The text is the authority, and the teacher is a tool through which to understand the text at least in history.
If you get a question like, what is free will, different people will have different ideas of what the philosopher said, but we have to have a reason on the disagreement we have with the professor teaching the class.
The big picture is in a sense the hardest thing to get a hold of in terms of understanding the philosophical tradition.
What is the oral exam and how to prepare your answers for it?
You’ll be in a room with a small audience as well as the professor and you have to talk with him based on one question which you choose (out of two), you also get to bring earplugs incase the other’s talking might distract you.
Permitted materials: You may bring the texts related to the course.
Texts can include scribbles or annotations in the margins.
Important: nothing else is allowed — no notes, no phones, or any additional materials.
Written preparation 20-60 minutes to organise your answers.
Oral discussion 15-30 minute discussion with the professor, during which you will present and discuss your answers.
There is a trick to answering philosophy exams: What you have to answer is what is one the question; if you have a question like “What is Aristotle’s critique of Plato, his theory of ideas?”, so when answering this question, we have to define Plato’s theory of ideas, and then we have to explain what Aristotle is actually doing, which points does he not agree with and so. The amount of information you need to provide is as much as you think is necessary to explain the theory and then the critique in this case.
The reason for this: the oral exam is maximum 30 minutes, and we do not want to speaking the entire time ourselves, because we should preserve time for follow-up questions from the professor. The professor usually asks very useful questions in filling your answer up, or to challenge you a little bit in order to raise the grade. The professor is actually just trying to help you. Do not monologue. Letting the professor ask follow up questions will lead to a better grade because it is a discussion.
Write only keywords so that you can maintain eye contact with the professor during the exam. It is a conversation, and no proper conversation can be held without maintaining eye contact. It changes the dynamic towards a monologue. Don’t monologue.
We are being graded on the general interaction as well, the professor is grading multiple people and interacting with them in a more memorable way will likely help the professor pay more intention and be more “kindly enclined”. These are mechanics which likely end up giving a better impression.
The format is important in delivering the oral exam, it should be as easy as possible for the examiner to grade the exam.
How to prepare the answer:
- Read the question carefully: Make sure you understand exactly what is being asked. Identify key terms and detemine the focus of the question. The first thing to pay attention to is the question. It defines and stipulates what exactly we are supposed to be answering; we get our signposts from the question, and we need to stick close to these. They tell us everything we need to prepare our answer. Make sure that every word in the question is somehow covered in your answer.
- Brainstorm: Start by quickly nothing down ideas, relevant information, and potential arguments related to the question. After reading the question and understanding its relevant parts, write down any possible answer you can come up with. Remember to take a look at the text because it is an open book exam.
- Skimming: Review the text to locate and highlight key passages where the relevant concepts are addressed. This step ensures your response is rooted in textual evidence, which is imperative in order to give an answer. We need to be able to back up every claim we make.
Written preparation:
- Answer structure: Ensure your response addresses the following key elements:
- WHO? Identify the key figures or authors involved, along with relevant ideas.
- WHAT? Clearly state the main ideas, events, or arguments.
- WHY? Explain the significance, motivation, or underlying rationale. What’s the point? Why was x trying to do y? We are also looking at the causes, what was the actual argument that the philosopher used in coming to some conclusion. There usually is some kind of argumentative mechanism that reaches to some conclusion and this is what we need to explain. In a sense, the structure is usually deductive.
- In connection to WHOM? Link your answer to relevant thinkers, contexts, or broader discussions. There needs to be a kind of original contribution. What’s really interesting to think about then is what other philosophers used in the course that you can also discuss in relation to the question. For example, mention, or base part of your argument on some other philosopher in the course you are more familiar with. (Technically you can mention philosophers or things from outside of class, but it’s probably best to stay within those that we are being taught (as the exam is on the course, and the examiner cannot make follow-up questions on such philosophers), though it might also be relevant to speak of those from the seminar). It’s important to show that the history of philosophy is interrelated. Remember that here you can show individuality (remember not to say “in my opinion”, but rather “in my view”; as views have truth-values and opinions do not).
Prepare your answer:
- Write down key points in a logical order.
- Avoid writing a full essay — focus on creating an outline that ensures clarity and coherence during the oral discussion.
- Always look for the minimum amount of information to make your answer make sense, you won’t be able to explain every single concept in detail, we have to assume certain positions which we will have to take for granted during the course of the oral exam.
In terms of the oral discussion:
- Start with relevant information: present the most important points first. Context is helpful but keep it brief and to the point.
- Engage with the professor: Be prepared to answer follow-up questions or clarify your arguments. Stay open-minded and adaptable during the discussion. If you get a follow-up question you do not immediately have to answer, you can ask for a minute to think.
- Avoid Reading: Use your written peparation as a guide, but do not read it verbatim. Engage in a conversational tone. Don’t monologue!!!
- Speak clearly: Maintain a steady pace, speak slowly, and articulate your thoughts intelligibly to ensure your points are well understood. Remember that it’s actually fun. We get to discuss with a senior philosopher on topics we love, or at least approximating topics we love.
En met “het”…
For the mock exams, announcement will be posted on Toledo. We get two questions beforehand and a booked place with the teacher.