Why study philosophy?
“If you want to succeed in business, don’t get an M.B.A. Study philosophy instead.”
“Forget economics. Philosophy offers a deeper, broader way of thinking to help guide companies through tough times made tougher by overspecialized experts. ”
“A philosophy degree has trained the individual’s brain and given them the ability to provide management-consulting firms with the sort of skills that they require and clients demand. These skills can include the ability to be very analytical, provide clear and innovative thinking, and question assumptions.”
There is an increasing number of articles discussing the value of studying philosophy. As a place to begin, I suggest the following three:
- Why Philosophy Matters: Let’s Think Clearly About Our Lives, Zachary Slayback, September 7, 2015.
- Why Future Business Leaders Need Philosophy, Anders Berg Poulsen, May 30, 2013 -- be sure to examine the two charts included as links in this article.
- Japanese government asks universities to close social sciences and humanities faculties, September 17, 2015
For more, take at look at these:
- The Power of Philosophy, a nice chart showing how recent philosophy majors perform on the GRE relative to other majors.
- 9 Famous Execs Who Majored In Philosophy, Business Insider. [date?]
- Why the tech world highly values a liberal arts degree, by Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post, Aug. 30, 2015.
- Philosophy in our schools a necessity, not a luxury, by Robert Grant, The Irish Times, Oct. 21, 2014.
- My Voice: Philosophy degree offers a lifetime of value, by Joseph J. Tinguely, Argus Leader, Sept. 24, 2014.
- Philosophers who work outside of academia – Part 1: How and why do they end up there?, New APPS: Art, Politics, Philosophy, Science, June 23, 2014.
- Future Bernie Madoff, Meet Immanuel Kant, Huffington Post, Jan. 6, 2014.
- Mike Tyson Explores Kierkegaard: The former heavyweight champ considers philosophy and love, by Mike Tyson, The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 13, 2013.
- Say no to groupthink: how philosophy can transform learning, The Irish Times, Nov. 19, 2013.
- Quitting the N.F.L.: For John Moffitt, the Money Wasn’t Worth It, by Michael Hanson, The New York Times, Nov. 18, 2013.
- Tech Leave You Cold? Major in Philosophy!, by Michael Sigman, Huffington Post, Oct. 29, 2013.
- What Colleges Will Teach in 2025: America must resolve the conflict between knowledge and know-how, by Jon Meacham, Time Magazine, Oct. 7, 2013.
- Be employable, study philosophy, Salon, July 1, 2013.
- For a Better Society, Teach Philosophy in High Schools, by Michael Shammas, Huffington Post, Dec. 26, 2012.
- Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?, by Edward Tenner, The Atlantic, Oct. 16, 2011.
- Philosophy is Back in Business, by Dov Seidman, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 12, 2010.
- I think, therefore I earn, by Jessica Shepherd, The Guardian, Nov. 20, 2007.
- The Management Myth, by Matthew Stewart, The Atlantic, June 2006.
What’s so bad about using laptops and other similar devices in the classroom?
Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers, Computers & Education, Volume 62, March 2013, Pages 24–31. A summary of this study is here.
College students: we're 'digitally distracted' - eCampus News, October 24th, 2013.
Age of Distraction: Why It’s Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus, Mindshift, December 5, 2013.
With Tech Tools, How Should Teachers Tackle Multitasking In Class?, Mindshift, May 15, 2013.
How do I write a (good!) philosophy paper?
- Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper, by Jim Pryor.
- A Brief Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper, by the Harvard College Writing Center.
- Mara Harrell's "Paper Grading Rubric" nicely describes the differences between an excellent paper, a good paper, a paper that needs improvement, and an unacceptable paper.