The other day in my philosophy class, I had a brief conversation with my professor about how a philosophy major isn't likely to ever exist at my school. His reasoning? Simple, there wouldn't be enough students willing to participate in such a program. Upon first hearing that, I was a bit saddened. What made things even worse is that my instructor's answer to my question seemed easily agreeable. I hated to admit it, especially since he seems so passionate about the subject he teaches. Before I knew it, though, a simple mutter of "yeah, you're probably right" escaped my lips.
The more I thought about it, the more disturbed I felt. Think about this for yourselves: philosophy, which is one of those subjects that allows students to explore important life questions that they may have never considered, seems to be extremely undermined. What can be said about that?
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For me, this raises a couple of questions. First, what is it that people value most, academically? I know that we all have different strengths and interests. I fully support that. After all, I am an English major in a sea of Nursing students. Sometimes, I feel as if I am from a different world. So yes, it would be silly of me to expect everyone to share the same capabilities. What I don't understand is why there seems to be a reluctance gain new perspectives, as philosophical material encourages us to do. To consider ideas that once seemed impossible to you is not a bad thing! In fact, opening your mind and allowing yourself to make more things possible is extremely significant in all areas of life, not just inside of a classroom. If we all played it safe, refusing to see a difference when a new idea is raised, where would we be? We'd be in the dark. This brings me to my second question: are people afraid of not knowing what to expect when diving head first into some type of philosophical discussion, or is this not so much a result of reluctance as it is from utter laziness? I really hope that this is not the case, for to say that the latter is true would be suggesting that people are losing all desire to use their brains at all.
Philosophy is not the only course that has taught me to think more freely, I'll admit that. In fact, all of my classes have kept me engaged in such a way at some point. But Philosophy and English courses have been the most beneficial in that regard. I just wish that more people recognized the endless possibilities that may be provided by courses like these. In my opinion, the most valuable things that I learn either provide me with much needed life skills or make me a better person in general. Philosophy does both of those things for me.
