Philosophy Class Holds Art Gallery Exhibit

By Caroline New
M&M staffer

“Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don't know.” (Bertrand, Russell)

So how can you study such a fickle topic as this? These are the things that the Duke TIP philosophy class at the University of Georgia ponder on a daily basis. Philosophy is the study of truth, beauty, existence, knowledge, language, and reality, all erratic matters that take deep thought and deliberation. The class is taught by Summar Sparks.

“I have been so surprised by how quickly [the students] have caught on to everything,"she said. "They’ve worked really hard.” Though this is the first time UGA has hosted a Duke TIP program, the philosophy has been taught at Appalachian State University, before, where it was quite popular. The Duke TIP students had to take either the SAT or ACT and score high enough to be accepted. All of the classes here are designed so that gifted students may learn in an environment that fits their needs.

“It’s interesting how being in a class with so many smart people can really change the way you think,” said Sarah Claypoole.

During the first week, the class mainly focused on two major braches of philosophy: metaphysics and epistemology, setting the tone for the next three weeks.

“Metaphysics has become the study of the fundamental nature of all reality — what is it, why is it, and how are we can understand it. Some treat metaphysics as the study of “higher” reality or the “invisible” nature behind everything, but that isn’t true. It is, instead, the study of all of reality, visible and invisible; and what constitutes reality, natural and supernatural.” (Cline, Austin)

Metaphysics has a lot to do with religion, and can pertain to many modern day issues, making it an important theme to study.

On the other side, epistemology is more of a mental issue than a spiritual, but they bothe tie into each other.

“The study of epistemology focuses on our means for acquiring knowledge and how we can differentiate between truth and falsehood.” (Cline, Austin)

In the week after, they visited the Georgia Museum of Natural History and the archives. Here the class focused on the different influences over history on certain subjects, and how their meanings have changed since then.

Although this field trip took place in the second week, it pertained mostly to the lessons of the first week. After this study was done, they began to reach even deeper, discussing morals and ethics. This topic brought up other subjects like activism, politics, and movements, and current events were often brought up during class.

“If you think about it,” said Olivia Baker, “Everything has philosophy behind it.” One of their activities was to create a “Utopian High School.”

One student commented that, when considered, this project may turn out to be more difficult than you might imagine because there are so many factors to consider, and it is each person’s individual opinion whether or not one choice is better than another.

During the last week, the class narrowed their views to one branch of philosophy, known as aesthetics. Aesthetics is “a critical reflection on art, culture, and nature” (Bruyn, Severyn).

The visit during the second week to the Natural History Museum first opened the students’ eyes to this subject. Although this may seem like a limited matter to discuss, there are many aspects that can be considered, such as “How do you determine the value of art?” or “ Does it have a subjective or objective meaning?” For this analysis, the students created their own art and displayed it in an art show.

Each exhibit had a paragraph written by the students explaining the philosophical motivation behind it. Many of the pieces followed certain trends, such as the theme of “Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder,” many of which contained eyes with mirror pupils, however, a few students came up with their own unique ideas, such as Sarah Claypoole’s “Puzzling Expressions" and Olivia Baker’s “Give Peace a Chance.” Another popular drift was, “Is What We See Real or Are We Dreaming?” an idea proposed by French philosopher, René Descartes.

Devyn Post attempted to condense his ideas into a nutshell. “He basically believed that we can never be sure if anything is real. We could be awake, or we could be sleeping. Who knows if this is all a dream?”

Attending the art show were staff and administration from the camp. Each student had a chance to present their creation and explain the meaning behind it. David Younker, academic coordinator of the UGA Duke TIP campus, said, “I was surprised by the variety of approaches and influences the students used.”

Overall, the students are glad that they had the opportunity to study this concentrated subject.

Devyn Post laughed when asked how this class has affected her.

“I’ll never be able to think ‘right’ again. Nothing has face value anymore, it’s so much more than that. My thoughts will never be the same.”