Oxford

Don't know if this is the right place
I'm considering applying to Physics at Oxford. However, I can't decide between pure Physics or Physics and Philosophy.
I have a deep passion for humanities, and would like to get deeper into it. However, I'm not sure if it'd hamper my career opportunities and be a general waste of time, instead of just taking a few Phil classes on the side.
I believe I can get good enough credentials to at least get shortlisted for either, though this is something I have to decide early
Do any of you have any advice?

Pls user, you are my only hope

I'm currently doing an MPhil at Oxford in History and often go out for drinks with MPhils from other humanities departments, so hopefully this will provide you with some insight. I'm afraid it's going to be rather anecdotal though, so take that as you will.

These days a lot of people talk about the 'crisis of the humanities' without much apprehension of what is really going on. I can tell you at the level of the interpersonal, most of the students doing postgraduate humanities degrees are extremely insecure and cliquey. They attach immense self-worth to their academic work and participate, willingly or otherwise, in an extremely tense atmosphere of competition. The consequence is the content of the courses--the actual reading and understanding of what we're studying--withers. I mention these things because it seems to me that your main reason for going into the humanities is passion. I find it admirable but these days it's also pretty naive. Your passion will be killed by the relentless pressures of the market which is omnipresent these days.

Your other main concern is the pragmatic one, and I would say that if you're applying to Oxbridge, then pragmatism is the best route. However, I would unequivocally say that you should absolutely not study a subject that you hate. I've known enough miserable lawyers to advise you against going into a subject purely out of economic prudence. If you love math as well, then choose the practical option and nurture your passion for humanities on your own time.

I was worried about the state of Philosophy study in Oxford, but I relegated it simply by the level of the University. I have to admit that what you say disheartens me, but it's something I prefeer to with deal sooner rather than later. However, I think I'll still try to pursue Philosophy on my own, at least as a parallel interest. Maybe it's for the best.
About Physics itself, don't get me wrong. I am confident that I have a very deep passion for it, and the most logical option for studying it seems to try to grasp its enirety. I will follow your advice.

This had bothered me for some time, and it's very nice to have one less doubt about the future, thanks to you, user
Thank you very much, friend. You have been extremely helpful.

Best mate did phD at Oxford in humanities
Love him but he's very cliquey in the SJW field.

Give me some insight because I feel i've lost a once forthright challenging intellect into a mush of intellectual brainwashing; the first thing to erode was his sense of humour. He won't laugh at things which he renders taboo due to
>Power structures and punching down.

The absolute state.

I did physics & philosophy but not at oxford. it was really interesting and a lot of fun, but it has a high attrition rate as a lot of people realise they don't like one or the other as much as they thought they did. I'm doing a phd in physics now but remain enormously fond of the arts/philosophy (hence my presence here)

I would definitely recommend that you seek advice aside from mine. This is one opinion and there are surely many regarding this topic. I'm still a student after all, so here is one person who hasn't completely lost faith in the institution. In principle academia is supposed to be an open arena of knowledge synthesis, and the humanities in particular, in an ideal universe, are urgently preoccupied with understanding every aspect of the human condition without concern for capital gains or personal reputation. It's just a very uneasy time for departments like Philosophy right now. They are burrowing farther into the ground of tradition, particularly at a place like Oxford where tradition is so historically substantiated. But really, talk to some other people, bring up your concerns.

What can I say? The major preoccupation with most PhDs is publishing their work and polishing their rhetoric. It's too dangerous to be radical for a career academic so they douse their views in the accepted university discourse. Happens all the time. I think it's really sad when humor is demonized. It has a brutish power to it, outside of cheap vulgarity on television or reddit or wherever.

Do it in your first year mate, most universities allow you to change course once you're there. I was at Cambridge and I knew a guy who started with Maths, changed to Physics for second year, Changed to Biology in his third year.

I knew another guy who started with a medical degree but ended up graduating in music.

I'm pretty sure Oxford will be as flexible. You won't miss anything super important in first year anyway.

>It's too dangerous to be radical for a career academic so they douse their views in the accepted university discourse.

Top insight. he's a young lecturer.

His syllabus he created seems radical enough for my left leaning tastes but it's the other things.

The funny thing is, is that he's always considered himself a rebel. But all his views as you imply, mesh kindly with the certain current ascendancy of left liberal political correctness culture devoid of self-critique.

He still sees himself on the left fighting the good fight and i suppose he genuinely thinks he is but that cutting cynicism and ability to call out bullshit in everything - including his own beliefs and self - has seemingly been cordoned off to the very subjects he would rightfully in the past critiqued.
He literally hates Slavoj Zizek for example but sees himself firmly on the left; which he is but you clarified precisely why it could be he's amended his views to correlate with his career circle.

This now makes more sense to me;
For example:
Regarding the EU debate in the UK, I guarantee 10 years back on balance he would have sided with leave for a left leaning position similar with Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn!
More interestingly, he never really discussed exactly WHY we should or shouldn't stay beyond tired mainstream arguments but when i discussed pragamtic reasons the first thing he alluded to was my workplace Unions pro-Brexit position
Thereby implying he felt I had simply formed my views as a regurgitation of my Unions position - In hindsight it appears he didn't want to discuss aspects but attach my views with my career affiliation - as you state he may well have done this in the form of what turned out to be his crusade to "fight Brexit because muh right wing nationalism"

Thanks. Any advice on how my nieves and nephews looking to apply can keep themselves alive intellectually under such pressure?

How the fuck have Oxbridge seemingly removed the essence of divergent and opposite or mixed views? Is it all pervasive? Has it always been this way, - was everyone a neo-liberal 20 years back and before that etc

I think I'm interested in subjects too outdated for today's philosophy departments. I'm deeply unconcerned with politics, so I think I may not quite fit in in modern philosophy departments
I know it's not your department, but I'm interested in what this () user said (thanks friend, btw). I'm interested in doing a year at Phis&Phil. Would I lose too much in missing a year?
And is changing courses complicated at Oxford?

But Brexit is a mistake, though
t. Continental who's probably going to lose his scolarship when it happens