5 Reasons to Major in Philosophy

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Philosophy has a reputation for being an impractical major. In this video I show why this view is mistaken.

Why major in philosophy? Here are five reasons I discuss in the video:
1. It has intrinsic value.
2. It's what a liberal arts education ought to be.
3. Employers are looking for these skills.
4. Your income expectations are higher than you might think.
5. It's the ideal springboard degree.

[PhilosophyFreak]

I went through this when I told my parents that after high school I wanted to study animation at an art school. Actually, my dad didn't laugh, he got angry. I ended up majoring in physics, thinking I could always do art on the side. And of course I ended up in philosophy. Life defies all our plans ...

[manthasagittarius]

If you're talented and you commit to the hard work to master the logic and ethical aspects, it is one of the best preparations for the study of law.

[NaNdgate]

At first, philosophy seems like something 'outside' of everyday life. And then you start to see how every single second of your existence is philosophy.

Philosophy is secretly everything.

[justinlacek]

You don't major in philosophy so that you can go out and make money. Most of the greatest thinkers were ordinary, everyday people.

[thebrokegenius]

The corporate and political world doesnt want you to be a philosopher because then you will be aware of the insignificance and corruption they are and will continue to be

[SaagarP]

I am a triple major in Accounting, Finance, & Philosophy and this video was one of the reasons I decided to add a Philosophy Major to my undergraduate studies. It was one of the best decisions I have made in my life and this video completely covers it. Philosophy teaches you skills that you can not acquire from most other majors. I took a whole array of courses from: Epistemology, Philosophy of Life, Metaphysics, & Logic and each course taught me a variety of information. The ability to think and write clearly, the ability to formulate and solve problems, the ability to communicate well in writing and orally, the ability to ask the right questions. Some of my courses on philosophers help you understand questions such as what is death, and the happiness in life, analysis of religion. Philosophy is also about how to live life, and some of our dilemmas we face in our lives and how to deal with them. I highly recommend from my experience to pair philosophy with another major because it really helps you stand out. Just a fair warning though, studying philosophy is not easy. It will require heavy amounts of reading and analysis, the work load was more than my other two majors but it is definitely worth the hard work in the end.

[TheLongWind]

Philosophy Graduate here from CSU Sacramento Fall 2008. Yes, it has been somewhat difficult finding employers who fully value this degree, but they do seem to appreciate it somewhat. Law, Teaching and any job that requires any degree (State, County, Feds) are good starts. That being said, I would not trade my Philosophy degree for something else. I truly value the skills and information I acquired during my time in school. These include critical thinking, proper argument and debate, many different world views and my favorite...Symbolic Logic!

[lookit]

"You know who you are." Why did that send a chill down my spine?

[UCLA]

Great video. I was a philosophy major. In my first job interview after college, I spent the whole time talking about philosophy (Immanuel Kant and what he would have thought of the Iraq war, actually) and was hired with a great salary

[ichiboku]

it's a dumb question. What job can you get with any major? There are no jobs that have a direct relation with a given major. If you major in computer science there is no such thing as a computer science job. If you major in business there is no such thing as a job called "business." You take the skills you learned in those fields and apply them. Most people who major in philosophy (and who do not go into academia) go into government related positions, law, business, and teaching.

[Yawarrior]

I majored in philosophy and graduated in 2011 and honestly, employers laughed at my degree and I had a hard time finding employment and especially middle-class employment (California). All the jobs available to me were in sales and customer service. I recommend that if you are to major in philosophy that you have some marketable skills besides the degree, some connections with companies, and maybe even a second major or a practical minor. The man who made this video, is he a professor? I want to hear from someone who graduated around this economic era and didn't stay in education but strayed into business and other areas. Good points but reality was and is very different for me and others. P.s. where did he get his statistics from? Never trust those and am too lazy at the moment to look them up. Damn

[GuitarHeroPhenomSux]

I had no interest in college until I discovered philosophy. I've been studying it on my own for almost a year now and have decided to go to college for it because I still fail to understand alot of the writings of the big philosophers. I've also watched videos from a philosophy course online. I'm sure with continued effort, I could comprehend it better but the tests you mentioned will probably help more. Plus the degree sounds good.

[elcat]

before science was known as science it was called natural philosophy.

[thepsionicstorms]

@6:56 "You know who you are..." I loved hearing that! Great video. I am a Philosophy Major and after only a few classes it has changed my life.

[magnesiummike]

This is excellent. I am a philosophy major and I am applying to medical school. I feel very well-prepared to analyze theories and arguments on many topics and I feel that more people would be surprised by the value of the degree and the breadth of misconceptions. Great video.

[Amelia-uwpe]

when u described me to a T and said "you know who you are." I got full body chills

[DrGonzo]

This video is great. I'm going to show my parents it tonight. This is perhaps the most challenging question a philosopher will ever face in their life: How does one break it to their parents they're getting a philosophy degree? It's also a tremendous test of logic, too, trying to work past all their objections. This video, frankly, answers those concerns better than I could ever hope to on my own. This man has done his research.

[eduardojimenez]

I think I've found my calling, I'm always looking for thought provoking questions and discussions, always trying to see things from different perspectives, I want to become a philosopher

[GetOutOfMyYard]

Thank you so much for this. When you gave your description of the typical Philosophy major and said, "You know who you are, " I grinned from ear to ear. You described me perfectly! I will be very excited next semester to walk into my academic advisor's office and ask to change my major!

[MrJethroha]

I feel the history aspect of philosophy is always understated, but you addressed it in the beginning very well. Most people take their opinions and views for granted.