When I first stepped into academia at a private college in Penang over two decades ago, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders were a rarity and were held in considerable esteem.
Today, with the growth of higher education, the number of PhD graduates has increased but their training seems to be more grounded in methodological rigour, technical specialisation, publication metrics and employability, rather than the philosophical foundations of knowledge and inquiry.
As a result, the PhD, a title that traditionally signifies a strong grounding in philosophical inquiry, risks becoming merely an advanced research qualification rather than a transformative intellectual journey.
Among the various doctoral qualifications that confer the title “Dr”, the PhD has traditionally occupied the highest academic standing. This distinction reflects not only the rigour of doctoral research but also the expectation that a PhD holder contributes to the advancement of knowledge at its most fundamental level.
As the highest academic qualification, a PhD requires both depth and breadth in the investigation of a specific phenomenon. Such phenomena may arise from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities or fine arts.
Depth is achieved through rigorous, thorough and systematic research that employs appropriate methodologies and analytical tools.
Breadth, on the other hand, is achieved by situating the phenomenon within a broader intellectual and philosophical context.
This requires researchers to move beyond the immediate confines of their study and engage with the “big picture” questions that underpin human understanding.
For research to be truly “PhD-worthy”, its findings should contribute to the development, refinement or advancement of theory. If a study is concerned primarily with generating empirical findings within a narrowly defined domain, such work falls short of the philosophical inquiry that has traditionally distinguished the PhD as the highest form of academic scholarship.
Cost of speed
The value of the PhD is under further threat with the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the research process.
Traditionally, doctoral candidates were expected to read books and journal articles in their entirety, grapple with complex arguments, critically evaluate competing perspectives, and ultimately formulate their own interpretations and insights.
When scholars rely primarily on AI-generated summaries rather than engaging directly with the original sources, they sacrifice the depth of compre- hension and critical reflection that emerge from sustained reading.
The challenge for contemporary PhD candidates is therefore how to use AI to harness its efficiency without compromising the critical thinking, independent judgement and philosophical inquiry that lie at the heart of a PhD.
Traditionally, completing a PhD required four to five years of sustained intellectual effort but with the advent of AI-powered tools, the time required to complete a PhD has been significantly reduced.
While such efficiency gains are undeniably attractive, they also raise important questions about the nature and quality of doctoral training.
A shortened candidature period reduces opportunities for doctoral students to fully develop mastery of research design, conceptualisation, fieldwork methodologies and data-collection techniques.
More importantly, it may curtail the extended periods of reflection, intellectual struggle and iterative learning that have traditionally been integral to the formation of an independent scholar.
Enriching journey
For all its challenges and frustrations, a doctoral education, if faithful to its philosophical roots and commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, is a journey marked not merely by the acquisition of expertise, but by the enduring joy of intellectual discovery and philosophical reflection.
The freedom to define one’s research interests, investigate complex phenomena, and engage in the pursuit of understanding remains a privilege enjoyed by relatively few.
At its best, a PhD remains one of the most intellectually stimulating and personally fulfilling academic endeavours. It offers scholars the rare opportunity to pursue questions that genuinely intrigue them, to immerse themselves in a chosen discipline, and to contribute, however modestly, to humanity’s collective body of knowledge.
Thinking Allowed
Penang
