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Schopenhauer! Where have I heard his name before? Hard telling. I remember James but that was psychology. Years and years ago, too. There was another along with James. Can't remember.
Thank you, Mordant. It's a start. That's all I need. Shall also check out Becker.
After taking a very intensive and difficult elective philosophy class as an undergrad, philosophy grads have my respect. Two of my smartest friends are philosophy undergrads. One became a lawyer. The other runs a business in the Northeast.
After taking a very intensive and difficult elective philosophy class as an undergrad, philosophy grads have my respect. Two of my smartest friends are philosophy undergrads. One became a lawyer. The other runs a business in the Northeast.
I think I agree as far as the professional ones are concerned. It would be good to hear from them from the philosophy side but most are probably overwhelmed with their careers.
Philosophy has traditionally been a college major for rich kids, who don't need to learn trades. Or who will be granted a place in the family business once they graduate from college. It has never been intended to be a career. I knew someone who got a PhD in philosophy because he wanted to be a professor. That is likely the only thing you can do with a degree in this field.
Professions are not defined by what degree one has. Professions are defined by what can you do or provide that someone else is willing to pay for. Full stop.
If you can find someone willing to pay you to do nothing but sit there and tell them your philosophy, then that is your "philosophy profession". If you cannot find someone willing to pay you for that, then you cannot have a philosophy "profession", rather you have a philosophy "hobby".
Philosophy has traditionally been a college major for rich kids, who don't need to learn trades. Or who will be granted a place in the family business once they graduate from college. It has never been intended to be a career. I knew someone who got a PhD in philosophy because he wanted to be a professor. That is likely the only thing you can do with a degree in this field.
Sorry, you're wrong about that. I know several dirt-poor young Philosophy PhDs, building a brave career by teaching classes at different schools. You bet it's a career. Why would you think a philosopher would necessarily want to do something other than teach & write? Teaching at the college level is a career!
No, it's not a profession. I suppose someone could teach philosophy and call that a profession, but in that case the actual profession would be teacher. To say you're a philosopher is not akin to saying you're a poet, artist, etc. In those endeavors something is actually produced, whether that be of a negative or positive value. A philosophy is simply one person's idea on how to live. It could be a calling or a title (The Eminent Philosopher), but at some point that philosophy has to produce something tangible in the world. If you write on it, then you're a writer (of philosophy). If you speak on it, you're a speaker or lecturer (of philosophy).
If you live it it's your life. No actual philosopher would have any interest in teaching it because it cannot be taught. If we simply follow another's philosophy then we actually do not have a philosophy, we are simply mimicking someone else's. Books and internet information are so easily accessible that it's child's play to read of others philosophies, so why would you teach it, other than to pick up a check and/or get the ego strokes for being a teacher? People have to evolve their own philosophies. While that may initially include basing theirs on someone else's, again, why do they need a teacher to tell them to open a specific book and read it, or have that teacher give their personal interpretation of it? That would be a fool's game, someone philosophizing on someone else's philosophy. Which is my opinion of what passes for 99% of US college "education".
The philosopher is a man who could become very rich, it is sufficient to found a new religion to influence the thinking of the poor social classes and the trick is done
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