Comments on: Neither career nor hobby

By: Amod

Amod — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:53:43 +0000

You’re right, and that’s why I’m still on the academic job market. But I’m also having to prepare for the possibility that the job will not come.

By: Amod

Amod — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:46:43 +0000

Thanks, Elisa – as I noted in my bio, philosophy has long spoken to me about personal issues, and so it’s important for those to play a role on this blog. It’s not just about abstract reflection, but about applying that reflection to life.

As for our students: I think you hit on a good reason why having a third term is important. This can be something that will give them fulfillment in life, even though they’re unlikely to make a living from it. But who is going to take the time and expense to begin serious study of something that’s going to be a mere “hobby”?

By: Justin Whitaker

Justin Whitaker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:55:21 +0000

Great post indeed. But perhaps your own pernicious dualism is between activities that make us money and those that do not. :) Blogging, for instance, often helps me hone arguments and ideas that I will then apply to my teaching or writing. For me, anything that revolves even loosely around Buddhist Ethics is part of what I consider my vocation.

It works in the other direction equally well. When I taught Buddhism, it invigorated me, spurring more blogging and more discussions outside of work about the topics I love.

If I’m lucky, I can make family life an expression of my Buddhist practice and training, and thus role all three into one happy, harmonious bundle! Of course once I’ve finished my degree and I’m on the job market, reality might hit me like a shovel. But until that happens, I shall dream on.

By: elisa freschi

elisa freschi — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:38:21 +0000

Thanks a lot, Amod, for this more introspective post. I like your “purely philosophical” posts, but I am impressed by your ability to write about these themes, too. I do not think there is an inner difference between men and women, but cultural grounds have historically inclined women to think about fulfilment more than their male counterparts –possibly because the latter were already too busy with their careers. To put it short, I am not used to talk about important issues like the ones you raise with my male friends.
As for me, I share your concern. I am also part of the generation (though I might be younger or older than you, due to the different part of the world we live in) who has been looking for a paid, fulfilling job, following its parents’ advice.
Closely connected to that is the issue of our responsibility towards the younger people we instruct (both as parents or as academic staff). I am fascinated by Indian Philosophy and certainly try to make students find it as interesting as I do. Still, I also know that it does not make sense to have every year, say, 10,000 new PhD holders looking for a job connected with Indian Philosophy. Should one rather tell them that philosophy cannot be more than a ‘hobby’ for them? And what will the head of our department/institute/university/college, etc. say about it? In my case, I can imagine him/her saying that one should not discourage students –as, in fact, universities need students!
More important than that, what can we safely tell to a student? Not that he/she will find a job having to do with Indian (or Chinese or Western…) Philosophy. But maybe that he/she can try to enhance today’s political/moral… situation through his/her critical thinking?

By: Amod

Amod — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:06:54 +0000

Yeah, fair enough. Some people actually love doing things that put food on the table. It was a lot easier to do that in the ’60s, but it’s still possible now – it’s just not normal, and I think we’re starting to learn not to treat it as if it is.

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:50:24 +0000

pick any two. (Unless, of course, childrearing is your fulfilling unpaid vocation.)

Or, if you’re a damn lucky bastard, your fulfilling vocation is paid work. I kind of envy people who *just adore* being financial advisors or computer programmers.