Reformed Philosophy

I received the following email a while ago from a Reformed undergraduate student working in philosophy:

I, too, am a Reformed Christian and I am studying philosophy. As I approach senior year (this coming academic year) the possibility of graduate school is becoming more and more real. I’m not sure what it is I would like to do after my undergraduate time, but I have considered graduate school in philosophy. One thing I question, however, is my competence for graduate-level studies. I am not a fast writer or researcher but I enjoy the subjects of logic, epistemology, and language still. There is, however, deep confusion as to what my future will hold and what exactly my decision will be. However, I do want to ask you if you have any advise as I think through these things. Do you have major questions you asked yourself before applying for a graduate program in philosophy? What are some good questions I can be asking myself? What are some factors I should consider?

Now, assuming (perhaps erroneously) that the main reason one would undertake graduate studies in philosophy is to pursue a career in philosophy, I replied with the following rambling rumination:

…I’m happy to give you my opinions on these matters, but please do take them with a grain of salt – I have not yet finished my Ph.D. and I am far from landing that all-important job. In other words, my journey towards becoming a professional philosopher is far from over.

These are exciting times to be a Christian philosopher; indeed, as some have noticed, there haven’t been this many Christian philosophers since the time of Aquinas. That said, however, I do not think one should rush into pursuing such a career – one should count the costs, so to speak. Being admitted into a good graduate program is exceedingly difficult (I’ve known many top-notch students (superb grades; around 95 percentile on the GRE; etc.) who only get accepted into 1 or 2 of the 14 schools they applied to). Furthermore, many people who start a Ph.D. in philosophy never finish (perhaps because it is taking too long; because they were met with too much discouragement; because they realize the could be perfectly happy doing something that is much more likely to produce a sustainable income sooner; etc.). Even if someone gets into a top graduate program, his or her worries are not over – it isn’t possible to overestimate how horrible and ferocious the job market is (see http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/perspective.asp); many people who earn their degrees from top institutions never land a tenure-track job. For example, I did my undergraduate work at a good though non-elite institution – when it came time for the department to hire a new ethicist, there were 278 people with Ph.D.’s fighting for the single post! To mirror what Christ said about the cost of discipleship in Luke 14:26-33, I don’t think it would be entirely out of line (though perhaps a bit crass) to say something to this effect:

If anyone comes to philosophy and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life he cannot be a professional philosopher…For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?… So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be a professional philosopher.

This is an overstatement for sure, but I think the sense is applicable. Given what I have just said, stubbornness and fortitude are more important than speedy writing/researching (though the latter is certainly a plus). Someone could be able to crank out a solid paper every week, but if they do not have thick enough skin to deal with setbacks, caustic criticism, and rejection, I simply do not think they will make it.

I do not say all of this to discourage you, but just to make sure you know what you are up against. To be sure, as we both know, if God is calling you to be a philosopher he will enable you to surmount these hurdles.  The role of prayer should not be underestimated in this decision. Maybe you could pursue the council of your pastor and/or church elders. Additionally, I would discuss the possibility of graduate school with your current professors – they will know you, know your work, and know what would be required of you. I would ask yourself (and anyone else who knows you, really), if you really love philosophy, if you have the fortitude, patience, and mind (it takes a certain type!) to complete the work, if God is calling you to this (to be sure, a non-Christian professor probably wouldn’t be able to answer this one), etc.

One final note: if you find yourself going through these questions and still wonder if you have what it takes to succeed in such an endeavor, perhaps you should just go ahead and apply to a dozen schools (what schools to apply to is another matter!). Most schools know their own department and only accept students who they honestly think will be able to finish their course of study (this fact, being brought to my attention by one of my supervisors, was a source of solace for me when I was wondering if I was ‘good enough’ to be at my current university). So, if you apply to a dozen schools and get into a decent one, then that is a reason to think that you have what it takes to do philosophy. To be sure, this isn’t a flawless method; you shouldn’t think that there is a continuum between elite universities and sub-par universities such that how good you are corresponds to what school(s) you get accepted to (it is very possible to be rejected from a mediocre university and yet accepted to an elite one). Regardless, if you do decide to pursue an academic career in philosophy, quite a bit can be discerned from where you get accepted (though it should be said, if you don’t get accepted anywhere the first time around, then, if you are stubborn enough, you will apply again the following year and perhaps meet with great success!).

Well, I hope that this was more helpful than hurtful. Again, (in addition to God and your church leaders) I would discuss these matters with your philosophy professors – you can only trust some yahoo with a blog so much!

What else (or instead) should someone (specifically a Christian someone) consider when trying to decide on whether or not to pursue graduate school and a career in philosophy? I would like to hear other people’s perspective on this matter.