My Philosophical Future

Philosophy will always be part of my life. I don’t think I can ever stop asking “why.” I like to know how things work, how they are, and I find people and lives, and human associations the most interesting things to consider. Given this I had planned on going to law school as a way of incorporating contemplation, human interaction (and aid) with action (activism). Towards the end of this past semester however, I’ve begun considering alternative possibilities, specifically of continuing to study philosophy. Ironically, when I consider myself in the field of philosophy, I can’t imagine what I could write about, what I could discover. I suddenly revert to thinking everyone else has said it so well, and while I am sure other philosophers will publish incredibly insightful works, I could never possibly do so! I hope, however, that this is only a feeling, similar perhaps to the one I faced at the end of many philosophy courses when asked to assemble my own philosophical conceptions from the many authors we had read. Whether I go to law school, try to get my philosophy PhD (or do something else!), philosophy, or rather, philosophical inquiry (and reflection) are an essential part of my life. True meaning in life comes, I think, from reflection, contemplation, and an attempt to understand things which occur. It may be impossible to know exactly “why” something happened, but the ability to understand one’s own reaction to it and the various effects it has is invaluable and likely the most enriching part of living. Finally, surrounding myself with people who are also inclined to ponder their lives and ask questions in an attempt to bring clarity to their understanding of life, as well as attempting to understand how we should live, is invaluable. I understand philosophical inquiry as the pursuit of constant learning. I don’t think I can ever stop learning, and I know I can never stop asking “why!!”