The Art of Philosophy 🌸

Name: Farzana Rahman Prity

ID: 23301614

The word “Philosophy” originated from the Greek word “Philosophia” – meaning the love of wisdom. As per the title, I consider it to be an art since it is an art of the literary expression of the realities and the mysteries of not only the world but also the universe perceived by the philosopher himself.

Who is a philosopher?

 

Have you ever wondered who a philosopher is? Only those who are intelligent or possess an academic degree on the subject? Wrong. That’s the beauty of philosophy as everyone can be one at any point of their lives as long as they have the thirst for knowledge. They identify as philosophers the very moment they start to question; starting from existence to the cosmic level. They question everything and try to find answers in order to quench their thirsts.

Writer Richard Schain wrote in his book, “A philosopher who has not experienced life in its many manifestations is like a composer who has never heard music.”

My metamorphosis

 

It all started in 2020, right after my SSC vacation when all I could do was fiddle with the internet because of the covid-19 lockdown. I was just like every other girl, fun-loving, childish but good at heart. But then, life hit me like a train wreck. Grieving the loss of so many people, not being able to go outside to see the sun, in short; LIFE happened. In that time period I realized that life isn’t all flowers and honey. That’s when I saw the true nature of life itself. At first, I was disheartened but slowly I realized that this is what makes me feel alive. The struggles highlight the joys of my life. It’s like, I never knew the value of light because I was never in darkness to begin with. Also, not to mention the typical teenage heartbreak that most of us go through. During that time, I was mostly alone. I started brainstorming from a third person perspective. I felt like a different person. You might find it funny, but I actually named myself. I was so alone that I would talk to that version of myself. I was co-existing. 2 personalities in the same body. Cool, isn’t it? Don’t feel creeped out! Hahaha...I am not alone. Carl Gustavo Jung, a famous writer and philosopher had similar issues like me from a very young age who also wrote a few books about it.

My first persona is just me, the silly me. And I named my second persona, “DELUNARIUS”. Here, Luna means moon and Denarius means silver coins. I felt like the moon, who didn’t have light of her own yet, she possessed value. I merged the words together and voila! This was my metamorphosis. And I believe it hasn’t been completed yet. There’s a third persona under construction which would be the most perfect. I haven’t named her yet. For now, I refer to these 3 personalities of mine as the holy “TRINITY”.

Tick..Tick..THINK!!

 

Whenever I feel bored, I love to think. As the most intelligent species on earth, I feel like using my brain to its maximum is a must. Whether it’s simply on my way home in a local bus or at 3am staring at my ceiling, I think. It makes me feel more real. I start thinking from the smallest issue to the cosmic level. I think of my parents, friends, loved ones, pets, strangers etc. I like to think from their perspectives. It’s really fun. Then I start questioning reality itself. Is it even real? Or is it some dream we’re living in? Is it even my dream or someone else’s? Is this universe a simulation? Am I real? Are you real? Hmm…

French mathematician Rene Descartes also had similar questions. That’s when he coined his famous words,

“Cogito, ergo sum.” (Latin: I think, therefore I am.)

He doubts everything because the human brain is very easily tricked. But he believes that he is real because in order to doubt something there needs to be a conscious mind, a distinct awareness. As he continues to think, he verifies to himself that he is indeed real.

There are countless optical illusions on the internet so spare me the effort to put the picture here. You have got the internet, right? Search them up yourself! Go trick your brains.

Some philosophical ideas

 

If you guys are interested in this topic, here are some links of the blogs and videos that might excite you and make you open up to more ideas and perspectives.

·   Reality: https://philosophybreak.com/articles/i-think-therefore-i-am-descartes-cogito-ergo-sum-explained/

·   Taoism: https://einzelganger.co/category/philosophy/taoism-philosophy/

·   Simulation hypothesis:

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/are-we-living-simulated-universe-here-s-what-scientists-say-ncna1026916

·   Consciousness: https://youtu.be/b9eqxqF1gkw  

·   Stoicism: https://youtu.be/EFkyxzJtiv4

·   Crash course philosophy: https://youtu.be/1A_CAkYt3GY

·   Nihilism: https://youtu.be/2wl0dMFX-4A

·   Confucianism: https://youtu.be/302KbxxJDbE

My philosophy

 

Basically, my philosophy in life is to do well and be good to people. My beliefs are not limited to any religion, age old traditions or myths. Just like our poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, I am also a believer of “মানবধর্ম”. I love to help people and accept them for who they are. Besides, my metamorphosis helped me understand who I truly am. In that context, my grandfather once told me,

“যতই তুমি বলো জিবনটা খুবই সোজা, এই জগৎে সবচেয়ে কঠিন নিজের মধ্যে নিজেকে খোঁজা।”

(Translation: “No matter how much you say that this life is easy, the most difficult of all is to find the ‘you’ in yourself.”)

After many years, I have started to grasp what he really meant. Maybe it is called the universe for a reason. Because, there is a small universe within you. That’s why it's called the “YOU-NIVERSE”. (pun intended!) What if the purpose of life is to unveil the mystery that resides in our consciousness? I guess we will never know. We need to find ourselves first in order to progress deeper into the unknown. 

Lastly, what drives me?

 

Aside from that, this reality drives me. My ever existing consciousness and awareness drives me. This thirst for questions, not answers- drives me. I do not need answers, I just love to question and chase after the known and the unknown ideas of the universe. Chasing after all of these, I'm running wild. There's a lot of hurdles in front of me and I overcame some. I get bruised but I keep running. My tongue is out like a smiling fox, it keeps running against the wind. All of these drive my brain. All of these drive me.

I usually do not talk or write about these because some of the topics are quite controversial and uncommon. People often disregard me as a weird person. So, I hope you guys take it lightly and read it as a fun blog. I am really thankful to my faculty of ENG101 course for giving me the opportunity to put the words of my heart into letters and present it before everyone. If any of you are further interested in this matter, I’m always here to talk.

Thank you for reading this, everybody. Farzana Rahman, signing off.

 

Autobiography

 

This blog was written by a student of BRAC University named Farzana Rahman Prity. The young author was born in 2004, originally from Barisal who grew up in Dhaka. She completed her SSC from Mohammadpur Preparatory School & College, HSC from Dhaka City College and is currently an undergraduate in the CSE department. This was her first ever blog called “The art of philosophy” where she wanted to show the readers something different; a fragment of her chaotic mind that she truly enjoys.