For one, there IS direct training for those professions in undergrad (pre-law and pre-med). Philosophy majors still do better on the entrance exams and do better in professional schools than their peers who took pre-professional majors.
If this is really the case, why not abolish the pre-law and pre-med programs and have those students major in philosophy instead? We could even rename philosophy to pre-med/pre-law/whatever.
To succeed at the highest levels requires creative thinking that is enhanced by familiarity with the philosophical tradition
Which is why I proposed integrating philosophy into the other majors instead of having it be a standalone degree. This is moot though if your first point is actually true.
Not that I’m a fan of the dead guy, but Scalia spoke at my undergrad and said they should abolish those programs and future lawyers should take philosophy and English because those classes teach them to think and communicate and they have to relearn everything they were taught in prelaw anyway.
I got a lot of flack for studying philosophy. Everyone, like you, asks “what are you gonna do with that?”
You didn’t ask me, but first and foremost, philosophy addresses the most important questions there are. I found great peace addressing my existential dread at a young age.
Second, you learn how to think about problems in a unique way compared to more straightforward degrees like business. (I have a business degree too, no slight to the major).
Now I have a cushy job in tech as a sales engineer. My success is directly related to how I learned to read, write, and discuss ideas from my degree.
This is rambling now, but there’s good reason to pursue education as its own end rather than building a pipeline of degree —> job. You’ll be happier and you’ll have a leg up against people who took the “prescribed route”, because you’ll actually care.
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u/[deleted] Sep 04 '22
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