Let’s introduce ourselves, CoPhilosophers of Fall ‘26 (and MTSU class of 2030).
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"), & anything else you’d care to share. Include your section number, 1, 2 or 3 (940, 1 PM, 240 respectively).
Who am I, why am I here? Here’s an interview I gave recently:
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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 us all 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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So, shall we hit the ground running? And not say, like Douglas Adams's jaded bowl of petunias in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, "Oh no, not again!"
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Phil.Oliver@mtsu.edu
👣Solvitur ambulando
💭Sapere aude
(Section 3) Howdy! I have professionally been a welder for about six years now, lately I've been welding pipes in a hospital boiler/mechanical room. While I've enjoyed it as a means for grasping the world around me, economics has always been my passion. So here I am. My legal/ethical philosophy is rooted in Libertarian law, with Stephan Kinsella, Murray Rothbard, Ludwig von Mises, and Hans Herman Hoppe. My more personal philosophical interests are analytic and transcendental. Karl-otto Apel, Habermas, Wittgenstein, Kant, and Saul Kripke have all affected my thinking. I've been thinking about Girardian Mimetic Identity lately. This is to say, I think there is a severe detachment, every step of the way, between the self, communication, the receiver of communication, and the items that can be communicated. It's fascinating. I have many more thoughts and am super excited to dedicate more rigor towards these ideas in class.
ReplyDeleteHi Alexander, thanks for going first. Of the thinkers you mention, the recently-deceased Habermas is the one I want most to learn more about. He "defended reason in a darkening age," which in my book makes him heroic and exemplary. That's how best, I think, to address the problem of "severe detachment"... https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/06/22/jurgen-habermas-desperate-fight-for-democracy
DeleteI am Austin Vance, and I am here to better understand human emotions and their connection to philosophy and consciousness to become a better writer for film scripts etc. I believe that in life, what you tell yourself becomes what you believe you are capable of, which then becomes what you are capable of. Essentially the energy you put out is the energy you get in return. Section #1 9:40
ReplyDeleteHi Austin. I'll bet you'd like our past Lyceum speaker Mariana Allesandri's "Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods" (which we're reading in my Existentialism class)--
Delete"Under the light of ancient Western philosophies, our darker moods like grief, anguish, and depression can seem irrational. When viewed through the lens of modern psychology, they can even look like mental disorders. The self-help industry, determined to sell us the promise of a brighter future, can sometimes leave us feeling ashamed that we are not more grateful, happy, or optimistic. Night Vision invites us to consider a different approach to life, one in which we stop feeling bad about feeling bad... Night Vision shows how, when we learn to embrace the dark, we begin to see these moods―and ourselves―as honorable, dignified, and unmistakably human." g'r
Hello Austin, I agree with your point that what you put in is what you get out. I believe a similar thing where the harder people work, the more willing they are to achieve what they want.
DeleteI'm Geena Caprio. I'm here because this class fulfills one of the credits I need to graduate, and I thought it sounded like an interesting class to take. I enjoy thinking about things, so I believe I'll enjoy this class. My personal philosophy is that everything happens for a reason. Everything that has happened in my life, whether it be good or bad, has led me to where I am today and has shaped me into the person I am today. My section is #2 (1:00pm).
ReplyDeleteEverything happens from a cause, for sure... but whether the sum of causes constitutes a cosmic rationale for what happens in individuals' lives (not to mention nations' and species' etc.) is debatable. And whether the "reason" in question prefigures events or is constructed after the fact is, too. So we'll discuss it. Looking forward to that!
DeleteHello Geena, I very much agree with you that everything happens for a reason. I like to believe that as a way to be more optimistic about things rather than letting it negatively affect me.
DeleteI'm Thomas Hemstalk, I'm here because I've always been interested in philosophy and wanted to be able to better understand it and my own personal philosophy can sometimes be crude as I believe that everything we do must for the most part be to better our own lives with hindering someone else's but I'm constantly a hypocrite so I hope to learn more from other people to fix my own. I'm in section H3 2:40pm
ReplyDelete"to better our own lives with hindering someone else's"--guessing you meant to say withOUT... And I'll bet you're being a little hard on yourself, nobody's hypocrisy is entirely constant. Well, I can maybe think of an exception or two.
ReplyDeleteI'm Amanda. I'm returning for my second round in college to change careers - moving from tech into healthcare (specifically with a goal of becoming a physician assistant working in hematology/oncology). My understanding of philosophy is minimal and I'm here to learn more. I enjoy thinking and contemplating problems, but tend to focus on those that are not abstract; I have a tendency to take things too literally. For my philosophy on life, I wasn't sure if I had one, but while leading my kids through their grief from losing their dad, while navigating my own, I came to realize that things don't have to "happen for a reason" and that in terms of grief, or life in general, anything goes as long as you aren't harming yourself or others.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, some things just happen and for no good reason at all-especially the grievous things. I also agree that we must do our best, in life, to do no harm. And I applaud your decision to retool in school, we all have multiple "Acts" to perform in the great play of living (if we're lucky and resolved).
DeleteIt was spawned from grief therapy through Alive Hospice. They told me to hold space for my kids and not worry about what was “normal”. Basically any kind of grieving is normal as long as they aren’t hurting themselves or someone else. We’ve started just living this way. This second act is challenging but I’m enjoying it immensely.
DeleteThat's the right attitude, to meet the challenges and try to enjoy them. Fitzgerald was just wrong when he said "There are no second acts in American lives." (He had at least a couple himself.)
DeleteHello! I'm Charlie, I'm here because this seems like a fun class to learn more, and understand the world a bit better, I can't really say I've thought about my own personal philosophy, but thinking about it now, I say that do what makes you happy, we done all have to be here for a destined purpose, just to keep living and enjoying what we have. (Section 1)
ReplyDeleteDon't* sorry :(
DeleteDon't worry, be happy... and try to make others happy too. That's a pretty good philosophy, especially if you also "do no harm" in the process.
ReplyDelete(section 3) Im Emily Laughlin, I'm here as a required class, and I am also excited to develop my understanding of philosphy. I'd say my own philosophy is along the lines of "life is what you make it." For me, that means making my life as enjoyable as it can be.
ReplyDeleteThe Existentialists (we'll see) would say there are, strictly speaking, no "required classes" (or anything really), we're always free to walk away or even pull the plug. Or so they think we should assume, in order to accept full responsibility for our choices. But making life (for ourselves and others) as enjoyable as we can is a great choice, IMO.
DeleteI'm Lindsey Eavey in the PHIL-1030-H02 class. This class is a GenEd for me, but a class I'm taking to challenge myself. I would not describe myself as a philosopher at all, I generally take things at face value and find it hard to ask 'big questions'. I would say my personally philosophy has changed lots over the years, and as an 18 year old is a big mumble jumble of my experiences. In January of 2025 I read a lot of Epictetus and his stoic philosophy, and find that i do resonate with parts of it, especially accepting things we cannot change, and how freedom is something we mostly giver ourselves. However, I sometimes think it's an unrealistic way to live, and find myself feeling the best in life when I feel intensely and have ups and downs that make my life feel more full. I think my philosophy is mostly just literally doing your best and finding a way to always get back up when faced with challenge, and even if it's not very complex, it is what I resonate with.
ReplyDeleteThe stoics were onto something, but so were the pragmatists and epicureans and existentialists and many others. I believe in hybrid philosophies, such as stoic pragmatism (which says accept what you must but change what you can).
DeleteAs for not being a philosopher, Wm James told an audience once that they were all philosophers whether they knew it or not. To be a philosopher is to have a more-or-less considered and consistent way of reacting to what he called "the total push and pressure of the cosmos"... even if you can't put that way into words. (The Taoists may be right when they say the Way that can be spoken is not the true Way.)
I'm Violet Smith and I'm taking this class (Section 2) not only to get my gen-ed credits, but also to expand on my understanding of my major, Sociology, as I believe philosophy has a large impact on human behavior. I'm very excited to learn more about how people think! My personal philosophy is that there is no limit on our capacity for knowledge, so we should take every opportunity to learn and grow that we can, both for ourselves and for our connection to others.
ReplyDelete"philosophy has a large impact on human behavior" - it does if you let it. Those whose stated philosophies do NOT impact their behavior have missed the point.
DeleteI'm Dawn Gwinn and I'm in PHIL-1030-H02. I'm a Freshman and originally from Memphis, Tennessee. I chose Philosophy for Gen Ed. credits, but also because I felt as though it would help me expand my knowledge in the field of social work. Learning different views on the way people see life, in general, has always been an interesting topic to me. My personal philosophy of life is that you get out of life what you put into it. We have goals we want to reach, and life presents us with opportunities all of the time, it's up to us to take them and run with them.
ReplyDeleteSee below…
DeleteI'm Ethan Gonzalez and I am taking this class (section 3) in order to figure out a further meaning of my life and also to possibly help me in the world. I have always loved the thought of how everything I do impacts my life in some form whether it be the tiniest decision ever, or if it is a giant decision. I am a firm believer in the butterfly effect, and I have a hard time wrapping my head around fate. I believe that coincidences and fate are just a way of describing others' actions and decisions indirectly affecting other people. I am excited to broaden my horizons in this class and learn more about the world and everyone.
ReplyDelete“I have a hard time wrapping my head around fate”-me too, I reject fatalism and act on the assumption that my actions might possibly contribute to the determination of events In the world. I don’t have to know that, I just need to believe it. And act from that belief.
Delete"you get out of life what you put into it" - though sometimes, often even, life is unfair in doling out privilege and opportunity to lazy people (the proverbial inheritors of wealth and connection who were born on 3d base and think they hit a triple) while starving industrious strivers. So I'd amend the statement to say you get more out of life, generally, when you put more into it... even if you only get the satisfaction of knowing you gave your best effort. In a just universe, of course, there would always be a direct correlation between effort and reward.
ReplyDeleteHello! My name is Alivia Bond, and I'm a freshman studying English with a focus in literature studies. I chose this class as a part of my GenEDS, but also because I believed it would challenge me. In my decision to study literature, I learned early on that it cannot be fully explored without also considering a variety of other subjects, such as history, philosophy, and a variety of other sciences. I struggled with philosophy in the past, likely because I default to cynicism. But I hesitate to describe my personal philosophy with that word, or any one word at all. The study of literature, in my opinion, is searching a text for not only every possible meaning the author intended for their reader, but taking away from it something you might apply to your own life. There may be a cynical interpretation to be found but there might not. There is a balance in that, and in its simplest form is how I view things, or try to at least. So I suppose my philosophy is: "Maybe." Maybe; as in the curse of being unable to stand on one side of the isle without seeing merit in the other. I don't recall who the idea originated from, but I like the concept that everything has meaning or nothing has meaning.
ReplyDelete"Maybe" is also a big part of William James's philosophy, as we'll see when looking at John Kaag's discussion of his essay "Is Life Worth Living?" https://aeon.co/essays/is-life-worth-living-the-pragmatic-maybe-of-william-james
DeleteAnd I wonder if your version of cynicism aligns at all with the ancient Greek Cynics, Diogenes and the like? He was considered by some a poor man's Socrates or, as Plato put it, "Socrates gone mad"... but he WAS a philosopher, so there's a way of being cynical that should not put you and philosophy at loggerheads. In brief, an old-school Cynic is someone who is not impressed or motivated by conventional wisdom and social propriety, and who approaches the whole business with a sense of humor and lightness of heart, to wit: Diogenes walking around in broad daylight with a lantern, saying he's looking for an honest man... or displaying a plucked chicken and calling it "Plato's man" (because Plato had defined man as a featherless biped). On the negative side of the ledger: ancient Cynics got their name, which means dog-like, because like dogs they were unabashed and unashamed to perform all their bodily functions in the public square
Hello! I am Alexah Daniel, I typically go by Alex. I am a freshman majoring in Animation. I am from Memphis. I'm in PHIL-1030-H03 2:40pm. I wanted to take a honors class and thought that Honors Philosophy would be interesting. I'm excited to learn more about everything this course has to offer. And for my personal philosophy, i'm not quite sure what that'd be. I like to try not to made judgements on others or things until I know more. As well as giving respect to receive respect. Wether or not respect is received, it should always be given.
ReplyDeleteRespect and reservation of judgment is a fine philosophy, respectful of others and of what Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana called that "chastity of intellect" that we ought never to surrender casually. So he'd call your philosophy a variety of "scepticism":
Delete“Scepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and it is shameful to surrender it too soon or to the first comer: there is nobility in preserving it coolly and proudly through long youth, until at last, in the ripeness of instinct and discretion, it can be safely exchanged for fidelity and happiness.”
Hi! My name is Nev Herzog (in PHIL 1030-H02). I am a freshman from Phoenix and I'm on the women's soccer team. I am taking this philosophy class because I am curious how looking through different lenses could alter my thoughts and opinions on questions I have or have never asked myself before. Though I have never really lived by a certain philosophy I find myself consistently aligning with what you put in is what you get out. In all aspects of life whether that be relationships with others or yourself, or even the little daily tasks we take on without realizing. I am very interested in what I will take away from this class and am excited to learn more.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you!
DeleteThat's one of the great lessons we get from team sports, isn't it, that when everyone contributes what they can the multiplying effect can produce excellent results. But Murfreesboro's Grantland Rice was onto something too, when he said it's not about whether you win or lose but about "how you play the game."
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of games and Phoenix: I love to go there in March for MLB Spring Training. Planning to go again in '27.
Go down to the corner of Spring and College streets, a little over a mile from campus downtown, and you'll see Rice's birthplace. https://cophilosophy2.blogspot.com/search?q=grantland+rice
DeleteHello, my name's Krish Patel and I am in section 1 (9:40 AM). I’m in this class because I want to better understand how people think and act and how philosophy works in everyday life. I think life is about figuring out what you actually want and then putting in the effort to make it happen. People are always going to have different circumstances, but I think that the people who really care about something are usually willing to work harder and keep going longer than other people.
ReplyDeleteRIght. Part of our problem as a species, though, is that too many care about the wrong things (like their own aggrandizement, at the expense and exclusion of others) and work harder than others to achieve them. So I'd append your statement with the proviso that life is about figuring out what WE SHOULD want, and putting in the effort to enlist our peers in the effort to make it happen. We must balance our individual aspirations with the good of the whole community, and ultimately with sustainable systems of living.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Brennan Bortz! I am in PHIL-1030-H02. I am in this class because I have recently gained a fascination with philosophy and wanted to gain a better understanding of the different schools of thought surrounding the topic. I would summarize my views on life as practical and as full of optimism as possible. I intend to use the knowledge I gain in this class to help my understanding the early history of philosophy in the United States and England.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHello everyone! My name is Kennedy Lavender and I am a freshman majoring in Interior Architecture (so not anything that has a direct correlation with philosophy). I chose this class not only as a GenEd but also because I have always been fascinated by the “why” of things. I believe I will enjoy this class very much because I strongly dislike when things are vague and just don’t give me more than surface level. I also love reading and I have noticed there is a bit of reading in this class so that is something I’m looking forward to as well. :) I am in section #3, 2:40
Nice to meet you!
DeleteHello! My name is Fena, and I am in section #2 (1pm). I am a Junior Biology major. I needed a final gen ed, but I also thought that philosophy is very important to ethics. I have not put enough thought into philosophy to fully describe what mine would be. I try to just go with the flow, but I would not want to follow too much. During the tough times, I like to remember a quote that I read back in 7th grade from a book that I no longer remember that said something along the lines that the future has already occurred. It is nice to think about when you have stubbed your toe, but I also like to not apply it to other parts of life because I like to think that things can still change. I look forward to learning more!
ReplyDeleteHello my name is Virounika Yowakim I’m a bio major and I am here because I am interested in philosophy and it also fulfills one of my requirements. I believe that everything happens for a reason
ReplyDeleteHello! I am Vi Nobles from Section #1. I consider myself an Advaita Vedantan, a philosophy / practice orienting from the larger Hindu belief system. Although technically sprawling from a "religious" background, Advaita Vedanta is more philosophical in nature which is shown by its responses to the origin of creation and subsequently the purpose of life as well as its dive into several other fundamental philosophical questions. I find that many available resources on the internet / social media / etc focus on western philosophy, which although is great, is not (in my opinion at least) as vast and expansive as eastern philosophies, specifically those in Asia. I hope that this course explores the different lenses of philosophy that differ regionally as I believe that due to geographical and customary differences the overarching philosophical conclusions in both regions birth specific questions and therefore wildly different answers.
ReplyDelete** I mostly believe that there is no separation between myself and anything else that is material (people, objects, etc). The illusion in which things appear opposite leads to suffering / the downfall of humanity. For example if I harm others I am forgetting that we come from the same place both physically and spiritually. Essentially, thinking of myself, whether as my own body or mind, as the true definition of what I am is fundamentally false. I see ego as something that limits myself from selfless realization. Before this discovery I wanted to know the origins of existence as it is. Some of this can be answered by science (ex: atoms, protons, electrons, and even smaller quarks) but as I delved deeper I realized that there only exists an endless chase to find cause, instead of accepting existence as a causeless phenomenon.
DeleteHello, my name is Elliott, and I am in section 2. I am a commercial songwriting major. I made the decision to take philosophy last semester after reading Albert Camus's The Stranger. As I was at a very tumultuous point in my life, I found the novel very cathartic, and I wanted to explore more diversity of thought. My philosophical worldview is not very well developed, which is something I look to change in this course, but to label myself, I would say I am a pragmatist.
ReplyDeleteHello my name is Brian Hussels I am in section #1 and I am majoring in Pro-Pilot. I am taking this class because I think philosophy is important because it helps us live more fulfilling lives. I live by the idea that nothing else matters except for the present because the past and future is all in your imagination.
ReplyDeleteIf the past is a meaningless imagination I suppose I need not worry about the reading assignments given by Dr. Oliver today considering I'm only imagining that memory. On the other hand, shared experiences seem to make a good proof for the objectivity of reality, including the past.
DeleteMy name is Amariah Woods. I am a first time freshman and aerospace major. My class is H section 1 and my personal philosophy is mainly Absurdism which I feel I maintain the majority of the time but sometimes fall into nihilistic or utilitarian views depending on the subject matter. I have always had a sort of existential attitude and became deeply interested in philosophy as I found it and a way to embrace a lot of the thought and feelings I had concerning almost everything. I believe that there really is no one philosophy that holds an answer to all questions but many are developed and better suited to answer specific types of questions so although I am existential, the attitude is not always consistent.
ReplyDeleteHi! My name is Camryn Noel and I'm in section 3. I'm majoring in Industrial Organization Psychology and I hope to go into Human Resources once I graduate. I decided to take this class because I have always been curious in how different people question existence and its values. My personal philosophy is to take life as it comes at you, it's not necessary to have a perfect plan for everything in your life. Beliefs and morals aren't meant to be stagnant, but rather to change as you do. I think taking this class will help to broaden my views and I'm very excited for this semester!
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Amane Takeda-Mays and I am a freshman majoring in Psychology. I was motivated to take this class to increase my knowledge in the world of philosophy beyond my baseline understanding. I am in section 1030 9:40 AM.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most popular philosophies that I believe in is the idea that time is relative. It’s simple but rings true in so many aspects.
DeleteHi I am Spencer Hebel and I am a freshman who is interested in the different ways that people's background can influence their morals and the ways that they think and view other people's ways of thinking. My personal philosophy involves around understanding why people may have prejudices and being open minded to all. I am a cook at a nicer restaurant and being around such a diverse group of people has introduced me to so many people who are wrongly judged and shut out. I feel like that is unjust and that people should be more open to everyone.
ReplyDeleteHello Spencer, I agree with your point that people judge others without any prior knowledge of them. People believe what they see from others or the internet and apply it to people who they don't even know.
DeleteHi, I'm Aiden and I'm in section 1. I originally picked this class because it gave me a credit and fit my time frame but after the first lecture, I can tell that I am going to like this class as there was a lot that I am interested in. I see my philosophy as putting myself in someone else's shoes as I use that when I play video games to predict what might happen and when at work to give people the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteHi Aiden! It’s nice to meet you! I think putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is a really good philosophy, especially when it comes to giving people the benefit of the doubt. I also think it will be interesting to see how this class changes the way we think about things throughout the semester!
DeleteHI, I'm Charlie (they/he), and I'm in section 2. I'm a sophomore who's always been interested in philosophy! I think it's just a very interesting topic, and I've done a little reading into a few different philosophers and their thoughts. I'm a forensic psychology major, minoring in communications. I think my personal philosophy is that inherently, people are good and care about the world around them. I also believe "benefit of the doubt" is a very important thing to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Lanisa, and I'm in Section 1. I'm a nursing major, and hope to one day be a psychiatric or forensic nurse. I chose this class because I've always been intrigued by philosophy and just never had the opportunity to really learn much about it. I don't know much about philosophy, but I think my personal philosophy is to show the same amount of grace and compassion for others that I would want them to show me.
ReplyDeleteHi Lanisa! It’s nice to meet you! I think psychiatric or forensic nursing sounds really interesting. I also agree with your philosophy about showing others the same grace and compassion that we would want for ourselves.
DeleteHi! My name is Ella Shafer (Section 3). I am a Journalism-Media Studies major and am taking this class because I love learning and thinking; despite opportunities for learning and thinking being all around us, a structured discussion and congregating together to observe philosophy seems like a great way to expand our thinking. My personal philosophy is that no sole philosophy is all encompassing. A mindset that encourages learning, teaching, and critical thinking all instilled with the agenda of bettering the world and our community is the closest ideology to a widely applicable one, in my eyes. I believe that you can find evidence in the world for whatever you want to prove. Because of this, I would instill us to begin looking at said evidence before deciding what we're proving and often reassess what we think is the reality as well as what we are perpetuating. Then allotting time to react to and digest what we find.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Tyler, and I am section 2. I am a psych major with the intent to make a career in Criminal Psychology. I am here because I want a greater understanding of the human mind and motivation, as well as personal justification of actions. My personal philosophy is an odd combination of Taoism and Stoicism.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Adeyeni Adedoyin Peace. I am a nursing major with the intent of being a CRNA nurse in future. I’m taking this class to learn more about different ways of thinking and to challenge my own perspectives. My philosophy on life is that we’re here to learn, grow, and make the most of the experiences and relationships we have. I don’t think we need to have all the answers, as long as we stay open to learning.
ReplyDeleteI’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and hearing different perspectives. Philosophy 1030-H01
Hi, I’m Cecile-Katya and taking this class for my psychology major. Philosophy underlines a significant amount of literature which makes it particularly interesting to me. I believe absurdity is the baseline truth of our existence because there is no definite proof of a purpose for our awareness of our existences, a higher power, or meaning ingrained in any part of the universe. However, I believe mystery is a profound piece of life and believe there are many things unseeable to us and our limited human bodies and minds. We are all interconnected because the only things differentiating us from one another is our chance at being born in a certain place, in a certain body, at a certain time. I believe self actualization, Aristotle’s eudaemonia, and loving connections are the point of our lives.
ReplyDeleteSec. #2 I'm Robert Orr, a live production major from east Tennessee. I'm here because out of all the elective options I was certain this was the one I would enjoy the most. With how pragmatism and meliorism were described in class today I believe I align significantly with Dr. Oliver's worldview on collectively striving for wisdom to work towards the betterment of humanity.
ReplyDelete(Section 3) Hello! My name is Nat Andrews and I am in this class because I am interested in expanding my knowledge of philosophy and I hope to be able to create my own. I do not currently have my own philosophy, but I hope that with time and thorough discussions in this class I am able to develop one.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Zander, and I am in section 1 (9:40). I took this class for both the ethical aspects of philosophy and the different types of philosophy that exist. I believe that learning about ethics and morality will help me succeed in my future career within the field of environmental science. I also decided to take this class on behalf of my interest in fictional literature. I enjoy reading books such as Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and analyzing both the characters and their beliefs. I personally think my views align more closely with stoicism. I find that accepting the negatives in my life eases my mind, allowing for clearer cognitive ability.
ReplyDelete(Section 3) Hi, my name is David Vandelay, I’m a Junior Audio Production major. I am here in all honest because I need the credit, and because I wanted to take a class with my best friend Kiki, who evidently dropped out… asi es la vida lol.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my personal philosophy goes, I don’t consider myself a philosophical person by any means, but I am encountering some cognitive dissonance between my political and humanitarian stances/morality and my ability to remain close with some important people in my life. Maybe there are some philosophical approaches I should consider before making any decisions about keeping or cutting out people in my life.
Hello, my name is Erik Angelo in Section 2 at 1:00 PM. I am a psychology major and hoping to better understand other philosophical ideas to increase my own understanding. I rely on stoicism as a guide to dealing with lifes circumstances and admire aspects that come out of the philosophy for instance worrying about what is in our own control and letting what is not go. With that being said I am not a full fledged stoic as I do not fully agree with all of the practices.
ReplyDeleteHey, my name is Qiuyang (Young), in section 3. I'm here to learn more about philosophy and to get to know myself more deeply as well. About a year ago, someone on campus told me I sounded "existentialist," which I think is close to what I believe. I'm a big creative person, which is why I majored in audio production, and I've always been told that I'm a philosophical person in high school and by my mentor/best friend.
ReplyDeleteI’m Avery Evans and I’m in section 1. I’m a biochem major and stepping out of my comfort zone for this class. I’m new to philosophy as a class but I’m very interested to learn more. After the first class I do really agree with the line of thought of meliorism. I think accepting extremes can be dangerous since if you think things will turn out good or bad no matter what you do, you won’t act towards “salvation” and in reality both extremes are possibilities and everyone does have choices they can make to influence these possibilities.
ReplyDeleteHi i'm Baker Kilmartin part of section 1. I decided to take this class because I always found in high school classes the most enjoyable parts was when the whole class discussed their feelings about the topic of discussion, which I felt would very naturally happen in a Philosophy class. I personally tend to feel that most of your life is set in stone events that you cannot control, however you still feel as though you are in the drivers seat. To be clear I don't like this idea, but more so think it is the way the world works. I always like to hear how other people think the world and us within it work.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm Kasi G, a part of Section 1, and if I'm being honest, I do not know anything about philosophy. I've never gotten to learn anything about it, so I decided to take this class to learn more about the "why" people do things. I believe that people's philosophical beliefs will always affect their actions; a pure optimist will see only good in things because they are optimistic about life-- same as how I believe pure pessimists will only see the bad because they are pessimistic.
ReplyDeleteI've also chosen this class to try and find out more about myself-- I am not sure of my own beliefs because I have never given them a thought. I want to learn about my own philosophy stance and hope to reach some sort of 'epiphany' through this class.
hello! I'm Estella from section 1. I took this class because I love to think and I feel like that is a big part of philosophy. I love learning of the different ways that others see life and how they choose to live based on their own philosophical views. I am very open about my ideas and love to debate others to see where they're coming from. Recently, i've spent a great deal of time trying to solidify my own philosophical views to better understand myself and I hope this class will bring new points of view into my life. One idea I like to live by is that life is what you make of it. Nothings matters unless you give it importance and it's only as important as you make it.
ReplyDeleteSection 2. Hey, I'm Max Lynch.I feel like I have a very realist perspective on life. Things definitely suck but also I alone as a person can't change it. With this I've been very big on not letting what I can't control get me down or affect how I feel. I'm mainly here because my brother and friends suggested the class and said it was a fun class.
ReplyDeleteHello, My name is Aden Dietrich. I am a pro pilot major so to be completely honest I’m not sure how much this course really relates to that. That being said, I have always been interested in philosophy, even if I don’t really understand much about yet. I believe that in life pretty much any goal is achievable if you truly commit to it. Many people don’t give it 100% or set themselves low bars but I believe that if you have the willpower to get it done, you can do it, no matter how big.
ReplyDeleteSection 1. Hello, my name is Jeremy Vargas. I am taking this class because I philosophy so interesting and I'm curious how it can affect other behaviors and actions. Personally, I believe I am a stoic meaning that I find no care in controlling things outside of my control. I value hard work and think that everything you do is what you'll get out of life. So enjoy life and make the best decisions you can make for yourself and for the better part of the world.
ReplyDeleteSection 1. Hey, my name is Sashank. I’m from Brentwood and I’m a Professional Pilot major. I’m here to learn, meet new people, and hopefully get a lot out of this class. For me, life is about enjoying the journey, learning from your mistakes, and spending time with the people who matter. I try not to take things too seriously and just make the most of the opportunities I get. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and seeing what this class is like.
ReplyDeleteSection 2. Hello! My name is Wesley Christenson. I am from White House Tennessee. I am double majoring in Criminal Justice and Theatre--and seeking to minor in Philosophy. I am primarily here to obtain meaningful skills that come with the pursuit of philosophy. I believe that studying philosophy is one of the most valuable strategies to develop a highly advanced and profound method of thinking and dialogue. I have also done some different research and discovered that philosophy courses prove extremely valuable when trying to enter law school. But I am also here because I have always appreciated the idea of philosophy and obtaining fruitful wisdom and the application of said wisdom to the lives of people. Strangely enough, I first started to become interested in the idea of philosophy when I was a child watching Kung Foo Panda. Hearing and listening to the teaching of Master Oogway as he painted images to express critical problems and thoughts activated something in my young impressionable mind. Obviously over time that little love for philosophy grew and matured far past the works of a kid's movie. But the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom truly shaped and help define the kind of person I am. Nothing I do or say goes without insightful thinking or diligent reasoning--not anything too meaningful. I think that having a solid grasp on philosophy is the key (or at least a major one) to growing an extremely effective brain that explores and produces meaning that greatly exceeds any sort of surface value. I am extremely excited to take this philosophy class and all which may follow. I am incredibly excited to gain the skills that come alongside the classwork and apply it to my life and help me grow in myself, my environment, and most importantly, my faith in God. I may be incorrect, but, from what I have heard, Christianity and Philosophy are often seen as oppositions. In a way--which has been described to me--that's seems to categorize anyone who enjoys philosophy on a deep level as atheistic and in quarrel with Christianity. This, however, makes no sense to me. I believe that are great level of philosophy is required in order to fully understand the Bible to its fullest possible capacity. The effort to seek wisdom in no way should limit you to what your beliefs must or must not be. Similarly, I believe that Christianity should not be eschew from the practice of philosophy. I believe that each individual is entitled to their own beliefs and should reasonably adapt or strengthen their belief in the same way that anything resembling an answer is-- given the evidence provided. I may have rambled some by mistake, so I apologize. It is late at the time I am writing this so I may not be in the soundest mind, so if anything I said seems disorganized or contradictory please let me know I would love to elaborate and have a conversation. I would also like to mention that I enjoy the idea of fate and infinity. I feel like there is such a deep understanding of those two concepts--as well as similarities between the two-- that humans may never be capable of fully comprehending it. I have many different thoughts and ideas about those two concepts, but I'd like to be hated as little as possible so I will keep those thoughts on the inside for now until anyone would like me to bring them back up, ha-ha. Ultimately, I am incredibly excited to be in this class and have the opportunity to discuss, debate, learn, and grow throughout the course of it.
ReplyDelete(Section 3) Hello, my name is Aliya Higinbotham, but I go by Ali. I am taking this class for a few reasons, but the main one is because I am interested in learning more about philosophy and how different philosophies can affect a person's mental and physical well-being, as well as the behaviors they produce. My own personal philosophy that I like to follow as of recently is stoicism, which means you really only focus on what you have control over and let go of what you cannot, accepting difficult times just as a chance to grow. I also believe in simpler rules, such as valuing human connection and treating others the way you want to be treated, because everyone matters and everyone has purpose, and something as little as a "I love your outfit" while someone's walking by can really make their day better. You never know what someone may be going through, so it's always key to practice empathy and kindness above all else.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone! My name is Keziah McPhee and I am in section 2! I am very interested in learning more about philosophy, where I am able to be more open minded about the world. My mom and uncle always tell me to "look at the cup half full and not half empty" and ever since then I always live by that saying. Basically, I think it's important to focus on what you still have and appreciate it while you have it instead of worrying about what you have lost or don't have.
ReplyDeleteHi, I’m Dillon, part of section 2, and my philosophy on life has been largely affected by growing up within a Christian household. For the longest time I didn’t know what to believe or think, but as I progressed through high school I formulated my own opinions and decided to actually believe the things that I’d been told for the longest time. I believe that if a higher power exists that created the world then that greater power would have to exist outside of its own creation, meaning everything that has or will happen is known to that being. This being the case and the fact I myself believe in a higher power leads me to the conclusion that whatever I do is what that power knew would happen. Some would assume this means they’re powerless but I just think of it in the sense that my choices have power even though I was guaranteed to make it. And, while some arguments are that bad things happen, I truly believe that free will in many-to-most cases is the cause of a large majority of poor situations, though some I myself cannot explain. Which is why I will always leave room in my mind to grow, learn, and adapt to new information that I have yet to consider.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Zane Graham (section 1) I am 18, I am a Christian and believe the point of life is to honor God and stay in his will, while enjoying life as much as possible. I am a business innovation major and am currently working on my real estate license while working at T-mobile and attending MTSU, I enjoy hanging out with friends and playing video games.
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