Deeply Pondering Plato

As a sophomore, Louis Birla ’26 picked up Five Dialogues by Plato without expecting much — he certainly did not anticipate that the ancient Greek philosopher’s ideas would spark a personal transformation, broadening his perspective and igniting a lifelong passion for deeper thought. 

As a result, Birla joined Texas A&M University’s Philosophy Club so he could meet other Aggies who were eager to dive into life’s big questions. Yet, the engineering major found that he still wanted more, so he pursued a minor in philosophy. 

During his junior year, Birla enrolled in five philosophy courses and audited two others. Together, these courses have pushed the Austin resident to deeply consider his life choices.

“I don't think there's a single day that goes by in which I'm not thinking through something that has to do with philosophy,” he said. “Already, there is a dramatic difference in what I do day to day. Because philosophy is a humanities discipline, it changes my perspective of who I am as a human being.” 

His parents, Amit Maheshwari and Marie Limousin, have proudly watched the evolution of their oldest son’s interest in philosophy, witnessing firsthand how it has helped him to thrive not only academically but also socially.

“His overall sense of belonging as an Aggie and finding friends increased once he got past his freshman year in engineering — which is a tough year academically — and then found the Department of Philosophy,” Limousin said.  

Appreciative of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Philosophy for providing opportunities that awaken intellectual curiosity, the couple established the Birla Family Scholarship in Philosophy. Their goal: to support Aggies pursuing STEM degrees who also want to deepen their understanding of the world through philosophy, whether by earning a degree or a minor. 

“To really be an effective engineer who can maximize business and social value, you need a little bit more than what the base core curriculum affords because there’s already so much to cover in an engineering education, whether it be the requisite technical or the mandated non-technical courses,” said Maheshwari. “We felt that supporting a student who’s willing to recognize the importance of this cross-disciplinary learning and take that extra step to add philosophy courses to their overall education at Texas A&M would be a good use of our family’s resources.” 

The gift creates the first undergraduate scholarship fund in the philosophy department, which is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding, which was made at the bequest of former Texas A&M President Earl Rudder. Over the years, the department has invited Aggies to think deeply about humanity’s most profound questions.  

“Studying philosophy can transform who you are,” said Dr. Kristi Sweet, the philosophy department head. “When you become educated through philosophy, you learn how to think: how to think about how to live, how to think about how to be good, how to think about how we organize ourselves socially, how to think about all sorts of things that are central to being human and living a flourishing human life. There are valuable skills that come with a philosophical education.” 

This type of education also enhances students’ abilities to reason and communicate, which will serve them academically at Texas A&M and after they graduate.

“You become more articulate about concepts and ideas and more adept at spelling out your arguments,” Sweet said. “You become better at communicating and you become better at listening to understand.” 

With Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III’s renewed focus on citizenship and service, the department is well-positioned to expand its impact across campus. Building on this momentum, it has recently  launched a new major: Society, Ethics, and Law.

“While this was conceived as a pre-law major, it’s much broader than that,” Sweet said. “It is for Aggies who want to live out the core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service in their career choice and have the kind of impact that makes their community and society better.” 

Based on their own educational experiences, Maheshwari and Limousin both view the study of philosophy as a key component of a well-rounded education.

“Fundamentally, based on my culture and my education, the value of being a well-rounded person, regardless of what you want to do later in life, is the concept of learning different thought and logic processes that build upon essential values,” said Limousin, who is originally from France. “It's well-rounded because you see another perspective.” 

The couple believes that the study of philosophy is especially important for STEM majors.

“Our belief is that STEM majors, including engineering majors, should have a reasonably strong background in the humanities, and then if they want, they can specialize even more at the master's level,” said Maheshwari, who has 25 years of automotive and entrepreneurship experience and now serves as an executive advisor for Tekion Corp. and co-founder and board member of Rollick, Inc. “Philosophy helps individuals address a number of practical situations that involve collaborating with others. It boils down to making that special connection with people, which in turn starts with the ability to understand different perspectives and to communicate one’s own views in a persuasive manner, often in non-technical parlance.”  

Limousin also noted that philosophy’s formal discovery process aligns it well with engineering.

“Philosophy is foundational to a well-rounded education because its methods enable you to see other people’s perspectives while logically presenting your arguments and questions,” she said. “Engineers are trained to structure problems and design solutions — skills that are also central to philosophy. The difference lies in the tools and methods each discipline uses to approach complex questions. Hence, these fields are quite synergistic and can give a leg up to a student who wants to continue to be ahead of the AI automation wave.” 

Since beginning his own exploration of philosophy, Birla has seen firsthand how studying philosophy has enriched his life and deepened his understanding of multidisciplinary engineering technology. Now, he hopes the endowed scholarship will give future STEM majors the opportunity to experience that same transformative process. 

“I view the creation of this scholarship as a positive opportunity to open up the study of philosophy for future Aggies,” he said. “I’m grateful and excited for its potential.”