Ph.D vs. M.D

Kriton Kyrimis kyrimis at cti.gr
Mon Nov 19 12:41:16 CET 2001


SOREN:

> Ph.D. means "Doctor of Philosophy" which is equally confusing,
> since it is not a real doctor degree and it doesn't necessarily have
> anything to do with "philosophy" (in the modern sense).

Ph.D actually means "Philosophiae Doctor", which is Latin for "teacher
of philosophy". According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary,
the first of the many meanings of the word "philosophy" is "all learning
exclusive of technical precepts and practical arts".

The other kind of "doctor" is "Medicinae Doctor", i.e., "teacher of
medicine".

The only confusing about these two terms is why they are both abbreviated
as "Doctor".

> Sψren
> M.Sc., Ph.D.

Kriton
M.A., Ph.D. ;-)

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"While Time is a fine teacher, she eventually kills all her pupils."
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