A.Tell us about an intellectual experience, project, class, or book that has influenced or inspired you.
The surface. That's where I lived my life. The surface consisted of getting good grades, being a good daughter and sister, helping others. I am in no way belittling these things. But there is more to life than just that. Through this course, I was able to discover a hidden world, if you will, one below all the superficial tasks that we try to complete every day.
It was the beginning of second semester and I was being introduced to new teachers and subjects. On my schedule were 16 required courses and then philosophy. It was the only case where I had a choice and it was wither this or a religious class. Philosophy. Whenever it was mentioned, images of grey, old, Caucasian males, who sat around in their 18th century Victorian home, alone with no family or friends of course, came to mind. I was brought back to reality, as the teacher, in her thick "Ondo" accent, began to give an overview of the course. She briefly described the braches of philosophy. After that, she passed out our assignment. Just two questions.
Later during study hour, I was able to finish my Biology and English homework. I turned to my philosophy homework and read the questions: "Who are you?" and "What is reality?" .I was both amazed and perplexed. I had no idea where to start or how to answer these questions. My friends however, completed their philosophy assignments by answering with sarcastic remarks or with pretty well-known answers such "reality is what you can touch and feel". I however sought the answer with diligently. I wanted the answers in all earnestness. I also sought answers to questions in my life. Yet they were always answered by some generic answer give by others, and sometimes by myself. The answers were never satisfying.
To put it short, I turned in no answers for that assignment and I got an F. I was disappointed with the failing grade. However, I did realize that this class was not to find the answers but really to bring up questions that matter. Sure, it is great to be able to recite the periodic table, but what is that in comparison in knowing that, like Alan Watts said, "Nothing is more fertile than emptiness", or that "Void is precisely form". For me, philosophy was being able to dive in to the very essence of what makes us all human. Maybe I could would find the answers, maybe there were none. I loved being able to think critically about things not seen, or things not able to be totally expressed or made sense of the most challenging, futile, and impossible questions ever. It's about figuring out the things that are on all our minds, things that we all question and wonder about, regardless of race, gender, economic status or anything that differentiates us. I realize that we all are driven by curiosity about ourselves, the world and the unseen. And once we realize that our need and pursuit of knowledge is innate, such questions don't seem trivial at all.
The surface. That's where I lived my life. The surface consisted of getting good grades, being a good daughter and sister, helping others. I am in no way belittling these things. But there is more to life than just that. Through this course, I was able to discover a hidden world, if you will, one below all the superficial tasks that we try to complete every day.
It was the beginning of second semester and I was being introduced to new teachers and subjects. On my schedule were 16 required courses and then philosophy. It was the only case where I had a choice and it was wither this or a religious class. Philosophy. Whenever it was mentioned, images of grey, old, Caucasian males, who sat around in their 18th century Victorian home, alone with no family or friends of course, came to mind. I was brought back to reality, as the teacher, in her thick "Ondo" accent, began to give an overview of the course. She briefly described the braches of philosophy. After that, she passed out our assignment. Just two questions.
Later during study hour, I was able to finish my Biology and English homework. I turned to my philosophy homework and read the questions: "Who are you?" and "What is reality?" .I was both amazed and perplexed. I had no idea where to start or how to answer these questions. My friends however, completed their philosophy assignments by answering with sarcastic remarks or with pretty well-known answers such "reality is what you can touch and feel". I however sought the answer with diligently. I wanted the answers in all earnestness. I also sought answers to questions in my life. Yet they were always answered by some generic answer give by others, and sometimes by myself. The answers were never satisfying.
To put it short, I turned in no answers for that assignment and I got an F. I was disappointed with the failing grade. However, I did realize that this class was not to find the answers but really to bring up questions that matter. Sure, it is great to be able to recite the periodic table, but what is that in comparison in knowing that, like Alan Watts said, "Nothing is more fertile than emptiness", or that "Void is precisely form". For me, philosophy was being able to dive in to the very essence of what makes us all human. Maybe I could would find the answers, maybe there were none. I loved being able to think critically about things not seen, or things not able to be totally expressed or made sense of the most challenging, futile, and impossible questions ever. It's about figuring out the things that are on all our minds, things that we all question and wonder about, regardless of race, gender, economic status or anything that differentiates us. I realize that we all are driven by curiosity about ourselves, the world and the unseen. And once we realize that our need and pursuit of knowledge is innate, such questions don't seem trivial at all.