Philosophy majors?
 

I'm in the middle of my sophmore year, and have decided that i am no longer enthusiastic for my current major (film, FWIW). After a long discussion with my advisor, and much soul searching, i've determined that the one thing that i enjoy learning about is philosophy.

Whenever philosophy/philosophers have come up in other subjects, i feel like i pay attention and learn because i want the information, not because i want to pass the class. I have taken an introductory logic class and enjoyed the material, and believe that right now the subject is the one thing i have a thirst for, academically speaking. I believe in the ideology of "follow your bliss", which basically means find what makes you happy, and give yourself over to it. It's not as if i'm throwing away a lucrative career in the film industry, it's a competive major and the road to the top is more or less a crapshoot (plus i'm not thrilled with the idea about spending the first years after graduation taping wires down to the floor and bringing some douche his coffee...).

So my questions are these:

1) I feel like a degree in philosophy doesn't exactly have a lot of job oppertunities... however, if i am totally happy with my studies, i'm not worried about the financial implications, because you can't put a price on doing what you love- does anyone have any input on the possibilities and oppurtunities with a degree in philosophy?

2) If anyone out there is a philosophy major, what can i expect? I've decided i want to make sure i'm being educated in college, i want to be a better person for my experience. I have this image of philosophy being a great meeting of minds, expanding my knowledge of the world and making me well versed in various areas of academia. Is this just me romanticizing the topic? I'm really hoping someone out there has experience and valuable insight.

thanks in advance

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

This caught my eye on the way by - I graduated w/ a double major in philosophy and the history of math and science in 2005.

Re: Question 1 - I'm a poker pro, so that's no help. I can say that a lot of people who graduated with me are either teaching or going to further schooling (most to become teachers/professors or lawyers), but the rest basically run a wide spectrum. If you are passionate about something else, you will be able to do it after you graduate, imo.

Re - Question 2 - I am jaded from four years of college, so it's tough for me to say yes. I will say that there is nothing quite like a learning community and that the experiences I had in such a community are unforgettable and very important to me. I could've gone pro a year earlier and I'm quite sure I missed out on thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars by not doing so, but I wouldn't trade my experiences senior year for anything. If you can find a group of students who think the same way you do, NO question is off-limits, and you will come away from it a totally changed person. The only downside is having to re-integrate yourself into a world of people who haven't done that kind of examination.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

Philosophy basically teaches you how to think critically. Get ready to relearn the English language while you're at it. It's a super broad major that could take you to a wide variety of jobs. Or to law school, if you want to be like everyone else who applies.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Philosophy basically teaches you how to think critically. Get ready to relearn the English language while you're at it. It's a super broad major that could take you to a wide variety of jobs. Or to law school, if you want to be like everyone else who applies.

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I think 1 in 20 law students majored in philosophy.

I love philosophy, but it is not a marketable degree. A philosophy degree won't open doors for you that any other major wouldn't. You need to be able to sell yourself well, have connections, get lucky, or go to grad school if you don't want to be stuck at some job making little money. I'm telling you this from experience of applying for some interesting positions, but delivering pizza until law school.

#2

You mostly learn how to think precisely and critically. I found that they were the most enjoyable and rewarding courses of my academic career. You will be expected to read material that is sometimes difficult to decipher, then to write clearly about it. I think you are romanticizing philosophy. You hear/read people's views and then discuss/write about them. Many of the people are great minds, but you can always read their work if you major in something else.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

Double majoring in philosophy is probably one of the smartest things you can do, while only majoring in philosophy is a huge mistake unless you are sure you want to do law school. Doing philosophy solely as a major is a huge gamble. Philosophy is really helpful with just arguments and how your form/evaluate them, which is essentially in every day life. I'm currently focusing on Comp sci and philosophy and really love it. What other interests do you have besides philosophy?

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Double majoring in philosophy is probably one of the smartest things you can do, while only majoring in philosophy is a huge mistake unless you are sure you want to do law school. Doing philosophy solely as a major is a huge gamble. Philosophy is really helpful with just arguments and how your form/evaluate them, which is essentially in every day life. I'm currently focusing on Comp sci and philosophy and really love it. What other interests do you have besides philosophy?

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i've majored in film that last year and a half, and decided that i wasn't excited about a career in that field. My interests academically would be pretty much limited to philosophy, pyschology, sociology, that sort of thing. I don't have much of an interest in anything that seems like a viable career, like business, engineering, etc.

i'm a little frightened by the statement "only majoring in philosophy is a huge mistake unless you are sure you want to do law school"

i've never given any thought to law, i was interested in a few basic law courses i've taken, but i've never really considered law school... could anyone give me more details as to why/why not majoring in philosophy would be a huge mistake?

And could a student with an average GPA and high SAT scores (i'm in my second year of college, not sure if my SAT scores have any bearing) have any hope of attending law school?

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

I'm a senior graduating with a degree in PPE - Philosophy, Politics, and Economics - and I think that most of the advice that you've received here is pretty dead on. I came into college thinking I'd major in just philosophy with much the same mentality you seem to have now. I'd also done a fair amount of reading on my own on the subject through high school, but I have to say I've been a little disillusioned in the way its taught at the academic level.

I go to one of the quote-unquote best schools in the country, but I've found time and again that the subject can be frustrating in its utter subjectivity in assignments/grading and coursework. I would actively seek out the best professors, not necessarily the best syllabi when selecting classes within the major, because I really believe a good prof makes or breaks the class in the subject.

I'd definitely also balance PHIL the study of something else, because it can make you a little insane at times.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

Oh and SATs have zero bearing on law school potential, except insofar as they are a semi-accurate predictor of LSAT scores, which have HUGE bearing (moreso than college GPA at a number of schools) on law school admissions. So yes, you absolutely have the potential to enter into law.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

One of my phil teachers was telling me the above statement about solely majoring in philosophy. There is not much you can do with a bachelor's philosophy degree. It is severely under-rated because the classes really do help you appreciate other people's arguments and helps you improve your own.

Re: Philosophy majors?
 

like people said, go into law if you think that fits you. otherwise, minor in phi or something. i love philosophy, i think i've taken 4-5 classes and only 2 of them have counted toward anything. a philosophy degree by itself will not do much else.