Thinking Like a Philosopher
Learn to question everyday assumptions, untangle confusing arguments, and navigate tough moral choices. Discover how philosophy works as a practical toolkit for living with greater clarity.
Like Duolingo, but for Thinking Like a Philosopher. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Sharpening How You Think and Deciding What Matters. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Thinking Like a Philosopher
- Arguments often skip the core moral rule they rely on and jump straight to the conclusion
- A claim about what we should do always rests on an unstated standard of right or wrong (here, that human moral agency is inherently superior to automated calculation)
- The Socratic move works by reversing backward from a conclusion to find the mandatory missing puzzle piece
- If the uncovered foundation turns out to be false or debatable, the original argument collapses
- Empirical statements describe how the world measurably is, while value judgments smuggle in words like 'better', 'natural', or 'should'
- People often phrase subjective values as objective truths to make their opinions sound indisputable
- Surface arguments drag on because both sides are arguing over symptoms rather than their conflicting baseline values
- Pointing out the root collision (in this case, prioritizing total safety versus respecting emerging autonomy) lets both people address what they actually disagree on
- Inquiry aims for shared clarity so people can evaluate an idea, not endless infinite regress
- A productive philosophical discussion stops digging once the interlocutors find the core value or baseline fact that is actually in dispute
- In philosophy, an argument needs both true premises and a valid connection to reach a trustworthy conclusion
- Even if the logic connects properly, a false starting claim ruins the whole conclusion
- Philosophers use the principle of charity to engage with the most reasonable, strongest version of an opponent's claim
- Refuting a silly distortion (a straw man) leaves the real debate untouched and proves nothing
- A false dilemma forces an either/or choice when subtle middle options exist
- Philosophers break false dilemmas by showing a third path or questioning the binary setup
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 Thinking Like a Philosopher 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.
Someone says: 'We must ban self-driving cars because machines shouldn't make life-or-death choices.' What hidden standard does this claim rely on?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Thinking Like a Philosopher, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Sharpening How You Think
- Spotting Hidden Assumptions
- Testing Arguments for Flaws
- 2
Deciding What Matters
- Navigating Tough Moral Choices
- Defining the Good Life
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Thinking Like a Philosopher
How do I learn Thinking Like a Philosopher?
Go in order: start with Sharpening How You Think, then Deciding What Matters. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Thinking Like a Philosopher?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Thinking Like a Philosopher is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Thinking Like a Philosopher course free?
Yes. Thinking Like a Philosopher is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Thinking Like a Philosopher?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Thinking Like a Philosopher?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Thinking Like a Philosopher is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. 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 Thinking Like a Philosopher today.
Download Tomo, search Thinking Like a Philosopher, and play your first lesson in under a minute.