Physics and Philosophy

<p>This one.
<a href="http://www.yale.edu/yalecol/publications/ycps/chapter_iv/physics_philosophy.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/yalecol/publications/ycps/chapter_iv/physics_philosophy.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Is there anyone here who has decided on this major, or knows someone who has? </p>

<p>This is one of the major reasons I'm considering a transfer, so I was wondering what it's like: balancing physics courses and philosophy courses, dealing with the workload, professors, approx. size of classes... so on. Thanks.</p>

<p>I'd like to know about this major as well</p>

<p>I think there the number of physics and philosophy majors is relatively small so you probably won't get too many answers here on CC. I can tell you that you will be taking the same exact physics courses as physics majors and the same exact philosophy courses as philosophy majors. The only difference is you take fewer of each and work on particular courses that are more interdisciplinary for instance Philosophy of Science and Mathematical Logic.</p>

<p>Its a weird major; if you want to start with that major and eventually switch to either pure physics or pure philosophy, you could.</p>

<p>hmm.......I like the major! I'll think 'bout it! ;)</p>

<p>Thanks, Yoshi. I take it that the classes will probably be in good standing academically, but smaller and more cohesive when interdiciplinary and more major-oriented. That sounds great. Weird, like Jules says, but I like weird... so, great. :)</p>

<p>Speaking of weird major, Jules, is it possible to start with either pure physics or pure philosophy and go on to select this interdiciplinary one later - choose to merge later, after beginning from a more focused study? </p>

<p>For example, if I were to start out from a philosophy major and decide later to change to Physics and Philosophy, I would still be studying physics with the requisite courses, but my studies would have more of a philosophical bent... if it were possible, that is!</p>

<p>Yay, asifkhan and Optimization, we could all go together!
... but I hope I'm not just getting my hopes up. Transfer to Yale has an acceptance rate of what, 3%? On top of that, I dunno if this major will even be available to transfers. Haha, I'll just cross my fingers.</p>

<p>ha ha, I'm a rising junior of HS! It'll be quite sometimes for me to go. LOl!</p>

<p>I believe that all majors are open to transfer students. As Jules stated you could easily start out with the pure subjects and merge later on if you find that you have a deep interest in The Critiques of Kant. Likewise, you could easily start off with philosophy and physics and switch to pure philosophy or pure physics in junior year. Although be warned the physics major is very rigorous so you'll have a lot of catching up to do if you focused a lot of your time on philosophy freshman and sophomore year.</p>

<p>Didn't John Galt, Francisco and Ragnar pursue this course of study?</p>

<p>Excellent allusion to Atlas Shrugged. I actually don't think they studied physics and philosophy in an interdisciplinary sense but studied them purely and separately. But then again "Who is John Galt"?</p>

<p>I'm a junior at Yale majoring in Physics and Philosophy, and couldn't be happier with the major. Last year, Yale hired Jill North (<a href="http://www.yale.edu/philos/people/north_jill.html)%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/philos/people/north_jill.html)&lt;/a>, a young philosopher of physics who is teachign classes like Direction of Time, Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Philosophy of Physics, etc. There are a ton of philosophy classes relevant to the major (including a class called "Infinity"). My only complaint is that there are quite a few pre-reqs, including intro math and physics, and there are 2 full-year lab requirements. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them-- <a href="mailto:john.robinson@yale.edu">john.robinson@yale.edu</a>.</p>

<p>PS- If I remember correcelty, John Galt did major in Physics and Philosophy. That doesn't mean I like Ayn Rand though!</p>

<p>Although I am not a law person, I believe physics has proven to be the best major for the LSAT or prep for law school or something like that...I hear philosophy is awesome too. Maybe this would be a good pre-law major or something?</p>

<p>"pre-reqs including intro math and physics, and 2 full-year lab requirements"?
I've never taken a proper physics course, so I've got no idea what a physics lab would comprise.. bsides, I've not been too great with maths recently. I wonder if I should take some transferrable math courses before I transfer- I'll be sending you some questions, if you've the time? Thanks lots.</p>

<p>natew6338: Yeah I think that's bout right. I come from a law-people background, and my parents like to think that I'll step into their shoes...so that is (sort of) among my considerations. Logic matters, and both physics and philosophy are all logic, I guess.</p>