I would like to start out by saying writing is not one of my fortes, so please bear with me. I wonder what you all thought of Philosophy when we had our first class, because I was scared. At the pace we went about learning what philosophy meant and what defined a philosopher, and Doc G expecting us to “get it” as fast as he did, was nerve wracking…..well, that’s what I thought at first.
Once I let myself divulge to the experience of learning philosophy, I guess I somehow “got it.” Got it in a sense that I understood, because I wanted to understand. This is coming from times that I have let people affect what I think and know. I have let them decide for me what was right or wrong before I even got the chance to know myself.
All I’m saying is that I’m very grateful to have Philosophy as a part of the core curriculum because it has opened me up to all these things I was afraid of: trying new things. I was always a calculated, predictable person. Not saying I’m not that now. However, I’ve changed because of the fact that I allow myself to experience what I never would have thought of experiencing due to what people say.
Most of you don’t probably know this, but I love spending time alone. Not because I avoid going out with people, it’s just that I like having my own time. This year was different though. I started hanging out more with friends and really enjoying, having a good time. I have learned how to give my time to them.
I really believe that we are a product of the people we meet in life and that in a way; anything we do will affect an Other. Now that my senior friends are officially going to graduate and becoming all sentimental, they can’t stop saying how much they’ve enjoyed their stay in Ateneo and all the people they met. I probably would find myself in that similar situation when my time comes.
You might be wondering why I titled this blog entry of mine “Untitled.” I don’t think that it’s hard to explain when you’re thinking of totality and infinity. I wanted my title to be something that can have infinite possibilities. You might have your own interpretation of my entry and another person might have their own interpretation, so I leave my “untitled” blog entry at your own interpretation pleasure.
Every time I run out of words to say, I say it in song. For this occasion, I feel that the best song to encapsulate (not that I’m trying to totalitize anything) is Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, because “the rest is still unwritten.”
Learning philosophy isn't the same as learning math or science where things can be written into formulas and that's that. You can pass a math exam just by memorizing a formula, even without understanding what it's for (if you're cramming). I thought that philosophy was just some subject I can "survive" if I listen well, take down notes and memorize the terms used in class. But then I realized that philosophy is a more complex subject as it requires taking a step back to reflect on my own experiences and then mixing it with the themes Doc G tries to make us understand. I have learned from Doc G that learning philosophy is a process and it cannot be crammed. The unique experiences each person has makes the learning unique for everyone because it combines the things you know and the things everyone else knows. The more you open yourself up to others, the more you realize the richness of the essence of being human.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that stayed with me through all the discussions was when Doc G said that philosophy is just bringing up and talking about the most obvious and banal things. It's so ordinary that we don't really give much attention to it.. and it's true that putting these matter into discussion is important and worthwhile because it's what we go through everyday. These notions about reflection, being a person for the Other, dreading to be, experiencing the Other, innocent enjoyments, etc. are actually things we encounter in a subtle (mostly mundane) way. It's just that it is so eyeryday and so familiar that we forget its value. Studying philo makes us more aware of our "being human" because it tackles our personal lived experiences and those are the things that matter to us.
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