Walking through library

This Wednesday in my “Creativity and Innovation” class my professor asks us to just roam around the central library, go anywhere, in any section of the library but remember aimlessly. Pick up any book which attracts you and just give 30 to 45 minutes to read that book (before leaving the class my professor also formed a group of 4/5 students). After reading the book he directed us to go to any cafeteria nearby and discuss what book you choose, why you choose that book, and what did you read among your group members.

So when I was roaming around the library I came across a philosophy book titled “Thinking Through Philosophy” by Chris Horner & Emrys Westacott. The title attracted me. I couldn’t say I was roaming aimlessly because when I entered the library there was something in my mind which was constantly telling me to go to the philosophy section of the library. I think this happened due to my “Introduction to Philosophy” elective course which I had taken earlier in my 4th semester.

I started reading the preface of the book. As philosophy starts with the questions, the writer asks 5 questions in the beginning :

1. When I make what feels like a free choice, am I really acting freely?
2. What explains the astonishing progress of science in modern times?
3. In the age of science, is it irrational to be religious?
4. When we say that racism is morally wrong, are we stating an objective truth or are just explaining our personal feelings?
5. What is it about art that we value, apart from the pleasure it gives?

Then the writer goes on asking more questions and why should we read philosophy, what is the limitation of this book etc.

After reading the preface I started reading the first chapter of the book. It was on Metaphysics. First, the book tells about the origin of the term metaphysics then it defines what metaphysics is. Book says metaphysics starts where physics ends. It asks basic questions about the nature of reality for e.g. Is there a difference between the things appear to us and the way they actually are? Is everything that happens predetermined? If so does this rule out the possibility of our making genuinely free choices?

40 minutes got over and we went to the cafeteria. One of my group members had read about the Kashmir issue, one about the history of photography and the last one about the subjectivism. Then we had long discussions and these topics and various others…