Why did you decide to study philosophy?
What type of career goals do you think you'll have in the future?
I keep hearing from people who are studying philosophy that they want to drop out. This just seems sad. Maybe they weren't cut for it but still I wonder. What's not to like? I do know there's lot's of readings, analysis, thinking, etc... but I don't think I would mind that. What do you think could be the issue? Lazy people?
Thanks.
Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 7:31 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from Wilder at 4:35 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why? There are a limited number of jobs, and most of them are occupied by 60 year old men that will NEVER DIE. True. I guess I'll have to pick out a nice school and start killing off its religious studies department now. I figure if I do it slowly with poison and stuff I'll avoid detection and they'll keel over about when I finish school.
Quote: from Wilder at 4:35 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why? There are a limited number of jobs, and most of them are occupied by 60 year old men that will NEVER DIE.
Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why?
Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach.
Why?
There are a limited number of jobs, and most of them are occupied by 60 year old men that will NEVER DIE.
True. I guess I'll have to pick out a nice school and start killing off its religious studies department now. I figure if I do it slowly with poison and stuff I'll avoid detection and they'll keel over about when I finish school.
I meant philosophy in particular. Religious studies might be easier.
Is that the only thing you are studying? If not, what's the other thing? Why did you decide to study philosophy? What type of career goals do you think you'll have in the future? I keep hearing from people who are studying philosophy that they want to drop out. This just seems sad. Maybe they weren't cut for it but still I wonder. What's not to like? I do know there's lot's of readings, analysis, thinking, etc... but I don't think I would mind that. What do you think could be the issue? Lazy people? Thanks.
1) I'm currently in my 2nd year, BA Philosophy/ law Student....(Philosophy being my major)
2) not sure....I think it was my 'fear of comittmant'...philosophy happens to be one of those few broad subject with an exceptional amount of scope.
like for example my phil modules this year:
Formal Logic (propositional calculus/predictates...its basically math)
Phil of Art phil of Politics Phil of Epistimology (knowledge) Phil of Mind metaphysics
so you see, part of the year I'm doing math, the next secound I'm looking at art and pondering 'what it is', then on rights and liberties, then unto how can we know 'what is'.....and so on.
3) in england at least, its a popular myth that Phil Grads are unemployable....
whereas, many employers look positivly on phil because of the skills it promotes; such as the abilities to reason, argue, think independantly and Abstractly....
...But I dont have a fucking clue as to what I want to be....
4) Philosophy can be fustrating at times... it give huges volumes of questions to think about (often questioning your intuitions and beliefs..eg. in god), yet fails to deliver awnsers...
another reason might be many people only start to take it up, for the first time at uni...so nobody has any idea as to what it will be like.
Quote: from Wilder at 5:21 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from julian at 3:12 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from Wilder at 4:35 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why? It is kind of the wrong reason to get a PhD. You should get a PhD because you want to be a lifelong student in a subject that you want to devote your life to. Teaching is something that goes along with this of course, but there is much more involved to obtaining a PhD than merely a desire to teach. You know people that want to teach on a college level but don't want to be lifelong students in the subjects that they will devote their lives to studying and teaching? No, I said the exact opposite. I even have profs that do not want to teach. They just do it because they have to. It's unfortunate, but a reality at many universities.
Quote: from julian at 3:12 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from Wilder at 4:35 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why? It is kind of the wrong reason to get a PhD. You should get a PhD because you want to be a lifelong student in a subject that you want to devote your life to. Teaching is something that goes along with this of course, but there is much more involved to obtaining a PhD than merely a desire to teach. You know people that want to teach on a college level but don't want to be lifelong students in the subjects that they will devote their lives to studying and teaching?
Quote: from Wilder at 4:35 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 4:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. Why? It is kind of the wrong reason to get a PhD. You should get a PhD because you want to be a lifelong student in a subject that you want to devote your life to. Teaching is something that goes along with this of course, but there is much more involved to obtaining a PhD than merely a desire to teach.
It is kind of the wrong reason to get a PhD. You should get a PhD because you want to be a lifelong student in a subject that you want to devote your life to. Teaching is something that goes along with this of course, but there is much more involved to obtaining a PhD than merely a desire to teach.
You know people that want to teach on a college level but don't want to be lifelong students in the subjects that they will devote their lives to studying and teaching?
No, I said the exact opposite. I even have profs that do not want to teach. They just do it because they have to. It's unfortunate, but a reality at many universities.
My point was that I don't see how someone would want to become a prof. but not want to be a lifelong student of the field that they study.
Quote: from Rastafarian at 7:01 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 Minors in philosophy aren't half-bad from what I've heard, though majoring in it gives you almost no job market. My mom works for JP Morgan Chase (one of the few banks that hasn't bit the dust, woo) and has hired people with Medieval Studies majors just because she needs people who can think in ways Business majors can't or simply aren't used to. There's hope for my Philosophy majoring ass yet. If that doesn't work, I'll just fall back on my Music and German double minor by... oh god im fucked
Minors in philosophy aren't half-bad from what I've heard, though majoring in it gives you almost no job market.
My mom works for JP Morgan Chase (one of the few banks that hasn't bit the dust, woo) and has hired people with Medieval Studies majors just because she needs people who can think in ways Business majors can't or simply aren't used to.
There's hope for my Philosophy majoring ass yet. If that doesn't work, I'll just fall back on my Music and German double minor by...
oh god im fucked
McDonald's and human guinea pigs are always an option.. that or teaching.
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