Let’s introduce ourselves, Existentialism class of ‘26/'30. Go to the comments space below and tell us who you are, why you’re here, how you’d summarize your personal philosophy of "life, the universe, and everything" (but be less concise than "42"), what y'30our existence means to you, & anything else you’d care to share.*
Who am I, why am I here? A recent interview: https://american-philosophy.org/i-am-an-american-philosopher-interview-series/i-am-an-american-philosopher-phil-oliver/
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I consider myself a philosopher in the peripatetic tradition, at least in the ambulatory sense: Like teachers and students at Aristotle's Lyceum, I prefer the outdoors and generally would rather roam than sit (at least on the nicer days). I agree with Kierkegaard, who said he'd walked himself into his best thoughts; and Nietzsche, who said the best thoughts are conceived while walking; and Emerson, who said walking is a gymnasium of the mind. So I look forward to getting out of our classroom and onto the grounds of our Lyceum at MTSU, when the weather allows.
This is me, with Nell and Pita (who we brought home with us from the humane shelter in 2018):
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This is my first time teaching this course, I had to wait for Dr. Principe to retire before I got my shot (just in time before my own looming retirement, so there's one more thing off the bucket list). I've wanted to teach an Existentialism course ever since I took one back in the day at my undergrad alma mater Mizzou (U of Mo) from the late Joe Bien, who used to chain-smoke unfiltered Pall Malls in class and who'd learned a way of pronouncing "Sartre" at the Sorbonne that I can't replicate... so I just pronounce it "Sart"... We thought he looked a lot like Clark Kent (aka Superman).
Dewey’s epitaph, on the UVM campus in Burlington, Vermont:
John Dewey
“The things in civilization we most prize are not of ourselves. They exist by grace of the doings and sufferings of the continuous human community in which we are a link. Ours is the responsibility of conserving, transmitting, rectifying and expanding the heritage of values we have received, that those who come after us may receive it more solid and secure, more widely accessible and more generously shared than we have received it.”
Hi!
ReplyDeleteAnswering the question "who are you" in a Philosophy class with just my name and major feels like falling for the oldest trick in the book, but since I am not sure how else to answer, that's what I am sticking with. My name is Caroline Humphries and I am a Psychology Major with a double minor in Philosophy and Mental Health Services.
I am here in this class because the concept of Existentialism intrigued me in the Intro to Philosophy class I took my first semester, prior to my decision of minoring in the subject.
My personal philosophy of "life, the universe, and everything" is something that is constantly evolving and therefore something I am hesitant to summarize. Some things I would note though, would be my belief that we have an innate responsibility to other people and the Earth, and that we are free and therefore responsible for who we become (a little on the nose for this class, but it's true). I think it would honestly be a shame to confirm any meaning of life, if such a thing exists, because it is a beautiful thing to navigate on one's own.
My existence is something I am constantly grateful for and striving to make the most of. I have come to love a lot of people and things in this world and also understand that existence brings its fair share of burdens. Anything I can do to lighten this load for other people, as well as myself, I will try my best at.
As for anything else, there is a lot I like to do. Firstly, I realize this is a crazy first impression... I promise I am not typically this intense! I love playing guitar and writing songs, as well as reading and anything involving nature. The last book I read was "Franny and Zooey" by JD Salinger. I also enjoy my job as a barista and working out. Lastly, I am looking forward this class and meeting you all! :)
Hey Caroline!
DeleteI, too, am hesitant to summarize a personal philosophy. As my philosophical awareness grows, I increasingly realize how many of my prior convictions remain unexamined. My goal right now is simply to absorb everything I can, so that those old assumptions can eventually be scrutinized against a rigorously developed philosophical framework.
A prudent approach, Brent, for a student; but beware too much absorption if it's not matched by expression. This is the "gradual" student's malady, the reluctance to give expression to one's own perspective until all others have been absorbed. But you can NEVER absorb them all. At some point, and sooner is better than later, you just have to announce your PRESENT point of view. You can EXPRESS a personal philosophy today and jettison it tomorrow, if and when you come up with a better POV. Look in the sidebar (on the right side of this page) for what Wm James said about "our errors..." Learning is a process of experimentation and revision. On the way to their FINAL personal philosophy, a thoughtful person will take on board one after another. It's better to act from belief, even if in retrospect it seems wrong, than not to act at all. That's a Jamesian existential perspective. Waiting for confirmation forever just doesn't work. And it's not how we learn. We learn at least as much from our errors as much as from our confirmed insights.
DeleteThanks for getting the ball rolling, Caroline.
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head with the keyword "freedom," one of the orienting values (along with responsibility, opportunity, commitment, solidarity, et al) the existentialists share with my pragmatists (William James, John Dewey, sometimes Richard Rorty among many others). And "lightening the load for other people" reminds me of something Einstein said (he was maybe a kind of honorary existentialist too): “Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of other[s] —above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”
- Hi :) My name is Vanshika (Vun-she-ka). I’m a psychology major with a minor in philosophy and a minor in gender studies. I am here because I am intrigued by the topic of existentialism and have enjoyed brushing past it in my Intro class and my philosophy & film class. I define philosophy, personally, as a constant seeking to engage curiously with the world. My favorite philosopher is Maria Lugones. Existence to me, means to endure the conditions of being and consciousness. I think meaning is something we both find and create. It is something we often experience as sort of dawned upon by something greater than us, and yet ultimately the only concrete proof we have of such a thing is our belief, which is a life sustaining belief. I find and create meaning in my life through engaging with nature and being of service to Mother Nature and humanity as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI like that word "engaging," in fact I've sort of adopted as a personal mantra that slogan plastered on Peck Hall for which MTSU probably overpaid marketing consultants: "Explore your world, ENGAGE your mind, enrich your life..." (I think the last "E" is a bit crass, as stated: "Earn a living." So I modify it, in a way that aligns with your "service to Mother Nature and humanity": "Earn a living planet."
DeleteMaria Lugones is featured in one of our texts, Night Vision.
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteI am Brent, a dual-degree senior here at MTSU studying Psychology and Philosophy. I currently have an ongoing research project in Dr. Rogers' behavioral and affective neuroscience lab, where I'm studying the impact of isolation on social motivation. On the philosophy side of things, I’ve been ingesting copious amounts of material in philosophy of mind, existentialism, moral philosophy, and neuroscience to inform my undergraduate thesis project—which is being directed by none other than Dr. Oliver!
My personal philosophy is to stay curious and to discover (not create, rather, cultivate) guiding principles that foster continued development. If philosophy had concrete answers to offer, I think we would have stumbled upon at least one of them by now. I am not sure if philosophy resolutely concludes anything, and that is fine by me. I believe the process is far more valuable than the outcome, especially if we are able to stop and notice it from time to time—which in itself is a practice in gratitude and humility.
All that to say, I think philosophy is experienced before it is abstracted (this rings of Sartre, I know), so I cannot give an account of a well-defined philosophy because I am still discovering, and I still have much to learn.
I expect to learn a lot from all of you this semester!
Salud!
We all have a lot to learn from each other, Brent. I've been learning a lot from speaking with you about your projects. Lifelong learning, yay!
ReplyDelete"If philosophy had concrete answers to offer, I think we would have stumbled upon at least one of them by now." We have. It does. Philosophy has generated a great many concrete answers. I'm partial to the pragmatists' answers myself, and in this course look forward to finding common ground with some of the existentialists' answers. But I agree with you (and Sartre?), it's more about the process, the concrete EXPERIENCE of the questions and the conversations around them. More than we need definitive answers, we need that holy curiosity to explore the questions and formulate ever-better ones. And then each of us can experiment with various answers and find the ones that work for us.
Hello! My name is Erick, and I am a junior at MTSU this year. I am majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy and journalism. It is a very recent decision, so there are definitely nerves, but even more excited.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned, I have a philosophy minor, which is the reason I'm taking this class. More specifically, however, I am very intrigued with the idea of existentialism. The simple idea of existing is viewed differently by everyone, and the question of how to live can be justified by so many variables in a person's life. Some agreed upon, and others not so much.
While taking Intro to Philosophy and minor research after, I landed on Nihilism as a philosophy I could get behind. Some days I take a pessimistic route, while other days it's optimistic. To me, there is comfort in thinking that nothing matters. That all we experience will one day not mean anything. That idea alone makes me want to push myself to the fullest. To take the challenging courses, experience the world when I can, and appreciate the people in my life, because even if it won't mean anything in a century, I have the time I live to make it mean something to me. I am very excited about this course and to meet you all!
I am looking forward to hearing more from you!
DeleteMe too, Erick. And I have to say, this does not sound like Nihilism to me: "I have the time I live to make it mean something to me." If you succeed, then Something matters. Not Nothing.
DeleteIt is not lost on me that the question of “who are you” is a loaded one. It seems to change day to day, with the answer morphing each time I ask myself who I really am, or whether there is any unchanging essence to the “self” I identify with. I can’t confidently answer this seemingly simple question, but my name is Marissa. I’m a 31-year-old philosophy major at MTSU. I live with my 13-year-old dog, Bacon, and my fiancée, whom I just got engaged to over the summer! I realize this answer is more akin to stating facts about my life rather than answering the question “who are you,” but for today it will have to suffice.
ReplyDeleteI’m here in this class because I’m a philosophy major and existential questions fascinate me, so I think it will be an interesting and worthwhile pursuit to take this class.
Currently, my personal philosophy is that life is all about relationships. Whether it’s with a friend, a lover, our own thoughts and feelings, the environment we find ourselves in, or the relationship we have with ourselves, it is my opinion that relationships are all we really have. My goal is to investigate these different realms of relationship and appreciate them whenever possible.
As for my existence, I want to use the opportunity of life to explore and experience all the pain and beauty that come with being human, and hopefully reduce my own suffering and that of others where possible.
That said, I’m excited to meet everyone tomorrow and start class! I love cooking new dishes, spending time outside, and watching movies, especially anything with a supernatural element. I can be a bit shy and soft-spoken, but tend to open up more over time as I get comfortable.
I just posted and realized I need to figure out how to not be "anonymous" on this page. But I'll be on the roster as Marissa Bristow
DeleteThere's a drop-down menu where you can de-select Anonymous.
DeleteMarissa, I think this is a pretty profound statement: "relationships are all we really have." Indeed, relationships and relations of all kinds. And that's a lot. Maybe the best answer to "Who are you?" is: I am a locus of relations and relationships, in fact THE locus that recognizes precisely THOSE relations and relationships in precisely THIS way. Identity viewed this way is uniquely marked from within, but when mutuality and reciprocity come into play we begin to know one another as something more than isolated atomistic individuals. And then, Sartre's famous statement notwithstanding, hell is NOT other people.
DeleteMy name is Nicholas, and I am officially a senior this semester. My major is political science, but i am minoring in both Philosophy and Economics. I originally wanted to take philosophy as one of my minors because I have aspirations to go into law someday, and thought that I could use the subject to teach me how to argue a position and be able to actually defend it. Though I did take a 3-week Ethics summer course in late May/early June, this will be my first full term philosophy course, and I am excited to discuss the topics behind existentialism.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm still figuring out my own personal philosophy for right now, I lean more towards building our own meaning from the relationships and drive we are given or seek out. As for my thoughts on existence, as bleak as they are, I like the idea of using my existence as responsibility to act with integrity and leave behind a positive imprint on others and myself. Needs work, of course, but I hope to learn more about myself and you all this semester!
I too started in PoliSci and thought I might become a lawyer. Took an Econ class but found it too "dismal"... and discovered there were already enough lawyers. Many of them seemed unfulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThe aspiration towards integrity and a positive imprint are philosophy aplenty. And as we pragmatists say, that philosophy does indeed need work. Good works. Commitment. Meliorism.
Hi, my name is Cooper Grey. I am a senior here at MTSU with a major in Music Business and a Minor in Philosophy. I have switched my minor about three times in my three years here, and I'm content to keep it in philosophy. I wanted to study philosophy to kind of force a consciousness expansion, and it hasn't been working too well so far, but I still have one year. I find philosophy fascinating, but the barrier to entry has kept my pursuit short, which is why I've enjoyed taking these classes. In truth, my personal philosophy is quite simple: to find joy in meaning, purpose, and deep personal relationships. I hope to expand on this throughout the rest of my time studying philosophy and learn more about how I and others think. I also have a deep interest in the study of alchemy, sort of a defunct science, but I think it's "rad".
ReplyDeleteAlchemy! Searching for the Philosophers Stone, eh, and immortality? Good luck with that. Your better bet these days, if you believe the Silicon Valley bros, might be to plan on digitizing and uploading yourself. We're about halfway there, it seems. That'd be a forced consciousness expansion, I guess. But unless they figure out how to integrate a sensate robot body with ones and zeroes that precisely replicate, nay seamlessly continue, the subjective feel of possessing the same memories, aspirations, delights ad desires I currently enjoy, I'll decline. I don't want to be Johnny Dep in Transcendence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCTen3-B8GU
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jake Kachinko and I am a philosophy major with aspirations of attending law school. I find myself here in this course not only to satisfy the requirements of my degree, but also to satisfy my desire to learn how to ask the proper questions and how to challenge my own beliefs and observations, as well those posed by others. I have dipped my toes into existentialist texts by Sarte and Dostoevsky and am eager to dive deeper into the tenet.
ReplyDeleteIn summarizing my philosophy of life, I strive to provide others with positive experiences and memories as I find that these reflect back and bring me happiness. As far as the universe and beyond, I truly believe that the world is our oyster, so long as we build it everyday.
Regarding existence, I believe that we are ultimately here to feel emotions. Life's experiences produce positive and negative feelings, and we are provided an opportunity to choose how much weight we give each and the methods that we try to produce them. I'm looking forward to meeting you all this tomorrow.
"these reflect back and bring me happiness"-This reminds me of a famous statement to the effect that the key to happiness is trying to make others happy. I couldn't remember who said it, and the best the chatbot could come up with was Anne Frank's "whoever is happy will make others happy too." But that kinda gets it backward, the point being a more selfless devotion to serving others before serving yourself. The opposite of Randian egoism. More like Einstein's view that we exist for the sake of precious others... or Dewey's that we must attempt to advance the cause of the "continuous human community in which we are a link." This clearly runs counter to the prevailing self-service mindset of so many prominent self-important persons in our celebrity-and-wealth-driven culture.
ReplyDelete"we are ultimately here to feel emotions"-Another very interesting inversion of a currently-voguish pop stoicism that agrees with Star Trek's Vulcans, that emotions are a kind of disease we ought to suppress. But I agree with Captain Kirk, who mediates between the stoic Mr. Spock and the hyper-emotional Dr. McCoy: to be human (or even half-human, in Mr. Spock's case: his mom was human) is to accept, learn from, and even embrace the emotional side of our nature. True rationalism does not repudiate feeling.
Hello, I am Spyridon Hale. I am a senior Psychology Major, Religious Studies and Philosophy Minor, with this semester being my last. After I graduate, I plan to go to Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY to pursue going into the Christian Orthodox Priesthood.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I think about philosophy and the philosophy of life I am reminded of a quote from Saint John of Damascus in his writing "The Fount of Knowledge" which is the follow, " Philosophy is knowledge of things which are in so far as they are, that is, a knowledge of the nature of things which have being. And again, philosophy is knowledge of both divine and human things, that is to say, of things both visible and invisible. Philosophy, again, is a study of death, whether this be voluntary or natural. For life is of two kinds, there being the natural life by which we live and the voluntary one by which we cling lovingly to this present life. Death, also, is of two kinds: the one being natural, which is the separation of soul from body, whereas the other is the voluntary one by which we disdain this present life and aspire to that which is to come. Still again, philosophy is the making of one’s self like God. Now, we become like God in wisdom, which is to say, in the true knowledge of good; and in justice, which is a fairness in Judgment without respect to persons; and in holiness, which is to say, in goodness, which is superior to justice, being that by which we do good to them that wrong us. Philosophy is the art of arts and the science of sciences. This is because philosophy is the principle of every art, since through it every art and science has been invented. Now, according to some, art is what errs in some people and science what errs in no one, whereas philosophy alone does not err. According to others, art is that which is done with the hands, whereas science 1s any art that is practiced by the reason, such as grammar, rhetoric, and the like. Philosophy, again, is a love of wisdom. But, true wisdom is God. Therefore, the love of God, this is the true philosophy." (Chapter 3, Page 11)
Meant to put that the Chapter and Page number are from the book "The Fathers of the Church - Saint John Of Damascus Writings"
Delete"true wisdom is God. Therefore, the love of God, this is the true philosophy." - but that begs the question. Plenty of wise people are godless. Plenty of believers are unwise. (And yes, there are also wise believers and unwise atheists. It's a broad spectrum. That's why a generalized statement equating wisdom with belief is question-begging, and palpably easy to counter.)
DeleteRemember, all, to include your section # with your posts.
DeleteI am Connor. I am here because one of my minors is philosophy. I am nothing if not a thinker. I would like my thinking to be challenged in this class because, in general, I am always seeking insight and revelation. I think my philosophy on "life, the universe, and everything" can be described through my highest values and radical acceptance. I am guided by my values of autonomy (preserving it, completely and totally, for myself and others) and consciousness/awareness, as in being aware of the biases/patterns/unconscious habits instilled in me by biology, personal learning history, and culture. I hope to be an authentic and moral person and believe this awareness is required to do so. However, ironically, radical acceptance is necessary to me because I do not believe in/have not been convinced of objective morality, objective meaning/purpose, or free will, and I am sensitive to how full of suffering the world is. It helps me for some reason to "radically accept" and submit to this information; it simply is what it is and I have no obligation to judge. I must accept that there is no objective morality but I can still try to reduce suffering in the world, which is the basis of my own moral compass. I must accept that there is no objective meaning but I still feel things to be meaningful and valuable to me, so I will move toward those things. I must accept that I have no free will and that environment/biology/learning history puppeteers me but I still experience the feeling of agency so I should exercise it. Relatedly, by reshaping the environment and contributing positively to the learning history of others, people being better (healthier, happier, kinder, more moral) will follow, so my politics are also based on improving material/environmental/social conditions to engineer better people. This acceptance is also valuable in dealing with past mistakes; I cannot change what I did, so there is no point in ruminating on or regretting or dwelling in guilt about it, and I should instead do what I can to repair the damage and learn from that mistake to not repeat it. Denying/fighting with reality rather than accepting it is choosing delusion/unawareness. I really like the serenity prayer: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
ReplyDelete"I have no obligation to judge. I must accept that there is no objective morality but I can still try to reduce suffering in the world, which is the basis of my own moral compass" - I'd say that IS a judgement, and a sound one, that a better world would be one with less gratuitous suffering. If it's not "objective" (depending on what you mean by that term) it is at least inter-subjective: a vast majority of us agree that less gratuitous suffering would be good. That may be objective enough to motivate constructive, ameliorative action aimed at reducing it.
Delete"I must accept that I have no free will" - I don't think you MUST. I think you're equally free to act on the hypothesis that maybe you do have free will. Pragmatically speaking, that seems to me the more salutary belief... the one more likely to motivate you to ameliorative efforts.
"Denying/fighting with reality rather than accepting it is choosing delusion/unawareness." - If you just mean reality that is NOT subject to alteration by human efforts, you're right. But that's the big question, isn't it? Whether at least some of future reality may be amenable to our best efforts? We won't know, 'til we try. And isn't that precisely what the serenity prayer implies, that with courage we can change things. Maybe. Worth a shot. And then, having tried and tried again, and failed time and again, and ONLY then, must we embrace the wisdom of accepting what we cannot change.
Margaret Fuller, an American 19th century philosopher, once said "I accept the universe." Thomas Carlyle quipped: "She'd better." But I say she'd better try, first, to help create a more acceptable universe. And so should we.
Every minute, every second, my personal definition of who I am changes - alike to others’ opinion of themselves. As I’m writing this introduction, my name is Sophia Tran who has a major in Interactive Media and recently declared minor in Philosophy. At my core, I am (somewhat…) a daughter, sister, and friend. Somewhat because I have experienced the roles of these titles but I prefer the terms: child, sibling, friend. The word for child (con, cháu) in my mother tongue, Vietnamese, feels closer.
ReplyDeleteI transferred last Fall from a community college in Nashville. There, I took two philosophy courses and developed an interest in the study accordingly. To fulfill my minor requirements and curiosity of how some perceive existence, I enrolled in this course. In a short way, my personal philosophy of “life, the universe, and everything” is to enjoy what you can and while you can! Enjoy the presence of your loved ones while the Earth spins, while the Sun is still shining, while the Moon gleams over us. Enjoy the passing conversations you have with strangers. Enjoy even the hardships that passes through us. My existence is what it is, I can try to accept what happens to me and aim to survive. I really like the ideas of “YOLO” and “I’m here for a fun time not a long time,” with the mindset of living joyfully…!
On the topic of enjoying things, I enjoy listening to/producing music, watching horribly cringe films, and playing games (both online and physical). Super into hyperpop and electronic so if anyone has a playlist or two to share, send them MY WAY!
I am very excited for this semester and what this course (and of course the peers taking it) has to show.
Hey Sophia!
DeleteI agree with the "YOLO" mindset! Of course I'm careful enough with it not to be stupid and to not think critically. But, at the same time, there are some situations in life when you have to tell yourself "it's really not that deep". This mindset has aided me in fearlessly accomplishing goals and babystepping my way towards the life I want!
"Every minute, every second, my personal definition of who I am changes" - that must be exhausting! But I vaguely remember a time in my own youth when my sense of identity was similarly chaotic. Thankfully, the chaos eventually surrendered to order. Life does come in stages.
ReplyDeleteI agree, a philosophy of joy-or happiness at least-is our due. I like to remind myself, especially on a bad day, that I'm darned lucky to be here for any sort of day at all. The odds of any one of us being born at all, in place of all the other merely-possible persons who never were, show that we the living have won the big lottery of life. So, as you say: ENJOY. But also ameliorate. We can maybe create even more and better luck for ourselves and our heirs, going forward, if we're smart and resolved to try.
Hi! My name is Bella Ambriz, and I am a Psychology major with a minor in Philosophy and Mental Health Services. I've never been a huge fan of the idea that we're living on a floating rock in space, therefore nothing we do matters. While I don't believe in any divine purpose or higher power, I do believe that, since we are here without choice, we have a responsibility to give our own lives meanings. Our contributions in the world have an impact on the people we exist with and the environment we exist in whether we care or not and despite the fact that we will be forgotten with time. You are happening to the world just as the world is happening to you. I perceive my existence as an extension of nature. I often ground myself by reminding myself of my place in nature and how every plant, animal, and human is connected.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Jake. I am an Audio Production Senior minoring in Entertainment Technology. Music is my primary passion and interest.
ReplyDeleteI am here to, hopefully, push myself out of my comfort zone and dive into a subject I know little about. I took Intro to Philosophy a few semesters back and did very well, but I will be honest and reveal I am not well knowledgeable in many areas of Philosophy. I have always found Philosophy interesting and like to discuss it with friends, even though I haven’t taken any considerable time to read and study Philosophy texts on my own.
My personal philosophy is hard to define, as it fluctuates often. For my own sanity, I often like to affirm how rare a chance it is I get to live this life and experience this world. I also love to share the things I love and value with others, in the hopes they can maybe see what I see or even see something better. I would say my view of the world and beyond largely falls in line with Agnosticism. I have a hard time believing that there is any important connection between humanity and whatever has created our existence and the universe (at least what we have observed of it.) This could come off a bit angsty, but note that I see it as a liberation to not get bogged down by trivial things and focus on whatever brings you the most fulfillment and love in this chaotic world. I think experience, connection, learning, and any sort of growth or “rebirth” is essential to feeling engaged and curious about life. I have a hard time practicing what I preach, but my primary goal in life is to try and experience as much as I can and not get so lost in destructive “what-ifs?”
My name is Chris, I am a Junior and an International Relations major with a minor in Modern European studies. I want to (hopefully) commission in the Navy after college and then go to law school after. I've never taken a philosophy class before so I am excited to see what Existentialism is all about. I've read a couple of stoics, namely Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, and found their work applicable to my life as someone who is prone to overthinking and worrying about random things. I'm a Catholic so I do look at the world through the lens of believing in a higher power, and I would say my personal philosophy is really about taking responsibility for my life and the choices I make. I make a conscious effort to focus on things I can control in life and not the things that are outside of my control. Something I have come to believe strongly in is that we all have a responsibility to be the best versions of ourselves. I am always reminded of the quote from JFK when he said, "Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met; obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty." This quote has helped me in many ways to realize the significance of life. We have a chance to do good not only for ourselves but for each other, and that inspires me.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris!
DeleteI love, and totally agree with your personal philosophy. I'd say taking accountability is a big part of mine as well. The quote that you ended your intro with is very inspiring! My goal is to go into law, so doing good for other people is a high priority in my life!
Hey everyone! My name is Aiden, and I am a senior majoring in psychology, and minoring in philosophy and neuroscience. I've always been obsessed with the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience, and this has definitely led me to love some existentialist works and philosophers. Along with this, I find my personal philosophy hard to pin down; I tend to think "nothing matters", as when looking at the grand happenings of reality itself, I believe I just happen to live in an impossibly intricate system we know as reality. Despite this, I acknowledge that now that I am here, the sentiment behind "nothing matters" is incredibly unproductive to a fruitful life. Though I struggle very often, I try to ground myself in the present moment, as it is the only thing to bring me comfort within my existential worldview. I'm beyond excited for this class, and I hope to participate in an academic understanding of a discipline I've been pursuing myself for years, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Aaliyah Henderson. This is my Sophomore year in collage. I'm studying Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy.
I'm taking this philosophy class, along with others, to open the door to the philosophical world. For a year or so, I've had an interest in philosophy. I like to make (and continue building) my own little personal philosophies, critically and reflectively thinking about my actions, feelings, and responses towards life. I'm beyond grateful to get the opportunity to be taking philosophy classes. I'm looking forward in learning about the different types of philosophy, and read the books and the quotes, and learn how vast philosophy is. It's very exciting!
I'm not exactly sure how to answer the question of my opinion on "life, the universe, and everything". But, I can tell you that I've learned the importance of my existence throughout my life in my church. I've grown up in my church and believed in God my entire life. I make the decision everyday to dedicate my life to God, and to serve him, and to prove the existence of God. I wouldn't trade my experience and knowledge for the world. Philosophy has greatly influenced and been effective in my relationship with God. It teaches elements of being introspective and critical thinking.
Existence to me is about finding your purpose, and what brings you fruit and fulfills your life. Since I believe in a higher power, thats where my identity and purpose lie.
I'll keep it brief because my life experience is just pure suffering. Nietzche would love it. But in all seriousness, my name is Gin. I am a recent Philosophy major with previous credit hours that were philosophy related, so I would be able to graduate next year as a Philosophy major with minors in Art and Engineering Tech (prior major was Mechatronics). I think that makes me well-rounded. I've skipped 2 years of academia to work minimum wage so my knowledge is lacking- don't expect me to know what everyone is talking about when it comes to philosophers. The last book I've read that was philosophy related was The Myth of Sisyphus, but I stopped maybe 20 pages in to read Camus' The Stranger. Another book that I've been working on- when I have a free day- is Schopenhauer's Will and Representation. I read Thus Spoke Zarathustra when I was, say, maybe in my early 20s. And in hindsight, I read a bunch of Dostoevsky. And maybe one Kafka book.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I've always liked philosophy. I just never wanted to admit it. It's also not really useful at my workplace, but like David Copperfield when he was younger, he felt his mind slipping each day he was just putting himself to manual labor. I think it's sad to be a machine.