Mid-Low Tier Philosophy of Mind Programs

[Farhan Lakhany]

Hello,

Getting into a PhD program in philosophy is super tough and I want to apply to plenty of mid-low tier programs as well as a few top ones but I am not sure which programs are mid-low tier in phil of mind.

The philosophical gourmet gives all the top universities but is not very helpful for mid-low tier programs. Can anyone help me out? Thanks in advance. 

[maxhgns]

Who are the people you've read and cited in your own work? Where do they work?

 

You'll have to do some combing through programs and their faculty. What you're looking for is a department that's just got a couple faculty members working in the area, but which is well-rounded overall, especially in areas cognate to mind--phil. of cogsci and neuroscience, metaphysics, phil. of science, etc. My list would include Western (which I think is underrated by the PGR, especially with respect to mind). Connecticut Storrs is another that's underrated (and although she's emerita, Millikan is probably the most important--and underrated--philosopher living today). Maybe also Alberta, Buffalo., and Calgary

FWIW, though, "middling" in the PGR are those programs listed with a mean of 3.0. That's a pretty solid list in the mind category.

[be.]

I may be misunderstanding your post, but the implication seems to be this: most––if not all––of the programs ranked in the PGR are "top" programs. This is not so. Many of the programs ranked by the PGR could be classified as "mid-low tier." For example, the University of Cincinnati is plausibly a mid-tier program, but it is nevertheless ranked in the PGR. (I don't mean to disparage Cincinnati; it seems like a great program for someone with the right interests, including mind.) 

My point, then, is this. If you were to apply only to PGR ranked programs, you would not thereby apply only to top programs. As maxhgns points out, group 5 of the mind specialty rankings contains many solid mid-tier programs. Take a look at the faculty of those programs, and see if any have faculty whose work aligns with your interests. This is especially important for mind, because it's a fairly heterogenous sub-field.

Good luck!

Edited November 8, 2016 by be.

[Farhan Lakhany]

I am so sorry that I have not replied to you two sooner -- I thought I would get a notification in my inbox if anyone responded and didn't get one. I just checked and saw the two responses. My main focus concerns reductive arguments of consciousness and I have recently focused on Chalmers's anti-reductive arguments and how they rely on his epistemology of phenomenology. I wrote my MA thesis for King's College London and am using for my writing sample a critique of his "acquaintance relation" that he uses to underpin his (annoyingly intuition based (At least to me. There are those who rely heavily on intuitions (see Kripke) but I admit a strong skepticism in regards to its use.)) anti-reductive arguments. 

My interests lie in Phil of Mind, Phil of Science, Late Wittgenstein, and Philosophical methodology. I have been in contact with professors at UConn maxghns (Professor Bar-On and I plan on emailing Prof. Lycan soon to see if we are a good fit. I have not considered Millikan but I definitely will) and am planning on applying to Cincinnati. Indiana State, U of Chicago, Ohio and Iowa also seem like solid choices. 

be. -- You are right -- I was assuming that they were all top programs, that was my mistake. I see now that there are mid-low tier programs in there as well (again, as you said, no offense to those Universities). I will look into Alberta, Buffalo and Calgary (though finding a dept. that specializes in both Late Wittgenstein and phil of Mind is annoying difficult). 

Thanks for all the help. 

Edited November 19, 2016 by Farhan Lakhany

[be.]

13 hours ago, Farhan Lakhany said:

I am so sorry that I have not replied to you two sooner -- I thought I would get a notification in my inbox if anyone responded and didn't get one. I just checked and saw the two responses. My main focus concerns reductive arguments of consciousness and I have recently focused on Chalmers's anti-reductive arguments and how they rely on his epistemology of phenomenology. I wrote my MA thesis for King's College London and am using for my writing sample a critique of his "acquaintance relation" that he uses to underpin his (annoyingly intuition based (At least to me. There are those who rely heavily on intuitions (see Kripke) but I admit a strong skepticism in regards to its use.)) anti-reductive arguments. 

My interests lie in Phil of Mind, Phil of Science, Late Wittgenstein, and Philosophical methodology. I have been in contact with professors at UConn maxghns (Professor Bar-On and I plan on emailing Prof. Lycan soon to see if we are a good fit. I have not considered Millikan but I definitely will) and am planning on applying to Cincinnati. Indiana State, U of Chicago, Ohio and Iowa also seem like solid choices. 

be. -- You are right -- I was assuming that they were all top programs, that was my mistake. I see now that there are mid-low tier programs in there as well (again, as you said, no offense to those Universities). I will look into Alberta, Buffalo and Calgary (though finding a dept. that specializes in both Late Wittgenstein and phil of Mind is annoying difficult). 

Thanks for all the help. 

A heads up: Bill Lycan is pretty close to retirement, if not already retired.

Edited November 19, 2016 by be.

[Farhan Lakhany]

On 11/19/2016 at 2:49 PM, be. said:

A heads up: Bill Lycan is pretty close to retirement, if not already retired.

I will definitely keep an eye on it. I am emailing Professor Schneider from UConn as well.