<p>Who chose this as their undergrad major and did you enjoy it? </p>
<p>I am just wondering. I am only a sophomore at W&M and I have been thinking about selecting it as my major. I play to attend law school after graduation.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
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Who chose this as their undergrad major and did you enjoy it?
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<p>I am majoring in philosophy at Georgetown and I think I am enjoying it too much.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ualr.edu/%7Ephilosophy/use.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.ualr.edu/~philosophy/use.htm</a></p>
<p>Me . . .</p>
<p>I do not lend credence to those articles; the philosophy degree is not made to be useful. Those who want to do only philosophy have to teach; they have no other choice -- assuming they want to use their degrees to good purpose. </p>
<p>Any self-respecting philosopher understands at the outset that their craft is perhaps the least glamorous. Anyone who tries to persuade others to adopt the major solely on its 'use value' or practical value is being misleading; most who teach philosophy do it because they love it, not because it will provide them with optimal employment flexibility. Anyone who does it with the hopes of better flexibility should look elsewhere, because not only is philosophy not suited for it, but the work you produce will be writ large with carelessness.</p>
<p>Philosophy is no doubt a delightful thing, Socrates, as long as one is exposed to it in moderation at the appropriate time of life. But if one spends more time with it than he should, it's the undoing of mankind. For even if one is naturally well favored but engages in philosophy far beyond that appropriate time of life, he can't help but turn out to be inexperienced in everything a man who's to be admirable and good and well thought of is supposed to be experienced in. Such people turn out to be inexperienced in the laws of their city or in the kind of speech one must use to deal with people on matters of business, whether in public or private, inexperienced also in human pleasures and appetites and, in short, inexperienced in the ways of human beings altogether...When I see philosophy in a young boy, I approve of it; I think it's appropriate, and consider such a person a liberal one, whereas I consider one who doesn't engage in philosophy illiberal, one who'll never count himself deserving of any admirable or noble thing. But when I see an older man still engaging in philosophy and not giving it up, I think such a man by this time needs a flogging.
-Callicles in Plato's Gorgias</p>
<p>The usefulness of philosophy was debated even in ancient times. :D</p>
<p>nspeds, the poster asked who majored in philosophy. I merely provided lists as to famous graduates. I do not think the philosophy degree is much more useful than any other bachelors degree in general. Not everyone has to teach to do philosophy, although most do. It is possible to have a patron, or to happen to have money, or even to make it on one's own.</p>
<p>Sorry, DRab, that was not intended as an attack against you. Pragmatism is just a pet-peeve of mine.</p>
<p>You can do a lot with a philosophy degree; I know students who were admitted into med school, law school, and other graduate/professionals. The problem is that a B.A./A.B. in philosophy is not "worth" much, and you can only teach with a Ph.D in philosophy.</p>
<p>You can earn money, sure, but not solely as a philosopher. You would have to combine it with something else.</p>
<p>'Tis fine, nspeds, I did not feel attacked. I don't see how an A.B. or B.A. in philosophy varies from other degrees in the ways you're desciibing, particularly within the humanities and social sciences.</p>
<p>When you say you can't earn money "solely as a philosopher," what do you mean? I certiainly agree that few are going to get paid thousands of dollars a year to write if they merely read and write all day after they receive their bachelor's degree, but do philosophy professors not count in your category of philosophers?</p>
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When you say you can't earn money "solely as a philosopher," what do you mean?
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<p>Sorry! I should have been more precise. </p>
<p>You are not going to make loads of money as a philosopher. Yes, philosophy professors do fall under the category of philosophers, but they still do not make much, and the job-market harsh in when considering availability of tenure-track positions.</p>
<p>So what I mean to say is that, with a B.A./A.B. and a Ph.D in Philosophy, you are going to have to do something else if you want to earn a lot of money. </p>
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particularly within the humanities and social sciences.
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<p>Oh, definitely. I agree with you on that.</p>
<p>I agree with you that few will make loads of money as philosophers. As to philosophy professorships, eek, the job market is tough, and if you get that tenured position, you aren't going to make much for years. The rare exception, though, can be interesting. When I was talking with a former (sadly, this semester's instruction is over) Graduate Student Instructor of mine, he told about how the professors who stick around for years, particularly the ones lucky and talented enough to get named professorships, make 6 figures.</p>
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Graduate Student Instructor of mine, he told about how the professors who stick around for years, particularly the ones lucky and talented enough to get named professorships, make 6 figures.
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<p>Well, quite a few talented professors teach at Berkeley. I am sure John Searle and Alva No</p>
<p>Hmm. I hadn't realized Noe was so famous. I had Judith Butler in mind, but I'm sure Searle makes a pretty penny.</p>
<p>Haha. I met No</p>
<p>Awesome. What was he doing out on the east coast?</p>
<p>He was doing a lecture on 'Real Presence' at Harvard. I spoke with him for a while; he is an amiable fellow, and indubitably a good professor.</p>
<p>That's great</p>
<p>I didn't realize I would create such a hectic thread. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments! Philosophy truly interests me and I think I will major both in Philosophy and Psychology. </p>
<p>I realize that the of Philosophy is not a huge money maker... ;) </p>
<p>AS.</p>
<p>A family friend of mine works for a rather prestigious law firm. In the last few years, the firm has chosen a policy, which recruits mainly philosophy majors. The rationale is that if a person can work their way through Hegel or Wittgenstein, that person probably has mastered legal language in law school. The decision to operate this way was purely empirical, and the firm is quite happy with their new blood.</p>
<p>I'm almost sure that I'll do Philosophy. Since I started taking a class this year, I LOVE IT. More than any other subject I have ever taken. And I want to go to law school so I guess I'm lucky in some way to be able to study my favorite subject and go into the field of work which incites the most passion in me. Anyone here ever study the philosophical nature of law? So interesting.</p>
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Anyone here ever study the philosophical nature of law? So interesting.
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<p>Yes, it is one of my interests. </p>
<p>I am focusing on the debate between legal positivism and natural law, which involves extensive study of both the works of Ronald Dworkin and H.L.A. Hart.</p>