Philosophy

Everyone in the class is responsible for reading this summary, providing feedback, and adding to it.
Do not simply rewrite the original readings. Use your own words to express briefly the main ideas and
relevant details of the content from the module, including the definition of the topic, central theories or
questions in this branch of philosophy, and introduce important philosophers. Give the basic concepts, and
their definitions.
While reading the assigned texts, take note of the main idea of the reading. What is the argument the
author is making? What evidence does she give?
If you are used to reading textbooks, you may expect the central idea of the piece to be stated in the
introduction or first paragraph, with supporting ideas of this central idea presented one by one in the
following paragraphs. This is rarely the case in philosophy, especially in classic or modern texts, which is
what we are reading. You cannot simply read the “introductory paragraph” and look for a thesis statement.
Frequently, the author’s thesis is implied or suggested. Thus, you will have to work harder to figure out what
the author wants readers to understand.
Additionally, look for evidence and arguments that the author is offering for her thesis. These are important
to include within the summary.