We have all heard “dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum,” right? If you haven’t, and even if you have, take Mr. Nicholson’s Philosophy course. I took a full year—Ancient Philosophy in the fall, Modern in the spring—and it was one of the best decisions of my life. Let me tell you a bit about it.
We would explore Metaphysics daily, questioning whether or not God, the soul or the world exists. Puzzling over why there is being and not-non being drove us insane. Even A=A was not a given. My mental universe was shaken with questions demanding answers. But first I had to learn how to learn about learning.
Thus, we would turn to Epistemology, which deals with the way we know what we know. One problem arises called the Learner’s Paradox. If you’re looking for truth, how do you know when you have found it? If you already know what truth is, why are you looking for it? To answer this conundrum, Plato postulates the theory of the forms, where one has a previous existence in a realm full of true knowledge. Ripped from the realm of the forms, birthed into a body and brainwashed to forget what you knew, the process of learning would be that of remembering. Aristotle answers this enigma in a divergent manner. Take the class to find out how “The Philosopher” out thinks his teacher Plato.
Explaining that everybody thinks they know something, Socrates takes pleasure in bringing people through dialectic to the point of elenchus, where they realize they know nothing. Socrate’s wisdom came from the fact that he knew he knew nothing. That’s a wise guy if there ever was one.
Philosophy makes use of the original texts of the great men of renown. Don’t be surprised if you read the Crito, Meno, Phaedo, the Republic or all of the above. Mr. Nicholson said, “Everyone of these texts is a nut, and you have to crack it.”
Try splitting the following nutty sentence about Principles taken from Aristotle’s Physics.“Nor can they be innumerable, because, if so, Being will not be knowable: and in any one genus there is only one contrariety, and substance is one genus: also a finite number is sufficient, and a finite number, such as the principles of Empedocles, is better than an infinite multitude; for Empedocles professes to obtain from his principles all that Anaxagoras obtains from his innumerable principles.”
Even though that is only one piece of a much longer treatise, don’t let it scare you—your teacher can lecture on that one part for the whole hour.
Dear to my heart are certain unreproducible moments. From Andrea Slosser ‘07 hiding under the desk and tickling Mr. Nicholson’s toes and my turning on the T.V. numerous times through out the year, to Sean Nam ‘07 kung fu fighting and Amanda Haase ‘07 drawing creepy spiders above Mr. Nicholson’s head, the 06-07 philosophy class was “da bomb.”
The fact that each class is unique adds to the adventure of plucking peoples mind with paradoxes. After sitting in on this year’s class, my understanding of philosophy is shown to be knee high to a grasshopper. The well of Philosophy is so deep as to never be dry. Ask a philosopher how much they think about “The Good” and they well stare at you blankly. I encourage everyone to become a lover of wisdom.
Big quote:
“I warn you, philosophy is good for your brain.” —Mr. Nicholson
Quirky Quotes
Ask Mr. Nicholson about these phrases: “You have been drunk.” “I never leave my dreams untainted.” “Your mind is a bad neighborhood. Don’t venture into it alone.” “When you are willing to take the monad seriously, you want to know if it is true.” “You can pick your friends and your nose, but not your friend’s nose.”
Profound Poetry
A Reflection on the Republic: The Cave by Matt
The Sun, The GOOD, is blinding!
I stare, but know not.
I feel the heat, but can not understand.
Is there any hope for episteme?
Are all doomed to doxa?
Put me back in the cave!
We would explore Metaphysics daily, questioning whether or not God, the soul or the world exists. Puzzling over why there is being and not-non being drove us insane. Even A=A was not a given. My mental universe was shaken with questions demanding answers. But first I had to learn how to learn about learning.
Thus, we would turn to Epistemology, which deals with the way we know what we know. One problem arises called the Learner’s Paradox. If you’re looking for truth, how do you know when you have found it? If you already know what truth is, why are you looking for it? To answer this conundrum, Plato postulates the theory of the forms, where one has a previous existence in a realm full of true knowledge. Ripped from the realm of the forms, birthed into a body and brainwashed to forget what you knew, the process of learning would be that of remembering. Aristotle answers this enigma in a divergent manner. Take the class to find out how “The Philosopher” out thinks his teacher Plato.
Explaining that everybody thinks they know something, Socrates takes pleasure in bringing people through dialectic to the point of elenchus, where they realize they know nothing. Socrate’s wisdom came from the fact that he knew he knew nothing. That’s a wise guy if there ever was one.
Philosophy makes use of the original texts of the great men of renown. Don’t be surprised if you read the Crito, Meno, Phaedo, the Republic or all of the above. Mr. Nicholson said, “Everyone of these texts is a nut, and you have to crack it.”
Try splitting the following nutty sentence about Principles taken from Aristotle’s Physics.“Nor can they be innumerable, because, if so, Being will not be knowable: and in any one genus there is only one contrariety, and substance is one genus: also a finite number is sufficient, and a finite number, such as the principles of Empedocles, is better than an infinite multitude; for Empedocles professes to obtain from his principles all that Anaxagoras obtains from his innumerable principles.”
Even though that is only one piece of a much longer treatise, don’t let it scare you—your teacher can lecture on that one part for the whole hour.
Dear to my heart are certain unreproducible moments. From Andrea Slosser ‘07 hiding under the desk and tickling Mr. Nicholson’s toes and my turning on the T.V. numerous times through out the year, to Sean Nam ‘07 kung fu fighting and Amanda Haase ‘07 drawing creepy spiders above Mr. Nicholson’s head, the 06-07 philosophy class was “da bomb.”
The fact that each class is unique adds to the adventure of plucking peoples mind with paradoxes. After sitting in on this year’s class, my understanding of philosophy is shown to be knee high to a grasshopper. The well of Philosophy is so deep as to never be dry. Ask a philosopher how much they think about “The Good” and they well stare at you blankly. I encourage everyone to become a lover of wisdom.
Big quote:
“I warn you, philosophy is good for your brain.” —Mr. Nicholson
Quirky Quotes
Ask Mr. Nicholson about these phrases: “You have been drunk.” “I never leave my dreams untainted.” “Your mind is a bad neighborhood. Don’t venture into it alone.” “When you are willing to take the monad seriously, you want to know if it is true.” “You can pick your friends and your nose, but not your friend’s nose.”
Profound Poetry
A Reflection on the Republic: The Cave by Matt
The Sun, The GOOD, is blinding!
I stare, but know not.
I feel the heat, but can not understand.
Is there any hope for episteme?
Are all doomed to doxa?
Put me back in the cave!
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