Lets begin this virgin post as a prologue to my embarking on the study of Philosophy. The subject has alluded me up this juncture in my Life. I come from a country(Singapore) where simply put, the way of life is overtly different. Individual preference in terms of academic choice hardly exists. Education is merely a means to an end - a high flying job that will satiate the expectations of your family, socio-economic class and country. This reflects a propensity to engage oneself in more economically 'pragmatic' and prestigious courses of study : Accounting, Medicine, Business.. etc. Philosophy as a course, was not a requisite and so to include it in the function would be to egregiously 'waste' one's time and effort. So I decided to take a risk and come here - here where I could study what interested me. I was absolutely sold on the idealistic notion of a liberal arts education where I would be holistically developed and thus, in a better position to appreciate the world around me, and within(as cliche as it sounds). 'The shaping and of the mind rather than the mere filling of it' - that just appealed to me. Cutting to the chase, Philosophy had always been this abstract subject that only those adept in critical thinking and proficient in searching the caverns of intangibles thrived. A subject whose criteria for success was abject intrinsic intelligence and intense rumination and musing. The possession of a beard would have augmented the sagacious aesthetic and satisfied the criterion and look too. Now however I realize how far from the truth I essentially was..
Since starting on the intro to Philosophy course, revelations have occurred to dispel my highly fallacious and stereotypical preconceptions of Philosophy. I came across this line that posited how '[Philosophy] is not so much a subject as it is a way of thinking'. I never thought about it that way, but I almost immediately appreciated the applicability and practicality of it. Previously, my ignorance made me label the study of Philosophy as one meant for those with their heads in the clouds; for those who were inordinately out of touch with everyday reality. Quoting from my textbook, It actually operates quite to the contrary. As asserted, 'Philosophy takes our heads out of the clouds, enlarging our view of ourselves and our knowledge of the world, allowing us to break out of prejudices and harmful habits that we have held since we were too young or too naive to know better... It [makes us] look at and think about ideas carefully...rather than to unthinkingly accept them.'
Once cognizant of this, I realized how much of an 'unthinking' life I had been leading. I was doing well but according to whose definitions? Mine or my parent's or my government's?(Ostensibly, Singaporeans are a brainwashed people who do not ever question, brainwashed that what they do is meaningful etc..) Socrates once said that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'... and I truly want a life worth living so...
I'm increasingly drawn to Philosophy because I possess now, a better comprehension of what it can do for my life. Particularly, I'm fascinated by the skills of persuasion one garners from practicing Philosophy - the capacity and attempt to justify our beliefs and substantiate them with good reasons. Even before that, to critically contemplate what our beliefs are, and why. I hope to be lawyer and am indubitably sure that the methods and skills attained from the study of Philosophy will only litigate my arsenal of logic and oratorical persuasion. The notion of being able to systematically rebuke or refute someone in an intellectual debate or argument does really compel me to want to be engaged in this subject. I also learnt that the ethos of the writer(philosopher) is extremely important, but not more so than relevance and logic. On a separate note, I need to learn too, to speak up and be more active in discussions. Cultural legacies have accustomed me to not question, as to question hierarchy or in general is tantamount to disrespect. However, questioning seems to be a cornerstone and underlying requisite for any productive Philosophical debate. Also, since I'm here in America now, I've got to learn to imbibe some sense of 'unequivocal individualism'. All in all, I'm progressively liking the subject..I hope I manage just fine.
Since starting on the intro to Philosophy course, revelations have occurred to dispel my highly fallacious and stereotypical preconceptions of Philosophy. I came across this line that posited how '[Philosophy] is not so much a subject as it is a way of thinking'. I never thought about it that way, but I almost immediately appreciated the applicability and practicality of it. Previously, my ignorance made me label the study of Philosophy as one meant for those with their heads in the clouds; for those who were inordinately out of touch with everyday reality. Quoting from my textbook, It actually operates quite to the contrary. As asserted, 'Philosophy takes our heads out of the clouds, enlarging our view of ourselves and our knowledge of the world, allowing us to break out of prejudices and harmful habits that we have held since we were too young or too naive to know better... It [makes us] look at and think about ideas carefully...rather than to unthinkingly accept them.'
Once cognizant of this, I realized how much of an 'unthinking' life I had been leading. I was doing well but according to whose definitions? Mine or my parent's or my government's?(Ostensibly, Singaporeans are a brainwashed people who do not ever question, brainwashed that what they do is meaningful etc..) Socrates once said that 'the unexamined life is not worth living'... and I truly want a life worth living so...
I'm increasingly drawn to Philosophy because I possess now, a better comprehension of what it can do for my life. Particularly, I'm fascinated by the skills of persuasion one garners from practicing Philosophy - the capacity and attempt to justify our beliefs and substantiate them with good reasons. Even before that, to critically contemplate what our beliefs are, and why. I hope to be lawyer and am indubitably sure that the methods and skills attained from the study of Philosophy will only litigate my arsenal of logic and oratorical persuasion. The notion of being able to systematically rebuke or refute someone in an intellectual debate or argument does really compel me to want to be engaged in this subject. I also learnt that the ethos of the writer(philosopher) is extremely important, but not more so than relevance and logic. On a separate note, I need to learn too, to speak up and be more active in discussions. Cultural legacies have accustomed me to not question, as to question hierarchy or in general is tantamount to disrespect. However, questioning seems to be a cornerstone and underlying requisite for any productive Philosophical debate. Also, since I'm here in America now, I've got to learn to imbibe some sense of 'unequivocal individualism'. All in all, I'm progressively liking the subject..I hope I manage just fine.
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