Why Study Philosophy?

Source: philosophy.sdsu.edu

One good reason is that it’s interesting and fun. Another is that the kinds of questions philosophy asks are unavoidable if one wants to live a thoughtful, responsible, and fruitful life. While the courses are demanding and rigorous, many students find the rewards are priceless. Philosophy also develops skills that are widely transferable to other areas of study and to the professional world outside the university. Because of its unique emphasis on clarity, argumentation, and critical evaluation, even a single course in Philosophy will:

Develop students’ powers of reasoning.

Improve their ability to critique the views of others.

Teach them to get to the heart of an issue, and to distinguish it from less important matters.

Clarify and improves their communication, both written and spoken.

Help them to organize their thoughts rationally and present them in a clear, coherent manner.

What Jobs Does Philosophy Prepare You For?

Paradoxically, the answer is “all and none”–all, and none in particular. Because of its general and abstract nature, Philosophy does not by itself prepare one for any particular job or career outside of teaching. But because the skills it teaches are ones that improve people’s performance and success in any job or career, employers highly value employees who have studied philosophy. Philosophy contributes to the development of analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills more than does any other discipline. Moreover, because of the rapidly changing nature of the world of work, employers value employees who are flexible and adaptable to change, and who can apply their abilities and experience to a wide variety of unpredictable situations and challenges. The education provided by the study of Philosophy is ideal for meeting these employment needs

The Wall Street Journal Ranks Philosophy 11th Best Profession! (Out of 200)

It’s pretty cool to beat out parole officers, butchers, people who study meteors, and (last and apparently least) roustabouts: online.wsj.com