Why did you choose to major in Philosophy?

 

I took my first philosophy class with Dr. Battaly and I loved her. I continued to take classes figuring that once I’d taken all of the classes that I could use for my GE requirements I would stop. One semester Dr. Battaly asked me to be her TA for her logic class and I realized then that she saw potential in me for the subject of philosophy. That was when I seriously considered picking up philosophy as my second major and have been taking philosophy ever since. The material is challenging to say the least, but it is always making me consider new ideas or how to challenge old/current ones. My classes are interesting and feel like a continuous conversation instead of a lecture type and I enjoy getting to hear ideas from my classmates. - Grace Granados

 

Be the answer to your own peace. -Eric Sanchez

 

I chose philosophy as my major for a few main reasons. First, I knew that it would challenge me intellectually and help me to become a better writer. I can honestly say, from my experience, that these two considerations certainly have come to pass. Secondly, these thinking and writing skills are something that I knew could be applied to most aspects of life, not just philosophy. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, philosophy has the capability of adding a great richness and depth to a person's life, by making them ask and attempt to answer life's ultimate questions. In this way, philosophy can provide the individual with a strong source of meaning, which many people sadly often lack.

- Mark Wood

 

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” I first came across this iconic Socratic quote in my community college critical thinking class. This quote was my first formal encounter with philosophy; I was stunned, surely I wanted to live a life worth living. This encounter peaked my interest; I began to wonder how I could live a better life—the good life.

I believe that philosophy appeals to a drive in all of us; it was Aristotle who said that “human beings are naturally curious”. I can relate to this curiosity: I remember questioning the world around me--trying desperately to make sense of the world and my relation to it. Once I was introduced to philosophy, and I began to read the words of other curious individuals— individuals who contemplated life, the cosmos, the mind, the soul, the body, the right course of action, etc. — I was hooked. A few electives became a minor, a minor became a major, and a major soon became a part of my everyday life. I began to search for wisdom in the words and thoughts of others. Reading philosophical texts allowed me to have conversations with great minds; I began to expand my wealth of knowledge; I began to become increasingly curious: the more answers I found, the more questions I asked. It became a passion, a drive to knowledge, a desire for understanding, and pretty soon it became a pleasure in and of itself.

What I have learned (and continue to learn) from philosophy spills over into other aspects of my life: my thoughts, my actions, my interests, my work, and my relationships. Through my studies, I have become a better student—a better reader, a better writer, a better speaker; I have become a better person—more aware, more understanding, more conscious.  This field of study has changed the way in which I see the world and in the process has equipped me with a set of tools with which to better navigate this world. These are the reasons why I chose philosophy as my major. - Juan Bolivar

I chose to major in philosophy for two reasons.

First, I am aspiring to become an attorney, and had heard that due to the rigorous reading material and critical thinking needed within philosophy, philosophy students tend to score high on the LSAT. Besides that, I also chose to major in philosophy because as I kept taking philosophy courses I realized how my brain "unwinds" a concept, how it thinks about it for days, until coming to a full understanding of it and allowing me as an individual with HER own thoughts to formulate an opinion of what I have just learned. I truly think philosophy is a beautiful thing, the subject in itself is beautiful, but more than that the process of UNDERSTANDING is beautiful. - Paola Daniela Leiva

Questioning is a part of human nature. We begin to ask why things happen when we are very young and we keep it up till we are old, unless we allow our brains to atrophy. Getting answers seems less important than the act of allowing our curiosity free reign, so, of course, philosophy is the best, perhaps the only study worthy of our attention. - Anneke Mendiola