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Originally Posted by Charbucks  I think that's where I see a problem with formal philosophy. I agree that debate and argument are very important, but like I said, these are skills that can be easily learned without being a philosophy major. If it doesn't matter what you're debating, then why do people go on to become "philosophers" and spend their time pontificating on whether or not God exists, when they could be using these debate skills to actually make a difference in the world? |
That's a fair point... in other subjects (math, science) debate and critical thinking are essential components. However they are not the focus of the field. In philosophy, this is the primary focus. One looks at hundreds, maybe thousands of arguments, of varying shades and colors, dissects them, rearranges them, fixes them, analyzing weak and strong points (to attack or fix). Like a mechanic with ideas.
I agree that you can learn some debate and logic from science class though ... but it's not the focus. Some subject needs to actually think about what's being thought about (and so on) and formalize it ... and that's what philosophy does. It's kinda like saying "let's get rid of math and just teach physics."
On a side note, just because someone is a philosophy major doesn't mean they know shit
Philosophy is really a subject that is easy to criticize or engage in, but few people actually do it competently.
Since you are more science/mathematically minded, you'd probably enjoy the philosophy of science and symbolic logic better than the classes you took. I do think you have a talent for philosophy ... and that you took classes beneath your level of talent.