A Reflection of the Past Semester (Spring 2022) and My Philosophical Journey

This semester was pretty rough for me physically. I took 18 credits (6 classes) on top of pledging a fraternity and managing a club. I admit that I'm pretty petty when it comes to grades, even if I might not show it outwardly as much. I get uncomfortable with any effort that would put me under an A. And I tried to maintain my work ethic throughout the semester, but it came at the cost of my health. I probably pulled 5-6 all-nighters altogether. Really unhealthy stuff. I got sick for about a month between finals week and stretching into the summer. And just when I began to get better, I got sick again. It kinda sucked but at least I'm fine now. 

The one class I enjoyed the most, if it is considered a class at all, was my research/independent study with Dr. Holbrook. I was able to pursue a passion that I enjoyed greatly, philosophy. I actually think I hate biology at this point. I would literally drop everything to pursue philosophy if not for job security and other financial factors. 

For a brief summary of my engagement in philosophy, I probably began exploring ideas in metaethics around the end of middle school and the beginning of high school, which was coupled with the philosophy of religion. This is around the time that I converted from an agnostic to a Christian. The driving factor -- and still my favorite argument -- was the Moral Argument. I wrote a couple of opinion papers for my high school newspaper which were so heavily biased that I feel second-hand embarrassment thinking of them. I had to cut down on a ton because articles could only take up a certain amount of space. 

Senior year of high school, I was placed in multivariable calculus (Calc 3) and given the opportunity to explore any idea in mathematics as a final capstone project. I chose the philosophy of mathematics. At this point, I was exploring the idea of applying the idea of platonic abstract objects, or neoplatonism, from metaethics to the philosophy of mathematics. I really enjoyed talking about whether math was invented or discovered. 

Freshman year of college, I took HUM102, which gave us the freedom to write a substantial paper about whatever topic we enjoyed. I chose the Moral Argument, emphasizing defending moral realism. It was long, but I felt like it lacked substantial sources. I think I ought to redo this paper, and split it up into two -one defending moral realism and one arguing for God. Keep in mind that my first paper, on the philosophy of mathematics, was graded by a math professor, and my second paper, on the Moral Argument, was graded by an English professor. At this point, I had no real mentor in philosophy as of yet. 

Spring semester of that year, I took PHIL351, Bioethics, which was online and non-contact. Interesting reads, but I wish we could discuss more. I wrote a paper on the ideological differences between transhumanists like Nick Bolstrom and bioconservatives. It was a pretty good overview paper, outlining arguments from both sides, but nothing too in-depth. Not much constructively critical feedback either, sadly. 

Fall of my sophomore year, I took an honors logic course with Dr. Holbrook. First time seeing some crazy symbols and it felt more like a computer science course than a philosophy course. Still, pretty cool stuff. For the honors paper, I had to argue for a position that I did not personally hold, and it was really hard to try to strongman the other side. I had to argue against logic itself, using logic, which seemed paradoxical. Not my strongest work, but a cool exercise nonetheless. 

Spring semester of sophomore year, I took engineering ethics with the same professor, but also an independent study. Engineering ethics ended up being the basic Moral Philosophy 101 course for me, because NJIT rarely offers a moral philosophy course. I also wish that I could have had less absences (I remember looking at my attendance for psychology, which was supposed to be a GPA booster for me, and seeing a 47% attendance rate. I'm sorry Dr. Tyrol). 

As for the independent study, I think I did a pretty subpar job. I regret cramming everything into the last couple weeks of the semester. But I think during this time, I developed several strategies for helping me write. Dr. Holbrook was pretty chill and hands-off, sort of pushing me to use my own critical thinking to develop conclusions rather than pressing a specific idea, which I am grateful for, but also very confused about, because sometimes he did not express his own opinion at all (and I'm the type of person that requires validation LMAO). So sometimes I will have no idea of knowing whether my ideas have been explored, or philosophically defensible. But otherwise, I am incredibly grateful for this mentor and I hope that continuing forwards, I will be able to produce something that I am truly proud of.  

One of the strategies that helped in writing the paper was listening to a lecture or podcast on the subject beforehand while doing other work (like playing chess). For example, if I were going to write on Rawls, I listened to a Yale lecture by some political philosophy professor. I'd listen while playing a game of chess and write down whatever came to mind or whatever I felt was rich or important. This really helped me get into the mood to write and refamiliarize myself with the language of dignity and rights. 

I finished writing the paper, and although it was complete, I felt like it was certainly not the best version it could be. I'm currently trying to work on the introduction and beefing up some of the objections to opposing theories, as well as defending imago dei more substantially. I also promised a presentation, so I will be working on those slides. Hopefully, I will be able to submit to conferences or undergraduate philosophy journals soon, if the paper is good enough. 

Recently, I have been addicted to online resources, particularly Dr. Alexander Pruss's blog. I've been trying to expand into the philosophy of religion, particularly natural theology, investigating Ed Feser, Richard Swinburne, Plantinga, and other big names.