Undergraduates
Why study
philosophy?
By studying
philosophy you can learn how to approach questions about reality
and value in a rigorous and broad-ranging way. You can learn what
great philosophers have thought about these questions, and can
acquire and hone the ability to think clearly and critically about
them for yourself.
Philosophy
is both a central area in its own right and a useful complement
to other areas of university study. The critical and analytical
skills it teaches are important whatever other courses you are
taking.
Philosophers
have played a vital role in the way our culture and society have
developed, and have always been an inspiration for change. They
contribute to the legal and political frameworks that shape our
lives. They help to regulate science. And they analyse and criticise
the assumptions, concepts and methodologies of disciplines such
as literature and the arts, mathematics, the physical and biological
sciences, and the human sciences such as psychology, sociology
and economics.
What can
philosophy do for you?
The skills
learned in studying philosophy can be useful in any kind of career
where it is important to be able to think rigorously, and to take
the large view on questions of significance. There are many such
careers. In the future, there will be many more, for which specific
training cannot yet be given, especially now that people are likely
to have several careers in their lifetimes. Philosophy may be
the best possible preparation for them.
Many employers
view a philosophy degree very highly, and some even think that
it is the most useful degree for an employee to have.
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