Philosophical Reflection Essay

In the words of Socrates, the Great Greek philosopher, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living†. One of the major things that distinguish man from other animals is his ability to ruminate. To be is to be conscious and to be conscious means to be fully aware and thoughtful. In a world where different belief systems are flying around, man needs to test all things and hold on to that which is certain. We should pattern our lives in such a way that we separate truth from illusion and make decisions after careful or critical consideration. Philosophical reflection is the careful examination of life situations. This involves the weighing of several alternatives and using specific standards to evaluate one’s actions. A man reflects philosophically when he is able to build on previous actions, events, or decisions. This essential attribute spells the difference between man and other lower animals whose basis of action is their feeling. Making an assessment of my life, i will say that philosophical reflection has been a part of my life. I learnt the importance of making the right choices early in life. My father used to tell me; â€Å"You are what you do†. I guess this made me develop a cautious attitude towards making decisions and evaluating issues before coming to a conclusion. I have grown up to see things from different points of view. I do not accept a view because of who said it, rather, i put all things into scrutiny in order to hold on to that which is true. Before making a decision, i draw up a probable conclusion on the eventualities and weigh up the effect of my actions. I believe the wisest of men can learn from a fool and in view of this, i do not write-off anybody. I carefully and critically examine a pre-existing belief before incorporating it as my belief system. As i have discovered, many of the things people believe are lies and illusions. I do not attach sentiments to whatever i do because this will lead my judgement astray. Reference: