Philosophy is defined as the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. It is one of the oldest fields of study in the world and is still acknowledged as one of the most important disciplines a person can learn.
However, despite enhancing a person’s problem-solving capacities, analytical skills and argument formatting, the subject and the major have long been deemed worthless by modern society. Though there is growing interest in philosophy and increasing enrollment in philosophy programs at universities, the subject is still dismissed as impractical and unnecessary. A common question asked to philosophy majors is, “What will you do with that?”
The false notion that philosophy is an impractical major with few job opportunities after graduation stems from society’s misunderstandings about philosophy. But contrary to popular belief, data suggests that philosophy majors have been wrongfully labeled.
Dr. Lynne Lundberg is the teacher advisor and coach for PV’s Ethics Bowl Team and teaches philosophy to her AP Language and Composition classes. “Often people assume that a field of study isn’t useful if it isn’t included in job listing, but it’s important to look at the skills and habits of mind that are taught in an academic discipline,” she said. “Any job that involves careful thinking and ethical decision-making would benefit from knowledge of philosophy.”
Because philosophy is considered a modern discipline by many schools and fields, more philosophy classes would be beneficial for students’ futures. Philosophy tends to produce well-rounded individuals who are able to converse and reason about diverse topics. This attribute gives philosophy students an edge in the job market and admission to professional programs.
Sophomore Madeline Sierk plans on majoring in philosophy after she graduates high school. “I want to major in philosophy because it is such a wide and engaging topic,” she said. “It covers so many umbrellas of information ranging from how humans, the world, and environment function.”
Philosophy students usually outperform other majors on standardized tests including the GRE, LSAT, MCAT and GMAT tests. They also have a higher acceptance rate to medical school than any other major. For law school, philosophy majors tie with economics majors for the highest LSAT scores. Philosophy majors surpass business majors by 15% on the GMAT.
In his speech to University of Victoria students, the co-founder of Flickr, Stewart Butterfield, shared his beliefs about the importance of philosophy. “If you have a good background in what it is to be human, an understanding of life, culture and society, it gives you a good perspective on starting a business, instead of an education purely in business,” he said. “You can always pick up how to read a balance sheet and how to figure out profit and loss, but it’s harder to pick up the other stuff.”
As advancements continue to be made in medicine, physics and other sciences, philosophy is essential in understanding the morals behind humanity’s progression. Because philosophers have a better understanding of humanity, they’re better able to address problems in modern society.
“There is so much information within philosophy, it would never get boring, as there is always more to learn,” Sierk continued. “Having an understanding of how aspects of the world work can help people make decisions that best help them and those around them.”
This understanding opens doors for the philosophy students’ future.
Job opportunities for philosophy majors are available in every field, including business, law, medicine, journalism and computer science. Because businesses are concerned with ethical issues like corporate citizenship and unfair labor practices, philosophy students are needed to think about issues that could occur years in the future.
Philosophy provides students with experiences and knowledge that aren’t available in any other field. Studying philosophy also develops critical thinking skills, especially those related to understanding issues from multiple perspectives and finding solutions to problems—skills that are invaluable in any field or job.
These skills also pay off. Philosophy majors surpass many other fields that tend to have higher starting salaries, increasing their salaries an average of 102% from the start to mid-career. The net return on investment for a philosophy degree is equivalent to an engineering degree; in fact, philosophy graduates earn more over their lifetimes than graduates in any other humanities field and some STEM fields.
What’s unique to philosophy majors is that not everyone gets a job directly related to their degree—anywhere from 20% to 30% of graduates find a job unrelated to their degree. Philosophy provides skills that are applicable to nearly every field.
“Philosophy teaches careful thinking and reasoning, habits of mind that are important for adult decision-making and for citizenship,” Lundberg concluded. “Because philosophy encourages decision-making that relies on universal principles rather than human biases, it is a vital field of study.”
In a rapidly expanding world and global economy, philosophy will remain a crucial discipline for understanding the ethical implications of scientific advancements and guiding humanity towards a better future.
