Why Study Philosophy?
A common view of philosophy is that it is wholly impractical, divorced from the types of knowledge and skills that prepare someone for the real world.
This is a myth.
Philosophical study develops in students some of the most important generalized skills that employers demand: problem-solving; analytical thinking; effective oral and written communication; an appreciation for, and ability to engage with, a diversity of views and ideas. Studying philosophy is excellent preparation for the professional world, as well as those seeking to go on to graduate, professional and especially law schools.
Listen to Diana Sussman Tockstein (BA '19, International Studies) explain the value of studying Philosophy:
Both employment and graduate-professional school test data demonstrate the success of philosophy majors.
- According to Payscale (2015), philosophy majors have, on average, the highest mid-career salaries among non-STEM majors
- According to the Law School Admission Council (2014), philosophy majors were the highest scoring major (among those > 1000 testers) on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
- According to Educational Testing Services (2014), philosophy majors earned the highest average composite score on the GRE (the general graduate school admissions test)
For a more comprehensive look at employment and graduate and professional school testing data, see the Daily Nous’s page on The Value of Philosophy-Charts and Graphs as well as Oxford University Press’s helpful summary report for philosophy majors.
