In recent years, the Department of Philosophy has interviewed alumni and graduating seniors about their experiences as philosophy majors, how philosophy has prepared them for post-graduation, and what advice they have for current students (you can find some of those interviews here and here.) This year in an effort to recognize our graduating seniors in the midst of the pandemic, we are expanding the number of senior interviews. For this post, we interviewed Ben Sovocool ’21. Graduating with majors in Economics and Philosophy, Ben is planning to attend Cornell law school in the fall.
How did you get interested in philosophy in the first place?
My interest in philosophy was first really sparked through high school English, funnily enough. In fact, I think it was Shakespeare, probably Hamlet. Once you start to really dig into it (though with Hamlet you don’t have to dig very hard) these really interesting questions start to come up. Live versus death, meaning, our moral obligations and so on. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote was also an influence. How do we understand and confront evil? I tried reading some philosophy in high school, which largely went nowhere. It felt like a challenge, though, and it was immediately appealing to have this great intellectual puzzle. I didn’t have any high school philosophy classes, which I am pretty thankful for in all honesty. I took PHIL 101 my first semester and from there I was off.
Is there an area of philosophy that interests you the most?
My primary interests are metaphysics, moral philosophy, and metaethics. Of the three, my real favorite is metaphysics.
What about this area is interesting to you?
The foundation of philosophy is the instinctive human practice of asking questions which are very hard to answer. I think that metaphysics is a category of philosophy which approaches some of our most difficult and most important questions regarding the nature of life and the world around us. Moreover, the way we answer these metaphysical questions has a distinct impact on the way we perceive the world around us all the time.
Has your study of philosophy informed your day to day life or how you make decisions?
It’s difficult to identify the ways that the study of philosophy has directly influenced my life or decision-making in the sense of pointing to a few scenarios or choices. I do feel that studying philosophy has had a profound impact on the way I think systematically, though the change has been in bits over time. So to answer your question, yes to both, but more in the sense of providing a way to think than a set of information to apply.
What was your favorite philosophy class?
It’s very hard to choose just one. It might be 17th and 18th Century Philosophy, which is a really fascinating course. The burst of intellectual developments in those two centuries was really staggering, producing a great number of philosophers whose works are still very relevant now.
How has your other major shaped your philosophical studies and vice versa?
Studying philosophy has had a huge impact on my study of economics. Economics was, in its early stages, essentially a branch of philosophy. Certainly in Plato and Aristotle we see discussions of economy, and Smith, Mill, and Marx were self-admittedly philosophical. They thought this because economics is concerned with a number of philosophical questions, and the answers we choose dictate a great deal of the economic program. These hidden normative components, once you are able to see and understand them, really influence how you view all economics (orthodox and heterodox). I also feel that understanding philosophy, especially epistemology, is useful for all sciences (or pseudosciences).
Studying economics was useful in studying philosophy because economics tends to encourage a particularly analytical method of thinking. This x causes y, which acts on z in so and so way. I think that method of thinking is useful both for breaking down arguments in philosophy and for maintaining a level of focus and coherence in my own writing, which was a problem for me in the past.
When and why did you ultimately decide to become a philosophy major?
I entered college wanting to be a philosophy major. My advising class was in economics, which I also really enjoyed, and so for a while I was torn. I never really made up my mind, so I decided to double major at the start of sophomore year and never regretted it.
How did your parents and strangers react when you told them you were a philosophy major?
My parents were very supportive. The economics major I’m sure allayed their concerns somewhat. I got the question about what I would do for a job for a while, although recently I haven’t very much.
Do you have a particular memory as a philosophy major at Puget Sound that stands out to you?
Not one in particular, but I remember a number of real writing sessions which will stick with me for a while. Locking myself in the study closet on the third floor of Schiff to write a paper freshman year, or downstairs in the library in the stacks junior year. Hours and hours of Satie and Debussy. I remember all of it very fondly.
Do you have any advice for current philosophy students?
You will find yourself at times unable to understand what you are reading, or translate it into your own words on paper. Try and break it down into smaller, understandable pieces, and then reassemble the argument in parts until you understand the whole thing. With enough time, all arguments are understandable. Ask questions if you have them, because usually someone else is wondering the exact same thing. Introductions in primary sources often greatly aid in understanding. However, you need to always read the primary source. Summaries online will give you a partial understanding at best, and a misinterpretation at worst. Don’t be afraid of classic philosophy; understanding the big names will give you the context a lot of later authors assume. Find a good study space and use it.
Any final thoughts?
As a philosophy student, one good trick is to lean on a quotation to say precisely what you struggle to express. It’s appropriate, then, to close out with a quote on the value of philosophy. In De Officiis, Cicero wrote the following: “if the man lives who would belittle the study of philosophy, I quite fail to see what in the world he would see fit to praise. For if we are looking for mental enjoyment and relaxation, what pleasure can be compared with the pursuits of those who are always studying out something that will tend toward and effectively promote a good and happy life? Or, if regard is had for strength of character and virtue, then this is the method by which we can attain to those qualities, or there is none at all. And to say that there is no “method” for securing the highest blessings, when none even of the least important concerns is without its method, is the language of people who talk without due reflection and who blunder in matters of the utmost importance. Furthermore, if there is really a way to learn virtue, where shall one look for it, when one has turned aside from this field of learning?” (Book II Part 6)
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