@talljasperman Hi, I graduated from an online degree in Philosophy last summer. Your question holds a lot of weight—I will give you two brief descriptions.
Is it a Philosophy Professor’s “job” to “confuse” students?
a) No, it is not their “job” to do anything except “teach” you philosophy. You can become confused when you do not understand what they are saying because either they are not speaking in plain language, or you simply do not understand the logic or structure of the topic. This may arouse emotions, but they should not be permanent.
b) A Professor may feel compelled to present deep and pensive questions or topics for students to figure out or attempt to understand themselves, but essentially, it is up to you. When the question of “What are humans made of?” is presented, is it up to the Professor to explain it to the best of his or her abilities? Or is it your responsibility to simplify the question?
My answer alone is in itself ridiculously answered because it is already split into two of many ways your question could be answered. The reason I did this was to show that either you can learn philosophy by persisting or remain confused.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is it the professor who confuses the student, or is it the student who is confused by the professor? There is a difference.
I do apologize if I didn’t make things easy, but I would be more than happy to answer any question(s) you may have regarding my post.