How in the HECK is Philosophy a Major?!

[CelticD]

So hey I made a thread a few years ago asking if a college degree was really worth obtaining:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=77412.msg1859392#msg1859392

So after taking in everyone's advice,I decided to take a year off, and I'm now back in it and I must say Philosophy has to be about the most useless, made-up subject in the school's curriculum. Never mind the high unemployment rates of Philosophy majors, or the low initial starting salary of someone starting in that field, but conceptually I can't believe this is a subject.

No disrespect to any Philosophy majors but I don't understand how this class is basically about raising unanswerable questions and forming arguments that can be refuted by a simple hypothetical anecdote. Doesn't the word mean "Love of Knowledge" or something? A lot of the old 17th-18th century philosophers made assumptions based on ignorance (which I can't blame them for), which science has been able to either confirm or refute, so what is the point of learning it now?

Can anyone rationalize this for me?

[Quetzalcoatl]

It's big with people for an undergrad major that want to be lawyers

[More Banners]

First off, ouchie.

Second, there are two ways to look at it. One is as a body of knowledge which might occasionally be useful.  Familiarity with the history of ideas could make it easier and to more quickly get to the points and assumptions in "new" things that come along. The other is to think of it as training in a process of breaking down ideas putting them together.

Philosophy, to many of those into it, is an activity.

A crappy professor can make a course in Phil hellish for sure though.   Good luck!

[kozlodoev]

Well, you do need someone to teach other Philosophy majors down the road... Then again, college is mostly about soft skills anyhow. If you're going to grad school for Philosophy, then you really have an issue.

[hwangjini_1]

So hey I made a thread a few years ago asking if a college degree was really worth obtaining:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=77412.msg1859392#msg1859392

So after taking in everyone's advice,I decided to take a year off, and I'm now back in it and I must say Philosophy has to be about the most useless, made-up subject in the school's curriculum. Never mind the high unemployment rates of Philosophy majors, or the low initial starting salary of someone starting in that field, but conceptually I can't believe this is a subject.

No disrespect to any Philosophy majors but I don't understand how this class is basically about raising unanswerable questions and forming arguments that can be refuted by a simple hypothetical anecdote. Doesn't the word mean "Love of Knowledge" or something? A lot of the old 17th-18th century philosophers made assumptions based on ignorance (which I can't blame them for), which science has been able to either confirm or refute, so what is the point of learning it now?

Can anyone rationalize this for me?

First, getting jobs is a narrow and dangerous way to rank majors.

Second, thinking is the basis for every other major in a university and the basis for an enlightened, informed person. Thinking deeply, broadly, and clearly are not easy to do. Virtually no one thinks this way unless trained and disciplined.

Who and what are we without thought, reflection, self-awareness?

Should only narrow questions raised by us? Only those that have answers? That leads to a bleak and boring existence for everyone.

Virtually all your profs and most experts have a ph.d. That is, they are doctors of philosophy. They has both mastered a mountain of knowledge and exhibited that they are experts in thinking about that material, creating new ideas based upon their thoughts, and debating with other highly disciplined thinkers. Thinking is a complex process they are experts in.

Thinking is hard to do well. Just as masters in music, art, engineering and other fields need to train and hone their skills, others who create, plan, and lead need to think carefully. To do this, they need to learn HOW to think carefully and broadly. Philosophy is a highly developed form of disciplined thinking.

Philosophy is not just a field, it is the basis for all advanced discoveries and progress since it is the basis of science, math, liberal arts, and virtually all else. Without philosophy there is no enlightenment period and no modernity as we define it. Is that good or bad? Only a philosopher can tackle that question. 

Your inability to see the role of philosophy demonstrates inexperience in thinking carefully and deeply.

Thinking well takes time to learn I suggest you spent the time on it and practice philosophy.

You and those around you would benefit as human beings by your enhanced ability to think.

[Redz]

I remember getting in an argument with a real jerky snot of a roommate who was fresh off taking a philosophy course.  He told me that "You think you can think, but you can't think."  I argued that me thinking I could think was, in fact thinking."  It devolved steadily from there to a point where he was sitting across the room from me threatening to throw a hammer at me. I told him he wouldn't do it, because if he didn't kill me with it I would kill him.  He told me he didn't need to actually throw the hammer, just have a seed of possibility planted in my head. 

He was a real treat for a roommate.  Needless to say he turned me off from philosophy.

[CelticD]

So hey I made a thread a few years ago asking if a college degree was really worth obtaining:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=77412.msg1859392#msg1859392

So after taking in everyone's advice,I decided to take a year off, and I'm now back in it and I must say Philosophy has to be about the most useless, made-up subject in the school's curriculum. Never mind the high unemployment rates of Philosophy majors, or the low initial starting salary of someone starting in that field, but conceptually I can't believe this is a subject.

No disrespect to any Philosophy majors but I don't understand how this class is basically about raising unanswerable questions and forming arguments that can be refuted by a simple hypothetical anecdote. Doesn't the word mean "Love of Knowledge" or something? A lot of the old 17th-18th century philosophers made assumptions based on ignorance (which I can't blame them for), which science has been able to either confirm or refute, so what is the point of learning it now?

Can anyone rationalize this for me?

First, getting jobs is a narrow and dangerous way to rank majors.

Second, thinking is the basis for every other major in a university and the basis for an enlightened, informed person. Thinking deeply, broadly, and clearly are not easy to do. Virtually no one thinks this way unless trained and disciplined.

Who and what are we without thought, reflection, self-awareness?

Should only narrow questions raised by us? Only those that have answers? That leads to a bleak and boring existence for everyone.

Virtually all your profs and most experts have a ph.d. That is, they are doctors of philosophy. They has both mastered a mountain of knowledge and exhibited that they are experts in thinking about that material, creating new ideas based upon their thoughts, and debating with other highly disciplined thinkers. Thinking is a complex process they are experts in.

Thinking is hard to do well. Just as masters in music, art, engineering and other fields need to train and hone their skills, others who create, plan, and lead need to think carefully. To do this, they need to learn HOW to think carefully and broadly.

Philosophy is not just a field, it is the basis for all advanced discoveries and progress since it is the basis of science, math, liberal arts, and virtually all else. Without philosophy there is no enlightenment period and no modernity as we define it. Is that good or bad? Only a philosopher can tackle that question. 

Your inability to see the role of philosophy demonstrates inexperience in thinking carefully and deeply.

Thinking well takes time to learn I suggest you spent the time on it and practice philosophy.

You and those around you would benefit as human beings by your enhanced ability to think.

Hm...Ya this is one of the reasons why I think Philosophy is a made-up subject. How can you "teach" someone how to think? Isn't that a contradiction in itself?

And the method of learning philosophy leaves much to be desired. How can I learn to think "more advanced", if I'm just being taught how other people used to think centuries ago? It then becomes a task of simply being able to memorize and regurgitate old information that much of the time cannot be proved.

[saltlover]

I'm making six figures and was Philsophy in undergrad.  One of my best attributes as an employee is my critical thinking and problem solving, which were greatly enhanced by my philosophy courses.  Other co-workers have better technical skills, but we work well as a team.  I don't regret my philosophy experience at all.

[Eja117]

I'm making six figures and was Philsophy in undergrad.  One of my best attributes as an employee is my critical thinking and problem solving, which were greatly enhanced by my philosophy courses.  Other co-workers have better technical skills, but we work well as a team.  I don't regret my philosophy experience at all.

Out of curiosity for every one of you how many of the opposite do you think there are?

[CelticD]

I'm making six figures and was Philsophy in undergrad.  One of my best attributes as an employee is my critical thinking and problem solving, which were greatly enhanced by my philosophy courses.  Other co-workers have better technical skills, but we work well as a team.  I don't regret my philosophy experience at all.

In what field are you working in? While I get the idea that you believe Philosophy has helped you reach 6 figures, I can't help but believe that Philosophy isn't the degree that made you 6 figures. I'm under the assumption that you have a Master's in something else?

[CelticD]

I'm making six figures and was Philsophy in undergrad.  One of my best attributes as an employee is my critical thinking and problem solving, which were greatly enhanced by my philosophy courses.  Other co-workers have better technical skills, but we work well as a team.  I don't regret my philosophy experience at all.

In what field are you working in? While I get the idea that you believe Philosophy has helped you reach 6 figures, I can't help but believe that Philosophy isn't the degree that's making you 6 figures. I'm under the assumption that you have a Master's in something else?

[Eja117]

I just don't believe in degrees that are actually so you can get another degree. If that's the case then shouldn't the 2nd degree have that as a requirement if it's so important?

I've just never heard of any firm of any sort having a board meeting and the CEO says "We need better philosophers. I want you guys to head out to the best schools. Find the best philosophers money can buy. We have a serious problem down in the philosophy department and we gotta get right on this. Just do what you have to but make sure you get some top notch philosophers and do it quick before our competitors get em."

[alldaboston]

I remember getting in an argument with a real jerky snot of a roommate who was fresh off taking a philosophy course.  He told me that "You think you can think, but you can't think."  I argued that me thinking I could think was, in fact thinking."  It devolved steadily from there to a point where he was sitting across the room from me threatening to throw a hammer at me. I told him he wouldn't do it, because if he didn't kill me with it I would kill him.  He told me he didn't need to actually throw the hammer, just have a seed of possibility planted in my head. 

He was a real treat for a roommate.  Needless to say he turned me off from philosophy.

Whoa. That's crazy.

[jpotter33]

So hey I made a thread a few years ago asking if a college degree was really worth obtaining:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=77412.msg1859392#msg1859392

So after taking in everyone's advice,I decided to take a year off, and I'm now back in it and I must say Philosophy has to be about the most useless, made-up subject in the school's curriculum. Never mind the high unemployment rates of Philosophy majors, or the low initial starting salary of someone starting in that field, but conceptually I can't believe this is a subject.

No disrespect to any Philosophy majors but I don't understand how this class is basically about raising unanswerable questions and forming arguments that can be refuted by a simple hypothetical anecdote. Doesn't the word mean "Love of Knowledge" or something? A lot of the old 17th-18th century philosophers made assumptions based on ignorance (which I can't blame them for), which science has been able to either confirm or refute, so what is the point of learning it now?

Can anyone rationalize this for me?

Yes, very simply in fact - you have a faulty conception of philosophy. 

[jpotter33]

So hey I made a thread a few years ago asking if a college degree was really worth obtaining:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=77412.msg1859392#msg1859392

So after taking in everyone's advice,I decided to take a year off, and I'm now back in it and I must say Philosophy has to be about the most useless, made-up subject in the school's curriculum. Never mind the high unemployment rates of Philosophy majors, or the low initial starting salary of someone starting in that field, but conceptually I can't believe this is a subject.

No disrespect to any Philosophy majors but I don't understand how this class is basically about raising unanswerable questions and forming arguments that can be refuted by a simple hypothetical anecdote. Doesn't the word mean "Love of Knowledge" or something? A lot of the old 17th-18th century philosophers made assumptions based on ignorance (which I can't blame them for), which science has been able to either confirm or refute, so what is the point of learning it now?

Can anyone rationalize this for me?

First, getting jobs is a narrow and dangerous way to rank majors.

Second, thinking is the basis for every other major in a university and the basis for an enlightened, informed person. Thinking deeply, broadly, and clearly are not easy to do. Virtually no one thinks this way unless trained and disciplined.

Who and what are we without thought, reflection, self-awareness?

Should only narrow questions raised by us? Only those that have answers? That leads to a bleak and boring existence for everyone.

Virtually all your profs and most experts have a ph.d. That is, they are doctors of philosophy. They has both mastered a mountain of knowledge and exhibited that they are experts in thinking about that material, creating new ideas based upon their thoughts, and debating with other highly disciplined thinkers. Thinking is a complex process they are experts in.

Thinking is hard to do well. Just as masters in music, art, engineering and other fields need to train and hone their skills, others who create, plan, and lead need to think carefully. To do this, they need to learn HOW to think carefully and broadly. Philosophy is a highly developed form of disciplined thinking.

Philosophy is not just a field, it is the basis for all advanced discoveries and progress since it is the basis of science, math, liberal arts, and virtually all else. Without philosophy there is no enlightenment period and no modernity as we define it. Is that good or bad? Only a philosopher can tackle that question. 

Your inability to see the role of philosophy demonstrates inexperience in thinking carefully and deeply.

Thinking well takes time to learn I suggest you spent the time on it and practice philosophy.

You and those around you would benefit as human beings by your enhanced ability to think.

TP. This is a very enlightened response.