Journeeman.

A question came across my table recently that I thought was worth answering. Basically, someone wanted to know how they could improve their grades in their philosophy course. My answer is below, but with a priority towards passion as the best solution.

I understand your question about how to achieve great marks in philosophy. It’s a challenge I can relate to personally. I remember when I started my bachelor’s degree at Otago University. For my first course, I chose a challenging subject: Karl Barth and his theology in the context of the confessional church. I even asked the professor to give me one of the hardest papers, because I figured that if I was going to be good at the subject at my age, I needed to be able to grasp it.

I took the course on, and I passed. Furthermore, I didn’t do brilliantly, but well enough. What I discovered in doing this course was that it felt overwhelming. It felt as if I would never get a handle on it. Nowadays, when I look back at the same course and what I’ve read since then, I reckon I could go back and do it with much more joy and participation, simply because I’ve discovered that, like philosophy, theology arrives to you as part of how you are and who you are as your being.

It’s a little bit different from other sciences, which are empirical, and other ways of doing things, which are repeatable in the sense that you’re able to make something with your hands and create a manufacturing rollout for it. Philosophy and theology involve the very essence of who you are as a person. Because it’s such an investment of yourself in the subject, it can feel overwhelming at the beginning. But with sheer determination, competence, and the capacity to be resilient, it is rich in its rewards.

With that in mind, here are some practical steps you can take to improve your philosophy marks:

• Focus: Stay on track and avoid distractions. Concentrate on the core subject matter and the specific requirements of your course.
• Understand Different Perspectives: Grasp the core concepts of each philosophical school of thought, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Think in terms of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.
• Contextualise: Place philosophical ideas within their historical and cultural context to gain a deeper understanding.
• Engage with Commentaries: Read commentaries on the philosophers and concepts you’re studying. This will enhance your ability to interpret them for yourself.
• Active Learning: Write short summaries of key ideas to reinforce your understanding. Watch YouTube clips from reliable sources that discuss the subject matter, and then integrate your insights into your notes.
• Collaborate: Find someone in your class or study group to discuss ideas with. Bouncing ideas off each other can be energising and insightful.
• Develop a Strong Memory: Philosophy often requires memorising key figures, concepts, and arguments. Use memory techniques like flashcards or spaced repetition to enhance your recall.
• Do the Work: Consistent effort and dedication are essential for success.
• Master the Language: Words matter. Strive to understand the intended meaning of words as they were used by the original philosophers, rather than imposing your own interpretations. Pay attention to sentence structure and the historical context in which the words were written. Honour the thinkers of the past by engaging deeply with their ideas in their own terms.

However, it’s important to consider the underlying motivation behind your desire for good grades. The more you love a subject, the more passionate and committed you are to it, the more you see the big picture and how it applies to your life, the more it will become a part of your soul. Your being will start to align with the subject matter, and the synchronicity of yourself and the thought will become united. It will become a personal philosophy to you, which is the best thing you can do with philosophy.

In fact, approaching philosophy with love and passion will likely improve your grades as well. You’ll understand the application, the personification, the embeddedness, and the practicality of the concepts, and even the nuances will become clearer.

Ultimately, approaching philosophy with genuine interest and a desire to understand its depth will lead to more natural and effortless learning. It will become a part of you, expressing itself as you engage with the subject.

If you’re merely seeking to get better marks in philosophy, you may end up in a negative place, as it becomes a chore. However, if you truly love philosophy, understand it, and engage with it deeply, it will become more natural and flow from you.