What is Philosophy?
Philosophy investigates the most basic questions facing human beings: questions of existence, meaning and value. What can we know? What is real? What is the good life? These questions have found expression in an ever-expanding set of philosophical texts. The philosophical investigation of such issues is always undertaken in dialogue with other philosophers, past and present. Philosophers critically evaluate the answers proposed by ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, and compare them to those of modern philosophers such as Descartes and Kant, as well as to proposals from more recent philosophers such as Wittgenstein and de Beauvoir. Philosophical investigations of this sort naturally lead to self-examination and to the clarification of one's own basic commitments and values. Philosophers generally believe the unexamined life is not worth living. So why study philosophy? The study of philosophy deepens and enriches our lives.
Why Study Philosophy?
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The Guardian highlights evidence that employers are increasingly enthusiastic about hiring philosophy majors.
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Damon Horowitz, in-house philosopher at Google, explains why the humanites and the study of philosophy in particualr is a smart career move.
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Philosophy students outperform all other majors on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE.
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A recent study concluded that Philosophy majors have high mid-term salaries than those who major in Business Management, Advertising, Biology, Nursing, and a number of other majors.
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The New York Times reports an increase in the number of undergraduate philosophy majors.
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Business Week makes a case for the employability of philosophy majors.
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Also, be sure to listen to writer Yvette Doss's tribute to the power of philosophy, "Finding Equality Through Logic".