Philosophy and Religion Personal Statement Example

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. That was my very first step into a deeper understanding of the world and life itself, by observing the differences between dogmas and their approach to life. This made me more curious about other countries’ and religions’ perspectives over big questions, such as “where humanity came from?” and “what happens after death?”. I could not find a creed with which I could totally agree, but instead I developed a thirst for knowledge that ascended into a passion.

Since these subjects were not part of my school classes, I started to do my own research. My mother was the one who gave me a university textbook called “The history of religions” which strengthened my knowledge base. Soon, I have made the connection between Religion and Philosophy, discovering their common ground. My main purpose became finding the right answers for all the life’s unanswered questions. Over the years, I have read books and articles, watched documentaries, everything that could help me gain more information to understand how this world works. I discovered a lot of connections between religions that apparently have little in common, such as Christianity and Buddhism. Learning about Indian philosophy made me realize that the concept of Heaven and Hell is just another way of perceiving reincarnation and karma. Even though their roots are in different places on Earth, the essence is always the same. I was surprised to find that Indian philosophy is similar to Pantheism, a theology and philosophy based on the work of Baruch Spinoza. I concluded that everything is connected, every philosophy and religion highlights different aspects of life and my wish is to learn and understand each of them.

Having an analytical and objective thinking skill helped me a lot in my daily life and relationships with people. I have been doing volunteer work for five years at “YMCA” and “Interact Club” and I have also been the vice-president of “Pupils’ School Council” in my high school. Through our projects, not only we helped our community, but also targeted the young generation and tried to teach them traits such as kindness, acceptance, self-knowledge and open-mindedness. I have gained team-working abilities by cooperating with people with totally different personalities while my leadership abilities flourished not only by practicing, but also by taking a leadership training organized by “John Maxwell Team”. Apart from volunteering, one of my hobbies is painting. Participating at two summer painting camps organized by “Alexandru Șainelic” Plastic Artist Association, which I am member of, I understood that art, like philosophy, reflects reality in its relation to man. It depicts man, his spiritual world, and the relations between individuals in their interaction with the world.

Initially, my plans for university had not included neither Philosophy, nor Religion. Out of curiosity, I took a peek at the Philosophy and Religion courses structure and their modules and it was then when I have fallen immediately in love. Suddenly my passion, which I considered to be only a hobby, transformed into a future path that could lead not only to professional success, but also to my own happiness. Upon completing my degree I wish either to continue my study of philosophy to a higher postgraduate level, or pursue training and a career as a teacher of philosophy. I have never been so sure about something as I am now, and this is the main reason why I am applying for this course. I believe that the courses offered by UK universities in this field of research match my needs the best. I am looking forward to studying in the UK, where I could benefit of a high-quality education, and also gaining more knowledge in order to understand the world.