I would add that if anyone really wants and is capable of enduring a PhD program and capable of getting said PhD, completing a BA is by far the easiest and simp

I would add that if anyone really wants and is capable of enduring a PhD program and capable of getting said PhD, completing a BA is by far the easiest and simplest part of the whole process. Thus there is really no reason to avoid getting those qualifications under your belt. In the very least you might be forced to waste some part of your PhD program to learn 101-level stuff just to catch up with your starting point.