[Career review] “Philosophy academia” by Arden Koehler, William MacAskill

Some of the most important questions that arise for people trying to make the world a better place are philosophical. What does it mean to live a worthwhile life? What are our obligations to future generations? And how do we decide what to do when we are uncertain about the answers to these questions? Narrated by AI. ---Outline:(00:10) Summary(02:03) Pros(02:23) Cons(02:51) Key facts on fit(03:14) Next steps(04:31) Sometimes recommended(04:41) Review status(04:46) What this is based on(05:13) What is this career path?(07:21) Reasons to do a PhD in philosophy(07:26) You can do important research(07:31) Ideas matter(08:52) Global priorities research(11:33) Research on artificial intelligence(13:23) You might be able to become a public intellectual(16:10) Being a philosopher allows for a great deal of intellectual freedom(17:28) Reasons not to do a PhD in philosophy(17:33) Chances of success are low(20:49) The transferable career capital you gain is relatively poor(24:49) Career incentives often do not support impact(27:15) Is this path for you?(29:14) Testing your fit for philosophy(31:08) What are the best alternatives?(32:07) Earnings(33:15) I've decided to go into philosophy. What should I do?(33:34) Getting in to the strongest programme you can(35:01) Choosing a programme(38:48) During your PhD(40:48) What if you've already done (or are currently doing) a PhD in philosophy?(43:01) Options outside academia(44:44) Should you do an undergraduate degree in philosophy?(45:59) Enjoy this career review?(46:11) Learn more(46:14) Top recommendations(46:33) Further recommendations(47:40) 80,000 Hours podcast episodes The original text contained 12 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: August 7th, 2019 Source: https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/philosophy-academia --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.