In our inaugural episode of Task C, your host Aleks teams up with Tom to explore a fundamental idea from 20th century existentialism - the profound philosophical question of human purpose. Drawing inspiration from Jean-Paul Sartre’s famous quote, “man is a useless passion”, they challenge listeners to contemplate the nature of purpose in the context of medical school admissions and beyond.
Aleks and Tom navigate the complexities of finding meaning in the rigorous journey towards a medical career, imploring their audience to reflect on their motivations and the intrinsic values, passion and purpose that drive their pursuit of medicine. Together, they reflect on Sartre’s existentialist assertion that humans are in a perpetual state of pursuing endless goals, offering a thought-provoking discussion on the idea of freedom, values and free-will through his philosophical framework.
This episode offers a clear and accessible introduction to applying philosophical concepts in the essay writing component of the GAMSAT (Section 2). By unpacking a challenging existential concept and relating it to everyday thinking, Aleks and Tom help students bridge the gap between abstract theory and personal insight - an essential skill for crafting thoughtful, high-scoring GAMSAT essays.
After this episode, you should have an understanding of ideas relating to purpose, meaning, identity, nihilism, freedom, values and ethics. To learn more about these topics in detail and how they relate to Sartre’s assertions, tune into the full episode - s01e03: Purpose - “Man Is A Useless Passion” | Task C.
