So You Want to Get a PhD in Philosophy?

Don’t! Unless you plan with great care!

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

The other day, a friend of mine posted this on his Facebook page:

I read that and wondered, Where do I even begin???

I’ve no clue who he is, of course. Just one of many “lost generation” PhDs out there. Actually, lost generation should be plural, since there’s now more than one, and we’re not referring to the Hemingway / Fitzgerald generation, either. Who are the “lost generation” PhDs? Those of us who sought academic careers but earned our PhDs after the infamous academic job market collapse of the 1970s. There are few jobs now, but for a decade or so back then there were virtually none at all. Most new PhDs had little choice except to pursue other lines of work.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s things opened up a little. The steady trickle of job openings continued into the ’00s, but with the financial crisis of 2008–09, things fell apart again. Now, almost a year after Captain Covid came to call, they’re worse than ever.

You can earn a PhD and not end up at a Wendy’s, but only if you plan with great care. And only if you realize that you…