The Study Skills service offers support and learning materials to enhance your study and academic skills. These are co-created by students, lecturers and study skills experts.
Philosophy requires techniques of reading, writing, and speaking that are specific to the discipline. The skills you need to practice philosophy do not always come easy, but practical strategies can be learnt to build up these skills. The library holds many resources to help you improve your academic skills at all levels of study and research. Below are some examples useful for philosophy:
The Basics of Essay Writing by
Philosopher Nigel Warburton provides all the guidance and advice you need to dramatically improve your essay-writing skills.
Doing Philosophy by
This volume explores the challenges of studying for a degree in philosophy, presenting practical strategies for developing necessary skills.
Philosophy: the Essential Study Guide by
Philosophy: The Essential Study Guide is a compact and straightforward guide to the skills needed to study philosophy, aimed at anyone coming to the subject for the first time or just looking to improve their performance. Nigel Warburton clarifies what is expected of students and offers strategies and guidance to help them make effective use of their study time and improve their marks. The four main skills covered by the book are: reading philosophy - both skimming and in-depth analysis of historical and contemporary work, understanding the examples and terminology used listening to philosophy - formal lectures and informal classroom teaching, preparation, picking up on arguments used, note taking discussing philosophy - arguing and exploring, asking questions, communicating in concise and understandable ways writing philosophy - planning and researching essays and other written tasks, thinking up original examples, avoiding plagiarism.
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Methodology by
This is a comprehensive book on philosophical methodology. A team of leading philosophers present original essays on various aspects of how philosophy should be and is done. They explore broad traditions and approaches, topics in philosophical methodology, and the interconnections between philosophy and neighbouring fields.
Advances in Experimental Philosophy and Philosophical Methodology by
An investigation into the current significance and possible future applications of experimental work in philosophy.
The philosophy department provides advice about developing your philosophy skills on Blackboard, the university's online learning environment. Below are links to some of these resources, developed by experienced philosophy teachers, and tried and tested by many students.
James Pryor's Guide to Writing a Philosophy Essay
Bryan Roberts' 'Steps to a Better Philosophy Essay'
Peter Horban's Guide to Writing a Philosophy Essay
York's Guide to Writing a Philosophy Essay
Harvard Writing Centre's Guide to Philosophical Writing
And, finally,
Nigel Warburton's '5 Tips for Preparing Philosophy Exams'
