Philosophy Personal Statement Example 4

As anyone, I have the desire to reach my highest potential. For me, that is to engage in higher philosophical questions and ideas. It is one of the most valuable and important activities done by people. And, as everyone else, I desire to learn from the best. That is one of the prime reasons as to why I have applied to a British university. I want to explore my passion and the world outside Norway. Britain is therefore the ideal place, in my opinion. Several short trips to Britain have made me fall in love with Britain and its people. I also want to develop a more diverse and international network of friends. A British degree would in addition to this, make me distinguish myself from other Norwegians.

I have always been fascinated with History, and consequently chose History as a chosen subject in Upper Secondary School. One day, we entered the subject of Philosophy, namely Plato’s Allegory of The Cave. At once it was done; I had got a taste of Philosophy and became addicted.
I have always enjoyed Philosophy, but never explored it alone until that single experience triggered a change I know will affect my whole future. Suddenly, I was reading my mother’s old Philosophy books and “The four seasons of Greek Philosophy”. Since then, I have read much more. It is, however, rather difficult fully understanding many of the complex thoughts expressed in those books, but I have a strong desire to learn more. I must honestly say, that today, I agree most with more modern philosophy, particularly Existentialism. What spoke to me at once was the idea of the absurdity of life, and that life has no meaning other than what individuals give it. After finding Existentialism, I began reading about philosophers, as Sartre, Heidegger and Kierkegaard – and novels by Camus and Kafka. Even though I like newer philosophers the most, I still find the ideas of older philosophers enchanting to read, e.g. Aristotle; Plato, his theory of forms, and State; Descartes’ methodical doubt; and Kant’s theory of perception and ethics. I may not agree with them all, but still enjoy reading, and trying to understand, them, and I am truly amazed by their ability to think. A degree in Philosophy is not only for my future career; I wish for my mind to evolve and reach its highest potential, and believe a central step is to fathom other philosophical ideas. I am also generally interested in the progression of philosophical thoughts through time, their impact on the world, and why I think as I do.

Becoming a professor in Philosophy is my dream – to be a person with a greatly opened mind, who teaches others the same. The ideal future would be to share with others what I love, to inaugurate others into the splendid world, of which I have still only had a taste. To fulfil this desire, a degree in Philosophy is vital. Philosophy has already opened lots of fields I whish to immerse myself in, such as the philosophy of how our mind works; universality and the conflicting relativism; ethics; and metaphysics. The more I read and think about these things, the happier and more excited I become. It is pure enjoyment for me to simply wonder about such topics. Many have wished to persuade me into other subjects, but to them I explain that Philosophy is not only for my future job, but also for myself. As I see it, Philosophy is not only a job; it is a way of life.

I believe I would make a good Philosophy student, not only because of my passion for Philosophy, but also because I love learning. To this day, I have only been away from Upper Secondary School three days and never missed a deadline. This is not because I feel a pressure, but because I enjoy learning. I am, however, able to live a life outside of school, and have done work in a variety of fields: from gardening to Photoshop designs. I also have a lot of friends. I believe that undertaking this degree will make me meet new friends, who share my love of wisdom, and with whom I can engage in philosophical discussions.