philosophy majors/former philosophy majors...?

Question

I am considering Philosophy as my major. What can one expect when pursuing this major? Are there any books I can read to get a better idea of what I'd actually be studying? Any other comments/suggestions?

Answer 1

Hi.
You should expect an interesting but demanding subject. Philosophy will enlarge your world a lot.
Check these out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-5872687-1417564?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=philosophy
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=philosophy&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DArqLnKJkcgMz2ZCwWt8Y98MazKIX%3B_ylv%3D0%2FSIG%3D11i77fdud%2FEXP%3D1192304944%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuTT0qjVqGxy5r39m0Vd.EazKIX%3B_ylv%3D0%2FSIG%3D121lmalbu%2FEXP%3D1192304944%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=philosophy

Good luck.

Answer 2

You can expect to be extremely interested by the subject matter, though if you are quick enough to grasp it you soon find yourself wanting to formulate your own ideas in opposition. In terms of career, although philosophy is a lot more reputable then once it was as a degree, it is still not taken too seriously by a good many employers. As to what you will be studying, I suggest looking up Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Hume, Sartre and Rawls for a quick review of the types and periods of philosophical thought.
Generally, the complete works of Plato are a must. They contain both Aristotle and Socrates works, as well as those of the author. They have also had a massive effect on modern western philosophy; for centuries any serious philosophical treatise was in part defined by its relation to these works.
I would also recommend Philosophy: The Basics by Warburton. Good simply guide, though if you take the subject you will soon outgrow it.
Good luck, whatever you choose :)

Answer 3

First off, anybody who tells you it is an easy major is wrong. It is very demanding yet rewarding. Most universities will require (roughly) these courses: formal logic, ethics, metaphysics, some sub-topic courses like phil. of religion or political philosophy, an in-depth examination of a major philosopher like a course in Marx,Mill,Kant,Descartes,Aquinas, etc., also a final senior thesis which (for an undergrad) could be anywhere between 25-75 pages. Take a couple of courses before committing completely, also if you want to go grad school take a foreign language like German, French, or Latin.

Answer 4

Having someone reformulate an idea into their own words is a legitimate examination of their comprehension. Requiring them to arrive at the same conclusion YOU did is not - unless logic would direct all competent comers to that conclusion. So your job in deciding how critical to be of her methods, which may be sound or flawed, is to determine whether she is expecting you to arrive at some objective conclusion that is compelled by logic, or rather to agree with her, whimsically. If the former, then she's right to do so. If the latter, well - You will likely encounter both things in academia.

Answer 5

My professor's favorite lectures were on Existentialism, Socrates, and David Hume. Gotta love Socrates--creator of the Socratic method, "you already know what you need to know, you have merely forgotten that you know it"-and by a series of leading questions, he unveils the knowledge. Try philosophy for Dummies, if there is such a thing--I should think that it would have a concise description of the various disciplines.

Answer 6

Philosophy gives me a headache. I have my doubts that you make much of a career from that major except for education.

Answer 7

I SUGGEST SOMETHING ELSE AS A MAJOR WITH A MINOR IN PHILOSOPHY.

Answer 8

google: major philosophy

That should help you.