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(Assuming even ballpark accuracy here) I just read that the average IQ of a philosophy undergrad is 129. The AVERAGE?! Statistically, this estimates at 2% of the population. Found this stat here: http://www.statisticbrain.com/iq-estimates-by-intended-college-major/
Anyone majoring in philosophy and/or have thoughts about how intellectually demanding it is? I can’t imagine how obscenely brainy a PHD has to be.
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After getting a bachelor’s 20 years ago, I decided to work on a master’s this Spring. My long term goal is a career writing and/or editing and/or a job at Pearson creating content for standardized tests or something at least vaguely similar. Because my GPA was relatively low, I didn’t even bother applying to a graduate program; low GPA a consequence of being a different person than I am today in multiple dimensions.
I am a Tech Communication major ATM. I want to go to school at least through the Fall semester, I think, before applying to graduate school. After taking a course in tech writing and linguistics, I’m thinking it will be just too damn dry and one dimensional.
The bottom line is I’m considering a degree in something more stimulating than what would be a"stereotypical" major for someone interested in writing, etc. In lieu of a Master’s that’s very rigorous and scientific with something as one dimensional as the methodology and theory of writing (essentially it seems), I’m thinking it I might be better off studying something with more substance (if you will) while making sure I graduate with a great GPA.
Additionally, an undergrad or master’s in linguistics is among other considerations.
Anyone majoring in philosophy and/or have thoughts about how intellectually demanding it is?
For some perspective, the average IQ of an M.D. is 120 according to:
http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/Occupations.aspx
@kdslf44 I’m not in college yet, but I can speak as someone who has done extensive independent research in philosophy and is is seriously considering becoming a philosophy major, has taken a JC course in philosophy, and as had intelligent philosophical discussions with professional philosophers in my own circles.
From my own experience, philosophy just requires a good deal of careful analysis and critical thinking. It’s different from the sciences in that it’s highly abstract, but it’s not like other humanities fields like literature because it’s constantly seeking truth and reflecting on objectivity. In these respects, I like to relate philosophy more closely with mathematics than anything else. Getting into philosophy means considering every possible objection and implication of a theory, and a lot of coursework is just simply understanding what super smart guys in the past have said and argued about. Logic and knowing how to cleverly argue a point are imperative tools for philosophers.
Philosophy is definitely more substantive and multi-dimensional than tech writing, but that’s what makes it so great. Be prepared for a lot of reading and spending hours just trying to decipher paragraph-long sentences (which you probably won’t have a problem with since you’re a writer). You don’t need to be a genius as much as a rigorous, logical thinker to philosophize competently, and a lot of that skill will come as you simply do more philosophy. I’d say that it’s not just that there are smart people in philosophy; philosophy has made people smarter.
To give you a lay of the land of the caliber of problems that philosophy has taken upon itself to answer, I’d recommend reading Bertrand Russell’s “The Problems of Philosophy.” Also, don’t be discouraged by authors like Hegel or Heidegger: a lot of philosophers are notorious for convoluted and egregiously complex prose (I’d venture to call it bad writing), and most philosophy students can’t understand them without referencing professors or commentaries.