It was the premier HASS class of MIT Concourse in my first semester at MIT. It was philosophy and literature mixed, a dissection of works in natural science. The 'mathematical', proof-like nature of philosophy papers was emphasized; still, the 'flow' and organization of a paper, and other writing-based principles, rang clear as I drafted and edited my papers. The translated English of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle further complicated the task, but it wasn't fully alien: questions on essence, compartments of life, and the like were questions I had considered, though indirectly. The class was heavily essay-based.

Dr. Rabieh delivered a thoroughly engaging class, but it would not feel particularly important to me until late 2022, when I realized philosophy's personal importance (especially in building and updating my website), and its role as a foundation for studying politics and economics.