I am a third-year PhD student in the Classical Studies Graduate Program (CLST). Born in Daejeon, South Korea, I studied at Seoul National University, earning a BA in Economics and Philosophy and an MA in Western Philosophy. I also hold an MA in Classical Studies from Columbia University.
Having been introduced to the works of Plato during the latter years of my undergraduate study, I decided to continue studying ancient philosophy at the graduate level, with plans to become both a historian of philosophy and a philosopher. During my first two years at Columbia, I have sharpened my knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin and further cultivated my interest in ancient philosophy through seminars on Plato and Aristotle, as well as courses on the later development of Greek philosophy in Rome and its reception in the Islamic world. Simultaneously, I have engaged with contemporary philosophy by taking courses in logic and metaphysics to get a better sense of philosophy. I have also explored Indian Buddhist philosophy, an ancient tradition distinct from its Greek and Roman counterpart, which has deepened and broadened my perspective on ancient philosophical traditions. I am now preparing for my comprehensive examinations, which will cover both traditions— ancient Greek and Roman, on the one hand, and Indian/Buddhist, on the other— and developing my dissertation proposal, which will focus on logic and metaphysics in Plato's later dialogues. I will also continue to engage with contemporary philosophy.
With its rigorous training in both philosophy and classical languages, Columbia's Classical Studies Graduate Program fosters a vibrant community of scholars fascinated by antiquity and classical traditions. I am enjoying many conversations with faculty members and fellow graduate students.