At first glance, naming a class "The Good Life" seems broad and counterproductive, but taking this class helped me acknowledge that the "good life" does indeed come in many forms. Furthermore, it is up to me to find which version of the good life is best for me, through both discussion, and quiet contemplation.
Prof Terry Grundy and Prof Zvi Biener started this class in hopes of helping highly motivated students think about what they really want out of life, from the philosophical perspective. Over the course of the semester, we read works from over 15 branches of thought, including philosophers, essayists, and scientists, all detailing their viewpoints on what makes a good life good. For the first half of the semester, we were also joined by Susan Prince, a professor from the classics department at UC, to explain much of the Greek and Roman perspectives.
Most of the class consisted of lively philosophical discussions, with prompting by the professors. These discussions were based on readings assigned to us every week, and would take up most of the three hour class period. I loved this aspect of the class, as that was exactly why I declared the philosophy minor. I tend to thrive on intellectual conversations, so the seminar aspect of the class was extremely appealing to me. The professors also treated us as equals, having us call them by their first name, and as intellectual jousting partners.
However, there were a few writing assignments. There was a "gist" presentation every week in which someone would summarize the week's topic in about five minutes. My "gist" presentation was about Stoicism and Cynicism. This presentation was actually one of the best topics I could have chosen, as it emphasized the need to be in touch with one's true nature and live life for ourself, not for others. These principles are something I've been struggling with a bit lately, so this really showed me some of the steps I may want to talk.
During the 5th week of class, we had our first term paper due. This was entitled "The Happy Elders", and entailed each student to interview an older person that they know who is a happy older person in their life, and ask them what made their life worth it.
I interviewed my 12th grade English teacher, who has since retired, and learned a lot from his lessons to me. We all spent part of a class period talking about our papers, and there were many common themes, as well as a few outliers, which we realized were often influenced by culture. These included putting happiness over success, or vice versa, as well as the amount of emphasis on education.
However, the best documentation for this semester would be my final paper, detailing my plan for the good life. It summarizes everything I've realized through this class, and everything it helped clarify to help me with the future. I presented this final paper during the last class meeting. After everyone presented, we found many commonalities, as well as areas where we disagree. Overall, we all realized that this class helped us clarify our life goals, and in most cases, helped to change our outlook on life.
After this class, I discussed my final paper with both professors. I'm also planning on taking Prof Grundy's Enlightenment seminar to go to Great Britain next fall. Terry also suggested that I apply for a National Competitive Scholarship, so I am currently looking into applying for the Mitchell Scholarship to receive a year studying in Ireland.
Overall, I loved taking this class, as it fed my philosophical curiosity, introducing me to like-minded peers, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for the same thing. The importance of learning to think philosophically, or "for the love of wisdom", can not be understated, and it is a crucial skill for anyone seeking a field in public policy. Arguably, and in my opinion, it is a skill anyone can benefit from to increase one's quality of life. When one can think critically, rather than just passively accepting what happens to them, they increase their intellectual capabilities, and ultimately, their humanity. Although we won't find answers to all of our questions, it doesn't mean that the questions aren't worth contemplating!
Prof Terry Grundy and Prof Zvi Biener started this class in hopes of helping highly motivated students think about what they really want out of life, from the philosophical perspective. Over the course of the semester, we read works from over 15 branches of thought, including philosophers, essayists, and scientists, all detailing their viewpoints on what makes a good life good. For the first half of the semester, we were also joined by Susan Prince, a professor from the classics department at UC, to explain much of the Greek and Roman perspectives.
Most of the class consisted of lively philosophical discussions, with prompting by the professors. These discussions were based on readings assigned to us every week, and would take up most of the three hour class period. I loved this aspect of the class, as that was exactly why I declared the philosophy minor. I tend to thrive on intellectual conversations, so the seminar aspect of the class was extremely appealing to me. The professors also treated us as equals, having us call them by their first name, and as intellectual jousting partners.
However, there were a few writing assignments. There was a "gist" presentation every week in which someone would summarize the week's topic in about five minutes. My "gist" presentation was about Stoicism and Cynicism. This presentation was actually one of the best topics I could have chosen, as it emphasized the need to be in touch with one's true nature and live life for ourself, not for others. These principles are something I've been struggling with a bit lately, so this really showed me some of the steps I may want to talk.
During the 5th week of class, we had our first term paper due. This was entitled "The Happy Elders", and entailed each student to interview an older person that they know who is a happy older person in their life, and ask them what made their life worth it.
I interviewed my 12th grade English teacher, who has since retired, and learned a lot from his lessons to me. We all spent part of a class period talking about our papers, and there were many common themes, as well as a few outliers, which we realized were often influenced by culture. These included putting happiness over success, or vice versa, as well as the amount of emphasis on education.
However, the best documentation for this semester would be my final paper, detailing my plan for the good life. It summarizes everything I've realized through this class, and everything it helped clarify to help me with the future. I presented this final paper during the last class meeting. After everyone presented, we found many commonalities, as well as areas where we disagree. Overall, we all realized that this class helped us clarify our life goals, and in most cases, helped to change our outlook on life.
After this class, I discussed my final paper with both professors. I'm also planning on taking Prof Grundy's Enlightenment seminar to go to Great Britain next fall. Terry also suggested that I apply for a National Competitive Scholarship, so I am currently looking into applying for the Mitchell Scholarship to receive a year studying in Ireland.
Overall, I loved taking this class, as it fed my philosophical curiosity, introducing me to like-minded peers, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for the same thing. The importance of learning to think philosophically, or "for the love of wisdom", can not be understated, and it is a crucial skill for anyone seeking a field in public policy. Arguably, and in my opinion, it is a skill anyone can benefit from to increase one's quality of life. When one can think critically, rather than just passively accepting what happens to them, they increase their intellectual capabilities, and ultimately, their humanity. Although we won't find answers to all of our questions, it doesn't mean that the questions aren't worth contemplating!