Philosophy Personal Statement Examples

I believe that there are two ways to look at how the world develops: the first is through the progress of history and human civilisation, and the second is through the progress of knowledge and human understanding...

My aspiration to study economics at both advanced and degree level has stemmed from my lasting interest in current affairs and world development. These issues require an application of economics in real-life situations and can be related to many diverse subjects such as politics, philosophy and psychology...

All assumptions, methods, implication considered in scientific fields with an aim of establishing the truth in natural phenomenon are part of philosophy of science. Logic plays a crucial role in establishing a smooth flow while deducing premises for the assumptions...

Politics was not an option at GCSE in my school but having grown up in a family of strong minded individuals working in public service I knew it would be my first choice at A –Level. I have not been disappointed...

In a recent address to the Canadian Parliament, David Cameron made the comment that "This is not a traditional, cyclical recession. It's a debt crisis,". Although I am yet to align myself to a political party I find politics, economics and philosophy very interesting individually...

“The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind is curiosity”. I believe that when the mind is allowed to think outside the pre-defined constraints of society, the different directions in which it can travel are infinite...

Although I love my friends dearly, I've come to realise that they don't enjoy having the meaning of their lives, or the essence of the objects around them, subjected to rigorous and logical questioning over a quiet pint in the pub! I'd like to tell you that I've read such and such a book, or met so and so, and it dawned on me that there is more to life than meets the eye...

One area of philosophy I find particularly exciting is the philosophy of mind, which I was first introduced to while reading Descartes' 'Meditations'. I was fascinated by the problem regarding how interaction can take place between the mind and body without some sort of supernatural "spirit", which opens up great questions...

As anyone, I have the desire to reach my highest potential. For me, that is to engage in higher philosophical questions and ideas. It is one of the most valuable and important activities done by people...

Philosophy has shaped the foundations of all human life and thought. The importance of philosophic enquiry can be traced from the beginning of civilization to the heart of modern society, and I believe that the ability to ask and attempt to answer philosophical questions is one of the key attributes we associate with being human...

Upon the opening of any quality newspaper, one would find that economic and political news dominate the headlines, but upon deeper reading it can be seen that the foundations of all human thought and actions have been shaped by philosophical theories...

I have wanted to take PPE at university ever since discovering that the course existed, having loved Mathematical and Essay subjects in equal measure throughout my time in school. Philosophy and Politics are subjects I have always wanted to study further, and upon studying Economics for the first time at the Eton College Universities Summer School I was extremely taken by the subject, as it seemed to give me an entirely new outlook on the world...

I have never understood politicians. Are they supposed to be economists or philosophers? Or should they be environmentalists instead? My questions have made me a dreamer who fights reality. While philosophy centers around the question What would be the best way to live ?, economics dictates how to live...

I have always wanted to understand more about the world - not about its physical form or its surface, but about the people in it and the reasons why we have come to live the way we do - the reasons for conflict, government decisions and economic developments...

Society is a concept that has always fascinated me, as it is the fundamental manifestation of human existence. Its nature is defined by the prevalent political and economic conditions, which have global impact...

What makes me the person I am? What is personhood, or identity? As Plato said "Philosophy begins in wonder." I feel that the study of philosophy will enable me become the person who is able to wonder such questions in a clearer and more logical manner...

After reading several books with political and philosophical themes (such as 'Animal Farm'/'1984' by George Orwell and 'Guns Germs and Steel' by Jared Diamond) I came to realise the power and implications of ideology and belief, and found myself with a desire to learn more...

Why do humans act the way they do? It seems a simple question, but you're as likely to know the answer as you are to learn of the meaning of life. But that doesn't mean we don't try. When I applied for college, I took psychology simply because I was curious, but now, it enthrals me; studying the different theories put forward as to why we do certain things, or why we don't; delving into the minds of the depressed, the murderous or the deranged and generally trying to explain the things we do unconsciously, like conform...

The body: An entity existing in a space-time universe constructed of atoms and energy. The soul: Indefinable, non-physical, indeterminable; the conscience, the mind, a meta-physical property. One of these uses scientific measuring equipment as a means to measure and define, the other, the mind; discussion, reasoning and observation the means of intellectual exploration...

I have always been interested in the world's culture: its history and art. Philosophy and languages proved themselves a perfect tool to describe and explain various conceptions of human mind, so that one could understand the specific meaning and value of each of them...

My pre-existing interest in politics became a fascination during a holiday to Mexico in the aftermath of the 2006 Presidential elections. I saw mass demonstrations in Mexico City, the barricades of a teachers strike involving shootouts between police and teachers and the way in which Commandante Marcos' zapatistas were in de facto control of the countryside in resistance to central government...

Philosophy has captured the minds of many great thinkers for millennia, and will continue to do so indefinitely. In the past three years, I have become deeply fascinated by the questions and thoughts of philosophers...

Bertrand Russell once said: “Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know.” I have always been fascinated by the things that stretch our understanding and knowledge of the world to the limits; the vastness of the universe, the extent of the number line, the existence of a superior being and the workings of the human brain, to name a few...

The word philosophy originates from the ancient Greek word philosophia meaning love of knowledge. A year on from my first lesson and I find myself in love with knowledge. What is good? What is identity?, determinism or indeterminism?, dualism or materialism?...

The more extensively one studies any subject, the more common ground one will find it shares with all the others. This can be taken to its furthest extent when applied to literature - because there is nothing that is not, or cannot be, explored in literature...

I have always loved to read the dailies, as well as magazines such as Newsweek and the Economist, for news about politics and/or international relations. Right now, my favourite hobby is following the momentous 2008 US elections...

My belief is that understanding the universe and everything in it is the primary goal of mankind. Our ability to imagine new ideas, new technologies and build up detailed pictures and opinions of the world mark us as distinctly different from our homosapien ancestors...

One could ask who created the universe? Why do we exist? What is man's purpose in this world? The question I thought of most, who created me? These are just some of the questions I used to wonder and ask myself, in the words of Plato, 'Philosophy begins in wonder'...

English has always been at the forefront of my mind, whether it be writing storybooks as a child, play-writing as a teen, or analysing literature at A Level. I enjoy the thrill of writing creatively but equally enjoy composing non-literary pieces where I can put across my views, inform or debate...

In today's world, everyone is a philosopher. How can one not be, with an intake of information greater than any previous generation? We are bombarded with words and ideas, pictures and concepts. This data has rarely been publicly questioned in centuries past yet today the media compels everyone to ask the question: why? And I am no different...

"When I was a childI reasoned like a child" (1 Corinthians 13:11), yet it was only as I grew older and I began to build a personal relationship with faith on an intellectual level that my religious identity began to form in earnest...

A trip to Mexico at age twelve sparked my interest in the social sciences. The level of poverty and governmental corruption jarred me whilst there, and thus my determination to understand why social injustice occurs and how to combat it formed...

If anything, I am a curious person. Most people spend their lives aspiring to knowledge; and yet they cannot acquire it all. What really matters is the thirst for knowledge. I consider myself as one of those thirsty people and I believe that curiosity is the key to everything...

Philosophy has had an irrevocable impact on my life in the past couple of years. It has enabled me to think critically about myself, my actions, my responsibility as a human being and my conception of the world in general...

For me the examination of the human condition and the conditions in which humans exist has sparked the most fascinating cultivation and exchange of critical thought ever recorded. Further I would gamble my degree course on the notion that these fundamental questions regarding our actions as individuals and as a civilization will remain ongoing, simply because it is our duty as a species to search for our most basic truths...

In order to use logic successfully, one must discover truths, otherwise the solutions are generally useless. The natural sciences are committed to discovering truths so that we may better understand and improve the world...

Lester Brown recently stated: Socialism failed because it couldn't tell the economic truth; capitalism may fail because it couldn't tell the ecological truth. My 6th form study of Economics has led me to question the ecological and social price of free market capitalism with its underlying aim for continual economic growth...

Who am I? This is possibly the most ambiguous question, whereby a hidden depth of meaning is drowned by a trivialised sense of simplicity. I could merely reveal my name, but would that really portray who I was? “We become ourselves through others” claims Vygotsky, but are we all just conformists? Are our personalities just embedded in our genes? Do we act the way we do because we want to? Is it free will which makes us who we are?...

When in life can you truly say you enjoy what you do? Far too many times you hear people talking of ‘enduring’ their work, or ‘getting by’ in life, far too seldom do we actually hear of people savouring it, being enthused by it, enjoying it! This is what divides a good student from a passing student, actually enjoying what they do, and this is my aim not just for my studies but for my working life as well, to find fulfilment in and actual relish my work – this may seem like a common aspiration, but so few ever achieve it! Both of my parents work and have always worked in the care industry, they posses very select and specialised characteristics that allow them to be the best at their jobs that they can be, so from an early age I have been seeped in an environment of complex psychology about mental ability, counselling and stigma...

Philosophy is arguably the oldest intellectual discipline, stemming as it does from the basic human need for understanding and it is easy to assume, being as we are constantly bombarded with information and ephemeral distractions, that the search for understanding and meaning in life is either complete or rendered irrelevant by the current culture of attaining meaning through consumption...

I believe in the world of contemplative thought as a source of pleasure and fulfilment. I first loved mathematics and physics for their consistent and absolute nature. Their laws awed me, and made me believe in a universal world I can fathom and understand...

Being human is being inquisitive, everyday we strive to learn today what we did not know yesterday it is the reason scientific research just keeps going. Like the scientist the Philosopher is constantly building on his knowledge striving for the next step in his hypothesis...

I am very interested in the upcoming election and how the different parties' attitudes to business and welfare will affect the vote and the eventual success of the country. I wish to study a course that will provide me with a thorough insight into the political and economic impact of our national decisions...

My desire to study philosophy could probably be best described as fledgling, given that my first true exposure to the subject was only a few months ago. However, to say I am enamoured with the discipline today would be an understatement...

In a world where religious, political and ethical antagonism is what makes headlines, one wonders what might justify these seemingly irreconcilable views. After all, there seem to be many more than there could possibly be truths...

The earth once spoke with a single voice and now the voices of billions become the echoes of choice. Living in a society abundant in people from diverse backgrounds and faiths I have grown to love and appreciate the immeasurable amount of knowledge available to me...

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato said “philosophy begins in wonder”, and I believe this to be true. I think the wondering which Plato is speaking of, which leads to essential questions such as ‘why are we here?’ and ‘what is right and wrong?’, is one of the defining qualities of what it means to be human...

I have a strong interest in the close relationship between political events and economic developments, highlighted by a study of Russia in the lead up to the 1917 revolution. I was grabbed by the film adaptation of Ten Days That Shook the World, with its emphasis on its power of the masses...

My interest in Politics and Philosophy came to me when I was watching a documentary about the French Revolution and witnessed how philosophy played an influential part in the downfall of Louis XVI and the rise of the first French Republic which wanted a society based on liberty and virtue...

The emotional state of human existence is propelled by economic, and political revolutions that arise throughout history. It is only through practices of observance and purposeful inquisitions that humanity is able to truly understand the delicate emotional state of society...

In this day and age virtually every aspect of our lives may be considered political. My passion to study Politics stems from this tenet and a belief that a comprehension of Politics is integral to understanding the current state of humanity...

Since leaving education in 2006 I have always wanted to return; a great love of learning, desire for knowledge and natural curiosity throughout my life resulted in an ambition to teach. It was with this ambition in my heart that I took the plunge and returned to education, beginning my Access course last year with the intention of applying to study for a primary education degree...

For the past 15 years I have lived in Dubai a cosmopolitan metropolis so perfect and yet so flawed that not even the residents truly understand its inner workings. A city built on the backs of poorly treated labourers and ruled by a monarchy that seems to disregard the values of ethics and morality...

What does it mean to be a person? How do we know what is right from wrong? These are questions that Philosophy seeks to answer and I want to be at the forefront of exploring these questions. I am fascinated by how Philosophy has moulded the principles of society and has provided the key foundations for all of human thought...

Humanity today stands at the intersection of the most significant questions facing the world today: if democracy leads to political infighting, should it be sacrificed in the interest of economic well-being? Does religious fundamentalism provide a way for countries in the developing world to assert their identity in the face of Western hegemony? Does the entry of Western consumer goods threaten a country’s economic self-sufficiency? The answers of these questions will determine what the nature of our world is in the twenty-first century...

Rational people are motivated primarily by incentives for self-fulfillment, not only to satisfy their own self-development, but also to feel useful and helpful to others. With these prerequisites in mind, it follows that university study is a valid and effective option to satisfying these means...

The way philosophy can challenge our assumptions will never cease to astound me. I particularly remember my first lesson on Descartes, where I was asked to prove that I knew the room around me was real...

While many of humanity's societal constructs can be identified in some of the other species that have wandered our planet in the last 5 billion years, we are perhaps the only ones ever to question our own reality at all, never mind to this vast extent...

Three years ago, when I began the study of philosophy I was immediately fascinated by it, and quickly my ego was transformed and reshaped. I opened my eyes, previously closed by the obvious and customary of everyday life...

As an English student I revel in the aesthetic beauty of literature while enjoying how the big ideas underpinning a work adds meaning. As a Philosophy student my inquisitive mind constantly pushes me to ask questions and engage in debate...

As a liberal, the ambivalent nature of modern democracy is something I find intellectually stimulating. Having for the first ten years of my life witnessed the politics of corruption, intolerance, and neglect in Nigeria; and then that of the apathy, partisanship and majoritarianism embodied by the UK's political system - I am forced to question the legitimacy of the West's claims towards polyarchy...

Looking at the face of the figure central to Waterhouse's "The Soul of the Rose" alongside the Tennyson poem it was inspired by, I found myself hooked, not just by the detail of the painting, but by the emotion it conveyed...

I am interested in the way that society works, the principles on which it is based and the interactions between these principles. Economics is indispensable for understanding society as, for one thing, it examines the use of power: an increasingly dynamic force since the emergence of democratic, market-based societies...

"The first lesson of economics is scarcity, the first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics" Sowell's words intrigue me as did the thoughts of social theorists such as Nozick and his anarcho-capitalism, Spencer's and Smiles' Social Darwinism, and the legacy of Thatcher...

It is my wish to understand the events around the world as fully as possible. In particular, I'm interested in the way economic models affect society and how they relate to political decisions: for instance, what can be done to maximize the growth of a country, and how? I strive to discern the causes behind the success of particular nations and the distribution of wealth in today's world...

Someone once said "God does not play dice". And someone else answered "Einstein, stop telling God what to do with his dice!". The concept of free will has always intrigued me. How can we decide something voluntarily if all our decisions are merely determined by electrochemical reactions between neurons in our brain, subjected to the universal laws of physics? Given the Big Bang, from that moment onwards everything happens necessarily, as a logical and causal consequence...

There are numerous prevalent issues surrounding society at present, such as political upheavals, economic crises and worldwide pollution. What interests me the most is the issue of income equality in countries...

To fully understand the wider implications of economics on a global scale, one must also understand the political and individual motivations behind people's actions. This a feat that can only truly be achieved with the study of both politics and philosophy alongside...

Human beings naturally possess desire; the desire to be inquisitive, the desire to ask and answer questions. Philosophy allows us to do this. Philosophy focuses on areas of real life that are often overlooked...

When I was about ten years old, my mother made the decision of taking me to churches of different religions. My parents, very open minded people, wanted me to form my own belief system, without external influence...

When I think of Philosophy, I see a little child looking around and wondering, asking difficult questions from their parents. Who are we? Why are we here? Does God exist? Ever since I was a little kid, I've been a divergent...

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing”. Taking this literally, it seems that wisdom is a consequence of knowing nothing. However, I believe that the extent of comprehension of the surrounding world is what makes one wise...

The ability to call into question our fundamental beliefs is surely the most powerful tool humans can possess. It is this challenging of prior knowledge that makes philosophy so irresistible to me; it seems to satisfy my long standing need for a subject which is deeper, less restricted...

I recently walked passed a homeless man who was asking for neither food nor money but for a book. He was seeking knowledge despite the adversities, he was the very embodiment of philosophy itself. For me, it is important to pursue disciplines like logic and philosophy because human beings act irrationally...

First and foremost, I am a thinker and, I believe, that already locates Philosophy at the top of my “agenda”. I take pleasure in argument and discussion, not necessarily finding the right answer since, with respect to most questions the right answer does not exist...

I view the world as a manifestation of one's beliefs, whatever way one perceives the world is how one can change it. I believe the best way to form this perception is through the rational understanding of knowledge, mind and reason...

I have always loved challenges and I expected the successful results, so over time. Whether it was rock climbing or playing chess, I realised that it is not enough for me only to practice, I also needed to delve it into the theory...

Throughout my life I have discovered an insatiable curiosity for humanity, driven by my interest in the people surrounding me. I find them fascinating: so varied and diverse, each with their own lives, histories, relationships and beliefs...

I have invariably been fascinated by speculative enquiry into topics concerned with the fundamental nature of reality, knowledge and existence. My interests are wide-ranging, yet I am always drawn to metaphysical or analytical questions concerned with of the subject at hand...

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...

Coming from an Asian culture, I have often been berated for considering anything other than STEM subjects, leading me to a path of intellectual autonomy. My interest in Philosophy therefore originates from an internal inquisitiveness and a deep appreciation of how Philosophy has had a profound effect on humanity...

What first drew me to Mathematics was the challenge of problem-solving. Simply starting with a few elementary axioms and being able to derive a single solution through various different procedures has always held a real fascination for me...

My interest in Philosophy and Politics evolved as a direct result of both academic and personal circumstances. From my personal experience as a witness in court, where I received direct support from charities and court officials, I have been drawn into the criminal justice system in a way that exposed its strengths and weaknesses...

Philosophy attempts to understand the world as a whole, but also us humans including our thoughts, language, and even the mere fact why we exist in the first place. To achieve this, philosophers ask questions and define rules on how to answer them...

I love philosophy because it examines fundamental questions like the meaning of life, morality, and knowledge in a conceptualized way. By assessing different perspectives on the human condition and challenging accepted assumptions, we embrace the complexity of the world we are living in and seek better ways of life...

My study of Bertrand Russell's 'The problems of Philosophy' first allowed me to realise Philosophy's limitless boundaries. The charm of it is being able to immerse myself in any given topic with rigorous questioning...