My Love for Philosophy
Sid is a PLATO Student Advisory Council member. He lives in Illinois and is a homeschooled senior planning to major in philosophy.
When I disclose my interest in philosophy, I’ve often been asked “Why are you studying philosophy?” or “What benefits and applications does philosophy have?” Answering these questions might provide insight to why anybody should engage with philosophy, so I want to address them. But before I begin, philosophy is not a small subject-matter; it is expansive in its depth and breadth so experience will vary drastically based on your interests. I will look at my personal reasons for studying philosophy and examine the benefits it has given me, and those it may offer to others.
The study of philosophy is critical both for its own sake and for all other fields such as English language, history, anthropology, political science, and even set theory or quantum mechanics — all relate to philosophy. This interdisciplinary connection is profound. By studying philosophy, I am personally able to recognize the connection between Enlightenment Era philosophy and the political discourse surrounding the understanding of liberty. Similarly, when politicians debate their stances about the role of the state, they are looking at powerful issues in political philosophy.
Philosophy is sometimes stereotyped to be inaccessible, described as something only written about in journal publications and too complex to understand, but it also exists within popular literature and in other humanities. Philosophy and philosophical questions often appear in texts, and are made more concrete, accessible, and understandable. For example, in The Stranger by Albert Camus, we find a theory of meaning conveyed by the characters themselves. In anthropology, the holistic study of humanity, topics like human culture are explored deeply. Within this exploration of culture, the laws, texts, and other primary documents written by civilizations provide key perspectives on philosophical matters. These perspectives then help us understand their beliefs, values, and even technologies more clearly.
Philosophy exists outside of academics as well, especially in theories of meaning-making, like absurdism. Absurdism is the theory that the universe is devoid of meaning and that humans inherently desire meaning–this gap or tension between us and the universe is called the absurd. Absurdism argues that we should not give into the absurd but rather accept it and find personal meaning for ourselves regardless. I have personally realized the utility of this theory. When I was experiencing a difficult time, it uplifted me by helping me reframe my struggles. Philosophy can provide people with important insights, especially for people asking questions about personal purpose.
Other topics in moral philosophy, like virtue ethics, are also important as they cause us to reconsider our character. Reflection is a valuable skill, and virtue ethics can provide a framework to compare ourselves to when we reflect on our actions. Aristotle describes virtue as a middle point between an extreme and a deficiency. For example, bravery is between recklessness and cowardice. This provides a tempered outlook on behavior and might offer a chance for reflection to those who are more prone to behavior on an edge of the spectrum.
Most of all, philosophy builds necessary life skills: strong writing, critical thinking, and deep inquiry. When thoroughly analyzing philosophical texts, short summaries will often be expected alongside the reading. These summaries require an unbiased analysis of the text, and the ability to write these summaries is invaluable when analyzing other sources. These skills have served me well when I have had to conduct research on a topic in history, especially during the primary source analysis section. In any sort of primary document research or argument analysis, strong writing skills are required.
Next, philosophy develops critical thinking that is not simply about recognizing biases or an author’s arguments, but careful reflection where information and ideas are evaluated in order to make an accurate and thoughtful conclusion. In philosophy, it also involves understanding context and reflecting on one’s own beliefs in response to the text’s arguments. We do this to achieve a stronger and more well-considered understanding of the world. In doing this myself, I have read many texts with theses that stray from my own view. But, by critically thinking about the structure and propositions within their arguments, I’ve been able to build a more holistic worldview, and have developed myself as a person. This skill’s utility extends beyond philosophy, as you can critically think about any text and what it has to offer, especially in classes that value interpretation–such as english literature or language courses.
Finally, deep inquiry is the process engaging with a topic and asking precise questions about it. Usually, this is a part of the critical thinking skill, but in philosophy we develop this our inquiry abilities to an unbelievable extent, so I want to address it separately. This skill of deep inquiry is primarily acquired through research and argument assignments because when writing papers as undergraduates or high schoolers, it is expected that our contributions will be modest but well supported. This causes us to ask very intricate questions and explore them at great length. While writing my final papers, I had to research the concept of American identity, but by putting this idea under scrutiny, I realized that I wanted my thesis to be about the continued journey for freedom that binds American identity across time. I then narrowed my research question from the broad question “What is American identity?” to a well-refined project asking, “How does the continued redefinition of freedom constitute American identity?” This history research project was extremely enjoyable due to these skills, and they can aid you too!
The skills philosophy develops improve your abilities in any discipline. By studying philosophy, you will be able to develop yourself as a person. Philosophy is an important subject to study, regardless of your area of concentration, age, or beliefs. Whether you are a high school student or studying at a four-year institution, the study of philosophy will provide noticeable value.
Philosophy is incredible, and no words can truly do it justice, so I can only ask you to undertake it in your own journey!
