Idiots or Heroes of Wisdom?

Today was quite a day. I went back to school to attend the first lecture of PHL100Y (Introduction to Philosophy). Huixuan’s taking the course and Prof. Mark Kingwell is teaching it. Mark Kingwell was my first year philosophy prof back in 1998 in Scarborough Campus. And he was the most amazing instructor I ever had. He wasn’t necessarily the best instructor cos I’ve had several excellent profs in my undergrad years. But he was the most distinctive. He shaved his head back then and he would come to class clad in Armani suits, fresh and sharp every class at 9a.m. He used to always begin lecture on time and end on the hour without fail. His no-nonsense attitude and occassionally “take-no-prisoners” questioning was intimidating for those who did not take his class seriously. But there was no doubting his brilliance, eloquence, charisma, passion about the subject or his ability to address practically any question posed to him. He was hard to please, and even harder to impress…but never unreasonably. I used to rave so much about him to my first year housemate Sandy that she would teasingly refer to him as “my” Prof Kingwell. Well, I admit quite unabashedly that he had a big role to play in instilling my interest in philosophy. Today I got a chance to see him in action again…7 years after I was a student in his class. Today’s Prof Kingwell was very different in appearance from the sharp-dresser I remembered. He sauntered into Isabel Baden Theatre wearing t-shirt & bermudas. And strangest of all to me, he had hair. And he seemed milder of manner now, and he smiles more easily. But within minutes of him speaking, I was assured that beneath the strikingly different facade is the heart and mind of the same man who made me excited about philosophy all those years ago.

He spoke of three kinds of students today… the Thief who refuses to commit to study, stealing from him/herself the opportunity for true learning. The Broker who tries at every opportunity to make a deal… to clock the minimum requirements needed to pass the course or ‘do well’… the student who takes a course with the mind of Danny Ocean (running a caper). And there is the Lover… the student who throws him/herself into the subject, who commits and falls in love. He said something else about Philosophy…something I had heard from him 7 years ago, and then again spoken by Prof. Michael Vertin (in slightly different phrasing). He said, “Philosophy is a subject and a rigorous academic discipline. But even more basic than that, philosophy is a way of life and a way of reflecting about life.” Hearing that re-struck a chord deep within me, reminding me again of the reason I had embarked on my chosen path. Philosophy can be found deep in the foundation of practically every other discipline, and philosophy challenges each discipline to continually reflect on its own validity, purpose and function in the world. Attending that class today was akin to flipping through an old photo album and being reminded of the first exciting months of a long-term love affair. Philein Sofia… love of wisdom. Kingwell said something else at the end of the class, “In this class you will learn about logic, argumentation and how to make good arguments. You will read great thinkers and become familiar with several texts. But beyond all that knowledge, I hope that through this course you will also gain wisdom. And that is something different in kind from knowledge.” I don’t know if I’m any wiser for having studied philosophy these years, but I have most certainly garnered a deeper appreciation of the nuances of life. I cannot imagine my life without philosophy. As shallow as my understanding of it is, it has shaped my mind, my work, and my life.