Benedikt

Editor-in-Chief

Contact: vaclav.loula@warwick.ac.uk

Hi! I’m Benedikt, the Editor-in-Chief here at Pharos. This is my third year at Warwick, and after my Wittgensteinesque phase, I have come to the conclusion that philosophy is a descriptive rather than argumentative pursuit. In my estimation, philosophers have the ability to elaborately articulate the thoughts that are on the-tip-of-your-tongue and yet never reach full expression. As such, philosophers tell you the things you might be intuitively aware of, but it takes a philosophical argument to bring the lesson home. This endeavour – to unravel all the hidden & manifest contours of our phenomenal world – requires much skill and expertise. Moreover, the whole process has a valuable therapeutic dimension: i.e. philosophy allows us to neatly compartmentalise our inner and external worlds. That is, to the extent that the whirlpool of our experience (a condition that Heidegger quite aptly describes as Geworfenheit) can be described by any discipline. This is maybe where the philosophical task ends and where other modes of expression can come in. Culture at large has a plethora of means through which to communicate ‘Meanings’ that are ineffable. Among those, one might include literature, art, religion, or any other medium that utilises the symbolic power of expression.

In my view, this is what underpins the very mission of Pharos. Pharos Magazine provides the space for students to contribute to the global therapeutic endeavour known since the dawn of civilisation under the maxim “Know Thyself”. As Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to reading your reflections on this perennial theme in your articles, short stories and poems.