what can i achieve with a major in philosophy?

Answer 1

Skills gained by philosophy majors are useful in almost any career.

-The ability to think logically.

-The ability to analyze and solve problems.

-The ability to assess to pros and cons of proposed solutions.

-The ability to write and speak clearly, attending to details.

-The ability to ask the right questions.

Here are some things you can do with your degree:

Teaching. Majoring in Philosophy gives you communication skills as well as a solid understanding of learning itself, which also can make you a highly effective teacher.



Creative writing. Philosophy and Logic/Argumentation can prepare you for a career as a novelist, a non-fiction writer, or a poet.



Technical Writing. This is one of the biggest growth areas for Philosophy/Philosophy of Science/Ethics majors. Technical writers can demand starting salaries averaging $37,000 on today's market. (For more information on Philosophy and Writing see this page from the University of South Carolina: http://www.cla.sc.edu/PHIL/writing.html )



Executive-level administration and management. Many Fortune 500 CEO's have degrees in liberal arts majors like Philosophy, because these majors develop your interpersonal communication and organization.



Editing and Publishing. These fields require a strong facility with language, combined with the communication skills Philosophy majors develop.



Law. Many lawyers got their undergraduate training in Philosophy, because the skills involved in reading and thinking clearly and arguing effectively apply to brief-writing as well as litigation techniques. Logic, Business Ethics and Health Care Ethics will be especially helpful for you.



Mediation. Philosophy majors' skills at communicating and analyzing all sides of issues make them ideal mediators (for example, mediators are used in divorce cases, or to settle disputes between unions and corporations.)



Public relations and journalism. PR and journalism both require a careful use of language - something Philosophy majors learn quickly.

Philosophical Counseling/Philosophical Practice. Did you know that not all counselors and therapists study psychology? The American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA) trains and certifies philosophy majors to do work similar to psychiatry and psychoanalysis, and is now beginning to build and accredit graduate programs in philosophical practice. The City College of New York has approved the establishment of an M.A. Program in Applied Philosophy, whose graduates will also be APPA-Certified. Similar initiatives are underway internationally. The APPA's website is http://www.appa.edu

Enjoy computers? Software Creation, Ontological Engineering, Axiomatizing, Language Development, Systems Engineering. CYCORP is one of many software companies that routinely hires Philosophy Majors! http://www.cyc.com/cyc/company/employment Cycorp does programming in a way that uses common-sense logic. Their system is called Cyc® technology, and it is rooted in the logical thinking that philosophy classes in logic and argumentation study: semantic information retrieval, consistency-checking of structured information, deductive integration of databases, and natural language interfaces that relate to how people express themselves in an everyday sense. (For more information on Graduate School work in Philosophy and Computers, see this page from the University of South Carolina: http://www.cla.sc.edu/PHIL/computers.html )

Enjoy Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy? Nonprofit organizations and governmental organizations hire philosophy majors for their experience setting policies on the environment, the arts, education, health, the sciences, and culture. The Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ , the World Health Organization http://www.who.int/en/ , Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/ , the National Endowment for the Humanities http://www.neh.fed.us/ , and the National Sciences Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/ are just a few examples.

Enjoy Aesthetics? Philosophy prepares you to be an archivist, curator, or museum manager -- the philosophy major's appreciation for aesthetic taste, as well as organizational skills, means you have the right balance for a career in these art management fields!

Also check: http://www.csus.edu/phil/whyphil.htm

Answer 2

You can do quite a bit. All industry's utilize philosophy majors for their critical thinking and developed analytic skills. It may not be the typical "cubical dweller white collar" degree you get with engineering or accounting, but it is still a worthwhile major for competing in the job market. While typically philosophy majors end up in the academic world or working for the government, it is likely by choice and not a result of limitations from the degree. Don't be discouraged by people who tell you the major is worthless.

Answer 3

To begin with, you can think abstractly better than someone without benefit of your education. That's something in itself.

If you mean practical application, law schools look favorably on philosophy majors, because they can think in the abstract, and typically can write very well, and are used to reading a great deal. Also, if academia is your thing, consider a cross-disciplinary graduate degree: study literature or a foreign language, for example. With what you know already about the history of schools of thought, you can come at literature with a much more three-dimensional outlook than a "pure" lit major.

Answer 4

The study of philosophy is useful in terms of learning to think clearly. You will not be surprised to learn that this is a useful trait for business managers.

So... it would make sense to grab that BA in philosophy -- and follow up with a masters degree in business administration.

Answer 5

I am going to law school with mine. Philosophy majors score the highest on the LSAT's out of the humanities--on average.

Answer 6

A BA in Philosophy will give you a quiet, thoughtful, charm which masks the underlying skills of a basking shark.

The MA and PhD only further hone those skills.

Go for it!

Answer 7

You can finally answer the questions: " Does the Pope sh*t in the woods? " "If you shoot a mime, do you need to use a silencer?" That sort of stuff.

Answer 8

You can become a teacher, or write books.

Answer 9

same answer as before. flip burgers

Answer 10

philosipize write stuff teach idk