Philosophy Reflection: Course Reflection on Beliefs and Social Change

This assignment is a reflective essay exploring the student's understanding and application of philosophy. The student begins by discussing their personal learning journey, highlighting key philosophical concepts and theories, such as Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" and the importance of questioning beliefs. The essay then delves into how the student's philosophical understanding has improved, emphasizing the significance of both empirical and ethical approaches. Furthermore, the student connects their learning to the potential for social change, arguing that questioning traditional values is crucial. The essay references course materials and personal insights to illustrate the evolution of the student's philosophical perspective and its relevance to improving life and contributing to positive social change, as defined by Walden University. The student also references various philosophical concepts and how they have influenced their thinking.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY
UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s note

1UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is one of the subjects that enable us to think, ponder over our actions and think about
the ideas and beliefs. There are various theories of knowledge which enables us to think, analyze
and conceptualize various ideologies. The thesis statement is the understanding and application
of philosophy. The personal learning is followed by the field of philosophy and its use in
improving life and lastly how can the knowledge help in social change.
There are several things that can be learned from philosophy one is the understanding and
acquiring of knowledge maybe universal but its interpretation and rationale behind the ideology
may differ entirely. Personally I have come to understand that the mind can exist independently
of the body. The mind is a soul of the person. “I think therefore I am” was propositioned by René
Descartes. Thinking is an important factor which enables a person to understand and address
their issues, through which they can question their beliefs (Balakrishnan, 2018). Descartes has
allowed to refute and doubt our senses and has stated that our reasoning maybe wrong and even
flawed but it is always important to understand and question our thinking. Since mind is the
byproduct of the brain therefore the following statement makes sense.
My personal understanding of the philosophy has improved for I have learned that it is
important to understand and rationalize the concepts. The metaphysical aspect is also something
to consider and think about. While I believe there is a higher being who is powerful, the
metaphysical aspect is something that I believe in. The ontological issues about the aspects such
as if God exists and the way we are governed by our values is something I have learnt are some
aspects that influences our philosophical thinking and ideologies (Adorno, 2015).
One of the main things that I have learnt and I can use to improve my life is to use both
empirical and ethics. While I do support the value theory which is deeply rooted in the ethical
treatment of an idea I do believe that the empirical treatment allows a rational solution to the

2UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY
issues that may otherwise never be solved by just using ethical concepts (Kolnai, 2017).
However there are issues which are far more complex in nature that cannot be rationalized by
rationalizing. Such as the body and mind concept, is a grey area that cannot be solved so easily.
In improving my life I think the primary aspect is to use both theories while analyzing certain
aspects.
Social change is a gradual process and one of the primary reason that causes social
change is the questioning of the traditional value that has been passed from generation to
generation. The primary aspect that can initiate change is the understanding that change is
required in the first place. I think it is important to question and doubt traditional values and
philosophies and equate them with this time and age and actually check their relevance (Levin,
2019). Therefore I believe one of the most important factor necessary for social change is to
question practices and reason its validity. If the values do not seem to resonate with my own
beliefs then I think I can initiate in social change.

3UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY
Reference
Adorno, T. W. (2015). Metaphysics: concept and problems. John Wiley & Sons.
Balakrishnan, V. S. (2018). The birth of consciousness: I think, therefore I am?. The Lancet
Neurology, 17(5), 402.
Kolnai, A. (2017). Ethics, value, and reality. Routledge.
Levin, D. M. (2019). The listening self: Personal growth, social change and the closure of
metaphysics. Routledge.