We discussed the reason why we choose philosophy as a major, and I wrote one blog to response that question. For me, the answer is quite simple. I want to be a better person. But how? After studying philosophy for three years, I gradually find out that it is impossible for us to grow up as a better person only through higher education, even though we are studying philosophy. So what? Giving up what we are studying and to take a major that could make our life much easier in the future? Not really, the cues are buried in the philosophical theories and the ancient wisdoms provide us answer.
I would say the most important part of an adult, obviously we are all adults, to be a better person is to make virtues of friends. I am a person that is easily influenced by the environment, especially the people around me. In other words, my close friends usually have the most influence on my decisions. And I would feel really ashamed and guilty when my friend thought that what I had done is not good, or even bad. (That's why I really agree with the symposium. It works on myself.) And people usually get together with the group that is similar to them, so they tend to be acted as the same as their friends.
And, the second essential element for an adult to improve him-/herself, is the community. We live in one unit community and we share lots of characteristics with the people who lived in the community. In Tessa's discussion, bystander effect has a lager chance to happen when more than one person on the spot. We tend to think we are wrong when the majority have the different reaction with us. That's an interesting psychological phenomenon, the community we lived in could shape us both in a good or negative way.
Lastly, I thought, the law could play a role in the process that we become a better person. Obey the law usually makes us to be a "good citizen". But is the good person means the person best fits into the frame that designed by the society or the "governors"? The pre-requirement is that the law we are obeying is justice. But how could we judge whether a law is justice? Or could we just say the person is not a good person even though the law he/she break is justice? The law is not a way to judge people, even though it always a role like this. But I would prefer to say the law is something that could guide people. Its influences on people should be similar as the religions. People who hold a true believe hardly break a law. It is hard to say the law of ancient Greek is just or unjust. I used to think the law in ancient Greek is quite unreasonable, as it allowed the citizen to "kill" Socrates. And I was quite confused why Socrates did not choose to leave. Finally, I understand, that is because of his belief and the love of his hometown (yes, he loved his hometown sincerely and deeply) lead him to obey the law and accept the outcomes. Laws could never be perfectly justice, and the existing law somethings are best fitting the current situations. And also, on the way of improving the law, we also improve ourselves, better understanding the law, and better understanding of the community we are living.
