Good question! I would answer it with three more:
1) What is the value of studying philosophy?
2) Should you major in philosophy?
3) Should you seek a job in philosophy?
So, let me answer each one:
1) Great
2) Yes
3) Probably not
Ok, let me fill that in.
But let me begin with one more question: what is philosophy? Most people say that philosophy is a way of life or of thinking about life: "What's your philosophy?" But it is much more than that. Philosophy is a disciplined, sustained, inquiry into the nature of anything. Given that, you might think that philosophy is no different than science. Science is very important in philosophy (in fact, what we call 'science' nowadays is an outgrowth of what used to be called 'first philosophy.') But philosophy goes quite a bit further by asking, for example, what is the nature of scientific inquiry. It also inquires into matters that science does not. In fact, there is no field of inquiry that is beyond the scope of philosophy. Philosophers inquire systematically into everything--including, and perhaps uniquely, into the nature of inquiry.
So, then, let's put down that philosophy has two main parts: a subject matter (everything) but also a method or discipline. Let me say something brief about each of these. The subject matter of philosophy contains many subdivisions, which, important to keep in mind, are often not wholly distinct from each other, nor distinct from non-philosophy disciplines. For example, metaphysics (the study of the most general nature (or essence) and cause of anything said to exist) and epistemology (the study of how we make and justify knowledge claims) often depend on each other: a claim about what exists involves fundamentally how we know this. Furthermore, metaphysical and epistemic claims often depend on, utilize, respond to, what scientists and researchers in other fields are doing. For example, in the philosophy of mind, philosophers will make various metaphysical and epistemic claims they will need to justify, and in doing so, they will often utilize the findings of physicists, neuroscientists, psychologists, biologists, philosophers of language, logic, and anthropology, etc. So, all these fields are easily (and complexly and fascinatingly) intertwined. But let me mention some of the other sub-divisions of philosophy, just to give you an idea of what it typically covers: Theories of morality and ethics; theories of beauty and art (aesthetics); philosophy of religion; social and political philosophy; logic; mathematics; economics; race, class, gender, philosophy of science, of law, the philosophy of history, and, not least of all, the history of philosophy itself. Within each of these sub-fields a vast literature thrives and festers, encompassing every branch of knowledge and inquiry you can imagine. This keeps philosophers (those who study philosophy in an academic manner) very busy.
The second part of philosophy concerns method or discipline. Having a philosophy of something does not mean simply having a deeply held conviction or strong opinion. It is also not about "winning" arguments and debates. Rather, philosophy seeks "well-grounded reasons" for an opinion or belief, and this entails having a method of inquiry. This way, we can share what we know with others, receive critical feedback, and improve our thinking. The aim is truth. Of course, other disciplines are interested in methods and well-grounded reasons, as well. But philosophy is unique because it endeavors to make the process of opinion-making (and truth seeking) as explicit as possible. It does this largely through the method of "logical argument." Simply put, philosophers often set out their thoughts in the form of "arguments," which consist of premises (supporting reasons) and a conclusion. Philosophers focus on whether the relationship between the premises and conclusion is "valid" or "strong or weak." This way we can determine, not only more clearly what our opinions (conclusions) are, but how they are formed and whether we have "good reason" to believe them. It is very possible (and all too frequent) to have good reasons for a belief that is false; but also to have bad (incorrect or inadequate) reasons for a belief that is true! The goal is to have good reasons for true beliefs, since, arguably, having poor reasons for a belief means not really having the opinion at all. Philosophers also uniquely inquire into whether their logical method is itself justified--an inquiry that leads to an examination of the very foundations of our ability to think and reason. Philosophy is deeply self-reflective.
But philosophy involves not only a method, but also an activity, a way of doing and being. It is a particularly deliberate, reflective, and conscious way of being, and to do it well requires practice, patience, and persistence.
Now, back to the original questions:
1) What is the value of studying philosophy? The answer might be apparent from what I said above. Consider what I take to be a kind of philosophical axiom: Opinions lead to actions. No doubt this is frequently true. If you believe something is true, you will most likely act on it--and if you don't act on it, something is wrong. For example, if you believe that your dear friend doesn't like you anymore, you will likely feel sad. But now suppose your belief is false. Then it's not a good reason to feel sad about the friendship. This simple example illustrates the sort of thinking-acting process we go through many times a day, and why it is important to have true beliefs. But how can we be sure any of our beliefs are true? That is of course a deep philosophical question. But even if we can't be sure, we can still examine and test our beliefs and opinions, with the aim of improving the likelihood of our having true beliefs, even if that means taking some unexamined (or un-examinable) beliefs for granted. So, if it is important to examine your beliefs, whatever they are, then philosophy is highly valuable, because it examines them in a very careful and creative way--including and especially those beliefs we take for granted.
But look--lots has been written about the value of philosophy. Philosophy enables us to inquire into questions of fundamental importance and concern for us. But let me mention a few things specifically. Philosophy sharpens our ability to think, to know, to speak and listen. Most philosophers will say that philosophy is concerned with finding the truth--and that's true--up to a point. No doubt this concern has a great deal of utility. Discovering what is true is often better than remaining in the dark. Uncovering the bs of an argument is useful, powerful, and fun. Philosophy can help us get more clear on what we are talking about so that we can discover what we believe, and how best to live and solve problems. By carefully examining the reasons of things, it is eminently effective at helping us understand ourselves and our world. It can help us sort out complex political and moral questions. It can help us resolve disagreements with people and to find common ground. It can help us clarify and resolve deep religious and existential questions.
But I like to highlight the value of seeking, or becoming, the value of process and method. Philosophy isn't simply about attaining truth (which in many cases is very difficult to attain and very well may remain unattainable); rather, it is about establishing habits of thinking--habits that, no doubt help us live better, because they tend toward truth, but which constitute an important part of what it means to be a human being--a reasoning, passionate, and active being. I also like to highlight the less "instrumental" aspects of philosophy: the sheer pleasure found in exercising one's capacity for thinking, which, some say, makes philosophy worth doing "for its own sake." (This is not to say that doing philosophy is easy or that everyone will enjoy it, or that it's the only way to exercise your capacities.) But for me, the greatest value of philosophy is in its potential to improve ourselves and our world. What else are we going to do?
So, now, if the study of philosophy has great value, how should you study it? First, I would not recommend starting with a general "intro to philosophy" book. That's because introductions typically focus on issues that a particular author thinks are important; but you might not be interested in any of those things or in thinking about then in a methodical, painstaking, and tedious way. Usually, a philosopher has found his or her way to philosophy indirectly, as a by-product of having had some other interest or problem. So, I think you sort of have to find your way to philosophy. I would start by studying some topic you are interested in, or with some burning question you have, and then seek out the philosophy of that topic. For example, suppose you are interested in ethics--a theory of how one ought to live. You could then pick up a basic introduction to ethics, such as James Rachels' Elements of Ethics. Suppose you are interested in religion. There is a primer on the philosophy of religion that will very much provoke you. Or, suppose you are interested in ancient history. Try reading (The Apology by Plato, where Socrates argues that "the unexamined life is not worth living," and where he is sentenced to death for "corrupting the youth" by teaching false ideas about the gods. In fact, the "platonic dialogues" serve as a great introduction, not only to the subject matter of philosophy, but to its method as a reflective activity. Or, if you like mathematics, computers, and logical puzzles, you might really enjoy Raymond Smullyan's, What is the Name of This Book? But read Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland first, if you haven't already. If you've lately been having intimations that life is absurd, you might pick up some literature, such as Dostoevsky's Underground Man and then turn to a philosophical treatment of similar issues in William Barrett's Irrational Man. You might end up in the dark corners of Nietzsche for a while, but eventually you could emerge with a new sense of purpose! The key is, no matter what you read, start with something that you really want to know about and then seek to understand its fundamentals. You will find your way to philosophy by encountering provocative ideas, well-reasoned. But be careful--this could change your life!
Ok (2) Should you major in philosophy?
You might find that studying philosophy on your own is a bit difficult, because it contains a lot of unfamiliar ideas and context. You will likely benefit from some guidance. So, go to college. Ok, of course you went to college for other reasons. But suppose you happened upon a course in philosophy and liked it. The question that many students ask is whether they should major in philosophy--and they ask this because if there is one thing they "know" about philosophy it is that it is not practical. Let me say (without argument) that philosophy should not be concerned primarily with its use value or practicality. However, the notion that philosophy is not practical, I will argue, is very false. Here's why!
First, why do we say that a particular course of study is "practical"? What do we mean? Mostly, we mean that it leads to a job and there are no jobs in philosophy This is the first point I want to attack. First, while it is very difficult to get an academic job in philosophy (I will discuss this in the next section), there are many jobs suitable for philosophy majors (I will list them later). First, you have to consider that very few undergraduate majors lead to a specific job; usually, you need a Masters degree to enter a specific field. But the important point is that philosophical skills are vital for every kind of job. So, a philosophy major is very practical; and in fact employers are increasingly realizing this. I offer several recent articles supporting this point:
Here is a most recent article that expresses a growing trend: that philosophy majors are actually very useful, even for "tech" jobs.
(more coming)
(3) Should you seek a job in philosophy? If you like the idea of teaching philosophy then you must consider three main things:
(A) To teach philosophy at the university level, you almost always need a PhD in philosophy. The exceptions are the rare high school (usually private, or European) that teaches some philosophy. The other exception is the community college, which typically requires only an MA.
(B) Getting a job at the university level is extremely competitive. For any given job offered (you might be eligible for 20 or fewer of them) there are anywhere from 200-600 candidates.
(C) Getting into a graduate program is difficult. To get into most programs, you need, at least, strong GRE scores and a strong writing sample (although some programs no longer require the GRE). But getting into a graduate program that will give you the competitive edge to land (eventually) a good job at a university is even more difficult. I would say that if you cannot get into one of the top 15 programs, you will not likely get a job in philosophy. This is of course not a hard and fast fact (my program was not exceptionally ranked) but it is increasingly the norm because there are simply too many people entering grad school in philosophy. Also, programs and getting cut and more adjuncts than professors are getting hired.
(D) Finally, you should find out whether a tenure-track job can give you the sort of life you want, because the job is extremely time consuming. Professors work long and hard hours for not a lot of money. So, think about these things, and then think about doing something else!
1) What is the value of studying philosophy?
2) Should you major in philosophy?
3) Should you seek a job in philosophy?
So, let me answer each one:
1) Great
2) Yes
3) Probably not
Ok, let me fill that in.
But let me begin with one more question: what is philosophy? Most people say that philosophy is a way of life or of thinking about life: "What's your philosophy?" But it is much more than that. Philosophy is a disciplined, sustained, inquiry into the nature of anything. Given that, you might think that philosophy is no different than science. Science is very important in philosophy (in fact, what we call 'science' nowadays is an outgrowth of what used to be called 'first philosophy.') But philosophy goes quite a bit further by asking, for example, what is the nature of scientific inquiry. It also inquires into matters that science does not. In fact, there is no field of inquiry that is beyond the scope of philosophy. Philosophers inquire systematically into everything--including, and perhaps uniquely, into the nature of inquiry.
So, then, let's put down that philosophy has two main parts: a subject matter (everything) but also a method or discipline. Let me say something brief about each of these. The subject matter of philosophy contains many subdivisions, which, important to keep in mind, are often not wholly distinct from each other, nor distinct from non-philosophy disciplines. For example, metaphysics (the study of the most general nature (or essence) and cause of anything said to exist) and epistemology (the study of how we make and justify knowledge claims) often depend on each other: a claim about what exists involves fundamentally how we know this. Furthermore, metaphysical and epistemic claims often depend on, utilize, respond to, what scientists and researchers in other fields are doing. For example, in the philosophy of mind, philosophers will make various metaphysical and epistemic claims they will need to justify, and in doing so, they will often utilize the findings of physicists, neuroscientists, psychologists, biologists, philosophers of language, logic, and anthropology, etc. So, all these fields are easily (and complexly and fascinatingly) intertwined. But let me mention some of the other sub-divisions of philosophy, just to give you an idea of what it typically covers: Theories of morality and ethics; theories of beauty and art (aesthetics); philosophy of religion; social and political philosophy; logic; mathematics; economics; race, class, gender, philosophy of science, of law, the philosophy of history, and, not least of all, the history of philosophy itself. Within each of these sub-fields a vast literature thrives and festers, encompassing every branch of knowledge and inquiry you can imagine. This keeps philosophers (those who study philosophy in an academic manner) very busy.
The second part of philosophy concerns method or discipline. Having a philosophy of something does not mean simply having a deeply held conviction or strong opinion. It is also not about "winning" arguments and debates. Rather, philosophy seeks "well-grounded reasons" for an opinion or belief, and this entails having a method of inquiry. This way, we can share what we know with others, receive critical feedback, and improve our thinking. The aim is truth. Of course, other disciplines are interested in methods and well-grounded reasons, as well. But philosophy is unique because it endeavors to make the process of opinion-making (and truth seeking) as explicit as possible. It does this largely through the method of "logical argument." Simply put, philosophers often set out their thoughts in the form of "arguments," which consist of premises (supporting reasons) and a conclusion. Philosophers focus on whether the relationship between the premises and conclusion is "valid" or "strong or weak." This way we can determine, not only more clearly what our opinions (conclusions) are, but how they are formed and whether we have "good reason" to believe them. It is very possible (and all too frequent) to have good reasons for a belief that is false; but also to have bad (incorrect or inadequate) reasons for a belief that is true! The goal is to have good reasons for true beliefs, since, arguably, having poor reasons for a belief means not really having the opinion at all. Philosophers also uniquely inquire into whether their logical method is itself justified--an inquiry that leads to an examination of the very foundations of our ability to think and reason. Philosophy is deeply self-reflective.
But philosophy involves not only a method, but also an activity, a way of doing and being. It is a particularly deliberate, reflective, and conscious way of being, and to do it well requires practice, patience, and persistence.
Now, back to the original questions:
1) What is the value of studying philosophy? The answer might be apparent from what I said above. Consider what I take to be a kind of philosophical axiom: Opinions lead to actions. No doubt this is frequently true. If you believe something is true, you will most likely act on it--and if you don't act on it, something is wrong. For example, if you believe that your dear friend doesn't like you anymore, you will likely feel sad. But now suppose your belief is false. Then it's not a good reason to feel sad about the friendship. This simple example illustrates the sort of thinking-acting process we go through many times a day, and why it is important to have true beliefs. But how can we be sure any of our beliefs are true? That is of course a deep philosophical question. But even if we can't be sure, we can still examine and test our beliefs and opinions, with the aim of improving the likelihood of our having true beliefs, even if that means taking some unexamined (or un-examinable) beliefs for granted. So, if it is important to examine your beliefs, whatever they are, then philosophy is highly valuable, because it examines them in a very careful and creative way--including and especially those beliefs we take for granted.
But look--lots has been written about the value of philosophy. Philosophy enables us to inquire into questions of fundamental importance and concern for us. But let me mention a few things specifically. Philosophy sharpens our ability to think, to know, to speak and listen. Most philosophers will say that philosophy is concerned with finding the truth--and that's true--up to a point. No doubt this concern has a great deal of utility. Discovering what is true is often better than remaining in the dark. Uncovering the bs of an argument is useful, powerful, and fun. Philosophy can help us get more clear on what we are talking about so that we can discover what we believe, and how best to live and solve problems. By carefully examining the reasons of things, it is eminently effective at helping us understand ourselves and our world. It can help us sort out complex political and moral questions. It can help us resolve disagreements with people and to find common ground. It can help us clarify and resolve deep religious and existential questions.
But I like to highlight the value of seeking, or becoming, the value of process and method. Philosophy isn't simply about attaining truth (which in many cases is very difficult to attain and very well may remain unattainable); rather, it is about establishing habits of thinking--habits that, no doubt help us live better, because they tend toward truth, but which constitute an important part of what it means to be a human being--a reasoning, passionate, and active being. I also like to highlight the less "instrumental" aspects of philosophy: the sheer pleasure found in exercising one's capacity for thinking, which, some say, makes philosophy worth doing "for its own sake." (This is not to say that doing philosophy is easy or that everyone will enjoy it, or that it's the only way to exercise your capacities.) But for me, the greatest value of philosophy is in its potential to improve ourselves and our world. What else are we going to do?
So, now, if the study of philosophy has great value, how should you study it? First, I would not recommend starting with a general "intro to philosophy" book. That's because introductions typically focus on issues that a particular author thinks are important; but you might not be interested in any of those things or in thinking about then in a methodical, painstaking, and tedious way. Usually, a philosopher has found his or her way to philosophy indirectly, as a by-product of having had some other interest or problem. So, I think you sort of have to find your way to philosophy. I would start by studying some topic you are interested in, or with some burning question you have, and then seek out the philosophy of that topic. For example, suppose you are interested in ethics--a theory of how one ought to live. You could then pick up a basic introduction to ethics, such as James Rachels' Elements of Ethics. Suppose you are interested in religion. There is a primer on the philosophy of religion that will very much provoke you. Or, suppose you are interested in ancient history. Try reading (The Apology by Plato, where Socrates argues that "the unexamined life is not worth living," and where he is sentenced to death for "corrupting the youth" by teaching false ideas about the gods. In fact, the "platonic dialogues" serve as a great introduction, not only to the subject matter of philosophy, but to its method as a reflective activity. Or, if you like mathematics, computers, and logical puzzles, you might really enjoy Raymond Smullyan's, What is the Name of This Book? But read Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland first, if you haven't already. If you've lately been having intimations that life is absurd, you might pick up some literature, such as Dostoevsky's Underground Man and then turn to a philosophical treatment of similar issues in William Barrett's Irrational Man. You might end up in the dark corners of Nietzsche for a while, but eventually you could emerge with a new sense of purpose! The key is, no matter what you read, start with something that you really want to know about and then seek to understand its fundamentals. You will find your way to philosophy by encountering provocative ideas, well-reasoned. But be careful--this could change your life!
Ok (2) Should you major in philosophy?
You might find that studying philosophy on your own is a bit difficult, because it contains a lot of unfamiliar ideas and context. You will likely benefit from some guidance. So, go to college. Ok, of course you went to college for other reasons. But suppose you happened upon a course in philosophy and liked it. The question that many students ask is whether they should major in philosophy--and they ask this because if there is one thing they "know" about philosophy it is that it is not practical. Let me say (without argument) that philosophy should not be concerned primarily with its use value or practicality. However, the notion that philosophy is not practical, I will argue, is very false. Here's why!
First, why do we say that a particular course of study is "practical"? What do we mean? Mostly, we mean that it leads to a job and there are no jobs in philosophy This is the first point I want to attack. First, while it is very difficult to get an academic job in philosophy (I will discuss this in the next section), there are many jobs suitable for philosophy majors (I will list them later). First, you have to consider that very few undergraduate majors lead to a specific job; usually, you need a Masters degree to enter a specific field. But the important point is that philosophical skills are vital for every kind of job. So, a philosophy major is very practical; and in fact employers are increasingly realizing this. I offer several recent articles supporting this point:
Here is a most recent article that expresses a growing trend: that philosophy majors are actually very useful, even for "tech" jobs.
(more coming)
(3) Should you seek a job in philosophy? If you like the idea of teaching philosophy then you must consider three main things:
(A) To teach philosophy at the university level, you almost always need a PhD in philosophy. The exceptions are the rare high school (usually private, or European) that teaches some philosophy. The other exception is the community college, which typically requires only an MA.
(B) Getting a job at the university level is extremely competitive. For any given job offered (you might be eligible for 20 or fewer of them) there are anywhere from 200-600 candidates.
(C) Getting into a graduate program is difficult. To get into most programs, you need, at least, strong GRE scores and a strong writing sample (although some programs no longer require the GRE). But getting into a graduate program that will give you the competitive edge to land (eventually) a good job at a university is even more difficult. I would say that if you cannot get into one of the top 15 programs, you will not likely get a job in philosophy. This is of course not a hard and fast fact (my program was not exceptionally ranked) but it is increasingly the norm because there are simply too many people entering grad school in philosophy. Also, programs and getting cut and more adjuncts than professors are getting hired.
(D) Finally, you should find out whether a tenure-track job can give you the sort of life you want, because the job is extremely time consuming. Professors work long and hard hours for not a lot of money. So, think about these things, and then think about doing something else!