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Curious about becoming a Philosophy major, or minoring in Religious Studies? Stop up and see us some time – we’re on the third floor of Newton Hall, and we’ll be glad to tell you about how doing this work has changed our lives, and how it can change yours.
Why study philosophy?
What do we believe and why do we believe it? Who are we and why are we here? What ought we do and why should we do it? Philosophy encourages critical and systematic inquiry into fundamental questions of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the meaning of life, and the nature of reality, knowledge and society. More than any other discipline, philosophy explores the core issues of the Western intellectual tradition. Philosophy encourages the student to formulate questions and follow arguments.
Philosophy provides an excellent preparation for law school and other professional programs and is a solid foundation for a career in business, teaching, writing, or public service.
What skills does studying philosophy develop?
- Generate ideas on a variety of problems
- Formulate and solve problems
- Uncover assumptions and suggest alternatives
- Ability to distinguish subtle differences without overlooking similarities
- Analyze, develop and formulate logical arguments
- Capability to make knowledgeable decisions, examining thoroughly the consequences of various actions
- Aptitude to examine various angles of topics
- Ability to write and speak clearly and effectively
- Interpret and assess various thoughts and theories
Career Opportunities
Philosophy is the ultimate “transferable work skill.” With its emphasis on reason and argumentation, philosophy is an excellent preparation for a career in law, religion, business, international diplomacy, social work, medical management or writing as well as post-graduate education. Philosophy majors successfully work as or in, but are not limited to:
- Lawyers
- Bankers
- Public relations director
- Publishers
- Journalists
- Retail management
- Librarians
- Counselors
- Marketing
- Consulting
- Research
- Accountants
- Social workers
- Professors
- Self-employed
- Labor relations
- Foreign service officers
- Public policy
- Nonprofit work
- Ministers
- Teachers
So what can you do with a philosophy degree? You can become…
- President of Morgan Stanley (Robert Greenhill)
- Founder and Manager of a Hedge-fund (Don Brownstein)
- Investor (George Soros)
- CEO of Overstock.com (Patrick Byrne)
- Supreme Court Justice (Stephen Breyer AND David Souter)
- Mayor of Los Angeles (Richard Riordan)
- U.S. Secretary of Education (William Bennett)
- Prime Minister of Canada (Paul Martin, Jr.)
- Network Television Journalist (Stone Phillips)
- Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author (Studs Terkel)
- Host of an Iconic Game Show (Alex Trebek)
- Cofounder of Wikipedia (Larry Sanger)
- Comedian/Actor/Producer (Ricky Gervais)
- Academy-Award Winning Filmmaker (Ethan Coen)
- Four-star General in the US Army (Jack Keane)
- Fighter in the French Resistance in WWII (Stephane Hessel)
- Co-author of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (P.C. Chang AND Charles Malik)
- Martyr to German Opposition to Nazism in WWII (Sophie Scholl)
- Pope (John Paul II AND Benedict XVI)
- Seminal Anthropologist (Claude Levi-Strauss)
Source: Uky.edu
Last updated: 6/30/2021
