Law School

so true, Jasmine. So true. As the ex-wife of a philosophy grad student who eventually became a prof, the career path I observed for philosophy majors (at least the phenomenologists) was 1. propagating the discipline by becoming a prof. if you could get the job (publish, publish, publish), 2. becoming an insurance corporation manager, 3. becoming a blues musician playing in dinky bars (often campus bars), 4. becoming a house painter ( who played blues in dinky campus bars at night) or 5. buying a sheep farm and selling the wool. Then there is my logician friend with the BA and MA in philosophy who got his PhD in economics, in order to make a living (and still do lots of math). He's the one who gets to have dinner with Nobel prize winners, unlike the others.

John, law school would certainly cure a lot. 

Scarlet

  Totally Committed

I give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way

None of those options sound very appealing... I'm screwed. lol

...philosophical counseling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_counseling

It was started by a Columbia University philosophy professor named Lou Marinoff, who sued when Columbia threatened to stop him from counseling students about their personal problems. Now there are people who practice philosophical counseling as a separate profession. Marinoff has written a couple of books about it. Generally, philosophical counseling has been used, like coaching, as a way to circumvent licensing laws. However, if done responsibly, I think it is a perfectly legitimate helping profession.

Werner Erhard said something like suppression of Philosophers / Philosophy is the single greatest evil done to humanity. I think Philosophical and Spiritual Counciling are inherently good. We need people to be Philosophical. No matter what anyone says. (I agree with John if done responsibly is a legitimate helping profession). It isn't possible not to make a contribution just by being.

So it looks like there is hope after all. I always thought I was a good at counseling.. Thanks for the link!

I've actually got one of Marinoff's books someplace. I leafed through it, without diving in. It looked pretty good, complete with case studies of clients he worked with.

As for Rhetoric... It's an overlooked course in philosophy departments, but actually quite useful. It's essentially the science of argumentation, and actually the basis of evidence in law.

John, I had no idea that lawyers took Rhetoric, although it makes sense that they would.

At my first university, all students had to take and pass a Rhetoric course -- but it was in the English dept., not philosophy (thank goodness, because many philosophers tend to get way off track in classes and argue and argue and argue on minor, often trivial, points, losing sight of the mainstream of what we were all discussing). I loved learning the long list of logical fallacies, and thought that should be taught to every one, and in high school not just university.

Jasmine, I suspect that some form of role as a counselor would suit you and be beneficial for those counseled. :-) You go girl! You have the right stuff, including heartfulness and insight and compassion.

Love,
Scarlet Rose

  Totally Committed

I give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way

My ex-husband has both a degree in Philosophy and a J.D.  He is currently duly/dually unemployed and, to the best of my knowledge, unemployable.  Thank the Goddess for a mother who supports him.

A good thing, isn't it, that some spouses are "ex". (I was going to write "some husbands" but then realized how sexist and unfair that would be.)

  Totally Committed

I give thanks for unknown blessings already on the way