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Graduate Profile: Mishael Abu Samhan
Philosophy Honours student Mishael Abu-Samhan ends his time at 911吃瓜 in spectacular fashion, as the winner of the Robert C. Brown Award, the Gordon M. Shrum Undergraduate Medal, and the speaker for Convocation Ceremony H. Below, he shares some thoughts about his time in the Philosophy Department, and what comes next!
Did you take philosophy in High school?
My high school didn鈥檛 offer an actual Philosophy class; however, in some of my classes, I was exposed to certain ideas (e.g., utilitarianism, social contract theory, etc.). It definitely wasn鈥檛 covered as robustly as the courses I鈥檝e taken at 911吃瓜, though it was nice to have at least some familiarity before undergrad.
When did you know that Philosophy was for you?
Even before (attending 911吃瓜) I felt like I had the dispositions of a philosophy student, given that I鈥檝e always been curious by nature and loved asking questions. As a fun anecdote, when I was in elementary school, my school district put together a 鈥淐hallenge Program鈥� where students who excelled in particular areas could leave school during the second half of the day to receive special programming elsewhere. I was selected for the Philosophy version of the program, and I remember learning basic things about Descartes, Plato, and so on鈥攊t鈥檚 surreal to recall this memory because I must鈥檝e only been in grade four or five at the time!
What was the first course you took that hooked you?
It was during my first semester! I took PHIL 110 and PHIL 120W with Drs. Tom Donaldson and Bruno Guindon, respectively. These courses exposed me to fascinating ideas: How do we construct and assess arguments? Do the unborn have moral worth? Is morality subjective or objective? I鈥檝e been captivated by Philosophy ever since, and I鈥檝e grown to really appreciate how timeless these debates are.
What do you think makes Philosophy different from other disciplines?
It鈥檚 not hyperbole when I say that Philosophy has changed my life. Unlike other disciplines, Philosophy forces you to question deep-seated assumptions about the world鈥攖he kind that may make your friends and family raise an eyebrow or two. For example, what鈥檚 the nature of colour? How do we know we鈥檙e not brains in a vat? Is morality just a series of utterances? What I find particular compelling is that a lot of these questions are open; that is, there aren鈥檛 conclusive answers. To that point, I think Philosophy has made me appreciate ambiguity. In that ambiguity, I鈥檝e learned how to put together convincing arguments and defend my claims, especially to my peers, professors, and TAs, who would serve as strong interlocutors. In doing so, I鈥檝e become a more precise and adept thinker, and that鈥檚 a direct result of my Philosophy education at 911吃瓜.
How challenging did you find completing two programs (first as a double Major, then an Honours with a 2nd Major? Was it difficult to find a balance between them and the rest of your time/life?
I didn鈥檛 find the coursework challenging per se because I was invested in and enthusiastic about both subject areas. Personally, my preference was to maximize my time in two areas as opposed to doing electives, but I grant that others may feel differently about that.
Instead, what was more challenging was managing my academics alongside my extracurriculars and volunteer work, especially since I was so involved. I think I did a better job of organizing things later in my degree, since I dropped a few commitments as I began to focus on professional development (e.g., co-op, networking, and skill building). There are also certain things that were non-negotiable for me, like running and weightlifting. Even after a long day, I would make a commitment to myself to do some kind of exercise so that I could maintain my health and fitness. I鈥檝e improved my time management over the years, and I think I鈥檒l continue iterating as my responsibilities change with time.
If you had to recommend one book or paper to someone who's never read any philosophy before, what would it be?
鈥淚s Justified True Belief Knowledge?鈥� by Edmund Gettier is an easy selection. It鈥檚 only a few pages long, it鈥檚 influential, and it introduces the JTB account of knowledge, which was the canonical view of epistemology for a long time.
You will be going to Law School at the University of Toronto next Fall. When did you decide to pursue Law School as your next step?
I鈥檝e been keen to go to law school since (probably) grade nine or ten. Law is an ideal intersection of what I鈥檓 good at, what I鈥檓 passionate about, and what I鈥檓 interested in. It combines rigorous analytical skills with advocacy, usually on complex subject matter. I鈥檓 excited to see where my legal education takes me.
How helpful was your experience in Philosophy in preparing you for the application process?
A Philosophy education was helpful in organizing my thoughts and illustrating my value to admissions committees. In a loose sense, I thought that my personal statement was an 鈥渁rgument鈥� whereby I had to justify and explain how and why I was a worthwhile candidate. This past admissions cycle was competitive, with UofT having an acceptance rate of roughly 6%. There鈥檚 a lot of advice floating around about law school admissions鈥攕ome is obviously better than others. The bottom line is that I would recommend future applicants treating the process with the utmost seriousness: provide your referees with ample notice for letters of recommendation, write multiple drafts of your personal statement and get people you trust to proof-read it, order your transcript in advance and follow the instructions carefully, and allocate time to study for the LSAT and explore resources. The diligence that carried me through this process was shaped heavily by my Philosophy education.
Any final thoughts about your time in the Philosophy Department?
Another thing I鈥檇 like to highlight is that the Philosophy Department has been incredibly supportive through my degree. From nominations for awards to reference letters, I鈥檓 grateful for the Department鈥檚 generosity.