How to Think Philosophically
Learn to examine your own assumptions, take apart everyday arguments, and navigate tough moral choices. Philosophy is not just ancient history—it is a practical toolkit for clearer thinking in an uncertain world.
Like Duolingo, but for How to Think Philosophically. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 11 levels across 2 sections, about 22 minutes end to end, roughly 4 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Tools for Clearer Thinking and Making Choices and Facing Uncertainty. It starts from scratch.
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Key ideas in How to Think Philosophically
- Socratic questioning begins by demanding a clear definition of the core concept (like 'fairness')
- Everyday arguments often sound persuasive only because people assume they share the same vague definitions
- Challenging definitions exposes contradictions before debating specific policies
- Most everyday stances rely on an unvoiced belief that must be true for the conclusion to hold
- Identifying the hidden premise lets you evaluate whether you actually stand behind your belief
- Disagreements often stem from unexamined premises rather than the surface claim
- Thought experiments isolate a single moral or conceptual principle by stripping away confusing real-world distractions
- Pushing a principle to an extreme boundary reveals where it breaks down
- They are not meant to predict realistic daily events but to clarify abstract values
- Philosophical rigor aims at uncovering truth rather than defending your ego or winning a debate
- Discovering that an underlying assumption is flawed is genuine progress because it removes an error
- Abandoning an untenable belief is a sign of intellectual honesty and clear reasoning
- In philosophy, an argument requires premises that offer rational support for a specific claim
- Expressing strong feelings, shouting, or flatly denying a statement is not an argument
- An argument can be delivered calmly as long as reasons are tied to a conclusion
- Philosophers use the principle of charity to avoid knocking down cheap, distorted versions of an opponent's position
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives How to Think Philosophically the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When someone says 'A good rule must always be fair,' what does a Socratic question ask first?
Get it right to open this lesson and 10 more in the app.
Where How to Think Philosophically takes you
- 1
Tools for Clearer Thinking
- Testing Your Everyday Assumptions
- Dissecting Everyday Arguments
- 2
Making Choices and Facing Uncertainty
- Navigating Moral Dilemmas
- Living with the Big Unknowns
2 sections · 4 units · 11 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
How to Think Philosophically is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start How to Think Philosophically today.
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