Second in our series of interviews about how our teachers experienced student life is Dr. Julien Kloeg, assistant professor of Social Philosophy at ESPhil. He is one of the first faces we encounter in our studies. What can we learn from him and what would he advise his student-self?
What kind of student were you?
“I was an introverted and shy student, but I was very interested in philosophy, which is what drove me to the lectures every week. I was inspired by the sometimes rhetorically charged way of teaching. I wasn’t aware that philosophy could be studied in such a way. I only had a general interest in philosophy, but it was nothing too specific. I kept to myself most of the time, but because the events organized by ERA had a philosophical component, like the pub lectures, I went there and got to know many fellow students, which was valuable to me. I was always reticent to ask any sort of question during lectures, but I did have a lot of questions. I learned it was nice to discuss these questions with professors and fellow students. I was always super enthusiastic about philosophy, so discussing philosophy was a good starting point to connect with others.”
Did the state of the world affect your wellbeing at the time? (How) did you find a balance between prioritizing your personal needs and caring for a greater cause?
“Back then, it was a more innocent time in a way. I did study during this millennium, but it feels like a long time ago. People were just beginning to worry about populism and climate change. These problems were not nearly as pervasive as they are for our students today. I am in favor of the fact that the awareness and activism about these issues are so widespread among students, but they weren’t part of my student experience. Prioritizing my own needs versus fighting for a greater good, was not really a factor for me. If we’re talking about people who study philosophy and who are also activists, or politically active, or want to do artistic work for example, I think it is a matter of balancing the two. There’s no easy answer to how you should do that, but you should be able to perform some sort of balancing act between the two, for them to persist as activities in your life. Think of these memes about student life, where you have to pick two out of three categories: social life, sleep, and study. There is a truth to that meme. You can add ‘social engagement’ as a fourth category. But fundamentally I think it’s important that your personal wellbeing is at least intact, otherwise, you won’t be able to do any of the other activities.”
“The break is a largely underrated part of every philosophy lecture.”
What would you like to tell your student-self?
“Professors are not scary or at a distance. And fellow students are usually in the same predicament as you. They don’t know either what the position of a philosopher is, or what the best argument is, or how to formulate things. Something that held me back, was that I thought professors are towering figures that you should never even think of criticizing or asking questions of clarification. I think it would have been good for me to start asking questions earlier. I didn’t dare to. I think opening up to fellow students is important too. These are your fellow travelers, who embarked on the same program. Often, they’re in the same situation of not quite knowing what studying philosophy means to them, and what their future ambitions should be. They might be looking at the world in similar ways or in different ways, but relatable ways at least. I think being in touch with your fellow students is very valuable. The break is a largely underrated part of every philosophy lecture. This is the part where you get to be in contact with fellow students in a direct sense. I would say to my younger self and all new and current students: seek out these opportunities as much as you can.”
“The marriage of style and content, as much as you want to separate the two, is very inspiring for me in Nietzsche.”
Which philosopher inspired you in your personal life?
“Ooff, it’s hard to choose. Although perhaps standard, Nietzsche could be the right answer for me. He’s someone who never tried to hide behind any kind of academic formality, or any sort of preset idea of what philosophy should be like. He continuously reinvented himself and was never afraid of where he might end up, which in my view is a noble trait for a philosopher. From Nietzsche, we also learn that writing matters. It is not just having a brilliant idea, but also being able to express it. There are many ways of doing that. The marriage of style and content, as much as you want to separate the two, is very inspiring for me in Nietzsche.”
What artwork helped you get through something?
“I really love music, but there’s no specific album or piece of which I think ‘this is what it is all about’. I do think immersing yourself in this environment of beautiful things, is something that is important. Not just to keep yourself afloat and neither to remind yourself of what you should strive for – because that creates only extra weight on your shoulders, but as a reminder of whose company you are in as someone who’s interested in philosophy. If you ever want to be reminded of why philosophy is worth doing, you can read a bit of Plato, which is philosophy but also almost like a play. Or even the tragedies, which were stage plays. You can learn from these writings not only in a cognitive way, but also as a source of liveliness. Academic writing is necessary but can also be dry. It is worthwhile to surround yourself with beautiful things at the same time.”
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This interview was written by ESPhil wellbeing officer Charlie van Dijl.
