Philosophy 101
Image by Frauke Riether. pixabay.com
I was a freshman in college and I was hot stuff. At least I thought I was. Now, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t your typical hot stuff in fashion trends at all. In fact, I was about as opposite as you can get with revolving sweat shirts, worn out tennis shoes, frizzy hair, and out of date eyeglasses. Not only was that okay with me, I enjoyed it. Sort of. I preferred the nerdy group that talked about the important things of life like; wooden bagels, Amy Grant, and What is the meaning of real?
Electricity coursed through me as I took my place among the truly brilliant in Philosophy 101. I found my group of introverts who spoke out loud about the inner ponderings of our souls. I belonged.
I will never forget the infamous October 1980 day when our great wisdom collided into stark reality. What is the meaning of real? Dr. Wickersham debated the entire class from viewpoints of Aristotle, Socrates, and other such amazing minds. He pointed to a chair. Is this chair real? Duh! Of course. That’s when Dr. Wickersham picked up the chair, moved it into the hallway, and closed the door. Is the chair still real? Yes. Once again, our not so silent “duhs” rolled across the room like crashing waves of deep ocean waters having surfaced with force upon the terrain of Philosophy 101. (I still talk this way inside.)
His smirk pounded the invisible gauntlet. Battle on! The chair was Not real because we could not see it. We could not prove it. The chair was only a distant memory of what once was real but no longer existed… if it ever did exist.
He brought the chair back into the room. Is the chair real? Duh! Yes! How do you know? We see it! Ah! You see it therefore it is real?! He threw his head back in a victor cry. He won. Case closed!
That’s when my other philosophical friend, who happened to be blind, interrupted. Dr. Wickersham! Since things are only real if you can see them, may I be excused? Because none of you are real! I would rather be eating popcorn!
The entire class burst into uncontrollable laughter. There was no regaining composure. Dr. Wickersham threw his hands up and shouted, Class dismissed! Go eat popcorn!
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,”
““Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””