...friend. I'm new around these parts, but happy to be here. I've been browsing the site for the past couple of weeks and finally decided that it'd be a good idea to respond to what people were writing instead of simply reading what people were writing. I have to say that the quality of the forums here far supercedes that of any of those I've tried before. I'm hoping to be challenged, and you all seem like the lot to do it.

I'm a high school student from Illinois. I've had no formal schooling in philosophy, but it's a subject I enjoy. Being in high school, I find few others who share my interest; I believe this will be the outlet I've been searching for.

I'm not a brilliant or particularly eloquent debater, but I do pride myself on being a reader. I comitted to reading some of the classics in the past few months. Thus far, I've worked my way through Civil Disobedience, and am currently working my way through The Republic, The Federalist Papers, and Utopia.

I hope to see you all in the forums!
Desiderus