Personal Philosophy - Tourism
Which philosophical school of thought (Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, Naturalism, Existentialism, Humanism) best presents your own set of beliefs at this time of your professional preparation and why?
I consider myself to be predominantly a humanist. I am interested in helping people use their personal agency for the best overall outcomes. My knowledge of history is limited but it does include some exposure to the major religions in the world. I am mostly discouraged by what I have learned. Empowered by their religious beliefs, people engage in horrific acts against one another and assert that they are compelled and even sanctified by their religions to behave in those ways. Humanism is based on reason, ethics, and justice that do not originate from religious doctrine. But it seems to me that as the various religions were formed, that faith was developed from logical human reasoning as much as from supernatural events. The basic tenets of the main religions are logical and based in earthly reality. Take, for instance, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This is a reasoned directive that has clear implications for civic order and the public good. There is nothing supernatural about it -- rather the directive is based in independent human agency. Say that one person does not follow this "golden" rule. Simple reasoning would establish a chain of stimulus -- response. Undesirable stimulus behavior triggers an undesirable response. Now, religion would interrupt that behavior chain by suggesting the person "wronged" turn the other cheek. But, here again, is evidence of human agency. A person is free to respond to the undesirable behavior or not. It is the individual freedom and...
Too many really terrible things have been done to people in the name of religion. Without the influence of religion, would these same horrible things have happened? The universality of human values suggests that they would not -- at least not on a normative basis. The human need to belong is so strong that it may cause them to conform even when it is not reasonable to do so -- and when it does not contribute to their welfare or the welfare of others. I believe that people are basically good, and they may be characterized by an innate need to make the world a better place.
2. How was your philosophical approach to Hospitality changed since you entered the major?
I have leaned more toward existentialism in the past. Yet, now I realize that existentialism and humanism are not so very far apart. If, in existentialism, a person is free to create his or her own meaning, this implies personal agency -- a humanist attribute. So I have moved in my philosophical thinking to considering that a person is neither wholly good nor wholly bad, since they can change their orientation completely, as they choose, to orient to the positive, as all good humanists believe people do. With respect to hospitality, I recognize that the influence I can have over the experiences of guests, clients, and customers in industry is really quite broad and deep. I have moved from a focus on getting the details right to looking at the big picture, which ultimately has a more robust influence on the lives of people. This perspective has enabled me to examine my skill set and determine whether they are a good…
