Jordan Escobar's Capstone

For my Capstone, I took the lessons of old philosophers, and apply in a practical way in order to try and learn about myself through their teachings. Through the wisdom of ancient and modern thinkers, I create an introspective dialogue where I understand my own emotions, think critically about my perspective of the world, challenge my old understandings of concepts and reach new ones, or create new opinions about things as abstract as morality or as specific as politics. The consistent theme is my proposed moral responsibility behind pursuing knowledge, and being self aware. I justify these investigations into the self by reason of accountability, something I explore in my writings also. My process began with a new level of attention payed to my passing thoughts. While ideas popped up in my head I would explore them when before I would dismiss them, trying to give reason to them, be they emotions or perspectives, and correct them if I discovered faulty reasoning that I had used because of complacent thinking. This was accompanied by application of research into general rules of life and thinking, ideals, and values proposed by popular intellectuals (Plato, Socrates, etc.). The product is a collection of small essays where I build upon my thoughts and improve them through criticism. Whether I explore past ideas, adopt new stances, or reinforce old ones, it is a practice in self improvement and introspection. The lessons this teaches are varied, but wisdom can't always be inherited.