philosophy

Before I came to Baylor, I had never taken a course in philosophy, and I didn’t really know what the word meant to begin with. I was a business major for two years, but I felt like I was not fulfilled by my studies, and since I didn’t enjoy them or care, I didn’t do as well as I could have done had I been studying something that interested me. While I was very interested in becoming a religion major, I wasn’t sure of the possibilities that were out there for me following graduation. I felt that philosophy and religion were deeply interconnected, and philosophy gave me a broader amount of possibilities after college, so that’s what I chose. When I made the decision, the advisor I had spoken with said to me, “Ah, so you’ve seen the light.” How appropriate, I thought. I had not only made a decision to change the course of my college career, but I had made a decision to completely change the course of my life. At first, I wasn’t sure just what I was getting in to, but I knew that I wanted to be the best person that I was capable of being, and I felt it would help me along the way. After all, if I was able to become a better person, I would have a better life. My life has undergone a lot of changes in the last 3 years. And I will admit, most of them are negative. None of them are a result of my actions, but instead, just sad circumstances for my family that have lead to dramatic changes in everything. I feel like I came to the study of philosophy at just the right time, because I feel that I’m able to deal with what has been happening, and further, I’ve been able to help my family deal with it as well. I feel like studying people like Aristotle teaches me how to live well. Aristotle is the best example for me because he gives such a direct approach to living well and attaining excellence. He not only emphasizes the self but also relationships with others, such as friendship. I no longer find the same things to be important that I did a few years ago. While I’m sad about the changes in my life, I’m happy about the changes in myself. I wish that everyone studied philosophy at some point.