Philosophical Vegan Forum

So, soon I will be going to undergraduate school and my primary interest is math, so I will be majoring in that regardless. I've been considering doing a double major though, and philosophy seems like an enticing option, as I don't find myself to be too philosophically adept and I think it would benefit my understanding of ethics. What do you guys think?

I'd like to take philosophy too in college, but AFAIK the problem is that they teach the history of philosophy more than actual philosophy, I assume because actual philosophy is too difficult. It's a shame, especially since a lot o' chaps are taking philosophy, which may or may not serve us well. I'd suggest studying it on your own time, get some books, or maybe do a little bit yourself. Crash Course has a pretty good series on philosophy to start off.

Anyways, I'm planning on taking Physics in college since physics class is pretty fun, and maybe calculus. I also had a lot of fun in anatomy and physiologically, so that's also in the realm of possibilities.

I don't think you need to major in philosophy to become (generally) knowledgeable in the the subject.

As Red stated, there are quite a few interesting books you can read on your own time, and Crash Course has an extensive playlist on this topic. I'd also recommend the Wireless Philosophy YouTube channel.

And of course you can still take a few philosophy courses here and there to fulfill your university electives.

If you're certain you want to study this discipline to a t (or even study it in grad school) it could be useful to major in philosophy. Otherwise, you can just take a course here and there or perhaps pick up a philosophy minor.

There is little point in double majoring in philosophy, you'll have to take courses you may not want to take and the degree itself will do little for you in the job market. For your typical philosophy program you'll only be required to take 1~2 ethics courses and there may be a few more offered you can take. Vast majority of philosophy isn't ethics. If you're interested in being employable even Math can be a problem, you need to gear yourself towards something with applications (applied mathematics, computer science, etc). For example math + minor in computer science.

Red wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 12:44 pm I'd like to take philosophy too in college, but AFAIK the problem is that they teach the history of philosophy more than actual philosophy, I assume because actual philosophy is too difficult.

At least in the US, history of philosophy isn't the emphasis. I'm not sure what you mean by "actual philosophy", but to properly understand the context and scope of modern philosophy you do need to know something about the history of philosophy and philosophy moves slowly so the works from authors from many decades ago is still very relevant today.

carnap wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 4:20 pmFor your typical philosophy program you'll only be required to take 1~2 ethics courses and there may be a few more offered you can take. Vast majority of philosophy isn't ethics.

That’s fine.

If you're interested in being employable even Math can be a problem, you need to gear yourself towards something with applications (applied mathematics, computer science, etc). For example math + minor in computer science.

Oof. My current plan is on a pure math track, going to the doctorate level and becoming a professor.

Lay Vegan wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:28 pm I don't think you need to major in philosophy to become (generally) knowledgeable in the the subject.

Suppose I want to be more than generally knowledgeable?

As Red stated, there are quite a few interesting books you can read on your own time, and Crash Course has an extensive playlist on this topic. I'd also recommend the Wireless Philosophy YouTube channel.

I’ll check those out. I’ve watched some Crash Course.

Cirion Spellbinder wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 4:52 pm Oof. My current plan is on a pure math track, going to the doctorate level and becoming a professor.

That is a fine plan, but you need to keep in mind that the odds are against you. There are vastly more people getting ph.ds in math each year than there are tenure-track positions available at universities. Its highly competitive and most funding in mathematics is for more applied work.

Pure mathematics isn't very employable by itself so if you're not one of the lucky few that get a tenure-track position, what are you going to do? That is something you should seriously think about.

carnap wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:15 pm That is a fine plan, but you need to keep in mind that the odds are against you. There are vastly more people getting ph.ds in math each year than there are tenure-track positions available at universities. Its highly competitive and most funding in mathematics is for more applied work.

Thanks for the information. You seem to know a lot about this field which is very useful.

Pure mathematics isn't very employable by itself so if you're not one of the lucky few that get a tenure-track position, what are you going to do? That is something you should seriously think about.

High School teaching, probably, or maybe community college teaching if that’s different.

Cirion Spellbinder wrote: ↑Sun Mar 25, 2018 6:54 pm High School teaching, probably, or maybe community college teaching if that’s different.

For high school you'd have to spend 1~2 years to get your credential and the pay would be rather low for the amount of education. You'll also have to ask yourself if you'll be a good teacher or would even find it enjoyable, teaching high school is part babysitting and part following a very narrow curriculum created by the government. Community colleges rely heavily on part-time instructors these days so going that direction would likely mean working part-time for many years and then if you're lucky getting a full-time tenure position. And success here is going to hinge more on your ability to teach and be liked by staff/students than your knowledge in mathematics. The level of mathematics taught at community college is pretty basic.

Personally I think a good plan involves thinking about how you'd get employed outside of education. The alternative can be working at Starbucks or being really unhappy with your job.