Why major or minor in philosophy?

• The reading, writing, and thinking skills developed through the study of philosophy are valuable in the pursuit of any professional vocation.  In an economy where mid-career changes are increasingly becoming a rule, such basic and generalizable skills are more vital for successful career development than ever before.
• Philosophers have traditionally scored very high on entrance exams to graduate school such as the GRE and LSAT, exams that test the basic thinking skills promoted by philosophical study (for details, see "Philosophy: What Do you Do with It?" below).
• The close historical connection between philosophy and a variety of other disciplines (e.g., psychology, literature, mathematics, educational theory, etc.) means that philosophy is an ideal choice as a complement to any academic major.
• Philosophy has historically been a central, and for much of history the central, sustained intellectual concern of our culture.  The study of philosophy is the study of intellectual history.
• Just for the enjoyment of open-ended intellectual inquiry.

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