Why Study Philosophy?
The word 'Philosophy' comes from the Greek meaning "love of wisdom." Thinking deeply about philosophical questions can be very personally rewarding. Who doesn't want to love wisdom? But what can you actually do with training in Philosophy? Here are a few practical reasons why a major in Philosophy can have real world benefits and may be the right choice for you:
Broad, Applicable Training: Philosophy trains students to think clearly, read carefully, argue persuasively, and write effectively. You can apply these skills to any problem and that can be more valuable than learning facts about a specific field. The numbers back this up. Measuring initial earnings is important, but another metric to consider is mid-career earnings. According to the Wall Street Journal, Philosophy majors have higher earnings 10 years after graduating with an undergraduate degree than any other humanities field major and one of the greatest percent changes from starting to mid-career salary of any major. [source]
A Flexible Major: Since there isn't a strict sequence of courses for the major, Philosophy makes a great second major or minor regardless of what you want to do after college. Some of the most brilliant and influential thinkers and change makers of our time have studied Philosophy, often alongside other fields. [source]
- Exceptional Performance on Graduate Exams: Philosophy majors do very well on graduate admissions exams, such as the LSAT and GRE. As the American Philosophical Association data report notes, "Philosophy majors consistently perform best or near best on graduate school admission exams, year after year and across various sections compared to other majors" and on the LSAT "philosophy majors rank significantly better than any other humanities degree." [source]
Through lectures, seminars, guided research, colloquia, student clubs, interdisciplinary and special studies programs, and visiting philosophers, a challenging and balanced context for philosophical development is provided for major and non-major alike.
