hello all

[Francesca]

Hi all. I am a university student with a double major in philosophy and sociology, so I have to put up with a lot of questions about what I will do when I graduate. I joke that I plan to marry someone wealthy to take care of me for the rest of my life, but more likely, I will go to Japan to teach English which many of my friends have done, there being not too many jobs in Canada for social sciences and arts and humanities types.

I like to discuss philosophy but not in a mean-spirited, "my arguments are superior to your arguments so I have a bigger penis" way that many male philosophers take to be the raison-d'etre of philosophy.

[Aetixintro]

Welcome, Francesca!

Finally nice to hear from a person with a masters in philosophy! It's rather scarce here.

What are your main interests in philosophy? Cheers!

[Francesca]

One more thing about me. I am Catholic. Many sociologists and philosophers think that neither discipline is compatible with being religious. I don't have too many problems with people claiming that my beliefs are irrational, but what is the deal with people who claim to have no irrational and unexamined beliefs?

[duszek]

Ciao Francesca !

I am also Catholic, officially at least.

[Rortabend]

Welcome Francesca.

They may on the margins of modern naturalistically inclined philosophy but there are some major analytical philsoophers who manage to combine their Catholicim with philosophy. You already be aware of analytical Thomism if you majored in philosophy but here is a link to the wikipedia on it just in case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_Thomism

One of the world's most influential philosophers of science, Bas van Fraassen, is also a pratising catholic. You are not alone!

[Richard Baron]

Many sociologists and philosophers think that neither discipline is compatible with being religious.

I can see how one could make that argument in relation to philosophy. Indeed there is a thread on this forum discussing that question. [Edit: I see that you have already found it.] I, an atheist, do not see any incompatibility between religion and philosophy, and would cite some obvious examples of eminent religious philosophers: Anscombe, Dummett and Kripke for starters. I deliberately choose modern examples because when atheism has become perfectly acceptable, it is that much more likely that the religion is genuine and not a career-furthering strategy. (I don't mean to suggest that earlier religion was often not genuine, but the probability that it is genuine will go up a bit in more liberal times.)

I would not be so sure how to make the argument in relation to sociology. Is the point that there is a significant hermeneutic aspect to the subject, and that your interpretive sense would be skewed by religion?

What is the deal with people who claim to have no irrational and unexamined beliefs?

I suspect that their claim would be mistaken.

[ray]

A Catholic and a Filosofer plus a Woman !!

Is greater contradiction in terms possible?

It would be better if she dumps at least two of those items.