kalash

Let's see...My main area of interest is in epistemology, esp. skepticism and the debate between epistemological naturalists and apriorists. Some of my best work during my MA was done on Quine's naturalized epistemology, and I ended up writing a 30+ page paper on the topic. I subsequently cut it down, but I still feel that it's not as focused as my paper on Plato's Theaetetus (which is about 24 pages), which is what I'm considering using for the majority of my schools. The paper on Plato's Theaetetus critically examines his self-refutation argument against Protagorean relativism. In brief, it's a paper on truth-relativism, couched in a historical context. Is this too far away from epistemology? I'm interested in ancient as a secondary interest, but mostly only insofar as it touches on issues like relativism and skepticism. (I'm interested, for example, in Sextus Empiricus and the relation between Pyrrhonian skepticism and infinitism in contemporary debates about justification). Would you mention in your personal statement why your writing sample isn't directly in your primary stated interest, if that were the case?

Does the committee mostly look at whether the paper is good, or whether it matches your primary interests? If you have a primary interest in epistemology but your sample is in ancient would that be a problem? (Assuming someone teaches ancient where you are applying).

Jared, You mention that your advisor is leaving BU in another thread. Do you mind letting me know who it is? I'm really interested in one of the two you list on your website as your advisors.

I don't know if this question ever comes up, but here's my situation: I was offered deferred admission (PhD philosophy) for fall 2013 (including funding). Now the question is: what happens if next year I decide I'd prefer to go somewhere else? Is it really bad if I do this? Will it ruin the rest of my career? Could I request to be released from obligation? My wife is applying to schools for fall 2013, but there's no guarantee she'll get into one in the same city. So should I just decline and apply next year to this program (including others as well), or should I grab the deferred admission now and worry about all this later?