Random Quote

“If we take in our hand any volume of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance let us ask: Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames, for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.”

-- David Hume

Why Study Philosophy?

  • Intellectual satisfaction: If you are the kind of person who gets satisfaction from the exercise of the intellect - understanding intellectual problems and solutions, then philosophy is for you.
  • Big questions: Philosophy asks - and give answers to - the questions that are most important to us. What makes a life good? What obligations do I have? What is most important for a good life? Is there a God? What is knowledge? What is truth?
  • Learning and understanding our intellectual tradition: The big questions that confront us now – about knowledge, ethics and living well – have a long history, beginning at least 2500 years ago with the Greek speaking people of the Mediterranean. Part of being an educated person is knowledge of that tradition. There is no better way to learn and understand that tradition than through philosophical studies, in the history of philosophy in particular.
  • Transferable skills: The study of philosophy brings with it a set of skills that are valuable not just for the practice of philosophy, but for a broad range of activities and professions, from business to computer oriented, health and legal professions. Among these transferable skills are:
    • Analytic skills/critical thinking: Everyone thinks that critical thinking is good, but for philosophy alone is it a “modus operandi”. From conceptual analysis to informal and formal logic, you will use a variety of methods to analyze arguments and philosophical claims.
    • Writing skills: Careful attention to semantics - the meaning of words, and syntax - how words are put together, give a philosophically educated person the skills to write clearly and precisely. No other discipline pays more careful attention to clarity and precision.

But Why Get A Philosophy Degree?

  • Standardized Testing and Admissions: Surely a philosophy degree is just for those going into graduate level philosophy studies? Not so. Philosophy majors go into all sorts of post-graduate studies. They can because the transferable skills give philosophy majors an advantage in admission tests. Because an education in philosophy provides excellent training in these transferable skills, philosophy majors do extremely well on all the standardized tests. The University of Virginia discovered that among its philosophy majors, the average LSAT score was 15 points higher than for any other major. According to a study of GRE scores from 1988-91, philosophy majors had the highest mean verbal score of all majors, and the second highest mean analytic score. (UCSD) According the American Association of Medical Colleges, philosophy majors have the highest acceptance rate into medical school among all non-interdisciplinary majors. . (UCSD) In 1985, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that philosophy majors did significantly better than average in standardized testing. On they average, they did 8.7% better on the LSAT, 11% better on the GMAT, 17% better on the verbal section of the GRE (highest of all majors) and 4.6% better on the quantitative GRE (highest among the humanities majors).
  • Philosophy in the Professions: A degree in philosophy is not just valuable because it can help you enter a profession. In many professions there are specifically philosophical problems that require more than just a passing acquaintance with philosophy. In the medical fields, for instance, ethical question are never far from practice. And in medicine and the sciences, there are always questions about evidence, methodology, explanation and verification. In a variety of fields, questions need to be asked and answered about the fundamental commitments of the field. In biology, for instance, there is an ongoing debate about the nature of species. Philosophically trained scientists have an advantage in such debates. Because similar philosophical problems and questions arise in every profession, philosophical training is useful far beyond the narrow study of philosophy.
  • Prominent Philosopher Majors: The broad value of philosophy is illustrated by those who have philosophy degrees: John Elway, Phil Jackson, Vaclav Havel, Justice David Souter, Philip Glass, Joel Coen, Bruce Lee, Susan Sarandon, Harrison Ford, Jay Leno, Steve Allen, William Bennett, William Jefferson Clinton, Woody Allen, Philip K. Dick, David Duchovny, Iris Murchod, Pope John Paul II, Mike Schmidt, Stone Phillips, Steve Martin, Gene Siskel, Elie Wiesel, James Michener and Alex Trebek.

Links

For additional information:

A good place to start is the website for the American Philosophical Association:

Many universities have websites: