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Philosophy course @ Cam

candystrippa

Just wondering, how is philosophy like at Cambridge?
Never thought about how it is taught etc.

Reply 1

musicbloke

lots of logic from what I've heard. It's supposed to be a very good course.

MB

Reply 2

Reema

Predominantly analytic philosophy; philosophers of the British-American tradition that is, stuff like Descartes, Hume, Ayer, Russell, Wittgenstein - there is less emphasis on the continental although it can be done (Sartre, Heidegger, Hegel). There are supervisions once a week (as with most Oxbridge courses) where you discuss an essay (written on average once a week) with your supervisor and engage in discussion. You have the standard lectures every week, and lots of extra independent reading is required.

The course can be taken as one part of a tripos (combined in the 2-3rd years with another subject, but I think this isn't sure-fire guaranteed?). In the first year, there are compulsory modules of Metaphysics/Phil. of Mind, Logic and Ethics.

You can so tell I'm desperate to get there...can't you :wink:

Reply 3

Zarathustra

Reema

philosophers of the British-American tradition that is, stuff like Descartes

But yeah, what she said :wink:

If you look at the course rankings for philosophty departments every year, I believe you'll find Cam wavering the whole range between first and ... second.

ZarathustraX :biggrin:

Reply 4

candystrippa

are there opportunities to write original essays which are not analytical but rather innovative?

Reply 5

lskdgjsj

candystrippa

Just wondering, how is philosophy like at Cambridge?
Never thought about how it is taught etc.

It's worth having a look at http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/2001/Default.asp. International league table of philosophy departments, based on opinions solicited from academics working in philosophy. Oxford generally has a better reputation than Cambridge; the department is the largest in the UK, and it's considered to be on a par with the very best American philosophy departments; Cambridge is generally considered to be in the second division of philosophy departments internationally, although it's regarded as excellent for moral philosophy and ancient philosophy in particular (within the classics department).

As other people have said, the course is mainly given over to homegrown philosophy, to the detriment of Continental philosophy (which really only appears in Part II philosophy): if that's your main area of interest, it's worth considering taking part I in a different subject: philosophy is quite flexible in that regard. (I'm inclined to take the philosophy part II after my Classics part I as preparation for a B.Phil. in philosophy).

Reply 6

Zarathustra

svidrigailov

Oxford generally has a better reputation than Cambridge;

True. I discovered that just before I applied :rolleyes:

, but did anyway obviously! Bear in mind you can't do single honours philosophy at Oxford - it'd be PPE.

svidrigailov

As other people have said, the course is mainly given over to homegrown philosophy, to the detriment of Continental philosophy (which really only appears in Part II philosophy): if that's your main area of interest, it's worth considering taking part I in a different subject: philosophy is quite flexible in that regard. (I'm inclined to take the philosophy part II after my Classics part I as preparation for a B.Phil. in philosophy).

What's all this?? Someone who likes Contintental Philosophy? And Cambridge? And wants to do a B.Phil?
Hello :biggrin:

I don't believe we've met :wink:

ZarathustraX

Reply 7

coldfish

I didn't realise it had a strength in moral philosophy - w00t!
I presumed that the whole area of political philosophy and ethics was more Oxford's area, what with PPE being such an institution there. I half wish I'd applied for PPE now... but on the other hand I know nothing at all about economics, so it's probably for the best. In any case philosophy should be the basis of PPE imho, you have to know what you're aiming at before learning how to aim.

alex

Reply 8

Adhsur

All the best philosophers went to Cambridge (Russell, Wittgenstein, etc.) :biggrin:

That gives me the impression that Cambridge is better. But even if Oxford did have a better reputation for philosophy, you cannot take it as a single subject there, so the amount of philosophy you do will more at Cambridge and I think that correlates with how good a philosopher you become.

True! :P

Adhsur

All the best philosophers went to Cambridge (Russell, Wittgenstein, etc.) :biggrin:

Obviously the first point is tendentious; I scarcely think Hobbes, Locke, Ayer, and Berlin are to be sniffed at. It's ironic, to say the least, that Oxford now has the better reputation for analytic philosophy; after Wittgenstein and Russell the locus, as it were, of the movement moved to Oxford. One of the most important interpreters of Wittgenstein, of course, who also translated his Philosophische Untersuchungen, Anscombe, was at Oxford. As was Gilbert Ryle, one of the most significant empiricists of the last hundred years. It goes without saying that although Cambridge once was home to Russell and Wittgenstein, they are decidedly dead, and dead alumni are no indication of present quality.

I'm not sure that I altogether accept your point about the 'amount of philosophy' you do correlating with your 'goodness', as it were, at philosophy. Few philosophers in history of any note concentrated exclusively on philosophy at university, if they took it at all; only a handful of those who did spring to mind, Sartre for instance. The Oxford B.Phil. occupies a more or less undisputed place as the finest taught postgraduate philosophy degree in the world, and Oxford evidently thinks that three years of PPP or PPE is as satisfactory for admission as three years of philosophy alone at Cambridge. Moreover, a knowledge of physiology and psychology, for instance is inestimably useful, and I daresay will becoming increasingly relevant to philosophers of the future, as they wrestle with the problems of the incipient technological, genetic, and nanotechnological age. The philosophy course at Oxford offers the sort of breadth one only gets in Part II of philosophy at Cambridge, and if anything breadth is more necessary to the philosopher than two years of exclusive concentration on one school of thought.

Reply 11

candystrippa

what do philosophy graduates usually become after graduating?

Reply 12

jd27

candystrippa

what do philosophy graduates usually become after graduating?

unemployed and penniless

I'm sure you can go into lots of things - as with most arts degrees it the process of learning the subject and the logical techniques that make you employable afterwards.

Reply 13

groovy_moose

well, i'm planning on doing a postgrad diploma in Stage management and technical theatre - then becoming a stage/production manager/techie in theatre... But i don't think i'm representative... :rolleyes:

Reply 14

coldfish

Ooh wow. My younger brother is well into techie drama-ish stuff.
My siblings and I are so weird... there's going to be a theatre technician, a chef and a me. How on earth did that happen? My parents aren't actors and can't cook! :P

Reply 15

groovy_moose

If it's any consolation, i may as well be an alien from another planet, the amount of relation i bear to any of my family... (or anyone much for that matter - in fact... i'm starting to wonder whether i actually am from another planet - it would make a whole lot of sense :rolleyes:

) The only thing i can think of is that i share with my mum a common mathemetical ability. The problem with my family is that they never actually do anything, which i don't think makes for a very interesting life :rolleyes:

And as for siblings - my brother is doing a town planning degree :confused:

-begs the question - why??? But as long as he's happy, i'm happy :smile:

My Dad's a software engineer and my mum trained as an aeronautical engineer, then did an art degree and i really don't know what she's doing now...

Although, i'm not completely set on theatre - i'm not sure i can think of anything i'd rather be paid to do... though, i might do a law conversion - or go into city finance, or, alternatively (and perhaps as well as) i 'd like to lead expeditions for young people travelling - e.g. World Challenge Expeditions - that'd be totally worthwhile. So i 'spose my problem's not that i don't know what i want to do, more that i think there's so much in life i'd love to do - how do you fit it all in? :biggrin:

Aww.. and the other thing i really fancied was special fx designer for tv, film and theatre - that would be the most awesome job - but i figure, if i go into theatre, i could do that aswell :rolleyes:

I think the problem i have is that i'm really really practical and really academic aswell, and the two aren't so easily mixed

Hmm... it'll be interesting to see what i do end up doing

i think that's why i like philosophy in the first place - it inadvertantly allows you to study lots of different subjects at once (ie. The philosophy of X(politics/maths etc (as well as self-contained philosopshy, epistimology etc)) and you really couldn't get much more academic...

Reply 16

candystrippa

hey, what is self-contained philosophy and epistimology>

Reply 17

Zarathustra

candystrippa

hey, what is self-contained philosophy and epistimology>

Epistemology is theory of knowledge. (As in, one of the three main divisions of philosophy: Epistemology, axiology, ontology/metaphysics).

I think that by self-contained philosophy, s/he(?) meant philosophy which isn't about another discipline, as opposed to philosophy of maths/politics/etc. But that's just a guess from the context.

ZarathustraX

Reply 18

Reema

groovy_moose

i think that's why i like philosophy in the first place - it inadvertantly allows you to study lots of different subjects at once (ie. The philosophy of X(politics/maths etc (as well as self-contained philosopshy, epistimology etc)) and you really couldn't get much more academic...

I agree entirely with you here - the broadness of philosophy is invariably what attracted me to it in the first place, and continues to do so. As long as humans continue to advance and develop, so will philosophy, and that just excites me!

Reply 19

Calvin

candystrippa

are there opportunities to write original essays which are not analytical but rather innovative?

Ah ok, don't get confused between analytic philosophy and it being purely critical. It's analytic in the sense of being about critical and methodical argument rather than some sort of hand waivey philosophy ala some of the more continental stuff.

Original essays are definitely there if you want them. Lectures as a whole play a relatively minor part of the course, much of it is about personal research and reading and thinking for yourself. It's probably best described as a kind of mentored research where your tutor helps you cover the important material but otherwise you read what you want. If you find some interesting argument you are certainly able to include it and discuss it.

Plus of the 5 exam papers one is a 3 hour essay paper for which you set your own question and take the essay in whatever direction you want. There is certainly room and encouragement for creative original thought if thats what you want.

As for the whole PPE Vs straight Philosophy thing, it surely must be up to the person studying it. I don't like economic but I love philosophy so it makes much more sense for me to do straight philosophy. I can still study a wide range, I can do my own reading, take courses in political philosophy for instace of experimental psychology or switch tripos. Just because the course doesn't say 'Philosophy and...' doesn't mean there is nothing else. But conversely, if you just want to do philosophy surely it makes more sense that doing it at oxford and studying things you don't enjoy as much.