Philosophy and Everyday Life

Philosophy and Everyday Life

Philosophy and Everyday Life

The following articles show how the field of philosophy has practical real-world applications. The articles illustrate how the academic side of philosophy prepares people to succeed in business, entrepreneurship, education, social policy careers, and many other real-life non-academic roles. The authors illustrate how their experience in taking philosophy courses—which at the time often seemed abstract and far from practical—actually prepared them to think clearly, communicate effectively, and solve problems in their jobs and careers.

We have provided a short summary of each article along with an Internet link that allows you to read the complete article.

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1. Be Employable, Study Philosophy

It must be summer. In anticipation of fall course schedules, several people have asked what I think someone who wants to be a journalist should study . . . I tell people the most useful classes I took were all in philosophy. Yes, the course of study that has long been denigrated as frivolous and useless in the job market has been the part of my education that I lean on again and again. For work and everything else.

Shannon Rupp, “Be Employable, Study Philosophy,” Salon, July 1, 2013

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2. The Value of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship

While working with a team this past year to develop an entrepreneurial education program, I met with dozens of entrepreneurs from around the world, listened to their stories, and looked for patterns in their experience. Even in skill-specific fields such as technology, many successful entrepreneurs studied—and were downright passionate about—philosophy. Curious, I decided ask these philosophy grads how their major had contributed to their success and found that many of their answers were, in fact, similar.

Christine Nasserghods, “The Value of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship,” The Huffington Post, November 05, 2012

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3. Future Bernie Madoff, Meet Immanuel Kant

The university classroom is our best hope for preparing students to become self-conscious of identifying and managing an ethical quagmire—and most importantly to be honest about their own potential for dishonesty, so they can foresee and forestall consequences that conflict with the person they think they are and want to be.

Jay Halfond, “Future Bernie Madoff, Meet Immanuel Kant,” The Huffington Post, March 8, 2014

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4. I Think, Therefore I Earn

Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show philosophy graduates, once derided as unemployable layabouts, are in growing demand from employers. The number of all graduates in full-time and part-time work six months after graduation has risen by 9% between 2002–03 and 2005–06; for philosophy graduates it has gone up by 13%. It is in the fields of finance, property development, health, social work and the nebulous category of “business” that those versed in Plato and Kant are most sought after.

Jessica Shepherd, “I Think, Therefore I Earn,” The Guardian, November 20, 2007

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5. Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?

When they do set out to make money [philosophy majors] often make lots of it, from George Soros and Carl Icahn to Peter Thiel. In fact, the late tycoon Max Palevsky once told a newspaper interviewer: “Many of us early workers in computers were philosophy majors. You can imagine our surprise at being able to make rather comfortable livings.”

Edward Tenner, “Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?” The Atlantic, October 16, 2011

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6. Philosopher Working with World Bank on Development Policy

“It’s important for philosophy to take a more active role in the world around it,” says Ryan Muldoon, an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy. “I like being able to do some work that has a direct impact. Typically, philosophers don’t have a role in policy making, but this is a great opportunity to do something that is policy relevant and to be actively involved with making people’s lives better.”

Bert Gambini, “UB Philosopher Working with World Bank on Development Policy,” University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, February 29, 2016

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2016/02/051.html

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7. Philosophy Degree Offers a Lifetime of Value

Lifetime earning is driven by one’s salary potential at the end, not the beginning, of one’s career. And by midcareer, philosophy majors catch-up with or overtake the salaries of many of their peers in STEM fields. For example, a study in the Wall Street Journal found that by midcareer, philosophy majors make a comfortable $81,000 per year as compared to $75,000 for those with a degree in information technology.

Joseph J. Tinguely, “Philosophy Degree Offers a Lifetime of Value,” Argus Leader, September 24, 2014

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8. Philosophy in Our Schools a Necessity, Not a Luxury

While we haven’t reduced poverty and disease to their lowest level, we are lucky enough to live in a part of the world where we can openly debate the kind of society we want. For that, we need philosophy.

Robert Grant, “Philosophy in Our Schools a Necessity, Not a Luxury,” The Irish Times, October 21, 2014

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9. Philosophy Is Back in Business

The financial and climate crises, global consumption habits, and other 21st-century challenges call for a “killer app.” I think I’ve found it: philosophy. Philosophy can help us address the (literally) existential challenges the world currently confronts, but only if we take it off the back burner and apply it as a burning platform in business. Philosophy explores the deepest, broadest questions of life—why we exist, how society should organize itself, how institutions should relate to society, and the purpose of human endeavor, to name just a few.

Dov Seidman, “Philosophy Is Back in Business,” Bloomberg Business, January 12, 2010

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10. Finding Philosophy Lessons in Child-friendly Places

The first resource that people need is an open mind . . . To become a critical thinker is as much a way of being as it is about developing skills. What else do you need? . . . Robert Fisher, a UK author in “thinking and creativity” suggests children have four needs: emotional, physical, social and reasoning. To promote the latter, he suggests: encourage children to build on their ideas; try to get them to see the implications of what they say and make them aware of their own assumptions and encourage them to find reasons to justify their beliefs.

Joe Humphreys, “Finding Philosophy Lessons in Child-Friendly Places,” The Irish Times, November 19, 2013

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11. For a Better Society, Teach Philosophy in High Schools

Philosophy can do a great deal to lessen the anger that is growing like a cancerous tumor in modern America. The tools exist in both Eastern and Western thought—in the Stoic exhortation to accept the present as it is, in Buddhist meditation, in the Humanist’s transcendent appeal to reason, in Kant’s categorical imperative. Philosophy can help us inculcate virtue for, in the words of Socrates, “knowledge is virtue.”

Michael Shammas, “For a Better Society, Teach Philosophy in High Schools,” The Huffington Post, February 25, 2013

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12. Tech Leave You Cold? Major in Philosophy!

Philosophy turned out to be more relevant for my career than all the business and management books I forced myself to read—combined. The ability to think clearly and act decisively is the philosophical gift that keeps on giving . . . The practical benefits of philosophical study can be applied to any line of work.

Michael Sigman, “Tech Leave You Cold? Major in Philosophy!” The Huffington Post, January 23, 2014

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13. The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing the World of Business

A degree in philosophy can be useful for professions beyond a career in academia. Degrees like his can help in the business world, where a philosophy background can pave the way for real change . . . Philosophy has proved itself to be not only relevant but often the cornerstone of great innovation. Philosophy and entrepreneurship are a surprisingly good fit. Some of the most successful tech entrepreneurs and innovators come from a philosophy background and put the critical thinking skills they developed to good use launching new digital services to fill needs in various domains of society.

Carolyn Gregoire, “The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing the World of Business,” The Huffington Post, March 6, 2014

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14. Why Future Business Leaders Need Philosophy

“Once hired, philosophy majors advance more rapidly than their colleagues who possess only business degrees” writes Thomas Hurka, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Calgary. He strongly advises the younger generation to consider majoring in philosophy, if they want to be successful in business. This is supported by a recent study by Payscale, which shows that while starting salaries of philosophy graduates might be less than those with business degrees, by mid-career, the salaries of philosophy graduates surpasses those of marketing, communications, accounting and business management.

Anders Berg Poulsen, “Why Future Business Leaders Need Philosophy,” Grasp, May 30, 2013