• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

career as a Philosopher

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
And why would a person with a business degree lack critical thinking, verbal communication and debate capability? I suspect that those businesses wanted philosophy majors so that they'd accept a lower entry wage in comparison to a business major due to the fact that the degree isn't particularly related to the role they're going to cover. I am not trying to shit philosophy majors here, I am only saying that in this specific case bussinesses could have an ulterior motive for their choice.

because believe it or not, many business degrees do not promote discussion and on the spot thinking at all. so much of it is just rote learning and doing stuff by the book. philosophy by definition really requires arguing and thinking for yourself.
 

FDG

pathwise dependent
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
5,903
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
7w8
because believe it or not, many business degrees do not promote discussion and on the spot thinking at all. so much of it is just rote learning and doing stuff by the book. philosophy by definition really requires arguing and thinking for yourself.

Well then businesses must ask very different things there in the US, because here what is most rewarded is precisely doing things by the book...
 

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
Well then businesses must ask very different things there in the US, because here what is most rewarded is precisely doing things by the book...

that's what i said :shock:. the business world, especially LEARNING business is very much about doing stuff by the book. philosophers do not do that, we are trained to critique and question.
 

Uytuun

New member
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
1,633
MBTI Type
nnnn
because believe it or not, many business degrees do not promote discussion and on the spot thinking at all. so much of it is just rote learning and doing stuff by the book. philosophy by definition really requires arguing and thinking for yourself.

(I always find it so funny that there's an INTJ-INTP like feud going on between the applied sciences and the pure ones/useless humanities degrees - it tends to be financial snobbery vs. intellectual snobbery (poor but smart and free-thinking) - that said, it's kind of true :D)

I'm pursuing a fairly useless humanities degree.
 

Tayshaun

New member
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
172
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w4
Do you want to become a philosopher or lead a philosophical life?

Nowadays, a philosopher is one from 9 to 5, while teaching, doing research and writing.
As soon as he leaves his office and during weekends he is not a philosopher. He is simply a university professor caught in the usual research/publishing/teaching triangle. He is still within the system, relying on it, and having his schedule and overall lifestyle contained by it.

OR

You can lead a philosophical life; incarnating your values, working for your ideals. Spinoza's job was not philosopher but lens a grinder, yet people from all over Europe came to meet him in his workshop seeking his wisdom.
 

Jack Flak

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
9,098
MBTI Type
type
If you "want to be" a philosopher,

wrong01.jpg
 

Eldanen

Arcesso pulli gingerios!
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
697
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w4
Majoring in philosophy is my back-up plan if it turns out that I suck too much at mathematics. It is not one my two primariy aims, though.

In the USA, philosophy basically helps you get a job teaching philosophy. Other than that, it is only as useful as any other generic degree. Getting a degree in philosophy is not what most people would call a "career decision".

A friend of mine got a BA in Philosophy. It turns out that during his time at college, he took so many history courses that he was also qualified to teach US History at the gradeschool level. This was several years back though. I wonder if people have to jump through so many hoops these days that this approach wouldn't work.
 

Kalach

Filthy Apes!
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
4,310
MBTI Type
INTJ
My humble impression since having left a Philosophy Department some ten years ago is, what's left in Philosophy apart from arcana is the nature of consciousness, now being investigated as Cognitive Biology.

Which is to say, psychology, particularly neurobiology, and philosophy have been meeting up as disciplines for a while now over the Ye Olde (as yet Unsolvdee) Mind/Body Problem.


And having a job as a philosopher is Ye Olde Publish, Publish, Publish, and then Perish Anyway Problem.
 

Tayshaun

New member
Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
172
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w4
Which is to say, psychology, particularly neurobiology, and philosophy have been meeting up as disciplines for a while now over the Ye Olde (as yet Unsolvdee) Mind/Body Problem.

Yes, Monism VS Dualism really is the basis of all metaphysics.

I agree. Neuroscience, genetics, psychology are now studying what is at the heart of philosophy though one really should specify: metaphysics, epistemology and ontology.
 

IntrovertedThinker

New member
Joined
Jun 21, 2010
Messages
96
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w4
Yes, only by teaching philosophy does one gain the recognition of officially being a "philosopher". Nevermind that numerous great minds were never academics themselves.

An alternative route would go into certain areas of journalism which explore philosophical issues. Numerous "philosophers" engaged in that.

Indeed. Anyone interested (especially INTPs) in becoming a philosopher should either a) work toward a PhD in philosophy and attempt to become a university professor teaching the subject, or b) go into journalism and write about philosophical/scientific issues/topics.

I personally want to major in English and Philosophy (in no particular order atm), so that way I can either teach it or at least write about it, in one form or another. If we can't hold an official title as "philosopher," then we'll just have to run around with the idea that we're philosophical by writing and thinking about it often, and how best to do that than by teaching, researching, and drafting articles all centered around it?

Good post.
 

cfs1992

New member
Joined
Jul 26, 2009
Messages
211
I'm planning to have my Master's Degree in Philosophy, after majoring in History...

And yes, I want to be a college teacher in this area.
 

Jonny

null
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
3,134
MBTI Type
FREE
I wouldn't recommend that anyone pursue a degree in philosophy unless he/she is planning on teaching or going into law, but I would recommend that everyone study philosophy extensively. More than most subjects, philosophy changes the thought processes of those who study it. In terms of the physical degree, however, there isn't much benefit.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
Unless you are absolutely positive about future plans. I knew this INtP guy (assuming) that had seemed like he had a well-planned out future in philosophy. He wrote a few books, gave talks, planned on going to Emory for a PhD.
 
Top