What do i do?

[Dóchas]

in the next couple of weeks i have to chose my subjects for my last few years of school and ultimately what i want to study in college. iv narrowned it down to 4 different options but i really have no idea what would benefit me the best. i want to study something that im interested in but will also go for educating me in the revolutionary sense. iv brought it down to the following

political science and history
political science and philosophy
sociology
political science

i know there is a thread like this already out there but i didnt want to hijack it so any input would be greatly appreciated because i really have no idea what im doing :(

[Cunning_plan]

Pick the subject you will most enjoy doing. They all weigh up similarly in my opinion. In your situation id go for political science and history or with philosophy. Sounds most similar you have to PPE. It really depends on the history syllabus though

[Dóchas]

ye i was hoping it focused on modern history like the russian revolution etc but its only in the last year that we touch on it but id say would still enjoy it. i think im leaning towards political science and philosophy though but still not sure :unsure:

[Cunning_plan]

Philosophy is a funny subject to study. Any subject you study for 3 years only to come out of it knowing that you know nothing has to be. History is important to politics because it explains the background to things. Too often is it ignored in modern politics. People considering modern events without the full backstory....

[Post-Something]

Can you do Political science and Sociology? I'll tell you that from my experience, sociology is the best subject to pick. Marx had an enormous influence on it, and you'll probably be looking at him most there. In fact, I learned the basics of Marxism from a college course in Sociology.

Philosophy and History are really up in the air. Could you tell us what topics you'll be doing? Usually you either do Descartes or Plato in Philosophy, and in History you'll most likely be doing the crusades and not the Russian revolution. One advantage of doing Philosophy is that you will quickly be able to analyse arguments and see their flaws, which is an extremely useful skill to have when it comes to weighing up arguments.

Actually, they usually have a course, which I'd recommend, called Central Eastern European Studies. This is great, and you'll basically be learning about revolutions from the word go. However, it's usually a University course, so I'm not sure if your college will have it. Anyway, my advice would be to check the actual course content, because political science might sound great, but when you get there and realize you'll be doing two years of Liberal Democracy, I assure you that you'll wish you were doing something else.

Hope that helps :)

[Rascolnikova]

The chances of getting a revolutionary education in school are very small. I would take from the professors you get the most out of, and read on your own for greater background.

Also to take into consideration, what will give you the greatest versatility later. Philosophy is shit if it's not done in a rigorous way, but if it is it can be great training in reading, writing, and reasoning. . . and history is something people just ought to know. I second the sociology as a good idea if you can swing it.


edit: The bit about poli sci not neccessarily being fun, I also second.:)

[Invincible Summer]

I'm a Sociology major in university, and it's probably the most "progressive" out of your choices.

Lots of professors are fairly left-wing; I've had a few profs who tell us that they're "socialists" or "marxists," but I've found that they're more Dem-Soc than anything. It gets really frustrating.

As for careers in sociology - it may seem interesting to read about/discuss/write papers on social problems/issues, but fro my research, it seems that you'll mostly end being an academic that writes for journals that only other sociologists will read. Plus, from my experience, being too far left will just make you think "The revolution will solve many of these problems!" when the prof will want you to answer in a more Dem-Soc way.

Not very revolutionary.

Sorry if I'm putting you off from sociology, but it's just that I'm very burned out from school and cynical about my education. I feel so petty-bourgeois...

[Circle E Society]

Sociology will get the most revolutionary out of the 4 choices. All my sociology professors were of the left Anarchists, Communists, Socialists. Personally I'm a soc major right now. Political science is to America orientated so is history. Philosophy is cool but not going to get as political as you may like. Anthro and humanities are more shit to consider but i feel like those two arent worth picking either.

[Rascolnikova]

If you want politically oriented philosophy, go continental.
(necessary but not sufficient. .)

[Plagueround]

I'd also suggest sociology. Mrs. Plagueround took it and enjoyed it immensely (it also provided some backing to everything I was telling her! :D). The field is very much influenced by Marx and, as others have said, you're more likely to learn something that isn't tainted by right wing crap.

[Dóchas]

ok so we have narrowed it down further to what looks like sociology, maybe political science. history and maybe philosophy. some one was wondering what the history course content was like although it may be different in other colleges/universities


Junior Freshmen (first year students) select from courses such as:

History of Europe 1000-1250
History of Britain 1000-1485
History of Ireland 1014-1534
History of Europe 1500-1700

Senior Freshmen (second year students) select from courses
such as:

Ireland, Britain and Western Europe, 400-1000
History of Europe, 1250-1500
History of Ireland, 1500-1800
History of Britain since 1603
History of the USA since 1607
Culture and politics in Europe, 1700-1870
History of continental Europe since 1870
History of Ireland, 1800 to the present

In the final two years you will take a short lecture course on
historiography and choose special subjects, which are studied
in great detail and with particular attention to original sources. Students taking History alone in fourth year choose two special subjects, write a dissertation and take a module on Dissertation preparation.

Subjects available in the Sophister years (three and four) include:

The archaeology of medieval castles
Empire and Papacy in the eleventh century
The Elizabethans and their world 1550-1610
Dublin 1750-1850
Reform and Rebellion in Ireland, 1789-1799
The French Revolution 1789-1799
Revolution and civil war in Ireland, 1919-1923
The Weimar Germany
World War II, France and its historians
Ireland in the 1920s and 1930s

this is why it doesnt look great even though i like history it doesnt really have the topics im looking for

[Dóchas]

as for the polictical science courses im not sure about but it looks ok to me but it still doesnt seem what im looking for :(



Junior Freshmen (first year students) select from:

Introduction to political science
Introduction to sociology
Introduction to economic policy

Senior Freshmen (second year students) select from:

History of political thought
International relations
Comparative politics

In the Sophister (third and fourth) years, you may choose to
concentrate on particular aspects of the subject, including:
n Research methods for political scientists, including research
and writing a dissertation

Irish politics
Comparative political institutions
Contemporary political theories
Political parties
Contemporary political issues
Democracy and development
European Union politics
Contemporary international relations

[Post-Something]

Ok, well history is out of the window. Introduction to political Science or Sociology would be the obvious ones from the second list, then History of political thought definitely and maybe International relations. Comparative politics is completly idealistic and useless. Then you could do whatever you wanted at the later stage really. It's your choice in the end obviously, so just choose what you want.

[Dóchas]

ye im still looking for a course in political science/sociology but no joy so far. i suppose i could study just political science or sociology? but i dont want to limit myself :(

[Invincible Summer]

ye im still looking for a course in political science/sociology but no joy so far. i suppose i could study just political science or sociology? but i dont want to limit myself :(

I don't understand... why can't you just take introductory courses for both subjects when you get to college/university?

[Sorcha]

I don't want to discourage your pursuit of knowledge, but some things to consider from my experience.

1) You most likely aren't going to get a revolutionary education in any university. When you study revolutions, you will almost always get the imperialist slant on things. Ergo, your revolutionary education must be a self-made endeavor, hopefully with the guidance of some mentors you meet here or elsewhere online.

2) Political science degrees in the system schools are made BY the capitalists and FOR the capitalists. As such, there are generally 3 occupational routes: preparing you for Law, preparing you to aide political campaigns or government think tanks, or preparing you to teach other larvae-capitalists for the above 2 career tracks. Most revolutionaries I know consider the legal and political system to be a crock, and thus are not interested, and teaching Poli Sci and earning a full-time faculty position is damn near impossible without a Ph.D. and playing politics in the departments. Are you interested in any of those 3?

3) Outside of those 3 career goals, a PoliSci degree without something else wrapped around it like certification to teach high school civics, is about as useful as a box of rocks. Actually... a box of rocks would be more useful.

You don't want to be an addition to the news story 20/20 recently ran about debt-laden graduates with useless degrees.

A good philosophical/historical education is great, but in today's world, it is more and more rarely equating to being able to pay for rent, food, and health care. Sorry to be such a downer. I wish we lived in a world where those capable and interested in higher learning had a place/future in the economy.

Don't blame me, the messenger... blame the capitalists.

[F9]

Hey, i must decide until friday what lessons i have to take to follow some subject later!:lol:And i know SHIT either!:lol:I am really confused too,(trying to decide between sports management and political science, or a way to combine them) but in the end i will sit down and choose what i think is the best for me and what i will enjoy!My 2 favorite things come against currently, sports and politicals but i am currently leaning to political science because sports management has a lot of capitalist shit!What i am trying to say though is that you and only you will have to decide, and can decide!Just choose what you think is best for you and you will enjoy!;)

Fuserg9:star:

[Dóchas]

ok so it looks like i will do my revolutionary learning outside of my college/university and just go with what i think looks good. thank you all for your input i will consider what you said when i have to decide.

thanks again :)

[destroy and rebuild]

I plan on taking a course in Sociology, personally. It seems like a useful and progressive subject, and you'll find a lot of Sociological professors and even textbooks fairly left-wing from what I've heard from some college buddies. Lots of Marx. Philosophy is also really interesting, so is History. Political Science is more like political procedures and processes, which I suppose could be interesting but Sociology sounds more useful to a Leftist.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Be cool like me and choose history and political science. ;)

[BPSocialist]

Astronomy is a brilliant subject to study. I'm doing it for GCSE at my college, if they offer it where you are, then take it!!!

[Yazman]

If you can take some anthropology courses then I suggest you do so as they will help you greatly in terms of the kind of education you seek.

[Dóchas]

Astronomy is a brilliant subject to study. I'm doing it for GCSE at my college, if they offer it where you are, then take it!!!

im doing it at the moment and i fucking hate it!! we spent 2hrs counting craters on the moon and measuring their diameter...fun :rolleyes:

[BPSocialist]

Are you at a really strict school? Or are you in the USA's education system (they tend to overdo it a bit)

[Dóchas]

a strict private school (that i didnt choose to go to) say no more

[BPSocialist]

oh well, I'm at a really loose colledge:p

[Dóchas]

pity they dont teach you spelling :D

[BPSocialist]

This is type, my long hand is brilliant.

[Decolonize The Left]

I don't want to discourage your pursuit of knowledge, but some things to consider from my experience.

I'll counter with mine.


1) You most likely aren't going to get a revolutionary education in any university. When you study revolutions, you will almost always get the imperialist slant on things. Ergo, your revolutionary education must be a self-made endeavor, hopefully with the guidance of some mentors you meet here or elsewhere online.

Nonsense. It is entirely possible to receive a leftist education within various disciplines (economics aside). Political Science departments often have Marxists as professors - I know I had the pleasure of studying under two of them.


2) Political science degrees in the system schools are made BY the capitalists and FOR the capitalists. As such, there are generally 3 occupational routes: preparing you for Law, preparing you to aide political campaigns or government think tanks, or preparing you to teach other larvae-capitalists for the above 2 career tracks. Most revolutionaries I know consider the legal and political system to be a crock, and thus are not interested, and teaching Poli Sci and earning a full-time faculty position is damn near impossible without a Ph.D. and playing politics in the departments. Are you interested in any of those 3?

More nonsense and blanket statements. It is true that studying political science will not provide you with 'qualifications' to be a revolutionary - but you don't need qualifications for this, only your will.

Political Science will provide you with an excellent understanding of the political systems present in our world today, their history, and a theoretical understanding of various trains of thoughts. All this is highly useful to any leftist as it allows you to sort through the loads of junk theories, etc...


3) Outside of those 3 career goals, a PoliSci degree without something else wrapped around it like certification to teach high school civics, is about as useful as a box of rocks. Actually... a box of rocks would be more useful.

Wait... so you're talking about a career goal and being a revolutionary? Seem a bit contradictory to you?


You don't want to be an addition to the news story 20/20 recently ran about debt-laden graduates with useless degrees.

"Useless" is a matter of perspective. I minored in philosophy, which you certainly would consider useless, and yet I use it everyday.


A good philosophical/historical education is great, but in today's world, it is more and more rarely equating to being able to pay for rent, food, and health care. Sorry to be such a downer. I wish we lived in a world where those capable and interested in higher learning had a place/future in the economy.

Don't blame me, the messenger... blame the capitalists.

This statement is correct, but your education ought not to be a way to survive - it is a way to understand and process the happenings of your life.

You should study whatever interests you the most. I enjoyed PoliSci and Philosophy, but Sociology was interesting too.

Do not give thought to 'what you'll do with your degree' for such thought deprives the process of education of its very meaning - learning. Education is not to be used, rather to be developed.

- August

[Rascolnikova]

that's a very handy philosophy if you don't have to eat, August. Or do anything that requires education as a tool.

Also, I'm aware Marxist professors exist, but in many places they're pretty rare.

[Raúl Duke]

I say History and/or Sociology.
Sociology especially so (and more so if you have no problems dealing with statistics).

About useless degrees...well I'm under the impression that most recent graduates are already having difficulty paying off debts, finding jobs, etc no matter what degree they have so I say study what interests you.


Do not give thought to 'what you'll do with your degree' for such thought deprives the process of education of its very meaning - learning. Education is not to be used, rather to be developed.

I agree. That's why I'm studying History and minoring in Sociology & Psychology.
I'm wondering if I should do my grad studies on Sociology or History
(I wonder if one can do both {heard of some unis that allow it but...} It's too early to decide though)

[DesertShark]

I'd say wait and take philosophy classes in college, especially if you are in a strict school (like you said) because it won't promote an environment necessary to truly understand philosophy (ie open discussion).

It's the end of your time in high school, enjoy it! Don't worry so much about the future, take classes that you like the subject matter and/or the teacher.

Political science classes (even those dominated by capitalists) would be beneficial because you can gain an understanding of their perspective, making it easier to defeat their ideals. But don't forget: if the teachers will mark you down for your beliefs, just play the game until you are somewhere that allows you to express your opinions freely. The best way to know what's wrong with an ideal or theory is to be able to defend it (regardless of what your beliefs/feelings on it are). History is extremely important, if only so we don't continually make the same mistakes (which sadly isn't the case), but I think it's boring so I would never take those classes.

[Dóchas]

iv been looking around some site and i found a course for philosphy, political science, sociology and economics. what do you think of that? i think its a good mixture but im not sure about the economics bit