International Philosophy Personal Statement Example

I'm always surprised when I tell people I'm pursuing a degree in philosophy and they ask what
career opportunities it could lead to. It seems clear to me that philosophy is an essential
component in not only law, politics, and society, but also logic and reason itself. I've
developed an intense philosophical curiosity as the disputed questions about ethics, purpose,
and truth quickly transformed from obscure phrases to daily intruders of my thoughts. As
someone who plans on applying to law school, it is important that my undergraduate degree
helps me attain critical and analytical skills in discerning logical arguments from flawed
claims, and I can't think of anything that would better assist me than philosophy.

This interest was prompted 1 year ago when I began my HL IB philosophy class taught under our
school's IB coordinator, *** *****. After only a couple weeks, I found myself reading articles
and listening to podcasts about philosophy outside of class. One of these podcasts titled "The
Partially Examined Life" recently discussed the limits of free speech by presenting the
argument that free speech itself can prevent marginalized groups from participating in a
democratic society due to violent hate speech. This forced me to question whether hate speech
should be limited so that everyone can participate in democracy without conflict, or if
limiting some types of speech in order to protect marginalized people would only lead to the
speech of marginalized people being limited and result in the tyranny of the majority.
Podcasts are a great medium to communicate philosophical ideas since Plato used the same form
of a discussion in order to clearly display the logic leading to a conclusion and allow for
contention and debate when there is a logical misstep.

After beginning my class, I quickly noticed that I was applying philosophy to some of my
favorite movies like "Groundhog Day" which was particularly ripe with philosophical ideas in
relation to ethics. Upon realizing that his actions had no consequences, the protagonist
begins a life of hedonism and pursues short term pleasures just as Glaucon predicted anyone
would do with his hypothetical ring of Gyges. Eventually, the protagonist decides to act based
on the categorical imperatives and what will benefit those around him as he dismisses his
previous selfish ways. Philosophy has become impossible for me to ignore and will follow me
throughout my life no matter what my future holds.

I live in a small town in Colorado, and like many people I've always enjoyed the
idea of living outside of my home country. British culture and history fascinates me and I'm
interested in gaining a greater understanding of the UK as a whole. Perhaps this desire to
leave the country is a symptom of living in the same place my whole life, but I would argue
that this curiosity is an inherent part of being human. Just as the philosopher leaves the
cave to see the light, I aspire to replace my ignorance of the outside world with knowledge as
I leave the US.

Due to the nature of IB, I've had little free time do much outside of working as a server at a
steakhouse, which has taught me how to work hard and handle stressful situations (and people)
with composure. I've organized groups of friends to clean up local hiking trails and last year
I went to a lower income neighborhood in Chicago on an outreach trip. I enjoy running and when
I have the time, I love to practice piano.

As I get closer to earning my IB diploma, I gain a greater appreciation for the program that
not only challenges me academically but also allows me to consider other viewpoints. IB is
unique in America due to its ability to shift the focus of education away from the US and to
outside perspectives throughout the world. Studying philosophy in the UK will be a great
continuation of what this program started, as I get to experience firsthand the rich and
expansive culture of university in the UK.