My time in Shannon Atkinsons Philosophy 1000 class has made me consider the

importance of logical argument in philosophy as a practice. The things Ive learned about the

myriad of philosophers and their teachings in class and in my studies have helped shape my

perspective on the topic. My own philosophies about life and the condition we inhabit are more

finely tuned than what I had previous to entering the class. Throughout the experience Ive

broadened philosophies Ive understood, and ripened newer ones I hadnt considered or even

given the time of day for. Ive enjoyed considering and commenting on several topical trains of

thought regarding the philosophies of scholars from the practice.

Class discussions were as thought provoking as they were comprehensive. Much of the

material that we would address; we would then attribute it to things we perceive in our daily

lives. It was good discuss, because it would expand upon certain concepts that could have easily

gone right over my head had I not participated in trying to comprehend the material. My

instructor was very engaging and could always get our class into a deliberation about the topic.

Naturally, there were very many differing viewpoints each individual class-mate had going into

the course. It was interesting to see everyones side of the proverbial coin. I feel like perhaps

some view points were altered, or re-enforced due to the engagement of the class that Mr.

Atkinson had so well retained throughout the semester.

One thing Ive learned about my comprehension on the subject is that many

philosophers share similar perspectives. Each throws their own style and unique spins on the

overall arc that philosophy in general conceptualizes. There were plenty of times where I felt

overwhelmed with one philosophers ideas, where perhaps I may have not seen the overall
message, or they truly could have had convoluted ideas. I felt at times that crash coursing

through different philosophies was not building upon my prior knowledge or experience in the

matter, but even if I have not retained all that has been taught, I was broadening my

comprehension on the subject as a whole.

This semester was challenging for me due to unseen events transpiring in my personal

life, leaving me with a lack of motivation in my studies and putting my attention elsewhere.

Looking back, I realize that I may be toying with my future success by undermining my time

dedicated to my school work. I know that I have the ability to succeed and Im confident in that,

but when I place my mental energies on things that wont matter in my personal progress, Im

only weighing myself down. It has been a learning experience to be challenged in my studies by

attending this philosophy class. I know that if I never lose sight of my goals and keep pressing

forward, theres no way I wont succeed. For me, it takes hard lessons for me to break habits

and realize my potential. This class in a sense was a good teacher in that respect. Personally I

want to work harder to retain more information and feel more involved in my studies than I am

currently.

My instructor Shannon Atkinson was fantastic. He truly helped me understand the

philosophies we had gone over. Every class period was ripe with discussion and he was the fuel

to the fire in a sense. He would clarify rather vague stances some philosophers would take,

which in turn helped me retain more information, and also at times suspended my disbelief in

the philosophers teachings. It was a lot of fun participating in this class due to the nature of the

discussions taking place. A lot of my personal revelations were challenged, some were vilified,
but mostly I had constructed a larger understanding of how to think like a philosopher. This

class has provided me valuable experiences within the class, and the material that was being

taught. Im very thankful for having such a master of philosophy take me through the ins and

outs of the textbook. Without Mr. Atkinsons support and dedication to the class, I may have

not gotten so much out of it as I did. I enjoyed so much about this class; I just wish that I had

spent more time studying than goofing off. At this point in my academic career, I feel as if I

need to re-evaluate my practices in schooling and consider truly dedicating myself to my

progress. Im still rather new to college and am dealing with some rather large burdens that I

had no previous knowledge of, but I feel like this is a turning point for me. Ive never been more

ready to seize the day so to speak. I just hope that my classes could reach the level of

engagement that this course had. Ive had such a wonderful experience broadening my

philosophic horizons.