Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Philosophy?

Why should I care?

How can I find out more?

What is Philosophy?

Some say that philosophy is all about answering that very question, but that's not very helpful.  Literally, the word "philosophy" means "love of wisdom," from the Greek "philo-," love of, and "sophia," wisdom.  So we might say that philosophers are lovers of wisdom.  Historically, any sage or scientist would have been known as a philosopher.  "Natural philosophy" was what they once called physics and biology.  Today, "philosophy" is generally taken to include such areas as:

	Metaphysics - What is the nature of reality?  What is the soul?  Do we have free will?  Does God exist?  What is existence?
	Epistemology - What is knowledge?  What is opinion?  What is certainty, and is it possible?  How do we acquire knowledge?  What are concepts?
	Ethics, or Moral Philosophy - What is the good life?  What is justice?  What principles should I adopt?  What, if anything, are my duties to others?  Do the ends justify the means?  Are there any objective moral claims, or is it all just opinion?
	Logic - the formal study of what constitutes valid reasoning.
	Aesthetics - What is art?  What is beauty?  What standards, if any, of critical judgment ought we to apply?  What is the function of art?  What standards should we appeal to in interpretation of art?

Other areas of philosophy include the "philosophy of" other things, for example:

	Philosophy of Language - How does language refer?  What is meaning?  What is communication?
	Philosophy of Religion - Can evil coexist with an omnipotent and benevolent God?  What is faith?
	Political Philosophy - What structures of government are most just?  What are rights?  What criteria ought we to appeal to when evaluating political systems?
	Philosophy of Science - What distinguishes science  from pseudo-science?  Why is scientific method what it is?  What is the ontological status of theoretical entities?  What constitutes knowledge in the scientific community?
	Philosophy of Mind - What is consciousness?  Is there a distinction between "mind" and "brain"?  What is thought?  Is artificial intelligence possible?
	Philosophy of Law - Can there be an obligation to obey unjust laws?  Is there any such thing as natural law?  How are judicial decisions reached, and how should they be understood?  What is privacy?  Should being insane count as a defense?  Is capital punishment a good idea?
	Philosophy of Feminism - Are genders socially constructed, or natural?  How do genders affect people's views of themselves and others?  Is there a male bias in the way many aspects of society are typically understood?
	Philosophy of Mathematics - What are numbers?  Are the laws of mathematics features of the universe, or dependent on human perception?  How do we know that mathematics proves what it says it does?
	Applied Ethics - Medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, military ethics, etc.

We also concern ourselves with the history of philosophy - partly because the way these questions have been examined and reexamined over time influences the way we think about them today, and partly because many thinkers of the past continue to offer stimulating insights.

	Ancient Philosophy - Pre-Socratic philosophy, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic philosophy, Roman philosophy, Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy
	Medieval Philosophy - European, Arabic, Indian, Chinese
	Modern Philosophy - roughly, from the 1600s to the 1800s
	19th Century Philosophy
	20th Century Philosophy in the Anglo-American tradition
	20th Century Philosophy in the continental European tradition
	Contemporary Philosophy

Why should I care?

Philosophy offers benefits of both intrinsic value and instrumental value.  Philosophy is intrinsically valuable in that it equips you to:

• understand yourself better
• understand the world better
• articulate and defend a value system
• develop a sense of what constitutes good reasons
• defend yourself from fallacious appeals
• reach your full potential as a human being
• figure out what it means to live a good life and do it

Philosophy is instrumentally valuable in that it:

• teaches reasoning skills
• develops the ability to read carefully and analyze
• fosters both creative and rigorous problem solving skills
• enhances confidence in spoken argument and discussion
• improves writing skills
• acquaints you with many ideas that have shaped the world for better or worse

You might consider majoring in philosophy if any of the above seems important to you, but also keep in mind that philosophy has a proven track record of being advantageous to people preparing for a variety of careers.  Are you considering pre-law?  Nationwide, philosophy majors do better than anyone else on the LSAT.  Planning on an MBA?  Philosophy majors outperform business majors on the GMAT.  Philosophy majors sometimes pursue graduate study of philosophy and become academics, but more often they go into law, medicine, business, journalism, public policy, or government.  Please feel free to consult any member of the department if you have questions about what philosophy is, what we do, or what we can do for you.

Last Modified: May 24, 2011