I find it ironic that the Doctor of Philosophy retains the prestige of being broadly knowledgeable even though it has become incredibly specialized. The Doctor of Philosophy used to be an individual who was so well-educated–mainly because of his or her study and understanding of theology and how everything was connected—that s/he could speak intelligently on most issues.

Today, the PhD is generally not an expert on many things; s/he is typically only an expert on a very tiny area of research. It drives me crazy to see outrageous claims validated by some guy with a PhD, when anyone with an e-mail address knows that one can be obtained online in a matter of days. Just because someone has earned or purchased a PhD does not mean s/he is knowledgeable in everything s/he says. A PhD in Botany does not necessarily speak with the same authority in the realm of music theory.

It is for this reason that I am starting to make a list of things I want to do immediately after I finish my dissertation. This list is obviously just my opinion and isn’t meant to be showy or deprecating. I’m really just throwing this out there to hear what others expect of PhD’s. These are things I happen to expect of PhD’s since we represent broad learning:

1. Fluency in at least 2 foreign languages
2a. For the American PhD: Thorough familiarity with at least Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Shakespeare, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau (other authors welcome)
2b. For the Christian PhD: Thorough familiarity with at least Early Church Fathers like Augustine, Aquinas; and other authors like Donne, & Lewis (again, open to more authors).
3. Competency in at least Theology, Philosophy, and History
4. Fluency in at least 3 different academic disciplines
5. Thorough familiarity with composers from different time periods (I need help here!)
6. Thorough familiarity with visual artists from different time periods (I need help here!)
7. The ability to teach

Because, really, if we can’t have unrealistic expectations of PhD’s, then WHO else could we direct all of our intellectual angst towards?

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