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I think those are all things you need for life. But what you do need for specifically a PhD? I argue that "knowing stuff" is what is necessary -- and that inde
by patrickkidger 4y ago
I think those are all things you need for life.
But what you do need for specifically a PhD? I argue that "knowing stuff" is what is necessary -- and that indeed it's essentially the purpose of the whole academic institutiom.
- ModernMech 4y agoA Ph.D. isn't about knowing things, it's about doing research. Recipients of the degree are given the title "doctor" not for what they know, but because they are first and foremost teachers of knowledge (from the Latin docere, meaning to teach). "Knowing stuff" is enough to get you to the point where you can formulate a good research question, but being a good researcher is a much broader skillset than just knowing things. And consequently, just knowing things won't get you a Ph.D., because getting one requires you to talk about your research. A lot. Like, all the time. And after all, the last step in getting the Ph.D. is called a "defense", not an "examination", because you are not there to tell anyone what you know -- you are there to defend what you know, and that's a different skillset than gaining knowledge or even disseminating knowledge. I guess all that is to say, you could know everything in the world, but if you lack the skills to tell anyone else about that knowledge, you'll never get a Ph.D.