Why Philosophy?

Sometimes those considering a major in philosophy are confronted with the age-old question, "What can you do with a philosophy major?" To this we respond “The proper question to ask, rather, is "What can’t you do?"

That question has an easy answer: Nothing! Philosophy develops the most general and useful intellectual skills, such as the ability to think and write clearly, deeply, abstractly, methodically, rigorously and critically. It therefore provides an excellent foundation for graduate study in fields such as law, public policy and even medicine and cognitive science, and provides skills in great demand in business, journalism, secondary education and many other fields.

And of course, most importantly, the study of philosophy enriches and deepens you as a human being, and so prepares you to think about, and ultimately to lead, the richest and most meaningful sort of human life.

So it’s not just that a liberated logical imagination can take you almost anywhere you want to go. It helps you figure out where it is you should want to go.