This semester I have the opportunity of taking a Philosophy
course through the Upper School history department. I have never
taken a philosophy course before, and at the beginning of this
semester, I was not sure what to expect! As a student who tends to favor
science and math classes, I am excited because I have found this
discussion-based course interesting, and I have developed and been exposed to
new perspectives on life.
Our first unit of study
allowed us to explore ancient Greek philosophy, and we were introduced to many
of the central questions that have helped
guide philosophers throughout the ages. We studied the philosophies
of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato as we developed our own insight to answer
central questions such as: what does it mean to live a good life, how do we
determine what is beautiful, what is the goal of education, is democracy an
effective form of government, and how should women be viewed by society?
While everyone in the class had their own ideas, we found ourselves intently
discussing these issues in order to arrive at universal truths that could be
supported with evidence and examples.
Our first assignment was
to become familiar with the Socratic dialogues (Plato wrote more than two dozen
dialogues in which he presents his arguments in the form of a discussion).
Eventually we wrote our own dialogues in which we
developed answers to questions about hate. My Socratic
dialogue addressed whether different degrees of hatred exist and
whether humans have the ability to control their hate. Through
this experience, I learned how to develop my
own philosophy and ultimately arrive at a conclusion to questions
that are broad and open to many different interpretations.
We are just beginning to
study the philosophies of Confucius, and our next assignment
will explore the concept of jen or humanity. I am looking forward to the
rest of the semester, and I hope to continue to use philosophy to learn more
about the world, myself, and my peers!
Bridget
