Thursday, March 7, 2013

Reflection and Connection 7

Reflection:

It's cool to see some modern philosophers because for a long time I thought philosophers were only historical figures that tackled challenging topics in history. People like Socrates, Cicero, Hegel, Kant, and more who challenged people's perception of what they knew and in some cases were punished for it. In some sense though I feel like today everyone's a philosopher since there isn't really a huge downside to be considered one. Back throughout history philosophers have had to contend with government and religion, heavyweights issuing knockout punches and punishment left and right from exile to execution. Being a philosopher meant traversing the minefield of everyday life and standing by the new and sometimes unpopular viewpoint you profess even in the face of giants. Nowadays it's easy to call yourself a philosopher. You see pictures all the time with hazy filters and sepia tones, a pseudo-philosophical phrase draped across in helvetica font. With such an over-saturation of "philosophy" I respect people who take it for more than face value and live up to the standards set by those who paved the road before them.

Connection:

While watching the documentary I was able to connect with the airport guy who talked about cosmopolitanism. I think it's important to learn from other cultures and backgrounds even if they do things differently. I also agree that you shouldn't forsake your own personal heritage for the sake of one united homogenous civilization because you should be proud of yourself and what you come from. Your background is special and deserves recognition. I'm optimistic about a world that can work together to further goals but I'm also proud of my Chinese background, my Irish background, my German background, my American background, etc. and I think that remembering what you come from is a good thing because it's part of what makes you who you are.

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