You don’t need to take any philosophy classes to study philosophy. Philosophy is the ‘quest for honesty’, the discipline of fanatical and heretical truth seeking. Philosophy is used to make things bare, to remove the ‘legend that encrusts them’ and see how pointless many conventions are so that we can better determine our actions and avoid self-deception. Philosophy is the training of the mind to pierce falsehoods and illuminate fractured foundations. Action is the root, not books, nor theorizing. Although some words might catalyze our actions, they are not the end, but a means.
Hammers are created to drive nails, plants are born to sustain animals, animals are born to sustain humans, humans are born to foster reason and virtue.