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2024-05-29

Your Philosophical
Key Questions

In preparations for The Key Philosophy Workshop, I recommand to start articulating your philosophical key questions.

You may already have a contemplative practice such as journaling, doodling, mantra meditation, or simply ruminating on recurring thoughts. You can build on these practices or start afresh. Regardless, let's develop your key questions with the following 10-minute exercise:

I. Prepare Your Mind and Tools (2 Minutes)

• Find a quiet space where you can focus without distractions.
• Take pen and paper, or use your preferred method of writing.

II. Finding Deep Questions (5 Minutes)

• Set a timer for 5 minutes.
• Ask yourself: “What is my biggest question?”
• Write down whatever comes to mind.
• Ask yourself: “Is there a question that is more fundamental than this one?”
• If yes, write it down.
• If no, keep asking the question.
• Repeat for the remaining time, collecting questions that are increasingly more fundamental.

III. Finishing (3 Minutes)

• When the time is over, look at what you wrote down.
• Choose a maximum of 3 questions.
• Rewrite them as a list, ranking them from most fundamental to least.

Example:

Imagine you start with the question, “What is the meaning of life?” As you do the exercise, you might realize a more fundamental question is, “What is meaning?” Further contemplation might lead you to ask, “What is life?”

Your final list could look like this:

My Philosophical Key Questions

• What is meaning?
• What is life?
• What is the meaning of life?

By doing this exercise, you can deepen your relationship with philosophy. It also allows you to generate material you can bring to The Key Philosophy Workshop.

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