Personal Statement:Philosophy 11

Philosophy Personal Statement

Alice fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland, oblivious to the philosophical issues she would encounter, from time and dimensions to the nature of logic and truth. Much like Lewis Carroll, I found the contemplation of such notions exciting and challenging, allowing me to consider the possibility of a world existing beyond our sensory perception. Whether it was via the exploration of Joseph Campbell's monomyths in TV hit LOST or the manifestation of an Orwellian state in 1984, the meaning of purpose and existence is a perennial concern and it is important that we challenge this. The ability to do so during my A level Philosophy lessons not only formed my stream of questions and ideas into coherent articulations, but has come as a fantastic opportunity to study the "minds" my ideologies are influenced by.

I enjoyed examining Bertrand Russell's essays 'On the Nature of Truth and Falsehood' and 'The Monistic Theory of Truth'. Both emphasise the notion that if truth cannot be deemed an objective entity, then the ultimate effect of this is the destabilisation in the meaning of 'truth' on which the foundations of our inherent beliefs are dependent. This proved evident in my study of Photography, which helped uncover the unlimited possibilities and dilemmas one encounters in a bid to capture the essence of reality, even if it is only "partially true". This form of reality is completely subjective to the photographer, yet appears objective when released into the public forum.

The nature of reality, as well as the core metaphysical and existential puzzles philosophers aspire to solve, has been a key interest of mine for a number of years. Stephen Law's Eyewitness Guide to 'Philosophy' outlined Berkeley's claim that the universe, and experience of it, is merely within the mind; therefore physical properties do not exist as they are only ideas. Locke limited the acquisition of such knowledge in 'An Essay on the Human Understanding Book II: Ideas' as he seemed to award the necessity of sensational experience as a means to formulate and retain ideas in the mind. This contradiction in philosophies is addressed by Descartes in his sixth 'Meditation' as he recognised that one must ascertain the difference between imagination and intellect, mind and body, before we can actually verify that the properties of the universe are anything other than purely physical.

Mo Constandi's article 'The Illusion of Attention' explored inattentional blindness, a recent development in neurophilosophy. The phenomenon reveals how human perception can block out obvious occurrences due to intense concentration. If this is the case, then perhaps our sensory field is unaware of the existence of other dimensions? The 'Mind Control' episode of Dr Michael Mosley's short series 'The Brain: a Secret History' acquainted me with the Milgram experiment on authority and obedience. The study resounded with my investigation of the Nazi Germany era in History; I was intrigued by how a society under Hitler's dictatorship could tolerate such rigid indoctrination.

Work experience at Channel 4 and my participation in the Young Journalist Summer School, seemed to highlight that the mass media, an industry I have great interest in pursuing a career in, can only portray an interpreted and often distorted element of truth to society that has a profound effect on how we treat one another e.g. the rise in Islamophobia post 9/11. Volunteering as a judge on the "vinspired National Awards Regional Panel", which involved evaluating applicants and making an informed decision based on their application, challenged my analytical skills as any assumptions I may have had about the circumstances of the candidate had to be abandoned.

If we are as "blind" as the prisoners in Plato's cave analogy then I feel the study of Philosophy, a doctrine premised on the pursuit of wisdom, will help me begin to lift the "veil of illusion" the majority of our world has been accustomed to live in.

Universities Applied to:

  • University of Bristol (BA Philosophy) - Offer/Rejection (AAA) Insurance/Firm
  • University of Warwick (BA Philosophy with Psychology) - Offer/Rejection (AAA) Insurance/Firm
  • University of Nottingham (BSc Philosophy and Psychology) - Offer/Rejection (AAB) Insurance/Firm
  • King's College, London (BA Liberal Arts) - Offer/Rejection (A*AA) Insurance/Firm
  • London School of Economics (BSc Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method) - Offer/Rejection (AAA) Insurance/Firm

Grades Achieved:

  • English Literature (AS/A2) - Grade A
  • Photography (AS/A2) - Grade A*
  • History (AS/A2) - Grade A*
  • Religious Studies (AS/A2) - Grade A

Comments

This is just my personal statement for 2012 entry into university. I had no clue what degree I wanted to take in terms of whether I wanted to do straight Philosophy or a joint degree etc. which made it all the more harder choosing where to go in the end (I am content with my choice thus far)! So my advice would be to really, and I mean really think about what you want to do, and where you want to go because at the end of the day this is your future! I hope this is helpful :)

 

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