-- Posted by Stand Up at 3:57 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 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. -- Posted by greatescape at 3:58 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 I would love to study philosophy but there's not much to do with it.... -- Posted by Natsy at 3:59 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 i'm studying it at college... does that count? lol xx -- Posted by xestrangedx at 4:01 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 I did it for a year out of pure interest. -- Posted by Rastafarian at 4:01 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 Quote: from greatescape11 at 3:58 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 I would love to study philosophy but there's not much to do with it.... It's a cycle of philospher teachers teach philosophy so that their students end up teaching philosophy. Minors in philosophy aren't half-bad from what I've heard, though majoring in it gives you almost no job market. -- Posted by greatescape at 4:05 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 Quote: from Rastafarian at 6:01 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 Quote: from greatescape11 at 3:58 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 I would love to study philosophy but there's not much to do with it.... It's a cycle of philospher teachers teach philosophy so that their students end up teaching philosophy. Minors in philosophy aren't half-bad from what I've heard, though majoring in it gives you almost no job market. Yeah but I'm thinking that a Psychology major with a Philosophy minor kind of screams "All I really want to do is sit on top of a hill and think about life.  Screw work." But yeah...I could see it being useful in a few fields. -- Posted by iconoclast at 4:27 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 ive taken a few philosophy classes in uni and they seem quite oversimplified probably because theyre lower level and most people who take them have no clue how to think -- Posted by TheOtherHorseman at 4:50 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 I picked up a minor in philosophy out of interest. -- Posted by SovSull at 9:42 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 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 -- Posted by morik at 1:01 am on Nov. 4, 2008 I am on my first year of a philosophy BA degree. Philosophy with History as a minor to be exact. I am now 7 weeks into the course and love it. My two philosophy units are Introduction to Philosophy (just did the for and against existence of God stuff and now moving on to moral philosophy and Kant), Classic Readings (just studied Plato and his Socratic dialogues and now doing Aristotle's Categories), and my history unit is Early Modern Studies (Europe 1400ish to 1750) I choose to do philosophy because its a sort of hobby for me. I love the way it makes such mundane things suddenly become interesting. Also the subject gives me a fantastic sense of well being. Its as if everything in life has developed an extra dimension. I disagree when people say that it is harder to get a job with a philosophy degree. What about the other seemingly worthless ones like media studies, drama and history? Surely anyone with the determination to study these subjects, doing endless writing and research for 3 years will look good to an employer in many trades. The problem solving skills of a philosopher always looks good on a CV. Not to mention the verbal skills in arguing. -- Posted by TheOtherHorseman at 3:37 am on Nov. 4, 2008 Just keep in mind: God help you if you want a PhD so that you can teach. -- Posted by julian at 12:53 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 I am a psychology major but I take a lot of philosophy classes.  There is A LOT of reading in my philosophy classes.  One philosophy class = all other classes combined, as far as reading goes.  This could be intimidating to some people.  Also the reading can be very hard.  There are a lot of texts that are like 3,000 years old and have been translated 5 times.  These are not the easiest to read.  It requires a lot of patience and motivation to get through some of them. -- Posted by Wilder at 1:35 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? -- Posted by julian at 2:12 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. -- Posted by Wilder at 2:21 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? -- Posted by GmanXXVI at 2:26 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 if i was to go to college, i am thinking i would like to take philosophy and physics.  philosophy not becasue you can get a great career out of it (my aim is quite to the contrary) but because i am more curious about life, the meaning of it, how it should be thought of, and whatever else you get from it than just running around in a suit all my life working to make someone else richer...death to the drones!! -- Posted by julian at 2:37 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 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.   -- Posted by Stand Up at 2:49 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from SovSull at 12:42 am on Nov. 4, 2008 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 McDonald's and human guinea pigs are always an option.. that or teaching. -- Posted by Wilder at 2:50 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from julian at 3:37 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 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. 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. -- Posted by Blackadder at 6:24 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from iJeannie at 11:57 pm on Nov. 3, 2008 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. -- Posted by TheOtherHorseman at 6:31 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. -- Posted by Blackadder at 6:38 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/nov/20/choosingadegree.highereducation -- Posted by Wilder at 6:40 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 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. -- Posted by TheOtherHorseman at 6:42 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 Quote: from Wilder at 9:40 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 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. I meant philosophy in particular. Religious studies might be easier. -- Posted by Stand Up at 6:53 pm on Nov. 4, 2008 jeez. Seems like all of a sudden someone mentions Philosophy and a religious battle starts somewhere. -- Posted by fenrir at 9:45 pm on Nov. 5, 2008 I'd gladly teach Theology and/or Philosophy on the University level.