Philosophy

[snickersnicker]

Anyone here currently studying philosophy or already have a philosophy degree? Or anyone with a general interest beyond "hey, existentialism is really cool, man"?

I'm in my second year of coursework toward a philosophy degree with a focus on political/law theory and applied ethics. Main interests include Kantian ethical theory, universal prescriptivism, environmental ethics, bioethics, altruism, moral realism and absolutism, etc. I don't know much about the other areas of philosophy (epistemology and metaphysics, specifically), but I'm sure over the next two years I'll get a relative overview of them.

Also, I'm going to see Peter Singer speak on bioethics and human dignity pretty soon. Should be awesome, even though I'll be surrounded by a bunch of total weiners.

[seraphim]

I'll point spike in this threads direction. Boy reads so much philosophy I don't even bother trying to argue with him anymore.

[linkejeuk]

I am in my third year of studying philosophy now, and will probably have my bachelor the end of this college year, then I'll probably do a masters in philosophy of culture and art.

I have a wide interest, but some areas I keep coming back more to are things like phenomenology, aesthetics, critical theory, philosophy of mind, stuff like that.

I ofcourse have had to do courses in every major field, so the basics of ethics, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of language, epistemology, political philosophy have all been done. In my opinion the most interesting writers have had a impact on a multitude of fields, so it's the best to try and make connections to things that might not be your first interest and keep your eyes open.

I must admit that I am more aimed at theoretical philosophy than practical philosophy. I don't see myself doing anything other then mostly reading and writing, which is what it will come down to for a lot of people getting this degree. So I don't really have a interest in working within a company or do applied philosophy or something like that.

To be honest I have no idea what kind of job I will do with this degree, but most of my fellow students don't know either.

It's a very nice study to combine with others, and I think I want to study something else when I am done.

[keagan]

Sometimes I juggle solipsism.....

But other than that, aside from a handful of other reads, I haven't really gone beyond Nietzsche. I am still young though.

[thomas_highstreet]

jeder mensch ein kuenstler

[jayrock]

I am a big fan of the Epicurean school of philosophy

[denimdestroyedmylife]

So you see, our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time.

how's it going? I'm bill, this is ted. we're from the future.

hmmm.

Now what?

I dunno, philosophize with him.

All we are is dust in the wind, dude.

Dust.... wind.

Dude.

Yes, like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. LOL!!

Let's get out of here, dude.

....................

[Mr.Kite]

I'm a 5th year double major in Philosophy and Experimental Psychology at UCSD. Finishing up with my bachelor's this spring then moving for a PhD in Philosophy. Applications going out this fall.

I have done some work in ethics, but it fails to hold my interest for long. Singer is a good guy though, and definitely worth seeing. I end up finding myself doing the most work in philosophy of mind, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, logic, etc. I guess thats why I am intersted in psychology as well.

What school are you at snickersnicker? Plans beyond the BA?

[Roflcopterpwnsyou]

+1 to ddml for recognizing the greatest, factual philosophizing moment ever documented.

"I'm Dr. Freud, but you can call me Siggy"

[snickersnicker]

I'm at a mediocre little school, Eastern Michigan University. Probably most famous for covering up a rape/murder that happened in one of the dorms last year, and churning out literally millions of elementary and secondary school teachers. We've also won a ridiculous amount of forensics and drama competitions, and a good number of swimming and diving national championships. Just the usual state school business.

Anyway, I'm planning to attend law school upon graduation. I'm really, really hoping for a top five school (Yale being first choice, University of Chicago second), but I could settle for University of Michigan, Northwestern, Georgetown, etc. High ambitions, especially considering where I am now, but if I keep my GPA within .15 of where it is now and get a good score on the LSAT, I think I could pull it off. I've read that a lot of the top twenty or so law schools tend to look more at extracurricular activities (I have a number of them, including resident advisor) and LSAT essays (writing being what I consider my biggest strength), and less at where you did undegraduate studies. There have been a couple students from EMU who have gone on to UMichigan and UChicago, so I know it's possible.

[broneck]

i watched waking life on mushrooms once, and i join?

[snickersnicker]

I think The Waking Life fits into the "hey, existentialism is really cool, man" group of people who claim to be interested in philosophy.

[broneck]

oh i didn't like it

[snickersnicker]

Then you're probably an okay guy.

[isoform]

don't know much about philosophy proper...

into "metaphysics" (sucha broad category, haha -- but, i strongly dislike the idea of forms/essence especially as applied in anthropology [all branches] and political science), and then more specifically theology (apophatism/negative way, writings of early & medieval judeo-xtian-islamic mystics, and liberation theology). also very into aesthetics but especially how it has affected the 'third world' and people of color.

i'm into stuff that affects people of color and post third wave feminism as well as the basics of understanding the world and oneself--but not necessarily through the longstanding tradition of the West (e.g. forms, essence, idea of personal god)...more interested in indigenous and marginalized ppls' philosophies.

but, really...who gives a fuck, right?

re: political philosophy

political philosophy played a role in my study of anthropology so like anyone else in the humanities i'm basically familiar with usual suspects and then W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells, Jane Addams, Ghandi, Franz Fanon, Malcolm X...i'unno...i'm into a lot of stuff. haha. Have you touched on Fanon? what do you think of him? Who are some of the other writers/philosophers like or thoughtfully critisize him that you've encountered?

[ouss]

a-level exam :12 on philosophy, i'm wise nigga

[viv1984viv]

I'm at a mediocre little school, Eastern Michigan University. Probably most famous for covering up a rape/murder that happened in one of the dorms last year, and churning out literally millions of elementary and secondary school teachers. We've also won a ridiculous amount of forensics and drama competitions, and a good number of swimming and diving national championships. Just the usual state school business.

Anyway, I'm planning to attend law school upon graduation. I'm really, really hoping for a top five school (Yale being first choice, University of Chicago second), but I could settle for University of Michigan, Northwestern, Georgetown, etc. High ambitions, especially considering where I am now, but if I keep my GPA within .15 of where it is now and get a good score on the LSAT, I think I could pull it off. I've read that a lot of the top twenty or so law schools tend to look more at extracurricular activities (I have a number of them, including resident advisor) and LSAT essays (writing being what I consider my biggest strength), and less at where you did undegraduate studies. There have been a couple students from EMU who have gone on to UMichigan and UChicago, so I know it's possible.

Whoa, please take this in the best possible way, but kinda chill out on that academia achievement thing.

2 years after graduation im sure your school grades or even your degree will fade into insignificance. Try your best, and put your heart into it, but grades are not the be all and end all- life is not a text book and they are the worst books at that.

I kinda have an interest in Philosphy although I havent actually read any for months now. Kinda dropped it at uni and concentrated on contemporary art theory and stuff.

Im so glad Linklater managed a quantum leap from "Waking Life" to "A Scanner Darkly" what an improvement!

There is so much information out there its so easy to be an autodidact nowadays, check out Utunes, all the US Unis podcast their Phil Lectures, its brill!

Ive said it before but I really think the thread format is a hinderance when discussing anything with nuance or thats polyfaceted, stuff like politics or philosophy etc

So LiKe wheRes can I cOp A copi ov J.S. Mill's "On Liberty"????

[snickersnicker]

Whoa, please take this in the best possible way, but kinda chill out on that academia achievement thing.

2 years after graduation im sure your school grades or even your degree will fade into insignificance. Try your best, and put your heart into it, but grades are not the be all and end all- life is not a text book and they are the worst books at that.

I don't think grades are insignificant whatsoever, especially since I'm planning on getting a job within the government or a politically-involved non-profit organisation (ACLU, Amnesty International are the main hopes). It definitely matters where you attended law school if you're planning to get a significant position.

[isoform]

degree/grades come a distant second for the things you want to do because who and what they hire/acccept is you and your actual work. and i'm not sure about law school, but i have a sinking feeling that like much anything else in academia it's less about where you've gone and more with the people you study under.

so i hope Yale and U of C have great programs for what you want to do and yer not just going there for the insitution's name--that goes only so far (e.g. shock value for non-professionals).

and I forgot: Edward Said -- father of postcolonialism and coined the idea of Orientalism. i mean, if yer almost thru with your course work i'm really curious if you've read any of these critics of the West/colonialism/imperialism.

[plane trip to mars]

the glass isn't half empty, it's half full.

[superBobo]

ive never had "time" to study much philosophy (history of religion, psychology of religion and psychology are my subjects of study), but atleast took acourse in greek philosophy last summer.. The stoics have really effected my outlook on life, to the better I hope.

Right now im taking a course in philosophy of science (part of a masters course in psychology) ... Really have to finish a paper on Durkheim tonight

[Fuuma]

Live Faust die Jung!!

[notesee]

I'm pretty interested in philosophy myself .. I took two courses while in college, the professor was an interesting guy, really smart. I think my interest in philosophy stemmed from the way that he presented the material.

The first course which was a basic philosophy class which went over Descartes, Plato, Wittgenstein and a few others was more enjoyable to me.

The second class I took was entitled "Medieval Philosophy" but the course material was very religion based .. I'm not a religious person myself, so I had a hard time getting into it and really enjoying it. The title of the course fooled me, but I stuck through it anyway.

But overall, my favorite philosopher that I read was Wittgenstein. His language game theory is a pretty interesting one to me, has anyone else read over his stuff before?

[snickersnicker]

degree/grades come a distant second for the things you want to do because who and what they hire/acccept is you and your actual work. and i'm not sure about law school, but i have a sinking feeling that like much anything else in academia it's less about where you've gone and more with the people you study under.

so i hope Yale and U of C have great programs for what you want to do and yer not just going there for the insitution's name--that goes only so far (e.g. shock value for non-professionals).

The two most important things law school admissions boards look at are LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA. That's what your acceptance is based on. Once you get to top five colleges, since nearly all of the applicants have top 5% GPAs and LSAT scores, they begin to look at extracurricular involvement, personal statements/LSAT essays and letters of recommendation. However, those things can never, in any way overrule GPA and LSAT. For a number of law positions, going to a top ten school goes a very, very long way to getting hired.

As far as specific schools go, my interest in Georgetown is mainly because it is an extremely well-rounded school: it is ranked within the top ten of six different areas of law, and in the top twenty of all remaining. UM and UC are both known for having programmes which stress intensive theory and general philosophy of law. The Ivy Leage schools stand out mostly because they teach the material in ways very different from others (more hands on experience, less by-the-book learning). So, it's really not an issue of going to the most prestigious institution, or picking a school because of its name recognition. They are the top law schools in the country for a reason.

[viv1984viv]

Snicker snicker - sure grades are important because they can get you into uni, but thats about as far as it goes for most people/jobs. you should try your best so you have the most uni options open to you. However philosophy is a deep subject and you could become wonderfully enlightened and inspired outside the walls of a uni. Just because a uni ranks highly does not mean its going to teach you any more or teach you any better than somewhere else. Its similar to standardised testing, just because a kid fails does not mean he didnt understand the topic, he failed the exam, he didnt fail to understand the topic, they are two different things, just as rankins and actual reality on campus are in few ways related.

I understand where your coming from, you wanna be a lawyer so to be a good lawyer you ought to go to a top law school - sure. But I kinda thought this was about philosophy and so felt I should say that a high educational rep ( the institute ) does not mean your philosophical learning will be hugely better, philosophy is such a personal and subjective and marvellous subject! Some of my most amazing thoughts have been on a beach on holiday, or walking through campus in winter late at night - not in a seminar or in the library etc etc etc

[snickersnicker]

Yeah, this is about philosophy. I don't see how talking about law and law schools detracts from that. I would not have mentioned law school had I not been asked what I was planning to do after my BA. Either way, the sort of philosophy I'm (mostly) interested in deal with issues of morality, which is what law (supposedly) deals with. I can learn about philosophy all I want outside of university, which is where I've learned the most about it, but you can't learn law outside of a law school...at least not in a useful way.

[Mr.Kite]

superBobo, philosophy of science may not seem to be the most exciting class ever, but if its well taught it has potential to tell you more about how science works than working in a psych lab for a few years will. I loved phil of sci, and saw the discussion in the class not merely applicable to "science" but to all theoretical systems, especially those that make hypotheses and attempt predictions... such as people's social knowledge of others behavior, knowledge of yourself and your behaviors, etc.

[superBobo]

^^agreed! I´ve taken some shorters classes in philosophy of science aswell as research methods before, and its definitly "useful". And the questions asked really is fundamental for our whole outlook on the nature and possibility of knowledge...

Im aiming for a phd and being a reasearcher in psychology in the future, so its ofcourse good knowledge to have, and being aware of the implications of the predictations and explanations that is given.

..but comte and durkheim just isnt that exciting

[thomparetta]

this is my first post on the superfuture boards! i have lurked the denim and bike forums for a long time, but i couldn't resist some philosophical conversation.

i attend a small liberal arts university in atlanta named oglethorpe. i am in my second year of study in philosophy. the course work is absolutely fascinating and my professors are brilliant! i have studied ancient philosophy (courses on both plato and aristotle,) aesthetics (ranging from wittgenstein to bazin,) and i am currently enrolled in a course titled Space, Time and God which is absolutely fascinating. i am currently writing an essay on the differing perspectives of lucretius and aristotle on universal infinity and the religious implications of their beliefs. i'm absoilutely thrilled to see all of you engaging philosophically.

if anyone has any questions or topics of conversation regarding aesthetics i would be quite interested. i recently attended a lecture regarding the aesthetics of truffaut (french new wave director) regarding his direction, cinematography, and many other aspects of his films. i was quite excited to hear visiting professors quoting bazin in a context outside of class.

** i too intend to pursue a career in law**

[monochrome]

I'm studying philosophy at uchicago. I've been up all night writing a paper on aristotle. This school is fucking hard.