Plot twist of the year: an INTP who's doing poorly in philosophy

[yogurtexpress]

I've been taking philosophy classes on and off because it's always been my hidden passion. I even considered minoring or even majoring in it at some point because there hasn't been a philosophy class that I haven't enjoyed, and unlike English (my actual major) the papers are fun and you get a chance to be more speculative and creative.

This semester, however, introduced me to the rigid academic nature of the field. I had the good fortune to take two classes where the professors really didn't care about any ideas you had to contribute, and basically only wanted you to study and regurgitate the information. It doesn't help that the subjects themselves were really uninteresting for me. They were both related to metaphysics and I guess that it's just not my thing.

I've already been disillusioned with academia since I started college. 90% of the classes you take either test you on rote memorization, or they want you to argue things like you're in a fucking courtroom. It makes me wonder, do any of the professors (or anyone in this world, period) actually care about original ideas? We study all these thinkers like Descartes, Locke, Nietzsche, who actually thought of new things, revolutionary guidelines and principles which served as a blueprint for the future of humanity. I understand that rote memorization is part of being an educated person, but I don't believe that it gives you any credibility as far as intelligence is concerned. All it shows is that professors just want students to learn this stuff so that they can give a good grade and boost the rep of the school, and then the students show their grades to their employers so their employers can see that they're good little sheep who can follow directions. They don't want anyone who can shake things up because that would go against the agenda of the corporate slavemasters who want you to study information so you can know it, but they don't want you to apply it in any way that can significantly give you power to change anything.

I'm not going to quit, though, I'll persevere. But I know that essentially I'm never going to be honest with myself if I concede to the wrong people's expectations, and as I go through this system I'm understanding more and more that there are very few 'right people.'

 

[yogurtexpress]

btw I'm starting to see why Kafka was an INTP

 

[Vrecknidj]

Most people in academics are crushed under the weight of regulation, administration, and all levels of bullshit that are intolerable beyond reckoning.

For instance: http://chronicle.com/article/Adjuncts-Build-Strength-in/135520/

Roughly 65% of university courses in the US are taught by either graduate students or part-time instructors. The vast majority of those part-time instructors are earning a poverty wage (most are making less than $15,000 a year to teach the same number of courses that a full-time instructor would teach) and do not have health insurance or other basic needs being met.

So, the problem is systemic and deep.

It's not the classes, it's not the material, and it's not the instructor. It's what happens when human beings are crushed by the miserable horrors of the existing economic structure's impact on the system.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I've already been disillusioned with academia since I started college. 90% of the classes you take either test you on rote memorization, or they want you to argue things like you're in a fucking courtroom. It makes me wonder, do any of the professors (or anyone in this world, period) actually care about original ideas?

They don't want anyone who can shake things up because that would go against the agenda of the corporate slavemasters who want you to study information so you can know it, but they don't want you to apply it in any way that can significantly give you power to change anything.

I know that essentially I'm never going to be honest with myself if I concede to the wrong people's expectations, and as I go through this system I'm understanding more and more that there are very few 'right people.'

Perhaps you should consider doing some applied research and putting that philosophy to use. (Yes, I know the last 5 words of that sentence are ambiguous in their meaning).

If you ever have the urge to catch snakes in swamp mud up to your armpits, give me a call.

 

[yogurtexpress]

Most people in academics are crushed under the weight of regulation, administration, and all levels of bullshit that are intolerable beyond reckoning.

For instance: http://chronicle.com/article/Adjuncts-Build-Strength-in/135520/

Roughly 65% of university courses in the US are taught by either graduate students or part-time instructors. The vast majority of those part-time instructors are earning a poverty wage (most are making less than $15,000 a year to teach the same number of courses that a full-time instructor would teach) and do not have health insurance or other basic needs being met.

So, the problem is systemic and deep.

It's not the classes, it's not the material, and it's not the instructor. It's what happens when human beings are crushed by the miserable horrors of the existing economic structure's impact on the system.

Yeah I know about adjuncts. But the two classes I mentioned are taught by full-time instructors so your argument isn't applicable here. If anything I figure the full-time instructor makes the class harder, more rigid, less interesting, etc. because they're...just old, rigid, overly organized themselves?

You have to take into account that most adjuncts are usually younger and need health insurance far less than the older instructors do. So I think there's some logic to the system; it's not necessarily as bad as some of these news sources make them out to be. (Which isn't to say that that I don't know some older adjuncts who are getting the shit end of the stick.)

 

[Jackooboy]

I majored in political science, but basically it was political philosophy.

All I took were theory/philosophy courses.

I enjoyed some profs, and yes, arguing like you're in a court room is the only way you'll win a debate.

Also, I had a prof who just pontificated, he was bright, has written over 30 books, and is almost a God at our school... He taught us political theory from the Bible (which was original and awesome) and is an ordained rabbi. Very interesting guy, but only interested in his own ideas -- hence, a little arrogant and conceded, as most faculty are.

Overall... I would not do political science again given the realities of the job market unless you're willing to be a politician's bitch and cheat, steal, and manipulate the citizens of your abode.

I graduated with a great GPA and class rank (summa cum laude) and ultimately it means very little to nothing.

You're on to it -- the world isn't looking for employable thinkers, instead, they're looking for employable doers. INTPs are great at sitting around and analyzing possibilities without ever coming to a conclusion. I've decided to go beyond my INTP and make some money in life; hence nursing school -- and ultimately nurse practitioner program.

I would advise you to find something more probable in future employment endavours outside of the liberal arts and their bullshit profs. who have never worked on the outside, but perpetually are talking about how relevent their totally irrelevent program is to real employers.

Perhaps Chemistry... or a hard science or math would be good.

If I could do it all over again, I'd probably do economics, chemistry, or engineering.