No one who has studied philosophy carefully can doubt that some problems are permanently solved and that some of these solutions carry direct implications for the work of scientists and others.

Among the philosophers who would agree with this assertion, many are unwilling to assume responsibility for the fact that the contributions of philosophy are underappreciated on the larger stage of intellectual progress.

In considering the many philosophers I have known, either personally or through a careful longitudinal study of their work, only a few can be said to be influential on that larger stage. In this regard, Michael Scriven is one of the most underappreciated contributors. Michael spent his career employing the intellectual knowledge and tools of philosophy to help scientists and policy leaders of all stripes solve difficult problems. He was successful because he offered the best solution in the room and because he did so without a hint of the pedantic rhetoric common in some philosophical circles.

I can appreciate that studying the classics and literature offers more to the individual than familiarity of the prominant metaphors and text. You gain fantastic critical and analytical skills along the way and these are invaluable in many areas outside English in the academic setting – plus they are skills that never seem to go away.I think studying Philosophy does a similar thing – although it seems to me to be a much stronger version; Philosophy permeates every facet of experience. As it should, i’m guessing, because you are subtly and gradually strengthening the way you perceive the world. You think differently – rather your thinking develops and it’s a very positive thing because that strengthened perception offers new levels of engagement and interest to flourish, and you begin to see things you never noticed in the world before.. It’s during the idle moments that i notice the difference most and can almost feel it working while i’m waiting for a green light or waiting for the phone to stop ringing – or trying to decide what will actually be the result of not looking under that stone.

I returned to university at 35 to do a degree majoring in Philosophy after enjoying some electives in my first undergraduate degree. Not a single person i knew understood why i would take on more study at that stage of the game – on top of work.commitments and the like. Something just happens to you if you are the type and the best way i can think of expressing it is that is nurtures and nourishes your sense of curiosity. It’s not dissimilar to when you discover amazing music where you never thought to look or you see the richness of Kubrick emerge for the first time; the hidden structures and their meaning surfaces.

The feeling doesn’t go away either, i’m so glad i challenged myself and pursued it.

Thank you & Enjoy – sincerely Michael (Perth, Western Australia)

I’m a sophomore at an international high school in China. I hope to share my experience exploring philosophy as a high schooler and give concrete advice to Daily Nous’ high school audience (and perhaps some undergrads). I hope a few philosophers might be curious, too. I’ll organize my experience and lessons taken by topic.

Club (experience: 8/10)

I founded my school’s philosophy club as a freshman. In the first year, I collected PowerPoints available on the internet (~300 slides in total) about 15 philosophers and rehearsed them to present at the weekly meetings. But, as you can probably imagine, only 4-6 students came, and none aspiring to pursue philosophy as a major. So the following year I turned my focus to hosting activities such as public symposiums, philosophy-related games, and debates, and now the club is one of the largest in my school. My lesson: high school club? More activities, less lecturing.

Journal (experience: 5/10)

My original intention of co-founding the journal was to create an English counterpart to our school’s existing Chinese journal. I talked with my school admins, who readily agreed to support it. The first volume ran somewhat smoothly, with submissions from four other schools in our region. However, my school withdrew support because a Chinese admin feared publishing essays on religion and ethics could have political implications (talk about free speech!). Without my school’s backing, I am currently trying to specialize it as a journal of applied and practical ethics and appeal to high school students outside of China. My lesson: high school journal? Do it yourself, and consider specializing; it’s more difficult than you imagine.

Podcast (experience: 9/10)

This is a project that every high school student wanting to pursue philosophy should have. My podcast was specifically for ethics, and I now have stimulating debates weekly with my teachers, ethical vegans, LGBTQ people, activists, and academics. Contrary to a journal, many more people would be willing to be on a podcast, and the conversational format also enriched and informed my moral views. If you would like to be on it, please feel free to reply to this message and I’ll reach out. It’s short and lightweight, and we love to see guests from outside our region. My lesson: podcast? If you’re good with public speaking, definitely consider doing it.

Competitions (experience: 7/10)

There’s not a lot to do. Most competitions favor continental approaches, and others value style over content. I’ll list the ones I did, what I got, and how much I recommend it to other high school students.

Philosophy

John Locke Essay Competition: I got two distinctions for philosophy and theology. Recommendation: 3 stars (do it if you want to practice writing philosophy, but don’t expect too much)

International Philosophy Olympiad (China selection exam): I got a third prize (top 12). Recommendation: 4 stars (it is very difficult topic-wise but relatively friendly to students who write analytically).

Think Essay Prize (by the journal Think): I submitted a few weeks ago. Recommendation: 4-5 stars (the additional information part is great, and the judges are professional, especially compared to mainstream ones like John Locke).

Philosophy-related

Public forum debate: I am a two-time national champion (at the two largest tournaments in China), a global semifinalist at the Harvard Nationals (open division), and a gold division qualifier for TOC. Recommendation: 4 stars (if you want to major in philosophy it’s better to do Lincoln–Douglas).

Research (experience: 8/10)

I did many high school research programs in philosophy with professors at Penn, Stanford, Colgate, and Oxford. My mother, a professor of media at a top Chinese university, also taught me to do research in her free time. These programs did expose me to much philosophy, but if you hope to really contribute to the literature, these programs certainly won’t cut it (like what you’re probably thinking now, I believe that real research requires a PhD. However, my paper was cited in my Ukrainian journal, which is interesting). Indeed, most programs of this sort are not worth it. That said, they have prepared me for more serious research, which I hope to do at UCSB’s RMP program this summer.

Summer Schools (experience: 7/10)

I went to summer@Brown for my freshmen year, and my experience is mixed. I suppose more selective summer school would be better, but I didn’t feel intellectually challenged during the course, and mostly, the readings taught me. The tutors are great researchers and educators; it’s just that they have to accommodate everyone’s learning. I have nothing against that.

Self-study (experience: 10/10)

This is where I really learned philosophy. I try to read 3-4 books a month and I select and discuss them with my tutor (a philosophy PhD at a top philosophy department). Here are some that I enjoyed the most:

Philosophical Devices (Papineau), Logic: A Complete Introduction (Lee), Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction (Loux and Crisp), Ontology and Metaontology (Berto and Plebani), and Philosophy of Physics: Quantum Theory (Maudlin).

Here are some that I enjoyed but didn’t get to finish (yet):

Logic for Philosophy (Sider), Writing the Book of the World (Sider), A Critical Introduction to Formal Epistemology (Bradley), Metaphysics, Sophistry, and Illusion (Balaguer), The Nature of Contingency (Wilson), and Quantum Ontology (Lewis).

My most sincere thanks to their authors. What a good time to be alive.

Thanks for reading!