A Way Analytic Philosophy Is More Accessible than Other Humanities?
Philosopher Samantha Brennan (Guelph) is the daughter of bakers who emigrated from Northern England to Canada, and who never went to college. In a post at #First-Gen Philosophers, Brennan recounts some of the ways she noticed class differences throughout her education: I entered university not knowing much about upper-class backgrounds and I often felt like I was above many things richer fellow students valued. My undergrad aesthetic was 80s punk, and the rejection of nice cars, summer homes, and warm winter vacations all seemed part of the package. I felt it was my academic and political commitments, not my class background, that separated me from richer students. But likely, it was a bit of both… That was the other big difference: working. I worked close to full-time throughout my undergraduate studies and studied hard. I didn’t once attend orientation week. Why do that when you could work and earn money? I also never lived in residence as it was too expensive. My experience differed from that of my classmates from wealthy families but I was never convinced that their experiences were better. My parents were so proud of me and so happy. Their parents nagged and exerted lots of pressure. I developed an excellent work ethic, some very good habits, and really enjoyed my studies. Time spent reading and doing school work felt like a treat. Often, the rich kids seemed anxious and miserable… Graduate school felt positively luxurious. I was all in once I learned I’d get paid for studying and for being a TA. Brennan then comments on class and the accessibility of analytic philosophy: In a way, I think I lucked out, falling in love with philosophy. Of all the humanities disciplines analytic philosophy is probably the one that relies the least on one knowing the music and literature of the upper classes. I liked the idea that we read small amounts of things very closely. The kind of abstract thought that philosophy rewards doesn’t rely on a knowledge of social codes and cues. I no longer think that the best philosophy is abstract in this way but it made for an easier point of entry. It’s even acceptable, within Philosophy, to be scornful about upper-class things...
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"content": "A Way Analytic Philosophy Is More Accessible than Other Humanities?\n\nPhilosopher Samantha Brennan (Guelph) is the daughter of bakers who emigrated from Northern England to Canada, and who never went to college. In a post at #First-Gen Philosophers, Brennan recounts some of the ways she noticed class differences throughout her education: I entered university not knowing much about upper-class backgrounds and I often felt like I was above many things richer fellow students valued. My undergrad aesthetic was 80s punk, and the rejection of nice cars, summer homes, and warm winter vacations all seemed part of the package. I felt it was my academic and political commitments, not my class background, that separated me from richer students. But likely, it was a bit of both… That was the other big difference: working. I worked close to full-time throughout my undergraduate studies and studied hard. I didn’t once attend orientation week. Why do that when you could work and earn money? I also never lived in residence as it was too expensive. My experience differed from that of my classmates from wealthy families but I was never convinced that their experiences were better. My parents were so proud of me and so happy. Their parents nagged and exerted lots of pressure. I developed an excellent work ethic, some very good habits, and really enjoyed my studies. Time spent reading and doing school work felt like a treat. Often, the rich kids seemed anxious and miserable… Graduate school felt positively luxurious. I was all in once I learned I’d get paid for studying and for being a TA. Brennan then comments on class and the accessibility of analytic philosophy: In a way, I think I lucked out, falling in love with philosophy. Of all the humanities disciplines analytic philosophy is probably the one that relies the least on one knowing the music and literature of the upper classes. I liked the idea that we read small amounts of things very closely. The kind of abstract thought that philosophy rewards doesn’t rely on a knowledge of social codes and cues. I no longer think that the best philosophy is abstract in this way but it made for an easier point of entry. It’s even acceptable, within Philosophy, to be scornful about upper-class things...\nThe post https://dailynous.com/2025/05/23/a-way-analytic-philosophy-is-more-accessible-other-humanities/\n.\n\nhttps://dailynous.com/2025/05/23/a-way-analytic-philosophy-is-more-accessible-other-humanities/",
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