Thursday, 25 June 2015

PHILOSOPHY HONOURS By Shubhangi Negi

PHILOSOPHY HONOURS


B.A.(Hons) Philosophy - Stands for Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy. Typically, B.A.(Hons) Philosophy is a three year course. Honors is the main focus or specialization of one's UG degree. Philosophy is the study of fundamental and general problems associated with matters such as mind, reason, values, existence, knowledge and language. The students under this degree focus on Ethics and value theory, Philosophy of mind and language, Philosophy of action, Philosophy of film, Philosophy of mathematics and Philosophy of religion.
Basic Eligibility
Candidates seeking admission in a bachelor’s degree must pass the higher secondary school certificate (10+2) from a recognized university. Usually the duration for UG course is 3 years.
Course structure
·         First year involves subjects like Traditional Logic, Informal Fallacies, Elements of Indian Philosophy, Truth Functional Logic, Qualification Theory, 1 qualifying language (usually Hindi) and one credit language (English)
·         The subjects taught in the second year are History of Western Philosophy Part I & II and Ethics I. Students also have an option of choosing between Social and Political Philosophy and Greek Philosophy during this year. One interdisciplinary and one discipline centred (concurrent) subjects are also to be studied. Every college offers different concurrent subjects.
·         This year entails studying Texts of Indian Philosophy, Ethics II and a discipline centred course. There is choice between Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Logic and Philosophy of Language. One subject is also to be chosen from Contemporary Philosophy, Later Greek Philosophy and Aesthetics.
The first year has logic and elements of Indian philosophy.
In the second year, history of western philosophy and social political philosophy or Greek philosophy are taught.
The final year includes ethics, Indian Philosophy (text) and aesthetics/ contemporary philosophy/ later Greek philosophy.
Most colleges offer philosophy as an interdisciplinary credit course for other honours courses as well as a discipline course in BA (programme).
Who should pursue Philosophy (Hons)
·         God. Morality. Mind. Reality. Art. If you want to spend three years engaging with some of the biggest and hardest questions with which humanity has ever grappled then Philosophy BA (Hons) is the degree for you.
·         Those who like to grapple with questions, learn new ways of thinking and have a command over the language, should take up the course.Taking up this course means more than just toying with great ideas, or studying about movements. It plunges you into the world of religion, spirituality and ethics, and makes you ponder the logic behind it all.
Where will Philosophy Honors take me?
In general, any Honors degree adds to the prestige of your B.A. If you decide not to pursue further studies, your Honors degree tells potential employers that you are intelligent, articulate and capable of self-directed research. If you want to pursue post-graduate studies, such as an M.A. or Ph.D., an Honors degree is an essential first step.
Why do Honors?
Philosophy students are accustomed to evaluating reasons. One reason to do Honors is obviously the prestige of the degree, or the opportunity to go on to further studies. But the best reasons are much simpler. First, in Honors, you’ll get to undertake further study in areas of philosophy that you are interested in. In your thesis you’ll be expected to add something of your own to the ongoing conversation that is the history of philosophy. That’s exciting and challenging. Second, you should do Honors in philosophy precisely because it’s hard. You won’t know whether you are truly excellent if you don’t try.
Career options
·         Philosophy graduates can find jobs in India as well as in foreign countries. They can also find job opportunities in the following sectors such as student affairs, public service, journalism, research, law, diplomacy, insurance, etc.
·         Students who have done research on philosophy can opt for teaching jobs in research institutes, universities and in colleges. 
·         Philosophy graduates can also work as advisors, lobbyist, clergy person survey, specialist in HR, interviewer, consultant, etc.
·         They also have options like management studies, hotel management, law, social work, public services (UPSC), creative writing, research and defence services (ground duties).
·         The remuneration earned by counselors and psychiatrists is mostly good.
Internships camps
·         Students pursuing philosophy can attend and participate in various seminars and conferences related to their course.
·         Students can also assist faculty members and post graduate students in the various research projects undertaken by them.
·         They can also get their research papers and studies published in various Philosophy ans Arts journals published by universities.
·         Philosophy graduates can intern as journalists in media houses, can work under lawyers, do social work or try their luck in HR.
Expectations
·         By the end of this programme, you will be able to understand complex and demanding texts, reason intelligently and imaginatively about ethical, metaphysical and epistemological issues, and have a grasp of the advantages and problems of a wide range of metaphysical and moral views.
·         The Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) will ensure you develop high-level research and communication skills that prepare you for the challenges of achieving the highest international standards of excellence.
·         One will develop valuable skills in advanced problem-solving, critical thinking, independent learning and communication.

Best colleges
·         BA (honours) philosophy is offered in 13 DU colleges, 10 of which are only for women.
·         The course is offered in Daulat Ram, Gargi, IP College, Kamala Nehru, Lady Shri Ram, Miranda House, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, St Stephen's, among others.

Back Up courses
If you don’t get into Philosophy (Hons) then the next best course according to your interest would be Sociology (Hons). You can also go for Psychology (Hons) (although it has statistics has one of its subjects).



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