According to FSU's Department of Philosophy, this is the crux of what Philosophy is:
Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom." In a broad sense, philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other.
Last semester, I got a recommendation from a friend to take Dr. George Yancy's Intro to Philosophy class at Emory University. My friend said that the professor was very uncensored, spoke his mind, and was an easy A. This was EXACTLY what I was looking for in my last semester of college: a class that made me think, a professor that made me laugh and want to come to class, and a grading system where I could focus more on the pedagogical aspect of the class rather than how it would affect my GPA.
And I can say from experience that the class has NOT disappointed. In fact, it has made me think more than any other class; it has furthered my view on philosophy and encouraged me to practice it daily, questioning the purpose and true intent behind every decision. We have covered Socrates, Plato, Descartes, and a few others – yes they may be white, old, dead men but they used their minds masterfully to try to discover the fundamental TRUTH behind daily existence, events, and actions.
How often do you think about certainty, livelihood, purpose?
These concepts may seem existential and abstract, but I feel that profound reflection is necessary to get closer to our true self and moral transcendence. Socrates' devotion to philosophy was both admirable and unrelenting. Even when given the chance to escape imminent death, he chose to practice philosophy, leading to his death but one where he maintained unwavering loyalty to his life's work. I suggest reading Plato's writings on The Apology and The Crito if you'd like to explore the tales of Socrates more.
Descartes was a brilliant French man and you may be familiar with him from Cartesian Planes – yes he came up with the concept despite not having a computer, calculator, or phone to reference. His thinking resulted in him being certain that there is a superior being since we are finite beings that are imperfect but have an idea of infinity and perfection. Thus, there must be a God that supplanted that idea within us. He also only finds one thing to be undeniably true: the fact that he himself is a "thinking thing." Rene Descartes' pieces of literature are hard to comprehend but I'd suggest looking up videos on his philosophical thinking.
All of this is to say that there is real value in thinking. This may seem obvious but I think that we often get stuck in cycles of doing where forget to stop and think about what we are doing, the impact it has, and the people that we are interacting with. Dr. Yancy's class has prompted me to reflect more – a habit that I am still working on molding. So far, I have found myself to prioritize better, be more grateful, and find more fulfillment in the experiences that I undertake when I put more thought into the choices that I make and spend time reflecting after the fact.
Dr. Yancy also covers a highly contentious topic in the second half of his class: Race in America. My favorite piece that he introduced was from MLK, titled Letter from Birmingham Jail. The piece gives wonderful insights into the racial segregation that was rife in MLK's time and which is still prevalent in the US. However, I was most drawn to MLK's definition of moral and just laws; I think that he puts them in very eloquent and easy to grasp terms below:
Morality is another issue that has been my "Roman Empire" this semester – I've put a lot of thought into it to say the least. And, I largely agree with MLK's view on the intersection between justice and laws. The need for laws to uplift humanity and act as a moral compass for all humans is both productive and essential for the betterment of human beings.
The last part of Dr. Yancy's class that I'd like to highlight is his book, Backlash, comprised of his letter titled Dear White America and the subsequent criticism that he receives. He delivers a "gift" to his readers, calling upon White Americans to express vulnerability and acknowledge their racism – whether it is through biased thinking or direct actions. There was immense controversy surrounding the letter as Dr. Yancy does not shy away from being candid and direct with his thoughts, but way too many readers seemed to pivot directly to hate mail rather than truly listening to the message and letting it sit. I'm not saying that you have to agree with it, but rather give some intentional thought to the concepts and arguments proposed. I don't fully agree with the implications that stem from Dr. Yancy's letter, but I spent hours thinking about my own, coherent stance, a stance that is constantly being adapted and questioned further; I encourage you to do the same.
The best line to think about (in my humble opinion) is:
Can you be a white antiracist?
This may not make any sense, but if you read Backlash then maybe you can piece together your own answer. At the very least, I'd check out his letter published by the NYT ~ 6 minute read. Again, you don't need to agree with his opinion but try to internalize his grievances and form your own conclusions.