Anyone a Philosophy or Physics Major?

[Ontology]

Hey guys I am thinking about majoring in one of these two things and was wondering if anyone had any input. I like both these topics and so now I am wondering if they're difficult, and if they are very time consuming, etc.

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[varsityblue]

Um, all majors are time consuming. If you like physics, major in physics; if you love philosophy, major in philosophy. I'd say that philosophy is likely more challenging than physics because it requires more reading and synthesis than physics.

 

[Ontology]

Philosophy is harder than physics? Wow, i've never heard that before. Is that the consensus?

 

[Abagnale]

Philosophy is harder than physics? Wow, i've never heard that before. Is that the consensus?

No. My roommate took both philosophy and physics together last year in the spring. He maybe spent two hours writing a paper every three weeks for phil. For physics, he stayed up doing problem sets and studying until 1 or 2 am most nights.

A in phil. A- in physics.

 

[Cambino]

Hey guys I am thinking about majoring in one of these two things and was wondering if anyone had any input. I like both these topics and so now I am wondering if they're difficult, and if they are very time consuming, etc.

Philosophy major here.
Upper division courses have a TON of reading/critical analyses.
Those who encompass shabby English skills will have a harder time than they would in Physics. It CAN be harder.

 

[Abagnale]

Philosophy major here.
Upper division courses have a TON of reading.
Those who encompass shabby English skills will have a harder time than they would in Physics. It CAN be harder.

That's actually true - I don't know much about upper-division, but I hear it does get harder. The intro courses must be easier.

I personally find it much easier to do problem sets rather than to read and discuss. To each their own

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Honestly it depends on the person, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that more people can easily master philosophy than physics. However I'm sure that there are few people who can master either of them to begin with.

 

[JESSFALLING]

Hey guys I am thinking about majoring in one of these two things and was wondering if anyone had any input. I like both these topics and so now I am wondering if they're difficult, and if they are very time consuming, etc.

Both are typically harder than their departmental cousins.... i.e. English/Religious Studies and Biology/Chemistry. (Personally, I like both equally and think they are both equal in difficulty....although physics has more time consuming problem-sets.)

For philosophy, I'd recommend taking an introductory course, a logic course, and one upper-division elective (e.g. Metaphysics, Epistemology, Continental, etc.) to see if you truly enjoy the subject.

For physics, I recommend getting through Calc I/II/III and Diff. Eq. + the calc-based Physics series before even considering a major. You'll need to be very comfortable with basic maths if you want to succeed at physics.

 

[Cambino]

Both are typically harder than their departmental cousins.... i.e. English/Religious Studies and Biology/Chemistry.

For philosophy, I'd recommend taking an introductory course, a logic course, and one upper-division elective (e.g. Metaphysics, Epistemology, Continental, etc.) to see if you truly enjoy the subject.

For physics, I recommend getting through Calc I/II/III and Diff. Eq. + the calc-based Physics series before even considering a major. You'll need to be very comfortable with basic calculus if you want to succeed at physics.

No.
What makes you think you don't need to be comfortable with that caliber of math for chemistry? Have you taken pchem?

 

[JESSFALLING]

No.
What makes you think you don't need to be comfortable with that caliber of math for chemistry? Have you taken pchem?

At least Pchem is one of the few chemistry courses that are math (calc) intensive in the major.

 

[TriagePreMed]

How can anyone compare something based on science and mathematics to something based largely on regurgitation and subjectivity? Come on, son.

 

[Espadaleader]

Triage. You're a fool. Newton, Descartes etc. were Philosophers first. Fields like number theory and logic are at the foundation of philosophy. Political Science, Medicine, etc. roots in philosophy. Universal Healthcare? Free Trade? As for Physics/Philosophy I think they complement each other. Only with Physics/Philosophy can you READ Newton, Descartes, Leibniz etc. and then apply their knowledge in physics. Its Awesome!

 

[TriagePreMed]

Triage. You're a fool. Newton, Descartes etc. were Philosophers first. Fields like number theory and logic are at the foundation of philosophy. Political Science, Medicine, etc. roots in philosophy. Universal Healthcare? Free Trade? As for Physics/Philosophy I think they complement each other. Only with Physics/Philosophy can you READ Newton, Descartes, Leibniz etc. and then apply their knowledge in physics. Its Awesome!

Nothing of what you've said disproves what I said. Physics is a natural science that relies on mathematics and experimentation. Even if famous physicists and mathematicians were also philosophers, it doesn't change what the fact is. And if they can compliment themselves, it doesn't mean that the rigor of studying physics is equivalent to that of studying philosophy. There's a reason physics is a pre-requisite for medical school and not philosophy. And lastly, I never said philosophy was without any value.

 

[Espadaleader]

Nothing of what you've said disproves what I said. Physics is a natural science that relies on mathematics and experimentation. Even if famous physicists and mathematicians were also philosophers, it doesn't change what the fact is. And if they can compliment themselves, it doesn't mean that the rigor of studying physics is equivalent to that of studying philosophy. There's a reason physics is a pre-requisite for medical school and not philosophy. And lastly, I never said philosophy was without any value.

Cool. I respect it. No prob.

 

[Pinkishcheese]

Physics major here. It's really frustrating at times. The best thing about physics is that it makes you think in ways that most other majors can't.

You don't have to be a good mathematician or philosopher to get a 4.0 in physics. All you need is a good work ethic, just like everything else. Let me know if you have any specific questions

 

[BurghStudent]

I am a philosophy major. Definitely do philosophy, it is more useful. You likely will not use what you learn in upper level physics, but what you learn in philosophy is inherently applicable. It represents the frameworks in which we think.

For one, you will learn how to reason clearly, to analyze arguments and strengthen positions, all important for any reading or writing you will do.

Also, if you try to focus on ethics in the major, you will likely learn some basic ideas that apply to medicine. I.e., in organ allocation we have two extremes, utilitarianism vs deontology; we allocate organs in a manner to maximize life-years vs. we give organs as fairly as possible, by lottery.

Finally, it is probably more unique; it's not a science. It will open up the ways you think about science though. You will come to appreciate how science came to be, because yesterday's philosophers are today's scientists.

 

[afugazzi]

I majored in math and physics and then got a masters in philosophy. Physics is much harder. They both require logic. Take classes in both and see what you like. It's a hard sell to argue that philosophy is more useful than physics, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

 

[IMSingular]

"And then I came to philosophy, physics, and mathematics. In fact, I came to mathematics indirectly. I was really more interested in physics and philosophy and thought about those. It is a little shortened but not quite wrong to say: I thought I am not good enough for physics and I am too good for philosophy. Mathematics is in between."

----Georege Polya😍

 

[Ontology]

So physics is harder to maintain a 4.0 than philosophy?

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Um, all majors are time consuming. If you like physics, major in physics; if you love philosophy, major in philosophy. I'd say that philosophy is likely more challenging than physics because it requires more reading and synthesis than physics.

This. Really major in what you are interested in! Don't worry about what makes you look better. Physics may make you look like you have better math skills, but there could be a big GPA gap depending on what you major in.

 

[Lil Mick]

I did philosophy (also biochem). It's very useful for school and life--lots of reasoning, divergent thinking, drafting arguments... I'm currently doing research applying methods from statistical mechanics in physics to medical research, which has also been very fulfilling.

Major in what you enjoy. For physics, make sure you're strong in math, or it will be a struggle to do well and enjoy your courses. For philosophy, make sure you're strong in reading and writing.

 

[Narmerguy]

Obviously there are lots of people that successfully do physics/philosophy and get into medicine. I am a physics major, but there a lots of physics/philosophy dual majors at my school (a lot being perhaps 1-2 per class). From their conversations, it sounds as though physics is harder, if only because it requires the logical reasoning/abstract theories like philosophy combined with rigorous mathematics.

I personally found philosophy to be interesting as well, took a couple philosophy classes, but find the subjective grading a little deflating. That's what I love about most physics: there's typically a fairly objective way to grade someone's work.

Btw, I took pchem this semester (chem minor) and it definitely doesn't compare in difficulty to upper level physics classes. There are literally times where I wanted to cry when I was studying for some of my tests it seemed so impossible, and this is coming from someone who has done quite well in physics.

 

[plumhill]

I'm a philosophy/microbiology double major, and philosophy is the "harder" major of the two for me, simply because it is so subjective and you have to think in very weird/different ways sometimes. But that's what I love about the major 🙂 The reading is tough for philosophy, especially in upper-level classes, but I've had some of my best in-class discussions and "light-bulb moments" in my philosophy classes.

 

[Amemus]

I was a philosophy major and I loved it. It was very time consuming but I really enjoyed reading, thinking, writing, and discussing philosophy with others for hours and hours. Which is harder depends on your own skill set. I knew plenty of science majors who took a philosophy course or two as an elective and they struggled with it because it requires a different kind of thinking. And plenty of humanities majors struggle with chemistry, physics, and mathematics. I recommend taking some upper division courses to decide where your strengths lie.

 

[BionicMan]

Engineering major here. Speaking on the topic of logic and critical thinking, youve got to consider the marketability of any program you get into. 40 grand/year for a philosophy degree is unwise. Upon graduation, medicine may be your only career option. If you love it and can't imagine life without it, get a minor. Dont pick a field whose jobs are more scarce than seats in medical school. You can get a job as a physicist (including the retail jobs you would end up with after getting your philosophy degree). Not trying to bust bubbles; just trying to make sure you consider your options practically.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Engineering major here. Speaking on the topic of logic and critical thinking, youve got to consider the marketability of any program you get into. 40 grand/year for a philosophy degree is unwise. Upon graduation, medicine may be your only career option. If you love it and can't imagine life without it, get a minor. Dont pick a field whose jobs are more scarce than seats in medical school. You can get a job as a physicist (including the retail jobs you would end up with after getting your philosophy degree). Not trying to bust bubbles; just trying to make sure you consider your options practically.

I'm tempted to believe that the majority of philosophy majors are usually preprofessionals going into law or healthcare.

 

[Cambino]

Nothing of what you've said disproves what I said. Physics is a natural science that relies on mathematics and experimentation. Even if famous physicists and mathematicians were also philosophers, it doesn't change what the fact is. And if they can compliment themselves, it doesn't mean that the rigor of studying physics is equivalent to that of studying philosophy. There's a reason physics is a pre-requisite for medical school and not philosophy. And lastly, I never said philosophy was without any value.

Your logic is terribly flawed.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Your logic is terrible flawed.

I honestly will say that if you're a logical individual you know all the philosophy and physics you need to know to be a successful doctor/human before stepping into either of the classes.

 

[Cambino]

I honestly will say that if you're a logical individual you know all the philosophy and physics you need to know to be a successful doctor/human before stepping into either of the classes.

😴
Look at the new 2015 MCAT and identify the strong humanities section.
Argument invalid.
"Medical school doesn't require philosophy so it must be easy and unpractical."
Very skewed logic, imo.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

😴
Look at the new 2015 MCAT and identify the strong humanities section.
Argument invalid.
"Medical school doesn't require philosophy so it must be easy and unpractical."
Very skewed logic, imo.

..... Did you even read what I wrote before you spat this argument out? I'm saying that you likely already through living in a society, which is the product of enlightenment philosophical thought, have a good understanding of practical philosophy. Likewise you likely already know all the physics one needs for life and medicine from high school, no one needs to be able to remember formula's for quantitative physics.

 

[Cambino]

..... Did you even read what I wrote before you spat this argument out? I'm saying that you likely already through living an society, which is the product of enlightenment thought, have a good understanding of practical philosophy. Likewise you likely already know all the physics one needs for life and medicine from high school, no one needs to be able to remember formula's for quantitative physics.

Wasn't directly replying to you/your argument - sorry. Was saying his argument was invalid.
I obviously agree.
I was just adding onto my argument in response to yours.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Wasn't directly replying to you/your argument - sorry. Was saying his argument was invalid.
I obviously agree.
I was just adding onto my argument in response to yours.

Oh, ok.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Your logic is terribly flawed.

Could you please elaborate on this? I believe that philosophy is interesting to read and study about, especially philosophy geared toward practical application, but having taken both physics and philosophy classes, I can say that physics opened my mind a lot more into thinking abstractly about problems while dealing with the limitations of factual, verified science. I think medical schools select physics for this reason.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Could you please elaborate on this? I believe that philosophy is interesting to read and study about, especially philosophy geared toward practical application, but having taken both physics and philosophy classes, I can say that physics opened my mind a lot more into thinking abstractly about problems while dealing with the limitations of factual, verified science. I think medical schools select physics for this reason.

So... a lecture on scalars v.s vectors was the defining moment of physics? Honestly you'll probably gain more from a class on logic than you will gain from a class on classical mechanics, because honestly, you know all of this. You just learn how to quantify these things, which is completely useless unless you're an engineer or in physical science.
Medical school has physics as a requirement because it helps you understand completely qualitative concepts in biophysics such as circulation etc. Not because of the above, which honestly doesn't sound like physics at all.

 

[Cambino]

Could you please elaborate on this? I believe that philosophy is interesting to read and study about, especially philosophy geared toward practical application, but having taken both physics and philosophy classes, I can say that physics opened my mind a lot more into thinking abstractly about problems while dealing with the limitations of factual, verified science. I think medical schools select physics for this reason.

A good example comes to mind:
At OHSU, their interviewing process involves a novel multiple mini-interviews that focus on ethical inquiries/critical reasoning that the interviewee has to respond after quickly reading a small segment. I'm aware that there are probably different calibers of "ethics" courses, but at my institution, the ethics course is required for philosophy majors and is of a 400-level and very rigorous. The skills one would develop in this course will irrefutably be transferable to your performance to these mini-interviews - I have first hand experience. They're not going to ask you to jot down as many QP formulas as you can, nor are they going to ask you to decipher a physics-esque debacle. Each ethical scenario will, touchingly, request logical analyses and insofar one is able to reference their skills developed in said ethics class, approaching these ethical scenarios appropriately gives you the 👍. Impractical in the job market ≠ impractical in general. This is just one course's practicality; philosophy has an uncountable amount of uses outside the job-market, I'm sure.

 

[Cambino]

Could you please elaborate on this? I believe that philosophy is interesting to read and study about, especially philosophy geared toward practical application, but having taken both physics and philosophy classes, I can say that physics opened my mind a lot more into thinking abstractly about problems while dealing with the limitations of factual, verified science. I think medical schools select physics for this reason.

I urge you to take a Metaphysics course and then compare how well you can think abstractly about problems while dealing with the limitations of facts, with physics. That's seriously the whole course I took.

 

[tkim]

Use metaphysics in a sentence.


"I never metaphysics I didn't like."

 

[Cambino]

Use metaphysics in a sentence.


"I never metaphysics I didn't like."

 

[Ansar]

Physics

 

[tkim]

Time is unreal. McTaggart said so.

 

[IMSingular]

So physics is harder to maintain a 4.0 than philosophy?

Well. Maintaining 4.0 is different than what is harder; Keeping your grades could depend on the professor, and how hard he makes the subject matter and what is his criteria of testing.

I am not a fan of fuzzy cocktail philosophy. For me scientific method, or Natural Philosophy, is the ultimate philosophy. I was completely put off by Kant, and Descarte was some what tolerable. IMHO the Philosophy is just beating around the bush, and you do need a command over a language to beat around the bush to effectively con people, as they do in political arena, to your way. It's not that I can't beat around the bush pretty well but I refuse to do it.

Physics is harder because you can't beat around the bush, and your results can be tested experimentaly. Mathematics is like playing a game of chess given the rules, and it is hard. Physics is like finding the rules of the game by observing the players, and that is harder. That is why I agree with George Polya.😀

 

[Abagnale]

I honestly will say that if you're a logical individual you know all the philosophy and physics you need to know to be a successful doctor/human before stepping into either of the classes.

👍 Love those times when you give concise and awesome responses in these forums.

 

[LogicofMan]

Physics is going to be easier to get a 4.0 in, but not by virtue of being "easier" than philosophy. I'm in engineering and physics and was minoring in philosophy before I realized that it's so subjective that no matter how hard you "study" you can't be guaranteed to get a high mark. It's basically how well you can appeal to whomever is marking your work.
Both disciplines are interesting and require you to bend your mind in weird ways. The difference that I have noticed is that philosophy is unguided and overly flexible, allowing people to get off-track and not necessarily hone in on a useful answer ('do we even actually exist?' doesn't really help us cure cancer or get to the moon). Physics is (possibly overly) rigid, with these fundamental laws that must always be satisfied. One might say that some aspects of philosophy are basically physics without math (useless, in my own personal opinion). One absolutely does not need to major in philosophy to have a rigorous understanding of ethical issues. I love the understanding of the universe, comfort with math and ridiculously complex, abstract concepts, and ability to manipulate the laws of our natural world to accomplish remarkable things (the engineer in me speaks) that a physics major has afforded me. Philosophy is interesting and fun, but the philosophy majors I've known have been...kinda unimpressive individuals (very anecdotal and critical, but take it for what it's worth. there are probably philosophers out there that would put me to shame).

TL;DR: Physics is empowering and a marketable skill, while philosophy is very subjective and can prove to be frustrating. Physics is guided and allows you to solve problems, philosophy tends to create/reveal new problems.