<p>Hi guys! Been a while since I posted (I am a junior in college now...I posted last as a senior in high school).
In any case, I'm a Philosophy major and I LOVE love love it.
I wanted (want) to go into academia but will most likely be going to law school for financial reasons :( ... </p>
<p>What made you go into philosophy?
What are your areas of interest?
If you want to be a philosopher as a living would you go into academia or the private sector? </p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Homeless shelters.</p>
<p>^ i’m digging this response</p>
<p>so mean though haha</p>
<p>I think it would actually be cheaper to go into academia for a philosophy PhD, since most philosophy PhD’s cover everything financially. What part of philosophy do you like so much? (Oh, and for the “homeless shelter guy”, one thing about philosophy majors is that we’ll argue you into the ground. Bring it.)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>sigh this guy</p>
<p>but anyway. to vertigo im scratching my head on why financial reasons would lead you to law school. the job prospects coming out are not that great :/</p>
<p>lol, take a philosophy class first, freshman, before you start making noise. Anyways, I do think that law school is much more expensive than going into academic philosophy, at least if you get accepted into PhD program.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>awwww. you’re so adorable! :3</p>
<p>I’m not in college yet (HS senior), but I just finished an intro philosophy course at my local LAC and next semester I get to take Chinese Philosophical Traditions. So excited! It’s so damn interesting that I’m quite tempted to attempt a double major with it in college. Regardless of what ends up happening, I’ll definitely keep taking philosophy, it’s awesome!</p>
<p>I like philosophy because it gives me a means to think rationally and decidedly about my day-to-day life (where questions such as “How do I conduct a relationship morally?” to “What does being an F actually MEAN?” can start to be investigated). And life doesn’t have right answers (just like in philosophy); it is your argumentation (I mean this in a logical way and not an “I can scream louder” contest way) that counts.
I thought I’d get some trolls on here saying, “Philosophy majors are going nowhere” etc but my response is, well, first I don’t care what you have to say (it IS my life…and I’ll reference Mill’s Principle of Liberty in that I am not harming anybody else and thus am not morally subject to coercion-- social or otherwise…your comments are not instrumentally valuable and thus lack any warrant in making them) and secondly…go away 'cause I am just looking for friendly discourse concerning my passion.
I don’t particularly like to “argue” with people because I find most to be frustratingly…terrible at arguing properly. But I guess everybody is different.
My areas of interest are metaphysics, phenomenology, ancient, and feminist philosophy. I’m all over the board right now.
RE: Going to law school being more advantageous…the most you can do with a PhD is go into teaching or the private sector (spaces are VERY limited…but Google has an in-house philosopher). Law school gives you the opportunity to always have a job (albeit for very little) in the public sector or you can make more money in the private sector (not so great job opportunities but more opportunities than academia nonetheless).
Kudos to all those young guns wanting to go into philosophy! I encourage you to continue taking classes as a means to achieve wellbeing and fulfillment in your lives. It certainly makes a person a better critical thinker and more interesting if nothing else! 
Double major phil at your own peril though (unless you’re a badass in symbolic). It’s not as easy as people perceive it to be.
Good luck on finals, all!</p>
<p>My wife is a Philosophy major, so she always contends she’s right because:
a. she’s a Philosophy major and
b. she’s my wife</p>
<p>I possess neither a PhD or JD, but IMO a JD can open more variety of opportunities than a PhD can. For non-law jobs you don’t even need to pass the bar; just possessing the JD (i.e. a doctorate) allows a job applicant to apply to other positions they would have otherwise been unqualified for without it. PhDs can take 4-7 years, but most JD programs are 3, and if you go to a cheaper LS (as long as it is still ABA accredited), then it’s financially better than going for the big LS that will have astronomical tutition, as most do. Of course some argue that not passing the bar after LS defeats the purpose of getting an education in law since you can’t practice law without bar recognition.</p>
<p>My wife took her first Phil class as a requirement in her Freshman year, and couldn’t get enough. She always had the inclining that she would want to do LS, but put it off after UG for financial reasons. Instead she got certified as a Paralegal and her experiences thereafter have solidified that law is what she wants to do for life. She’ll go to LS probably within the next couple years, again waiting on a better financial picture and the right timing with other things.</p>
<p>She said some of her favorite Phil classes were Philosophy of Death and Philosophy of Marriage. Her school even had a Philosophy of The Beatles and Philosophy of Star Trek class, if I remember right.</p>
<p>Lawyer and Philosophy Prof in our house so can add some thoughts. First, a philosophy major is wonderful preparation for the analytic thinking required for law school and law schools admissions love Philosophy majors because they can read and think. </p>
<p>Law school does prepare you for many career directions and, if you can go to a top tier school without crippling debt, it is a great opportunity. While the job market for lawyers and philosophy Ph.Ds stink, it stinks more for the Ph.Ds. The good, but not amazing, Ph.Ds from the philosophy graduate program – who have not found academic jobs – often wind up going to tippy-top law schools. </p>
<p>Yes, most grad programs will fully fund you, with stipend for teaching etc., so you are not likely to come out with substantial debt. But the market is very very tight for even the best students, and candidates can wind up taking a series of 1 year appointments, trying to find a tenure-track job and competing against all the new candidates every year. Not pretty sight. Philosophy grad program rankings can be counter-intuitive as they are sliced narrowly in terms of areas of specialty. NYU, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Univ Pittsburgh, Univ of Arizona are highly ranked in specific specialties. </p>
<p>To be a philosophy professor, it should be like a calling – you cannot imagine living any other way, similar to an artist or a writer. </p>
<p>Good luck, and glad you have found undergrad work that you love.</p>
<p>Thank you for the in-depth responses!
I hope this helps some future philosophy majors. It is truly a blessing for me to have found this major because it is, in some sense, a way of life for me.
From sitting in the counselor’s office after having read a news report that said “Philosophy majors are the 2nd highest scoring on the LSAT” to really loving the work I am allowed to do at university and benefiting from it immensely…what a journey.
Thanks again, all!</p>