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“Philosophy” comes from Greek words meaning “love of wisdom.” Philosophy uses the tools of logic and reason to analyze the ways in which humans experience the world. It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it.
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- Philosophy Encourages Curiosity and Wonder
- You Will Access Potential Answers to All The Questions You May Have About Life
- It Offers The Chance to Reflect on and Examine One’S Beliefs
- Philosophy Is The Backbone of An Informed Citizenry
- We Can Learn How to Ask Questions So We Can Sort Through The Answers Given to Us
- It’S A Subject That Will Evolve and Develop with You Throughout Your Life
- It Probes The Essential CORE of What It Is to Be A Human
- Philosophy Aids Us in Our Own Pursuit of Greater Truths
- The Most Important Thing That Philosophy Can Teach You Is The Ability to Think
- Philosophy Teaches You to Read Critically
Philosophy literally means “love of wisdom,” and in these uncertain times of climate devastation, political instability, and pandemics (to name a few of our pressing problems), I can’t think of anything we need more right now than wisdom. Wisdom is about how best for us to live in these times. So much of our educational system is geared towards kno...
Have you ever wondered what the most valuable thing in life is? What is it that you and every other human being should seek to obtain genuine long-term happiness? Would it surprise you that I already know the answer to this question? The answer is friendship. Individuals who maintain life-long authentic friendships will be happier throughout their ...
Through digging deep within ourselves in search of answers, we often unearth more questions that allow us to develop further and refine our perception of the world around us. In its purest form, this path toward enlightenment and wisdom leads to a sense of humility and appreciation for everything we have yet to understand.
Students well versed in the philosophical underpinnings of liberal democracy are far more likely to have the aptitude for living up to its principles and pass them on to the next generation. By studying philosophy, students develop deep knowledge that informs their sensibilities and cultivates their understanding of right and wrong. Further, resear...
Education is a toolbox that each generation hands to the one behind it. Inside that toolbox is everything needed to answer their own questions about life, the universe, and their place in it. 99% of those questions have already been answered by someone else, but not all of those answers are complete, and not all of those answers are correct. Philos...
What most people don’t realize about philosophy is how broad it is. Just Western philosophy spans everything from Aesthetics (the study of beauty), Logic to Metaphysics (the study of being), and Applied Ethics (the study of what is “right”). And that’s before you get into Theology(the study of God and religion) or start breaking down philosophy fro...
We are each bundled into distinct flesh, and blood packages with unique minds and thoughts which we believe are unique. It is the nature of human beings to consider themselves to be at the center of all things. In a way, this is quite true. We are each at the center of our own reality. But, in the aggregate, we have very similar experiences with re...
Studying philosophy shows that though individuals believe their questions are unique, they are not. Others have pondered nearly identical issues in past decades, centuries, or millennia. Though our language or technology may differ, we find we can relate to our ancestors quite easily. We might compare their musings to our own or gain insights that ...
Thanks to it, you can learn to weigh every argument, not blindly believe, even if the idea comes from a seemingly trustworthy source. You can go through a lot of ideas and operate on them at the same time. Therefore, it is important to understand that philosophy is not just about understanding the norms of morality. But also about the development o...
If you’re working on a bachelor’s degree and you have aspirations of becoming a lawyer, I would say a focus of study in philosophy would be a worthy choice. Aspiring lawyers regularly major in pre-law, business, history, English, or anything else that bolsters their research and writing skills. Students achieve that by studying philosophy, but it a...
So, whether you want to read classic or contemporary philosophers because you’ve moved by value questions or recognize the importance of critical thinking regardless of you other major, you should still consider becoming a philosophy major. You have the option of having a traditional or applied concentration, depending upon whether you are ...
Other people like taking classes where they are not told what to think. Philosophy courses offer extensive latitude for working out personal views. Other people want to overcome a difficult challenge, to explore new intellectual territory and see whether they can make their way in it. Philosophy courses are unlike courses taught in high school.
- Prepare for success in a wide variety of careers. Philosophical study develops writing, reading, reasoning, re-thinking, adapting, learning, organizing and dialogue skills.
- Outscore other majors on standardized exams. Assessments of analytical, logical reasoning and critical thinking skills are prominently featured in standardized exams like the GRE, GMAT, MCAT and LSAT.
- Gain higher earning potential. Despite starting off behind better-earning majors at the beginning of their careers, philosophy majors on average out-earn seemingly more practical majors like business administration by mid-career.
- Be a valuable discussion partner. Philosophy assists us in understanding what our own ideas are based on, and how they stand in relation to those of others when exploring complex issues.
If you are interested in what you study, you will excel and thrive in your classes. If you have an interest in questioning authority or interrogating your assumptions, philosophy is for you. If you like to think about right and wrong, and how one ought to behave, philosophy is for you.
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Finally, mid-career salary data suggests that philosophy majors are in demand in today’s economic environment: by this measure, the performance of majors in philosophy is exceeded only by that of majors in fields that are either highly technical (engineering: chemical, computer, electrical, aerospace, CS, industrial, mechanical, civil, construction, management information systems; physical ...