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Welcome to the Department of Philosophy
Introduction
The first university in the Western world, Plato’s Academy, was conceived two thousand years ago as a place to do philosophy. Philosophy students grapple with questions which are the very foundation to other disciplines. While all university disciplines are devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, philosophy addresses questions concerning the nature of knowledge itself. While the university is organized into faculties of Arts and Sciences, philosophy asks "What is art? What is science?"
Why study philosophy?
One answer was offered by Aristotle (383-321 B.C.) who suggested that it is simply human nature to do so. Questions concerning the nature of truth,reality, value and justice are the sort of questions that occur inevitably to human beings. Philosophy is the search for rational answers to them. Perhaps the most important question that human beings can ask themselves is a philosophical one: 
"How are we to live our lives?"
Philosophy, with its emphasis on reasoning skills, argument and debate is a useful part of an undergraduate program leading to professions in law, journalism, business or education. Many philosophy students combine their studies in philosophy with that of other disciplines such as History, English, Political Studies, Psychology, and Religious Studies.
Careers
In 1985, the U.S. Department of Education compared graduate program admission test scores (LSAT, GMAT, GRE). They found the best results were obtained by math students followed by philosophy and engineering students.
The study found that students who major in fields characterized by formal thought, abstract models, symbolic languages, and deductive reasoning develop reasoning and problem-solving skills suitab
le for application to many career options.
le for application to many career options. Recently, Rutgers
University and other
universities have seen a marked increase in undergraduate philosophy majors.
Many students double-majoring in philosophy have gone on to become doctors,
lawyers, writers, investment bankers and even commodities traders. In deciding
to study philosophy, some students have used it as a pre-law track and others
as a base to explore the current social issues of globalization and technology.
Most agree studying philosophy is intellectually rewarding.
Read more as published in the New York Times "In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined".
You may also read in U.S. News and World Report "Learn Philosophy: The classic discipline can help with contemporary dilemmas and modern careers."
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Phone: (807) 346-7725
Fax: (807) 343-8023
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