"You Can Just Self-Teach a PhD"? AI Circle Erupts Over Credentialism Debate

davidzmorris · x · 2026-11-07

After a post claimed everything in a PhD can be done on your own time and that doctorates are mostly credentialism, David Z. Morris pushed back hard, calling the "you can just teach yourself" argument — especially about PhDs — dangerous anti-education rhetoric aimed at undermining civil society. The exchange sparked a broader debate in the AI research community about self-taught researchers and the real purpose of doctoral programs.

Related event: Debate Erupts Over Whether a PhD Can Be Self-Taught(2 posts)→

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