Student Spotlight - Keren Goldberger
Q: What is your current class standing and anticipated graduation date?
I am a senior Macaulay Honors student, and I am graduating a year early after a final class this summer.
Q: What are your major(s) and/or minor(s)?
I am majoring in Philosophy Honors.
Q: Why did you choose to become a philosophy major?
I sort of fell into philosophy, it was something I realized I was always interested in. Like many other students, I entered my freshman year unsure of what I wanted to major in. I knew that I was interested in law, but there was no Pre-Law major. Therefore, I took an array of classes in business, computers, science, accounting, and philosophy. My love of knowledge always pulled me back to philosophy. I enjoy the discussions and arguments that challenge me, and at times force me to reconfigure my beliefs. Additionally, I have gained valuable writing, critical thinking, and reading skills that will most definitely assist me in law school.
Q: What are your goals for the future? Do you have plans to attend graduate school, or do you have a career in mind upon graduation? What type of career are you seeking upon graduation?
As I mentioned, I have always been interested in law. Specifically, I would like to pursue litigation law. Over the course of these past three years, I have interned in several law offices, such as the Brooklyn D.A. and the U.S. Attorney's Office. The best part of my day was going to court and observing the attorneys skillfully conduct their trials. I love the rush of arguing cases in court. However, I am not sure which area of law I would like to litigate for. I hope to attend Columbia or NYU this year or the year after.
Q: What are your interests in philosophy?
This semester, I am taking an independent study with Professor Steinberg. We are analyzing Baruch Spinoza's philosophy against the Medieval Jewish philosophical background. Spinoza remains a key philosophical figure as he is seen as the harbinger of Secularism. Spinoza's journey from an Orthodox Yeshiva student in the 17th century Amsterdam Jewish community, studying the Torah and Talmud, to his heretical treatise that led to his haram, is fascinating. It is very interesting to see similarities in Spinoza and Maimonides' philosophy, which is the Jewish philosophy that, it would seem, Spinoza wants to get away from.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote by a philosopher?
In Maimonides' The Guide for the Perplexed, he writes, "Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it." I believe that truth stands apart from any person or opinion. There is no "my truth" or "your truth." There is just what is true and what is not. If what you believe in is true, then nothing anyone can say or do will make it less so.
Q: What is your favorite book in philosophy?
The character of philosophy that I find so appealing is that philosophers can study any philosophical text and consider each view to its fullest. There is no need to pick one, because every philosophy text I have read has shaped my worldview. So to pick one at the expense of others would be a shame, and unfair to the philosophical discipline. However, one theory that has been a core of my philosophy is Plato's Theory of Forms. It seems that every philosophical debate inevitably leads me back there. I like the idea of an unattainable good. I like the idea that not all knowledge is in this world. Some may think otherwise, but that idea motivates me to strive for something otherworldly.
Q: What are one or two fun facts about you?
After high school, I took a year off to study Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. Ever since the first time I traveled out of the country, my wanderlust has only grown stronger. My favorite places that I visited have been Paris, Scotland, and Venice. I love the rich history of Europe, but I hope to explore America in the near future. Traveling satisfies everything a person yearns for—knowledge, beauty, and good food.
