"I sit at the computer for most of the day, erasing what I wrote the day before."
Last night at a party, someone asked me if I am an economist. Last weekend at a party, someone asked me if I am a journalist. The weekend before that, I was asked if I am a lawyer. I still have no adequate way of describing to non-philosophy people what I actually do. So I'm tempted just to assent to whatever field it is assumed that I work in. As it is, I'll agree to almost anything someone says about philosophy, once I own up to working in it. Just to make people feel like they have some idea what I do. (Just to make myself feel like they have some idea what I do.) It would be nice, however, to collect what other people in philosophy tend to say about what they work on. Anyone care to share?
I've heard Nat say that he works on thoughts. On figuring out how to count thoughts.
I've heard Nat say that he works on thoughts. On figuring out how to count thoughts.
posted by Charles P. Everitt at 8:40 AM
2 Comments:
Do the people you talk to at these parties have a good way of saying what it is that they do?
No, not at all. But people tend to think everyone already knows what economists, lawyers, journalists, etc., do so I've never seen anyone in those fields get stressed in the way I do about trying to explain what they work on. Though I would love it if others made a real effort to explain what, exactly, they do at work all day long. I guess that's part of why I like those "Working" books so much.
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