When I saw the Cambridge University Philosophy Short-Term Program in the WeChat group of my college, I hesitated about whether I should join this program, because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up. After a fierce psychological struggle, I was determined to seize this rare opportunity to challenge myself, which may help me a lot in my future study.
During the seven days of study, I adapted myself to the courses taught in English, and the conversations with the professor on specific ethical issues improved my oral English and allowed me to summon up more courage to express my thoughts in English coherently. The communications with the professor triggered a spark of thought, which opened a new door of thought and let me know that my thinking towards certain problems should not be limited to a specific perspective. At the same time, I have really learned a lot from my excellent companions who also took part in this project, which improved my ability of cooperation and communication. Through participating in this program, I have a preliminary study of ancient Greek philosophy in the eyes of western scholars, and have a deeper understanding of the thoughts of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle on the basis of previous courses. Although these four courses in the seven days all talked about the thoughts of the three philosophers above from a relatively macro perspective, I had a deeper understanding of the connection between their thoughts and the historical background, as well as the "affinity" between their thoughts, which was not covered in the previous courses and readings. Moreover, the professor clearly connected the ethical thoughts of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle with their respective philosophical thoughts, which made my understanding of their ethical thoughts more systematic.
Thank you very much for giving me such an opportunity to participate in the foreign exchange program. What I have learned in these seven days will have a great impact on my future study.
