Robert Neithart, Asst. News Editor—

A couple days ago, I was catching up with a high school friend over the phone. It had been a while since we’d last talked, so we spoke for about an hour, discussing our summer plans, aspirations and really whatever else came to mind. 

Toward the end of the call, my friend explained that he was thinking about changing his major. He asked me what I was planning to declare in the coming year, to which I responded that I planned to major in philosophy. There was a brief moment of silence; he snickered, and said something to the effect that I’d have plenty of time to ponder life’s questions when I was destitute and unemployed. Evidently, my friend is still stuck in the cave. 

To be fair though, this wasn’t the first time I’d been subject to this variety of criticism. Friends, acquaintances and even adults have proven all too willing to voice their disapproval for my major of choice. The grounds upon which they make their arguments vary, but often, they stem from a misguided preconception that a degree in philosophy bears no practical merit. Let’s address this. 

To begin, philosophy is a discipline that demands of those who study it the ability to critically think and reason. This makes sense in the context of a subject that doesn’t tend to deal in absolutes. Even among philosophers and academics, there is rarely a neat consensus as to the truth or status of a thing, action, or state of affairs. 

In light of this, students of philosophy must be able to analyze and interpret arguments and ideas with a great degree of clarity so that they can formulate responses and opinions which are similarly clear and nuanced; and they do. 

When the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) was required on a wider scale for admission into graduate programs, philosophy students consistently scored among the highest in verbal communication and analytical writing; they also fared well on the LSAT. Though this might have more to do with the type of student attracted to philosophy and less to do with the subject itself, the results stand. 

Unsurprisingly, these practical skills translate into the workplace where philosophy majors–and other humanities students – are highly valued. 

Stewart Butterfield, the 42-year-old co-founder and CEO of Slack Technologies – valued at $2.8 billion – studied philosophy at the University of Victoria, later earning a master’s degree in philosophy and the history of science from Cambridge. 

He explained in a 2015 Forbes article that his studies in philosophy proved instrumental in his career, as the discipline allowed him to develop his writing skills and ability to follow arguments, translating into practical applications like business meetings, for example. 

Indeed, the practical merit of a philosophy degree is perhaps part of a greater shift toward increasing value in the humanities. 

With recent advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and increased automatization, employers have already begun to seek out applicants who exhibit greater capacities for humanist thought and reasoning–both characteristic of philosophy majors. 

According to the World Economic Forum, philosophy majors have the highest median starting salary of any of the humanities, also exhibiting a significant earning potential over time, with philosophy majors seeing a 103.5% increase from median starting salary to median mid-career salary.

This said, you probably shouldn’t major in philosophy if you’re in it for the cash; other disciplines would better serve that interest. However, the perceived lack of practical potential for a degree in philosophy should not dissuade prospective majors. 

In truth, you should really study philosophy because you love it, and because you recognize that it is a discipline that can help us answer the most fundamental questions pertinent to our lives and well-being. 

Dilemmas and difficult circumstances are a constant of existence; as evidenced by some 2,500 years of written and oral tradition, no field of knowledge is better suited to amending life’s problems than philosophy. If that doesn’t count as practical, I don’t know what does.