from Hacker News

Why Engineers Should Study Philosophy

by happy-go-lucky on 4/19/24, 5:24 AM with 1 comments

• by wrp on 4/19/24, 7:22 AM

  The bulk of my research over the years has been in linguistics and cognitive science. As such, I've read a lot of philosophy, and I can tell you most of it was garbage. I'm continually amazed how many philosophers seem incapable of developing an argument that a scientist would consider sound. You've probably heard the joke that while a mathematician needs just a pencil, paper, and wastebasket to work, a philosopher doesn't even need the wastebasket.

  Speaking of mathematics, I strongly recommend exposure to upper-division math, with theorem finding and proof writing. Math gives you a feeling for analytical rigor like nothing else will.

  I'm not saying there is nothing of value in philosophy, just that you need to be selective. For the prospective software engineer, I think you are more likely to find helpful things coming the analytic rather than the Continental perspective.