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Diarmuid Sheehan | Single Honours
What initially drew you to study philosophy at Trinity?
I wanted to study philosophy in Trinity because it is unlike other academic disciplines. Philosophy takes nothing for granted and tackles the most fundamental questions. Often these are the foundational assumptions of other fields such as psychology and mathematics.
As a result, in philosophy there is often no universally agreed upon, pre-established way of approaching such questions. This sets it apart from other fields. Of course, I can’t forget to mention that Trinity’s campus is beautiful and is a great environment to study in!
Which areas of philosophy have you found most interesting, and why?
I am most interested in Philosophy of Mind, particularly the problem of reconciling the way our minds seem to us ‘from the inside’ with the third-person, scientific image of the world. It’s an area in which philosophers and scientists can work together since it overlaps with psychology and cognitive science. For me, it strikes the perfect balance between abstract, theoretical arguments and empirical research.
Why do you believe studying philosophy is valuable in today's world?
Studying philosophy gives you the skills necessary to critically analyse theories and arguments. Essay writing is a large part of the course, and this teaches you how to research, as well as how to present and defend an argument. You learn how to charitably assess views that you disagree with, and how to respond to them fairly. I think that the ability to analyse arguments and present them clearly is a valuable skill that can be applied to any field of study, as well as to life in general.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying philosophy at Trinity?
I would recommend philosophy to anyone who is interested in understanding arguments and ideas. Philosophy can sometimes seem difficult at first, but don’t be put off. The best way to understand it is to immerse yourself in it – read as much as you can and engage with professors and classmates. Once you have learned how to read philosophical texts, you gain an increased sense of confidence in approaching new material.
Alice Gogarty | Joint Honours
What initially drew you to studying philosophy at Trinity?
I moved to philosophy from a physics course. Having decided hard science was not for me, I was looking for a subject in the humanities that would satisfy the same curiosity about the world that led me to physics in the first place. I especially wanted to learn how to express that curiosity in words. Philosophy, with its many questions theories and arguments, seemed like a good fit for that. Having decided on the subject, I felt that Trinity’s campus with its city-centre location would be a wonderful environment to study in for the four years of the degree.
Which areas of philosophy have you found most interesting, and why?
My first encounter with a topic that really interested my was in our first-year history of philosophy module, when we covered George Berkeley's idealism. The theory argues that the whole of the material exterior world is in fact an idea experienced inside one's mind. I was also intrigued by our philosophy of religion module, and in particular by an argument for the existence of God which used theories of physics as supporting evidence...
Since then, I have tried to keep these two strands of interest open and see where they lead me. There are links to many different areas of philosophy there of course, such as phenomenology, or philosophy of mind, but more recently the two strands have intertwined in leading me to become interested in issues of relativism and philosophy of science, which I'm now considering for the subject of my capstone project (dissertation). Trying to understand how different methods of inquiry can influence our experience of the world is, at its core, another way of asking what the relation is between the individual and the world, and that is a key question in philosophy for me.
Why do you believe studying philosophy is valuable in today's world?
Philosophy as a discipline lies at the root of many fields of study which are today considered separate. Physics, politics, psychology, to name but a few. Importantly, philosophy also gives us the tools to analyse new questions that are just now beginning to emerge, and which may prove critical in the near future - the obvious example being the development of Artificial Intelligence, an emerging technology which has breathed life into many complex ethical problems about identity, art, language, workers rights, and what it means to be human.
Philosophy is an examination of ourselves and the world around us, and in studying it we enrich our understanding and experience of both those things. The long and short of it is that the study of philosophy is valuable simply because it is interesting. It is a window into the human mind, an age-old discipline that has endured millennia, and we are still asking many of the same questions we began with ; is that not curious in and of itself ?
What advice would you give someone considering studying philosophy at Trinity?
Research the course, make sure you know what kind of modules are on offer and whether they’re to your taste or not. Check out the department website for that sort of information. Similarly, be aware that the department here has a focus on the analytic tradition. If you are new to philosophy do that research but don’t worry too much about this (I myself started a blank slate and have enjoyed myself immensely), but it’s no harm to do your research and gauge your interest by reading up on the topics involved.
Other than that just read read read! Absorb as much philosophy as you can and figure out what kind of stuff interests you sooner rather than later. In my own experience, it’s also possible to reach out to the department if you want further details or even reading recommendations from the faculty as a prospective student.
Harry Loftus | Joint Honours
What initially drew you to study philosophy at Trinity?
I have always found myself attracted to questions that I later discovered were philosophical ones. Before choosing my degree, I came across arguments by philosophers that fundamentally changed my view of the world. I did not know what I career I wanted to pursue, but I did know that I wanted to purse philosophy further. I chose to study at Trinity because it seemed to have a strong department of philosophy and a good reputation in the subject. Its city central location and beautiful campus are also special.
Which areas of philosophy have you found most interesting, and why?
Over the course of my degree I have grown a very broad interest that encapsulates many domains of philosophy. I now appreciate how it all ties together. Despite this I have always found social philosophy, political philosophy, and ethics the most interesting and immediately important areas. In the end, I am interested in the state of the social world, its problems, and where we should stand on them. This is also why I paired philosophy with sociology in a joint honour’s degree.
Why do you believe studying philosophy is valuable in today's world?
I believe studying philosophy is important today because philosophy forces us to critically evaluate our most fundamental beliefs about the world. The world is in a precarious state and a “business as usual” normative political position is no longer sustainable. I think societies need to step back and re-evaluate their foundational assumptions in order to steer a just and sustainable course across the terrain ahead. This type of foundational change in thought and orientation towards the world is exactly what philosophy facilitates.
What advice would you give someone considering studying philosophy at Trinity?
I would say that there are many different traditions and ways of doing philosophy across the globe. The philosophy done in Europe and the US whose intellectual heritage originates in ancient Greece constitutes the ‘core’ of philosophy no more than any other tradition. Because the Trinity philosophy department is a Western analytic philosophy department, be mindful that there are many other worthwhile traditions outside the curriculum that warrant your attention.
I would also say to go to lecturers’ office hours frequently. I did not do this until my final year because I thought that you must be well prepared to go to office hours. This is not the case. Lecturers are friendly folk, and you will accelerate and broaden your learning by attending them.
Finally, when writing assignments, if you are interested in an issue and lean towards a particular position on it, adopt that position and argue for it regardless of whether you think the lecturer will ultimately disagree with you. Lecturers should recognise a good argument when they see one and you will develop more by arguing for a position that has a bit of you behind it.