Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines doctoral writing as a philosophical terrain shaped by messiness, non-linearity and profound transformation. Drawing on the work of Stanley Cavell, it theorises the doctoral writing process as a site of existential inquiry. Rather than offering prescriptive advice or a set of practical strategies, the overall aim is to deepen understanding – by engaging with core philosophical questions underpinning doctoral work: What is writing? How does it relate to reading? How much of ourselves do we invest in this creativity, and how are we changed in the process? Focusing on the specific challenges arising in the context of writing the Humanities doctorate, Cavell’s reflections are brought into dialogue with contemporary scholarship in doctoral education. The article thus offers a philosophically nuanced account of what it means to write the PhD. It interrogates how voice and identity emerge within the unfolding complexity of doctoral becoming.
Source: Cambridge Journal of Education
Author: Áine Mahon
Institution: University College Dublin
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7127045164