Robbins Library Notes

Good afternoon, readers!

The 2009 Philosophical Gourmet Report rankings have been posted.

Good morning, readers!

Brian Leiter is releasing preliminary data from the soon-to-be updated Philosophical Gourmet Report.  Some interesting changes in the rankings this time around, from what Leiter is reporting.

Stay tuned…

God morning, readers!

Two weeks ago, I had a request for some direction in applying to graduate school in philosophy.  The information that I assembled to answer this inquiry might be of use to some of my readers, so I will offer it here.

One thing I do want to make very clear from the start: I have not, to date, sat on an admissions committee, so I have no idea what is involved in the process, how decisions are made, how the various parts of the application are weighted against each other, the importance of GRE scores, and so forth.  I cannot — repeat – cannot be of any help in giving anyone the golden key to admission to Harvard’s doctoral program in philosophy, or anyone else’s, for that matter.

In looking over the sources, and from my own observations as one embedded in academia, most of the sources below agree with each to a large degree in terms of their advice and suggestions. But, as with anything, caveat emptor.  Evaluate these sources critically, and use them intelligently.

Deciding on Graduate School in Philosophy

Should one apply to graduate studies in philosophy?  That’s a good question, and a big question, one which only the would-be applicant can answer for her- or himself.

If you are seriously considering the possibility of graduate studies in philosophy, there are a number of questions which you, as the would-be applicant, should mull over as you make your decision.  Among these are:

• How prepared are you for graduate school, in terms of grades, coursework, maturity, and writing ability?
• Are you willing to spend several years of your life in intense study, teaching, and writing, with the likely possibility of having to move around the country to find a job in a very tight market?
• What do you plan to do with your hard-earned graduate degree?
• Do you know what the job market is like for post-secondary education teachers? For other fields?
• Are there other career options for those with (advanced) degrees in philosophy?
• Can philosophy be a side interest in life, if you do decide to not pursue graduate study?

Fortunately, you do not have to answer these questions alone.  In you are seriously considering graduate study, it’s a good idea to sit down and discuss them with your adviser(s) or mentor(s) early on.

Here are a few additional resources to help you as you ponder the above questions:

1. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, offers a realistic, non-partisan look at job requirements, training, and prospects for a variety of careers.  Click here to read what the Handbook says about prospects for post-secondary education teachers.
2. Chronicle of Higher Education.  The Chronicle provides a list of average salaries for full-time faculty, which might be helpful in getting a realistic perspective on the earnings potential of academics.  (Harvard PIN and ID required to view this article.)
3. American Philosophical Association (APA). The APA provides several data sets about the profession which might be useful for would-be graduate school applicants.
4. Eric Schwitzgebel, Associate Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside, offers some thoughts on deciding whether and where to apply to graduate school in philosophy.
5. David O. Brink, Professor of Philosophy at UC San Diego, also has some thoughts for those contemplating graduate school in philosophy.
6. Brian Leiter’s Philosophical Gourmet Report has a section that addresses the decision to apply to graduate school in philosophy.
7. Leiter’s blog, Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog, often has discussions and information about employment for philosophers, as well as applying to graduate school.

Other Career & Study Options for the Philosophically-Minded that do not Include the Fast Food or Beverage Dispensing Industries

If you do contemplate graduate studies in philosophy, know that you aren’t limited to becoming a college or university professor, though most who do complete a Ph.D. pursue a university career.  For example:

Law School. Law school is a natural fit for many who are interested in philosophy.  Furthermore, you may be able to cross-register for graduate courses in ethics and political philosophy, e.g., if your program allows it.  You may even have the option of a joint JD/PhD program.

Library School. I find that I use a number of the skills and concepts learned in my philosophical studies as part of my work as a librarian. Moreover, you have subject expertise, which is always in demand.  Librarianship is a very exciting field in a time of transition, which may appeal to the philosophically-inclined.  If this path appeals to you, please feel free to contact me to learn more.

Other Careers. The writing and analytical skills that one learns from studying philosophy can be applied to any number of careers and vocational settings.  I know that, from my own experience in the corporate world, being able to write well and analyze arguments, data, and such are skills in high demand.  Thus, don’t think that because you studied philosophy, your career options are limited to academia or the fast food or beverage dispensing industries.

The reality is that you can do very well in life with undergraduate and graduate work in philosophy.  Just ask Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Carly Fiorina, George Soros, Harrison Ford, Bruce Lee, T.S. Eliot, Pearl Buck, Václav Havel, Bill Clinton, the Hon. Stephen Breyer, the Hon. David Souter, the Hon. Beverly McLachlin, Phillip Glass, Stone Phillips, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elie Wiesel, and John Elway.

(List drawn in part from Famous Philosophy Majors, maintained by Dr. Keith Korcz of the Philosophy Program at UL Lafayette)

Philosophy as a Side Interest. You do not have to cease studying philosophy at the end of your undergraduate academic career. If you choose not to continue the formal study of philosophy at the graduate level, you can always keep philosophy as a side interest in life.  You can participate in organizations and groups which focus on interests and figures of yours, subscribe to philosophical journals, attend lectures at local universities, or audit courses at your alma mater or local university, for example.

Treat Applying to Graduate School as if it were a Job Application

If you do decide to apply, I strongly recommend that you treat applying to graduate school in philosophy as you would when looking for a job.

In other words, just as you would research a company to which you are applying for a job, be sure you know the details about the prospective programs, their faculties, and cultures that you are interested in, before you submit applications.  Why?  If you do choose to go to graduate school, you are going to be spending a significant piece of your life there, so make sure that you and your program fit well together.

The Components of an Application

Much of the following information I have already laid out elsewhere in greater detail, so I won’t repeat it here, other than in bare outline form.  Click on the link above to get a fuller account of the items on the following list.

An application to a graduate program in philosophy, generally consists of the following items:

1. GRE (general part only)
2. Transcripts
3. Statement of purpose
4. Three letters of recommendation
5. Writing sample

Other Resources That May Help When Applying

Here are some other resources that may be of assistance to would-be philosophy graduate school applicants:

1. Eric Schwitzgebel (see above) has some useful and interesting thoughts on the application process.
   • Philosophy Grad School Applications — Reflections from the Other Side
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part II: Grades and Classes
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part III: Letters of Recommendation
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part IV: Writing Samples
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part V: Statement of Purpose
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part VI: GRE Scores and Other Things
   • Applying to Philosophy Ph.D. Programs, Part VII: After You Hear Back
2. To register to take the GRE: www.ets.org/gre/
3. Philosophical Gourmet Report (PGR), http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com

Applicants often use the PGR to evaluate prospective graduate programs. However, the PGR is not without challenges as to its methodology and biases. See, e.g.:

1. Richard Heck’s criticisms: http://frege.brown.edu/heck/philosophy/aboutpgr.php
2. John Hartmann’s criticisms: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1575/report.html#leiter

You may also want to read my blog post on the PGR, which highlighted an article about the Report from an April 2008 edition of the Boston Globe.

In short, take the PGR with a grain of salt.  It is very useful, and there have been a number of improvements to it over the last several years.  Just don’t rely on it uncritically.

Are there other resources to add?  What other questions might you have about applying to graduate school in philosophy?

While browsing through Bookforum.com this morning, I came across a link to an article in The Philosophers’ Magazine written by Brian Leiter.  In “The State of the Vocation,” Leiter offers his view on where philosophy is at the moment, and the benefits and downsides of the professionalization of the discipline.

After a few readings of this article, I’m not sure where I stand on it.  I agree largely with Leiter’s observations on where the field is, at the moment, and on the professionalization of philosophy, but not completely.

Update: After a few hours of thinking about this article, I sense where some of my ambivalence may lie.  As I see it, there’s something about the confining of philosophy within the narrow walls of professional academia that leads to easily to pedantry, overspecialization, lack of interdisciplinary dialogue, and sycophants merely repeating and following whatever the “acceptable” problems and the means of addressing these problems happen to be.  I think what I’m trying to say is that I am less sanguine about the benefits of professionalization than Professor Leiter is.

However, let it be noted that Leiter himself is not blind to the downsides of professionalization in this article.  I think where we might part company is the degree to which we admit the downsides, not that the downsides exist.  And there are benefits to specialization, to be sure, many of which Leiter notes.

What do you think of Leiter’s account, readers?

For some students, the formal study of philosophy ends with the completion of their undergraduate studies. Others, though, go on to study philosophy at the graduate level, whether for personal interest, to prepare for a career in academia, or to augment preparation for a law degree, for example.

Many students who are applying to graduate programs in philosophy consult the Philosophical Gourmet Report, authored by Brian Leiter, the (correction 11/7/2008) John Wilson Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, and Director of Chicago’s Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values.

The Report lists departments by overall rank, with further breakdowns by specialty rank, in terms of areas in which department faculty research and teaching interests are focused. You can learn more about the report’s methodology here.

Needless to say, the Report has become, in recent years, an important, but controversial, part of the life of philosophy graduate programs in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australasia, especially in terms of graduate applications and admissions. Prospective students use the report to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular programs when making decisions about where to apply and where to accept offers. And faculty and deans view the report with mixed reactions — some support the rankings, while others question its validity and what aspects of graduate programs that it represents.*

In light of all of this, readers may find this recent article from the Boston Globe, written by Mark Oppenheimer, which takes a closer look at the report and its author: “The philosopher kingmaker: With one simple list, Brian Leiter is changing an entire field,” of interest. It’s definitely worth a read, given the influence of the report and the controversy that it has generated.

For those interested in the article on the Philosophical Gourmet Report from the Chronicle of Higher Education that is referenced in Oppenheimer’s article, you may read it here. You’ll need a Harvard ID and PIN to access it.

*For the record: I do not have an opinion on the report at the present time. I am merely stating here what the report is, and the way that it is perceived by the philosophical community in the Anglophone world, especially in the US. This post is neither an endorsement of the Philosophical Gourmet Report, nor is it a criticism. The reader should examine what is here, visit the Philosophical Gourmet Report site, consult some of the criticisms of the report, and make up her or his own mind as to its usefulness and validity.