Divide and Combine

by Alex Fong

16 August 2012

Discussed Text: Gabriel Marcel, The Mystery of Being

In recent comings this assemblage headed by Dr. Garcia has had to anagrammatize, decipher, prognosticate, literary works of those considered astute on the topic of Philosophy. Since I am only a simple student, confronted only to simple thought, I will relieve my readers of this task; the task of deciphering works in order to understand thoughts, and I will put my points in Layman's terms (so their noses will be bloodless).

"So where do I stand on Marcel's ideas?" I might think to ask myself. Honestly, it is not a matter of either agreeing or not agreeing, which many would suppose a question like this is to be answered. Rather, I will hear out these ideas, and later think to utilize this thought in my life or not. The same can go for the entire course even. Will I believe that truth is either a "thing" or a "place," or will I carry on thinking that "truth" is truth, and although others want me to understand differently, truth is still going to be truth to me. At the end of the day, my "reality," the way I perceive, is going to still be very different from the place at which I stage philosophical thought. In the same right, the philosopher inside me, the one that comes out from 10:30-12:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is still going to be separated from the business minded management student that walks the campus every other day.

See, there is a contradiction on what I think and what I am taught to think. I don't want to believe, and Marcel points out, that human beings are just objects, especially in the corporate environment. But after all isn't that why we are all in the Ateneo, to show that we are more useful, more capable, than others and should therefore be more deserving of a successful career? I study in the Ateneo, therefore my value is greater. Just like an object, we are purchased for our value. But we are more than that, we are individuals with opinions/views beyond those of the organization. When you get right down to it, I believe there is a divide, and there is a combine.

As a manager, I will hire the objects that can give me the most for my money. And as a philosopher, I will remember that those objects are more than just that. They can be mothers/fathers, husbands/wives, sons, brothers, and everything in between. If you would recall what I said earlier (in the second paragraph) "I will hear out these ideas, and later think to utilize this thought in my life or not." I think, there will always be somewhat of a division from the philosopher and average man. "a fool sees not the same tree as a wise man sees." But we, are most likely on track to fall somewhere in between. With a combining of the views of the two, we are privileged to see both the tree that the wise man sees and the one that the fool sees. With well roundedness, I think we may have both.