“For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher, since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy.” ― Plato, Theaetetus

2/3/2013

Hi everyone! Please send your comments/entries on the quote above. You have until Sat., Feb 16. Late contributions will not be receive a grade. Please remember to post the same text on MANAGEbac (go to your ToK profile and click on JOURNAL, which should be on the right-hand side of the screen) and to SIGN the entry. Enjoy!

22 Comments

Ms. Jackson

2/13/2013 09:56:00 pm

This is awesome!!

Caifeng Li

2/16/2013 08:17:29 am

As we know, wonder is considered as one of the human's emotion. When people have a feeling of wonder, it will arouse people's interest and made people started to thinking about these things, as they keep exploring, they will finally find out something or make some conclusion, what they thought is the most evaluable thing that a philosopher had. Also as a philosopher, they won’t explore something that insignificant, which mean it must have something to caught their attention, to make them feel confusion, they will begin to wonder, because they not only observe things by exterior. It the same like us in the TOK class, we got one forth picture in group of four, each group can only listening other groups information and base on our own picture to rebuild the picture. When we first saw the picture, we began to wonder, because we lost lots of information, but one thing we can sure that it is a bird in the middle, so base on our assuming, finally we rebuild the picture with other groups. It told us everyone can be a philosopher as they begin to wonder, because as you feel wondering, you will finally get your own conclusion, that what a philosopher should have.

I Gede Raka Gemilang link

2/17/2013 11:31:30 am

Indeed it is. What, who, where ,when ,why, and how, 5Ws and 1H will not come up to our mind if we don't start wondering about things around us.
Wondering about things, is also the reason we have beliefs and values, although it may differ, depends on our background and knowledges we have. The knowledge we obtained from us wondering about something, we call it as a philosophy. The thing happened to Aristotles as he wondered how and why things happened. His knowledges, proven and justified, are the knowledges we would call as philosophies.
But then, as time goes by, we did not realize that questions we asked everyday starts with the word "wonder", we forgot that we are doing the same thing as what Aristotles has been doing. Sometimes we underestimate most of the questions, or too lazy to think it through. Only few of us realized the importance, and earned Nobel Prize!

My point from this commentary is that we should not stop "wondering", and consider the chances of finding a bigger answer to bigger questions from smaller questions. Who knows, the small questions might relate to each other and answers a big question which may solve the monetary crisis that happened to some countries around the globe ?

Tuva Børsheim

2/24/2013 07:12:29 am

I woulnt say that you become a philosopher by wondering. A philosopher do wonders, but more about bigger questions like "why do humans have souls", or something like that.
Everybody wonders during their life, but more about everyday questions. But the quote has a kind of truth in it; if you define philosophy as knowledge, I agree that you have to experiment something and wonder about it before you can fully understand it.

Kasitsak Chupongstimun

2/15/2013 07:15:26 am

Everything starts at a beginning, no matter how it progresses or ends. Stories, events, or even hopes have a beginning. Even the most famous celebrities have a beginning of their career, where they are not yet well-known like they are today. Everything starts at a humble beginning and progresses as time goes by; it depends whether or not they meet a successful future. The same goes with philosophers; the thinking people who wonder about all sorts of curious topics. Philosophers start at the beginning of wondering. They then develop their wonders in to steady ideas and theories, which lead to philosophy. The feeling of wonder indicates that you are starting to become a philosopher; wondering will ignite the philosophy within you. To become a philosopher, you only need to wonder.
To me, personally, this quote is inspiring and encouraging. It is suggesting that to become a philosopher, you just need to wonder, and wonder is the only beginning of philosophy. The inspiring part is that it is saying to become a philosopher, all you need to do is one simply thing: wonder. This also gives us the main core of philosophy, so we could understand more about it. It proposes that philosophy is not much different than other subjects; they all begin at one point.

Jørgen Mellem

2/15/2013 09:32:38 am

Philosophy is defined as the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. So how is this related to wondering? Well, the verb to wonder means to be curious to know something, and that’s how it all begins. When you as a person start to wonder about things, you will start seeking for answers. In other words, you will start study on the matter you wonder about, whether it is fundamental nature or questions about your self-existence. Therefore, wondering is the beginning of philosophy.

B.V.

2/15/2013 10:01:13 am

This quote is so true it could be an identity. Unless you ask a question, unless you do a research, unless you move the knowledge you want will not always come to you. If someone asks questions is because he has questions, is the feeling of wonder. The origin of philosophy is wonder. Philosophy which means friend of knowledge is originated in people who asks questions and therefore attracts knowledge. Because after one question comes another, some of the questions you are only able to formulate after you acquired the appropriate level of knowledge. They said similar attracts other similar, or as people in my country say "god creates them, they come together". The knowledge we obtain after the wonder makes other knowledge to join it by creating more and more wonder. Thus, I like this quote, however i would not consider it so great as is kind of an obvious statement to me. The wonder makes the knowledge, one does not learn if he does not want to.

Gina Chou

2/15/2013 10:41:34 am

In order to experience philosophy, you have to experience wonders first. The beginning of thinking which always is wonder. One of the reason that people feel wonder, because they feel curious about something and they try to find the answer. There might be something attracts you that makes you want to find the answer of it. There are lots of unknown things in world that never been discuss before, so some curious people try to solve the answers. All philosopher use different way to fine the answer of mystery, but there is one thing that they are common: experience. Experience is the most important procedure when people finding answer, because there is no answer if you just waited there and excepting someone would give you the answer. Because of the wonder, it creates people the curiosity. Curiosity excites people’s brain; it earns people more knowledge. Through the knowledge, we get more knowledge, and some of the knowledge becomes the “common sense.” Philosopher discover the fundamental nature of knowledge for them self and for us. Their wonders could be our wonder too, but we don’t have better ability to solve the answer like them. Also, the different philosophers might have the different opinion and thoughts. Differently opinion and thoughts will effects the conclusion. Another important process to find answer is the proof. People feel wonder, but proof makes you believe through the experiences. Anyways, the origin of philosophy is wonder. Wonder creates curiosity, experience, solving, proof and conclusion. Wonder earns people more knowledge.

Sharon Schmidt-Burkhardt

2/15/2013 11:52:49 am

This quote, which was composed by the classical Greek philosopher and mathematician Plato, is a component of the Theatus dialogue. It is concerning the nature of knowledge, one of the main topics thinkers of this ancient time attend to. In the following commentary, I will try to express my main thoughts and feelings about Plato s essential quote.

In my opinion the authors intended meaning or message, he is trying to convey, is pretty obvious, clear to understand and connects to my way of understanding. As we know every human is unique and has a different opinion and that is the reason why first of all I am going to explain what the quote actually means to me.

Personally I think the implied meaning of Plato s quote is that, like he said the feeling of wonder or in other words to agitate about something, is the beginning of philosophy and that everyone who is going through this process is a philosopher because that’s what Philosophy is all about and nothing more. These thoughts lead me to the conclusion that the intended audience for this quote are most probably ordinary people, who were thinking philosophy were for the higher class but get encouraged by Plato s changing their minds.

All in all I definitely agree with Plato because he mentioned an interesting as well as important aspect I haven’t ever thought about.

Addie Nix

2/15/2013 01:43:18 pm

Just as necessity is the mother of invention, wonder and curiosity act as catalysts in the philosophical and learning process. In practical applications, philosophy (and ensuing innovations) stem from a wonder pertaining to some form of process improvement. For example, an engineer might wonder how he can improve his company's manufacturing methods. This wonder will inevitably lead to philosophy and, hopefully, a pragmatic solution to the problem. However, if the company's manufacturing methods were perfect, the engineer would not wonder at all, and therefore would not philosophize.

Conversely, in theoretical applications, wonder plays an even more crucial role in the philosophy process. Many people wonder whether or not a god exists and therefore pontificate supernatural existence. Many other areas of exploration stem from this curiosity, such as mortality, ethics, moral codes, the afterlife, etc. Overall, if human beings never wondered about anything, they would never feel compelled to analyze or ponder life's greatest mysteries.

Abhimanyu Gupta

2/15/2013 04:51:33 pm

Philosophy is the investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. And without imagining or wondering about different issues, we can never begin to ask questions. As philosophy is the ‘investigation’ of truth and principles, it is very important to ask questions first and to ask questions we need to start to wonder.
The quote by Plato Theaetetus suggests that if we start to wonder, we are a philosopher and the only way of beginning philosophy is by starting to wonder.
Just like Plato Theaetetus, even for me to wonder and to ask questions is really important. Wondering and asking questions may change the way an individual thinks. For me, wondering is even more crucial, a couple of years back when I started to wonder and question about the existence of god, I developed my belief. Through questioning research and developing understanding I formed my belief of evolution and atheism. But it all began with wondering, therefore I respect this quote.

Ingrid Øygard

2/15/2013 10:38:40 pm

For me, philosophy is a product of a long process of thinking and complicated analysis about life, belief and truth. However, from the quote above. I agree that the simple and initial feeling from even daily activity can lead us to the thought, which inspire ourselves, or other’s thoughts.

Actually, all of these philosophies come from every kind of curiosities. For example, Charles Darwin, who wondered how the evolution happened. That was how everything started. What I am stating is that all the philosophers were brave to wonder and think and so something about it.

We should all think bravely, dive deeply into each thought that comes into our minds everyday. Maybe one day, one thought, will be able to change our lives, our communities and one day, that simple and normal thought will be able to change our world.

Kingston

2/16/2013 02:53:12 am

Why do we wonder? The question is a wonder itself. Perhaps it's natural curiosity, or it is part of evolution. Either way, one can't grow up without asking any question.If we also wonder, what made a philosopher different from us? That is, the philosopher stay as a kid, that is, the kid always ask question. There aren't one specific answer, or maybe there aren't any answer at all. We thinks for the sake of thinking, for thinking is a sport, a cult, a drug that drive civilization forward, as we cannot stop thinking. The only question now is, are our ways of thinking effective. Philosophy drive from that question, and no matter how uncivilized we may become, the state of curiosity will never leave us, as knowlegde is infinity.

Lina Louise

2/16/2013 03:23:16 am

Curiosity is in our blood. Ever since we are born we wonder what words mean, how things are made, what kind of animal is crawling on the ground. We wonder because we want answers. We want to understand. These questions from when we were little grow as we do, and they get more and more complicated. And when we don’t understand, or don’t have answers anymore, we go nuts. That is why we start using something else, that don’t have any proofs or evidence of truthness, as an excuse, because we don’t understand. We trick ourselves to think we understand, because we can’t bare to live in the unknown. We are the most intelligent creatures, but we don’t have an answer to why we are here? We are afraid of admitting that we don’t know.
Things we don’t know in this world, is how the earth was made, what happens after death and what is the purpose of life, among other questions, of course. The answer of these three questions, some believe to have found. And the answer is; God. Or any other type of religion, really.
I do not mean to insult anyone or degrade any people’s thoughts or views on life in this text. This is just what I believe. The biggest question there is, is probably; where did it all start? How everything, the earth, the animals, the universe was made. I believe because we don’t have any answers, any proofs, any reliable hypothesis, we blame this mystery on something that we cannot explain, something that is just there, something we can lie all of our worries, our unanswered questions on without any explanation of how it is working. I think that we do this, because otherwise we would go crazy.
I have always been fascinated by religion, and people’s beliefs. Ever since I was little I have had many religious friends with different beliefs, which they were following in their life. When they asked me what I believed I have always had trouble answering. I don’t know what to believe, because there are so many beautiful options. So many beliefs, so many answers, and an awful lot of discussion on what’s the truth, that I get rather dizzy just thinking about it. I wonder how it all started, I wonder if there is a god, I wonder if I even exist or if everything is even real.
I wonder so much that I’m starting to go mental. So there is one thing that I do understand; why people just stop wondering sometimes. They blame all those things on a figure, so they can let go of these haunting questions. I guess that I will live my life in constant confusion, cause I don’t know what or who to lie my questions on.

Shaoheng TU Harry

2/16/2013 03:57:42 am

The word 'wonder' means when you are curious about something,If you wonder about something, you think about it, either because it interests you and you want to know more about it, or because you are worried or suspicious about it.I think philosophy is begin with wonder, because philosophers are wonder about life, thinking, knowing, and everything. they want to know it understand it, so they would like to study about it, then they become philosophers. for example the most famous philosopher Aristotle, his teacher was Plato. He had met Plato when he was 17 years old because of Plato he is interested in biology, science, and philosophy, he wonder everything about science, nature, human. Actually I think wonder is the beginning of a lot of other things. wonder is the beginning of study, without wonder and question no one would like to study or learn something. because wonder we can keep moving, we can improve, because wonder human created the philosophy.when people was a child everything for then was mystery they wonder everything in the world,some people are tired about wonder something but some people are still wonder everything, then they may become a philosopher.

Ly Dong Nhi, To

2/16/2013 06:28:42 am

I think this quote is simply acknowledged that when you confuse about something, it is the beginning of philosophy. I define philosophy as a system of beliefs resulting from the research for knowledge about human life and the universe. I’m totally agree with this quote because when I have a question about something, I will try to find the answer or at lease thinking about it. Therefore, answering your wonder becomes a philosopher.

Tan Mei Ling (Amanda)

2/16/2013 06:59:44 am

All of us have once wondered where we come from. A philosopher is one who seeks wisdom and enlightenment. Since we were born, wonder and curiosity has brought us up. From wonder we gain experience and from experience we gain wisdom and enlightenment. Like when we were young, we wonder what is outside the boundaries of our crib. Those wonder has taught us how to crawl.
All of us have once wondered where we come from. A philosopher is one who seeks wisdom and enlightenment. Since we were born, wonder and curiosity has brought us up. From wonder we gain experience and from experience we gain wisdom and enlightenment. Like when we were young, we wonder what is outside the boundaries of our crib. Those wonder has taught us how to crawl.
And then, we wonder what lies above the counter we can’t reach. That wonder has taught us to stand and reach. This feeling of wonder has aroused something within us that wants to try something and when it doesn’t work out, we question it. That’s what makes us philosophers. Without wonder, we won’t grow into the being we are and without being whom we are, we won’t be philosophers. That is why wonder is the beginning of philosophy.
This is like TOK, we all have learned from textbooks and teachers. We were told to just follow and write down what has been said. However, we have tried not to question the facts just because it is facts. If we had wondered where these facts come from, we would realize that they come from humans too. All humans are philosophers as we always wonder. It’s just that we don’t show it anymore because of how the society is shaped and crafted. Wonder has created the human evolution that we questioned in class. Humans were curious and wanted to live, thus they wonder what they would do to survive. The same goes with the map. Humans had wondered how the world looked like so somebody had to give an answer and to give an answer, one must first question. ☺

Alex Nam

2/16/2013 07:42:21 am

Everything begins with a wonder. When people are wondering, they discover new things. If a prehistorical human was not wondering, he wouldn't know how to use simple weapon and we all would be dead. It is not only the beginning of human being, but it is also the beginning of philosophy. I fully agree with Plato, this quote is so truthful. The way I understand Plato's quote, is that every person, who wonders is a philosopher, but wondering itself is the beginning of philosophy.

Karoline Sundbotten

2/16/2013 07:53:31 am

The meaning of “philosophy” is the love of knowledge. We gain knowledge through our uncertainty and curiosity, from things that makes us wonder. Wonder is the want of knowing and learning more, and by wondering one starts thinking, look things up, research and so on. Having interest for something but not knowing the answer creates for many people an urge to investigate. One seeks the answers, the knowledge behind it. The knowledge may not be what is expected, or even considered at all, and can even not ever be found as some things are opinion and belief based and therefore don't have any certain answer. The fact that wonder is the beginning of philosophy is fairly logic as a philosopher seeks knowledge and wonder creates this urge. I wouldn’t define a philosopher as one certain type of person, because all people wonder. Everyone must at least once think of something and asking oneself a question for then to try to figure it out. It is a natural human thing to do, and we do it all the time. We wonder and we think, we consider and we conclude. Sometimes getting a different perspective on something can change our conclusions, as things are never certain. Sure, many things when it comes to math and science have concrete answers, but what if there is a piece of knowledge that we’re missing? That all our theories are wrong? By wondering we make these chances smaller and smaller as we try and fail. Failing is not a negative thing as we learn from it, and understand how thing don’t work. It only gets us closer to the answer and the knowledge.

Alyson Lemoine

2/16/2013 10:08:32 am

I think that among other things or interpretation one could have, this quote sends a message to the genuine person. We don't generally go around considering ourselves philosophers (or do we? No, I don't think so), the term seems to define a certain type of person. Someone who spends his entire life wondering, never really finding answers and making other people really confused. But curiosity and wonder is in human nature, so we all have a philosopher side in us. This also connects us as humans. We all at some point wonder, actually more often than we think, because there is not too much we really know and what we know can often be reconsidered. So generally, we are pretty much left of with questions and just the fact that we wonder about the answer makes us philosophers. Maybe the reason why we don't always see ourselves as philosophers is that we all wonder in different ways, but don't see that as a form of philosophy. While this quote clearly says that philosophy begins when we wonder. Some wonder about art, other about existential questions and other about why Rita is unable to make good food. In some ways all of these three points connects to philosophy as it starts by us wondering, even though the last one may seem suspicious in some ways.

Qian chaojie

2/16/2013 11:22:43 am

What lead us to wonder?It is curiosity,everyone must have curiosity.Since childhood we are curiosity about everything,and when we meet something which confused us or we don't understand.How did we understand it?You will think about it.And if you think of something is be opposite to the objective fact，you will present your own view and find something can prove your view is right.That's wonder,the reason why people become philosophers is they are thinking about everything they want to know and they try their best to study it. Actually,wonder is a revelation to philosopher,when they are seeking wisdom and enlightenment,they need a threshold to start.So I agree with Plato's quote that wonder is the beginning of philosophy.

beck ok

2/16/2013 11:43:04 am

“I wonder how, I wonder why”, that statement naturally somehow has stamped in our mind for the rest of our living journey. For sure, we always curious about different aspects in our essence, that can be simple as how’s to communicate, express our own feelings, or can be so difficult as what’s the effects of black hole? Philosophy, itself, are overall questions of everything, it creates satisfactions for human thoughts. Wonder is the key, the core of philosophy because without that, how cans mankind keeps their own development process, similar to roots of a tree. At first, this subject for me is some kind of fancy and abstract, it sounds “cool” in my own languages and at the same time, brings me a lot of confusedness. However, when I start to learn, it isn’t hard because it’s already in my nature. And in my opinion, that is the thing that Plato, Theaetus wants to emphasize in his quote. Philosophy bases on every perspective and corner of your own life or the bigger, the world. Don’t be afraid of that, because that is born in everyman, and every people can become a good philosopher!

“For this feeling of wonder shows that you are a philosopher, since wonder is the only beginning of philosophy.” ― Plato, Theaetetus

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