Cambridge rejections/acceptances

Don't worry too much. Tomorrow will come, soon enough. Only 14 hrs to go...

It's about 50 pages of anxiety.

I wonder what the mood will be like on here tomorrow at this time.....

I wonder what the mood will be like on here tomorrow at this time.....

Probably the elated, the crazy, the disappointed and the angry. Oh and don't forget the obnoxious who believe they deserved a place. For me, I'll be resigned to my fate.

I don't think they tend to 'push' you too much in interviews for arts subjects; although I did get some fairly abstract questions..

1. How would you persuade a friend to go to an art gallery instead of a disco?

2. Is thatcherism fair?

3. How was Ayer influenced the debate on religious language (not so bad actually)

4. Does the study of philosophy have any intrinsic value?

etc

1. I said I wouldn't in practice; but just went into the whole idea of lower and higher pleasures bla bla

2. I said its necessary

3. easy

4. I said I'm undecided; and the question isn't the same as for any other subject. Because the idea of intrinsic value is something specific to philosophy and you can fall into a web of contradictions and confusion just by saying yes

Lordy! Sounds like you did pretty well. We used pleased with your interview, and more importantly, were THEY pleased? Congrats.

My gut instinct when I finished both interviews were that i'd done really well (they'd also told me I was the only applicant to get 100% in the logic test), however, I have a feeling I didn't get in, think I might have pissed off one of the reverends interviewing me by saying I didn't care about designer babies.

1. I said I wouldn't in practice; but just went into the whole idea of lower and higher pleasures bla bla

2. I said its necessary

3. easy

4. I said I'm undecided; and the question isn't the same as for any other subject. Because the idea of intrinsic value is something specific to philosophy and you can fall into a web of contradictions and confusion just by saying yes

For q4, my reply would be that it is intrinsically worthwhile because others can experience happiness through reading the work of philosophers.

Happiness? Are you sure?

Were you not worried that by saying thatcherism was neccessary avoided the question?

Yes, some people enjoy philosophy and the study of it.

Well I said maintaining socialism may seem fair in the short run but the position is untennable because of globalisation....

thatcherism doesn't initially seem very fair ideologically... but it's necessity makes it fair and just (I don't believe that personally, I'm completely apolitical)

Well I said maintaining socialism may seem fair in the short run but the position is untennable because of globalisation....

thatcherism doesn't initially seem very fair ideologically... but it's necessity makes it fair and just (I don't believe that personally, I'm completely apolitical)

For q4, my reply would be that it is intrinsically worthwhile because others can experience happiness through reading the work of philosophers.

I take it they didn't challenge your assertion that neccessity mean fairness? I would have thought this is the kind of thing they try and challenge people with?

Saying that, my interview wasnt terribly challenging....I guess I wasn't one of the strong ones