Introductory Philosphy Course for Business Major

A non-business course which I found particularly interesting and significant is that of an introductory philosophy course. Presented as a survey course, the class touched on major philosophical thought, including major religions as well as major thinkers from Aristotle to Sartre.

This class was eye-opening to me because it helped me to understand the wide range of influences that come together to form cultural differences. The ways in which one culture interacts with another (and the ways in which members of one culture interact with each other) are influenced by the underlying philosophies of that culture. Coming to the United States from Taiwan, I am particularly concerned with cultural differences, and discovering the roots of various philosophical influences has helped me become more aware of the ways in which interaction takes place.

This is not to suggest that the course was comprehensive with regard to each of the subjects we covered; instead, we were left with a broad overview of various philosophies and their influences, but with a strong understanding of how philosophy shapes our daily lives, even among those individuals who express no interest in philosophy.

What I discovered as part of the course is that philosophy does not need to be restricted to a classroom setting, but that in fact, it influences our daily lives, our economic situations, and our political choices. Those individuals who have a theocentric philosophy may take a different approach to their bu

Related Essays

Hypnotherapy GENERAL INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT Hypno Hypnotherapy is a viable and well proven form of therapy (Baker, 1990). However, several studies have suggested that public attitudes .... (7830 31 )

Effects of Performance Evaluation Process General Introductory A research study is proposed that will examine the effects of of the performance evaluation process on the perceptions and attitudes of employees toward their .... (2768 11 )

America's Health Care Environment in the 1990s INTRODUCTION Dynamic change characterizes the American health care environment in the 1990s. Within such an environment, care providers and support .... (2404 10 )

TQM in Facilities Design & Consruction Firms INTRODUCTION This study examined the effects of total quality management (TQM) programs on organizational performance in facilities design and construction firms. .... (9268 37 )

The New Kraft Mango Marinade Marketing Plan .... placing the product. Another promotional strategy is the introductory coupon designed to be used on the new product only. The coupon .... (568 2 )

of the teachers and students was different than what I was used to. At the same time, I was also learning about American culture as a whole, and was coming to terms with the many influences in the culture that are exciting and different to foreigners, but which also detract from focusing on the education. Within a relatively short time, however, I was also able to see that although the approaches to education were different between Taiwan and the United States, with much more emphasis on the individual in the United States taking responsibility for education, even at the secondary school level, the end result of a good education could be achieved under both systems. Because I was faced with language difficulties as well as with the challenges and excitement of a new country, I had to become very task-oriented in high school. Where my new friends had learned under the American system throughout their lives, I had to adjust to the idea that I was largely responsible for my education. Although I had good study habits in Taiwan, I also had fewer distractions since I was not trying to adapt to a new country and since I was already familiar with the language. These distractions actually enhanced my education since I believe I have a

Category: Personal - I