Philiosophy Major

<p>I've heard the people who major in Philiosophy on average, do better on the LSAT's then other majors. I am passionate about philiosophy and go to law school, so would phil be a good major? thoughts and comments please.</p>

<p>Yes.</p>

<p>(It's "...better on the LSAT's than other majors.")</p>

<p>If you're passionate about philosophy and you want to go to law school, then it seems to me that philosophy would be a good choice as a major for you.</p>

<p>I think that math and physics majors tend to score the highest on LSAT's, but that alone is not a good reason to major in math or physics.</p>

<p>What can you do with a philosophy degree? I was told it was rather useless (besides going to graduate school).</p>

<p>a diverse and rigorous philosophy undergrad program is in my opinion the best preparation for Law School, bar none. Anyone who can read Kant, Hume, etc well enough to retain it and write papers about it will be able to sift through and retain law texts like nobody's business. Furthermore, the logic and reasoning training you can get are essential to being a good lawyer.</p>

<p>^Speaking of Kant...I'm still in high school, but last year, I tried reading the Critique of Pure Reason by Kant, and I felt like committing suicide the entire time. Is it just because I don't have what it takes, or is Kant really crazy? </p>

<p>Also, is economics/philosophy a good combination? And is economics/mathematics a better one? Because some of my colleges ask for only one or two possible majors, and I am split between the three. If it is just one that they ask for, I am definitely just going to write down economics, but I am certain I am going to also take philosophy and/or mathematics.</p>

<p>I think philosophy, math, and economics go well together.</p>

<p>I'm minoring in economics because I plan to do the honors program in philosophy and won't have the credits to do a major or anything like that in economics.</p>

<p>Many people might not feel the same way, but I think philosophy gives me useful insights into economics. Math and philosophy is an uber combo, if you can do both, of course.</p>

<p>sat123, Kant eats babies. that is all</p>

<p>I read Kant before I read Hume, Plato, Nietzsche and numerous others.
The pure reason stuff. I read it for like 300 pages then stopped. (Kant's Copernican Revolution, the issue between subject and object, that's as far as i can go.)
Also, a guidebook may help too.
But if Kant is hard, what then is Derrida and Hedigger? Dude, try to read an essay by derrida and you will be miserable for a month.
Speaking of economics and philosophy, This sounds very fun.
You know why? That's the classical path for social philosophers, such as Karl Marx of course.
lol</p>

<p>but seriously, if you pursue some specialty analytical philosophy, i think it will be good combination cuz there are TONS of math in economics. </p>

<p>and I happen to despise analytical philosophy. Just look at those symbols, they are not even readable~~~~
lol</p>

<p>i really like the reasoning and logic behind philosophy, but reading the texts are just murrrrder. i fall asleep every time i read it, or feel like pulling my hair out. it's different if discussed. hah.</p>

<p>A Philosophy major sounds like a fine idea. It seems like it would benefit you better than most other majors would.</p>

<p>Many people kant read Kant (sorry, but I couldn't help myself).</p>

<p>Philosophy is a great major for law school. It teaches you how to work with difficult texts, to read carefully, to think and write analytically. Plus you develop an excellent understanding of the history of ideas.</p>

<p>If you can't get into law school though, you're f<em>ed. If you decide that you don't like being a lawyer, you're f</em>ed.</p>

<p>I have only good things to say about Philosophy as a major, but don't expect it to be a magic ticket to LSAT success. Phil majors (along with various types of Engineering majors, and I forget who else...I want to say that Math and CS top the list, as well) do, in general, tend to score quite well on the test. Don't mistake correlation for causation, though (by the time you're done with college, you'll be so sick of hearing that warning). It's probably true that Philosophy emphasizes certain skills that are helpful for the LSAT--critical thinking, logic, etc.--but it's just as likely that the type of people who are drawn to a Philosophy major are the type of people who would do pretty well on the test, regardless. I've advised people not to force themselves to major in Philosophy just because they think it'll be helpful for law school, but if you're passionate about the topic, then hey. Graduate plans aside, it's a logical choice for you :)</p>

<p>And to respond to Formidable's post, you're not "f*ed" if you change your mind about law school. You'll come out with an impressive open-ended degree that will automatically signal your ability to think critically, write clearly, analyze well, and work hard. It's not a specifically career-oriented degree, but at the undergrad level, *most things aren't<a href="even%20if%20they%20sound%20it">/i</a>. When you graduate, a Phil degree won't channel you directly into a particular career, so the "burden" (a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it) will be on you to choose your path.</p>

<p>(FYI, I say this as a Philosophy major, Math minor who's headed to law school.)</p>

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You'll come out with an impressive open-ended degree that will automatically signal your ability to think critically, write clearly, analyze well, and work hard.

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<p>BS. Undergrads in philosophy are simply NOT in demand. Besides, you can do all of the above with an economics or many other degrees.</p>

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It's not a specifically career-oriented degree, but at the undergrad level, most things aren't

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<p>You have no clue what you are talking about.</p>

<p>One of the reasons why a philosophy degree is so "unique" is because it is NOT career oriented. Most degrees are career oriented. What could you do simply with a BA in Philosophy? Be a high school teacher? Write? And so forth.</p>

<p>Formidable, there have been many, many threads in these forums in which students debate one major or another and refer to employability, money-making potential, etc., and the advice generally given to those students (by people far more qualified than I) is that at the undergrad level, and **particularly within the Liberal Arts<a href="which%20I%20did%20not%20specify%20before,%20but%20that's%20really%20what%20I'm%20referring%20to">/b</a>, it often makes little difference. No, nobody is claiming that a piccolo student and an Engineer are going to graduate with identical job offers, but the belief that a Philosophy major is useless simply b/c it doesn't spit students into a career path, or the belief that every Econ major will walk straight into an i-banking job (just using an example that seems to pop up frequently), is just ridiculous. I'd guess that either we're misunderstanding one another, or that perhaps you're putting too much importance on one's specific undergrad degree (or too little on work-ethic, on-the-job training, internships, connections, or a multitude of other things).</p>

<p>I'm certainly not denying that in some cases, degree is very important (even crucial), or that in many cases, a particular course of study will help grease one's path. But there's a pretty significant difference between saying that Philosophy is "not a specifically career-oriented degree" and claiming that a Phil major who changes his mind about attending law school will be at a total loss.</p>

<p>The only qualifications I have for making these claims are that I know many very happily, very comfortably employed non-law-or-grad school attending Philosophy majors, and that I've spent a fair bit of time reading similar posts around these boards. But I went to a LAC and did major in Philosophy, so while on some level that might legitimize my perspective, I can hardly claim a lack of bias. Not arguing.</p>

<p>well said.</p>

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particularly within the Liberal Arts (which I did not specify before, but that's really what I'm referring to), it often makes little difference

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<p>Oh really? Then how come there are plenty of business jobs which ask for Accounting/Finance OR Economics majors? I sure don't see them asking for Philosophy majors.</p>

<p>There are better choices to major in than philosophy, believe me.</p>

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or the belief that every Econ major will walk straight into an i-banking job

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<p>Econ majors have way more opportunities in business than philosophy majors.</p>