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Philosophy is a Great Major

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    • AboutLearn about this site, its creator, and The Institute for Philosophy in Public Life
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  • Jobs and SalariesHow philosophy compares to other jobs, in terms of salaries and lifetime earnings. You’ll be surprised how well it stacks up.
  • People with Philosophy DegreesArticles discussing the many careers and experiences of philosophy degree holders
  • Which Courses?Don’t know which philosophy courses to take? Explains what’s best for first-timers and how to compare course numbers.
  • More than a jobThe economic argument for philosophy is strong, but having a good, well-balanced life is also important. Philosophy can help.

Author: Jack Russell Weinstein

Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Dakota and the host of the public radio show Why? Philosophical discussions about everyday life (WHY? Radio for short). He is the author of three books and dozens of articles, and has edited four collections. He is the recipient of the 2007 UND Foundation/McDermott Award for Individual Excellence in Teaching, the top teaching award at his university. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston University in 1998. He is the author of three books On Adam Smith and On MacIntyre, both volumes in the Wadsworth Philosophers Series, and most recently Adam Smith's Pluralism: Rationality, Education, and the Moral Sentiments, from Yale University Press.
People with Philosophy Degrees…

“I would have had a tremendous advantage if I had studied ethics” – Steven C from Maryland reflects on his work life.

5 Jan 2021January 5, 2021
We at Philosophy Is a Great Major love hearing the effect that philosophy has had on people’s lives and careers. Sometimes, though, people write us who wish they had studied…
Salaries…

Florida Changing Rules To Allow Philosophy Majors To Teach Social Sciences In Public Schools

1 Jan 2021January 5, 2021
There’s a new career path open to philosophy majors: teaching in the Florida public schools. More specifically, they have now made it legal for philosophers to teach the social sciences.…
Uncategorized

Posters for Philosophy Departments (and others who want them)

1 Nov 2018January 5, 2021
We all know that it is difficult to get students to seriously consider philosophy as a major. Advertising helps. We at Philosophy Is A Great Major want to make your…
Skills…

Robert E. Rubin: “Philosophy Prepared Me for a Career in Finance and Government”

31 Oct 2018January 5, 2021
Robert Rubin was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1995-1999. He started out his career at Harvard University, but of all of his courses, it was his first philosophy…
Skills…

To be a Good Doctor, Study the Humanities

31 Oct 2018January 4, 2021
In a recent article in the Pacific Standard, medical doctor Angira Patel discusses her experience and how studying philosophy in college rather than science gave her a distinct advantage. It…
Skills…

Teaching kids philosophy makes them smarter in math and English

31 Oct 2018January 5, 2021
Normally, this site focuses on higher education, but it is worth taking some time to recognize that philosophy is an excellent subject for all students. A recent large-scale study in…
Skills and Saleries

Mark Cuban says that soon, studying philosophy will be worth more than a computer science degree.

27 Feb 2018January 5, 2021
The well-known Billionaire Entrepreneur Mark Cuban argues that in the not-so distant future, a philosophy degree will be worth significantly more than a computer-science degree. The reason, he argues, is…
Salaries…

Humanities Graduates are Gainfully Employed and Happy

18 Feb 2018January 5, 2021
On February 7, 2018, The Association of American Universities released a report offering data to show that graduates with humanities degrees are “gainfully employed and happy.” As they put it…
People with Philosophy Degrees…

Hedge Fund Investor Donates $75 million to Philosophy Department, Attributing his Success to Philosophy.

28 Jan 2018January 5, 2021
Bill Miller just donated $75,000,000 to The Johns Hopkins University Philosophy Department. He did it because he credits his business success to the education he received there. In fact, he is…
Skills…

5 Reasons Why Philosophy Majors Make the Best Entrepreneurs

26 Sep 2017January 5, 2021
Nick Miller, co-founder and CEO of the restaurant-software company Gather, attributes his success to his education in philosophy. He points out that the same qualities that make a philosopher successful are…
Skills…

The management myth

26 Apr 2017January 5, 2021
Mathew Stewart's lengthy piece in The Atlantic is summarized as follows: "Most of management theory is inane, writes our correspondent, the founder of a consulting firm. If you want to succeed…
Salaries…

The lifetime earning power of a philosophy degree, compared with all the others.

28 Mar 2017January 5, 2021
The folks at Payscale.com have conducted a pretty impressive study comparing the earning power of virtually every major. Philosophy doesn't stack up to the top paid major, petroleum engineering, but no one really…
Skills…

A case for majoring in philosophy, from Forbes.

22 Mar 2017January 5, 2021
Philosophy majors can do just about anything. So, it is not surprising that Travis Chamberlain, started out in the military, then made his way to the one of the most prestigious universities in the…
Salaries…

In 2015, only 5% of Philosophy Majors were unemployed, six months after graduation.

22 Mar 2017January 5, 2021
Despite the anti-philosophy rhetoric, philosophy majors do very well in the job market. A recent study by The Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that in 2015, only five percent…
People with Philosophy Degrees

Phil Jackson – Championship Winning Basketball Coach

21 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
B.A. in philosophy from the University of North Dakota (1967) 13 time NBA Champion and Current President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks In Phil Jackson's book 11…
Skills…

CUBAN: Don’t go to school for finance — liberal arts is the future

20 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
In a recent interview billionaire investor Mark Cuban noted that liberal arts degrees, like philosophy, are better suited for the future job market. Cuban believes the skills developed in the…
Skills…

Infographic: The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree.

20 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
A liberal arts degree can provide you with the skills to pursue numerous career choices. Here, Daily Infographic shows how a liberal arts degree can allow you to succeed.
Skills…

A Harvard Medical School professor makes the case for the liberal arts and philosophy

20 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
It is often said that there is little connection between the liberal arts and STEM field. This is not the case. Dr. David Silbersweig, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and…
Skills…

Teaching kids philosophy makes them smarter in Math and English

20 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
Nationally, the liberal arts and STEM fields are viewed as opposing and non-complimentary. However, a recent study conducted in England shows that students with philosophical backgrounds have increased reading and math…
Salaries…

The myth of the unemployed Humanities Major

20 Feb 2017January 5, 2021
Humanities majors are often caricatured. Sometimes it is said that liberal arts students go to college to ultimately end up asking "Do you want fries with that?" Other times people…

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