/lit/ - Literature

>>15728498
dis nigga serious lmao

>>15728506
Don't be a faggot, faggot.

>job
>philosophy

>>15728498
I’d tell you to go for broke. Specialize in a handful of more obscure and difficult philosophers who aren’t usually referred to in the English speaking academy, and try really hard to fit them together in a way where you can publish something lengthy. It has to appeal somewhat to one of the major ponds, but as long as you have that hook you can inject some offbeat stuff. That’s what I’d do if I was younger anyway.

>>15728498
Employability in philosophy really isn't as bad as it seems. McDonald's, 7-11, Taco Bell, I even knew a Phil major that became an EMT. Another one I know ditched out in the last year of his PhD to skate around Oakland, not sure where he works

>>15728498
>Philosophy of the Mind in an interest
Your best bet at getting a career is in the field of cognitive science or neuroscience desu. Otherwise, you should learn to program in C++ or Java and learn CS all the way up to data structures and algorithms so you can get a job at a start up or small business or something since philosophy really isn't the type of field that has a lot of people getting careers left and right. Hell, you could do that while trying to go into cognitive science.

>>15728498
How far along are you in your PHD?

>>15728498
Zero employability

You should go to grad school and get a professional degree, like an MBA, accounting, nursing, teaching, librarian/archives/records management or anything else

>>15728498
Anyone have the screencap of the anon talking about how he was $60k in debt after doing his philosophy thesis on some semi-obscure analytic and no college had a spot for him so he ended up working fast food restaurants and quietly resenting everyone around him?

OP here
I bought LINK in 2017 fuck all of you negative niggas. I can do whatever I want.
>>15728575
>That’s what I’d do if I was younger anyway.
Tell me your story, anon.

>>15728610
Yeah I put that at the end for a reason. I think my best bet is developing expertise in translation and a specific period of philosophy.

>>15728738
I don't have it but I know what you're talking about that shit hurted

>>15728738
>>15728768
Found it. It's worse than I remembered.

>>15728738
this one? it's husserl, not some analytic

>>15728779
Top jej

>>15728760
>he bought link

Kant and Hegel, or German Idealism more broadly, is a pretty decent way to go as it offers variety in subject matter, recognition and mutuality with many other subspecializations in philosophy (analytics and continentals, moral philosophers and philosophers of language, etc all know some Kant), and always has new ideas being written about it. I was considering doing a PhD in philosophy and I was being advised to pursue studies in German Idealism. Specific figures in the history of philosophy from before then (Spinoza) would be too specific and would pigeonhole you in doing history of philosophy, and specific figures from after then would place you too firmly in either the analytic or continental markets (with some cross-over possible for Heidegger and Wittgenstein (and of course Nietzsche if you don't count him as a German Idealist), but none of those damn Frenchies).
Philosophy of Mind is pretty big and has a robust presence in most top departments, but it seems very narrow -- you sure as hell wouldn't be able to study Kant, Hegel or Spinoza there.

But seriously, don't listen to /lit/.

>>15728498
Literally me op with those interests.
Good luck.

>>15728849
Thank you, anon. This is incredibly useful. I actually take German language classes, so it works out pretty well.

>>15728875
Were you able study the entirety of Spinoza's Ethics? It's fucked, I'm at a top university and there isn't a way for me to study it in full unless I take an independent studies course.

>>15728760
Having link doesn't mean you will get an academic job. You will have that PhD and still be sitting at home unemployed

>>15728498
if you're also a lingfag, knowing Peirce will be slightly impressive. He also pioneered the use of abduction in logic.

>>15728949
The sooner you realize the system is there to slow you down and lower you to the level of the retards the better. "Studying" is just you and books and potentially original thought. If you can find a professor to mentor you on something, great. More likely they will want you to do something "responsible" (unambitious), or they will force their pet interpretation down your throat, so you have to be wary. In any case, the only way to survive is to learn the real truth and not rely on classes or professors to give it to you. Sometimes they can line up with your independent pursuit of it, that's all.

If you want to go to graduate school you need to go talk to professors and learn what it's like and what it's about. Lots of them, because as I said they will be just as likely to give you partial information off the top of their head.

>tenure track job in philosophy.
Almost no chance statistically speaking. First of all Philosophy departments only hire Philosophy PhDs. Look at what people study and write in those departments and ask if you want to be doing that. I can almost guarantee you it won't be German idealism unless it's some shitty watered down version of it. Browse around and see if you see any future luminaries:
https://www.philosophy.pitt.edu/graduate-students
https://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/curr-students
https://as.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/as/departments/philosophy/directory/students.html

Never say never, there's always a way to do what you want to do. But balance that with cynicism, and above all, do your research.

>>15728981
>implying someone interested in German idealism would study in those places

>>15729029
>>15728981
There are noted Kant and Hegel scholars in the faculty of all three of those departments.

>>15728981
Actually and incredibly insightful response.
>They will force their pet interpretation down your throat
I've noticed this. Some professors have genuinely said some insightful things that have caught my interest in lectures. When this happens, my head flicks up naturally and I pay attention. After class they try to single me out and speak to me, since I technically validated them and their "originality". It seems like professors are extremely insecure over the topic of originality.

>In any case, the only way to survive is to learn the real truth and not rely on classes or professors to give it to you.
This is what gives me a decent amount of anxiety, tbdesu. I always feel like I'm not doing enough. What are some strategies for both excelling in normie classes and genuinely expanding my understanding outside of class? I use my mornings for my comprehensive reading lists, but I'm worried it's not enough.

>Never say never, there's always a way to do what you want to do. But balance that with cynicism, and above all, do your research.
Will do. Statistically speaking, most people don't set themselves up for anything specific. That's one edge I have.

>>15729051
Controversial interpretations usually. Of course you have to look at them individually but it's who usually reside at these Leiter places. Brandom is an example.

>>15728498
I have a PhD in philosophy: I'm married, own a house with garden, own a consultancy business, work when I want. My thesis was in metaethics.

I got out of academia quick for reasons mentioned in thread and also students getting dumber every year. I work in govt, honestly my background in phil is one of my best professional assets, although I have never once had to use any of the specifically philosophical material I learned. The benefit is the usefulness of the general skill-set a good philosopher owns. Such as:

>ability to comprehend, analyse and critique complex material quickly and then explain it in simple terms to others
>ability to argue verbally and persuade non-phils using reason not emotion
>standards in philosophy (analytic that is) are high compared to standards in the 'real world', I can get away with relatively sloppy work and still get praised
>a philosophy degree is unusual so I stand out from all the lawyers and economists
>people are constantly assuming I am 'interesting' and 'deep' because I am a philosopher. People actually ask me for advice on their life problems.

So philosophy has been good to me. But I'd suggest get out of academia, its a dead-end.

Good luck anon

>>15730884
>ability to comprehend, analyse and critique complex material quickly and then explain it in simple terms to others
>ability to argue verbally and persuade non-phils using reason not emotion

Perhaps the reason you studied philosophy is because you were already competent at those things?

>>15728779
he should try to get in contact with the university of Freiburg. Maybe they will take him to help manage their Husserl-Archive if he isn't exaggerating his expertise (I don't know if you're allowed to fuck off to another country with study debt n the US)

>>15731004
Yes possibly - but having to write coherent pieces of reasoning and argue with professors and other students completely weaponized whatever raw ability I may have possessed.

What are the prospects of going for teaching in University after finishing a Philosophy Degree? IS it worth becoming a prof?

>>15731004
You definitely get better at it through philosophy

>>15730884
What age did you finish your dissertation anon?

>>15728498
Bioethics to work in an ethical committee in a hospital.
Or whatever you can get a phd scholarship on in order to land a teaching job at any university.

Ethics; especially if applied to some other lame field.

>>15730884
hey anon, what's it like doing consulting work? you just answer questions and stuff?

>>15728779
>1,500-page biography of Husserl
First of all, philosophy isn't about people's personal lives. Who would read something like this instead of 1,500 pages of actual philosophy? No one's life is worth that many pages. Second, why is this guy just writing about one long-dead philosopher instead of generating new ideas or finding applications of existing ideas? Academic philosophy is so fucking useless.

Your best bet is to specialize in logic. Even then, your chances of getting a job are still around 0.5%.