Think Like a Philosopher –
The Complete Study Guide
Explore Meaning, Morality, and the Art of Deep Thinking
A reflective guide to thinking deeply, questioning assumptions, and exploring life’s biggest ideas. This companion invites you to slow down, reflect with curiosity, and uncover your own philosophy of life.
Philosophers search not for quick answers, but for better questions. This guide helps you examine truth, ethics, and existence with clarity, humility, and wonder.
This study guide gives you short, practical ways to apply skills from each chapter in your own life as you read through or listen to the book.
Work through one section at a time or dip into whichever area you want to strengthen.
1. Define Your Philosophical Foundations
- List your core values (for example: honesty, justice, compassion, growth, curiosity). Narrow them down to the 3–5 that feel absolutely central to who you are.
- Write where those values came from — a role model, a hard moment, something you’ve seen go wrong in the world, etc.
- Choose one of your core values and turn it into a big philosophical question you want to explore (e.g. if you chose justice, ask: “What does fairness actually mean in an unfair world?”).
- Expand your question into sub-questions. This becomes your personal line of inquiry — your ‘why do I believe what I believe?’ project.
- Write a short summary of what you discovered: your key values, your core question, and why it matters to you right now.
💭 Which of your values honestly guides your behaviour — and which one do you want to live up to more consistently?
2. Address a Moral Dilemma
- Write down a real ethical dilemma you’ve faced (or are facing). Be specific about what’s in conflict — honesty vs loyalty, ambition vs time with family, etc.
- List the values at stake and the people who are affected (including you).
- Analyze the situation through three lenses: Virtue ethics: What would a good, principled version of you do? Duty / rules (deontology): What are you obligated to do? Outcomes (utilitarianism): Which choice creates the best overall result long-term?
- Decide what you’ll actually do. Outline the first concrete action you would take and how you'll communicate it.
- Afterward, reflect: did the outcome match your values? What surprised you about your own reasoning?
💭 When your values clash, which one do you tend to protect first — and what does that reveal about who you’re becoming?
3. Explore a Question About Knowledge
- Pick a question about knowledge that matters to you. Examples: “Can I really trust my memory?”, “What counts as ‘truth’?”, “How do I know I’m not just repeating opinions I was given?” Write it at the top of the page.
- Break it down using different angles: Evidence: What can be observed or measured? Logic: What follows rationally? Testimony: Who am I trusting, and are they credible? Skepticism: Where could bias or distortion be creeping in?
- Write a short reflection on what you learned. Did this question get more clear… or less clear?
- Describe how you’ll apply that insight in real life (e.g. being slower to claim certainty, double-checking sources before reacting emotionally, etc.).
💭 Where in your life are you acting extremely certain — when actually you’re operating on assumptions, not knowledge?
4. Reflect on Your Identity
- Write the core ingredients of ‘who you are’ right now: traits, roles, values, influences, passions. Mark the ones that feel most like ‘this is me, even if everything else changes.’
- Describe how you’ve changed across time. What moments, relationships, or shocks in your life actually rewired who you are?
- Write about a time you felt most authentic — fully yourself, not performing. Where were you, what were you doing, who (if anyone) was with you?
- List any relationships, expectations, or environments that push you away from that authentic version of you. Be honest about where you’re bending.
- Write who you are becoming — not just who you’ve been. What identity are you growing into on purpose?
💭 Which parts of ‘who you are’ feel chosen — and which parts feel inherited, absorbed, or imposed?
5. Create Your Philosophy of Happiness
- Write your current definition of happiness in your own words. Is it comfort, progress, meaning, freedom, love, peace, momentum, contribution…?
- List your ‘happiness anchors’ — people, habits, places, activities, mindsets — that reliably make you feel grounded and well.
- Name one barrier that keeps pulling you away from that state (comparison, stress, perfectionism, overwork, etc.). Write one way you could weaken that barrier.
- Draft a short ‘happiness philosophy’ statement: how you want to live, what you want to prioritise, and what matters more than chasing constant highs.
- Turn that into three tiny recurring habits (daily or weekly) that actually express that philosophy in real life.
💭 If you stopped performing ‘look how happy I am’ for other people, what kind of happiness would you actually build for yourself?
6. Apply Philosophy to a Current Challenge
- Write one real challenge you’re facing right now in a single sentence. Keep it raw and honest.
- Choose one lens to apply: Stoicism — what can I actually control here? Aristotle’s balance — what’s the healthy middle path between two extremes? Duty ethics — what action respects everyone’s dignity? Utilitarianism — which choice leads to the best long-term outcome overall?
- List 2–3 possible actions you could take. For each, note: does it align with that lens, and would I be proud of this decision later?
- Pick one path forward and outline the first step you’ll take in the next 48 hours.
- After acting, journal quickly: did thinking philosophically make the decision cleaner, calmer, or more aligned with who I want to be?
💭 What happens to your stress levels when you slow down, name your values, and choose deliberately instead of reacting?
7. Write Your Philosophical Manifesto
- List your top five values and write one sentence on why each one actually matters to you in real life.
- Write a short paragraph on what you believe about meaning, relationships, growth, and how a good life should feel for you.
- Write 3–5 guiding principles you want to live by (e.g. ‘Tell the truth even when it’s awkward,’ ‘Protect my attention,’ ‘Treat people like they matter’).
- Write a commitment to growth: how you’ll review, update, and evolve these beliefs over time instead of pretending you’re ‘finished.’
- Combine it all into one page: your personal manifesto. This is your compass — who you are, who you’re trying to be, and how you intend to move through the world.
💭 If you actually lived by your manifesto this year, what would noticeably change in your behaviour, priorities, time, or relationships?
🧭 Final Takeaways
Thinking like a philosopher isn’t about sounding smart — it’s about living honestly. When you clarify your values, act with integrity, examine your assumptions, and choose how to respond to difficulty, you stop running on autopilot and start living on purpose. Keep questioning. Keep refining. Keep becoming.