (and will) question even the most basic beliefs his / her society holds without fear of criticism. That's exactly what Darwin, Galileo and Einstein did, and that's why they will never be forgotten.
• As Thomas Jefferson once said, "He who receives an idea from me receives that idea himself without my diminishing, just as he who lights his candle from mine receives light without darkening me." Don't be afraid to let others use your ideas. When people hear your ideas, it will fuel criticism and contribution, making your own thoughts and counter-argumentation even stronger.
• Assumptions are the nail in the coffin of philosophy and fresh, intelligent thinking. Always keep asking yourself "why?"
• Always keep asking questions. Questions provide us with the key to unlock our unlimited potential.

Warnings

• Don't be afraid to express a radical opinion, but don't let the novelty and originality keep you from seeing the reasonableness of more conservative ideas.
• Philosophizing will ripen your ideas. They can even mature to the point where you and your friends grow apart. Your friends may not be interested in your philosophy, or they may be unwilling to compromise. This is normal, but can be insulating. The philosopher's quest is highly personal, and the philosopher's life can be solitary.