Mr. Sim

Mr. Sim is my KI teacher. He is a very diligent man who doesn't limit his efforts to our weekly sessions but actively seeks out new journal articles and readings for my perusal and our discussion. Honestly, I feel more confident under his tutelage then I did with my previous tutor - who expected students to come to his far-off house and yet charged the same price as Mr. Sim, who is willing to meet me half-way.

But its still not enough. I see the good sense in having KI class discussions, but have hitherto underestimated its importance. It is not just a matter of exchanging ideas. It involves active discourse, it makes you think on your feet, it works your linguistic faculties to give quick and cogent expression to issues that can be very mangled. Mr. Sim makes up for this by engaging me on a variety of topics and ideas during our lessons, but I feel left out in the cold once the lesson's over. Sure, his book is very instructive, but it's a basic 'springboard' text. Most of my KI is founded upon 4 pillars: Wikipedia, Bryan Magee's "The Story of Philosophy", the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (an online philosophy article database) and Mr. Sim's book.

As you can see, its a one-way flow of information. I've lost touch with a number of former KI students while those I remain in contact with aren't in the mood to relive their 'A' levels. Well, at least Mr. Sim passes me an article or two to dissect. It helps me think about things, and avoid thinking about other darker issues.