Philosophy

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I Think Therefore I Thrive!

There’s more to studying philosophy than wearing a toga and sporting a tangled beard, as Rob Fletcher discovers.

According to Socrates, an “unexamined life is not worth living”. That might not strike an immediate chord with you – particularly in the original ancient Greek! – but it could be more worthwhile than you think to study a subject synonymous with the great Athenian thinker – both in terms of your personal life and of your career.

Philosophy is all too often seen as the preserve of eccentric bearded eggheads who wander around in flowing robes discussing the meaning of life, while at the same time appearing to be utterly out of touch with reality. Yet it’s a subject surprisingly relevant to more earthly concerns – indeed, despite popular misconceptions of its archaic nature, a philosophy degree can equip you with skills which are incredibly useful in the contemporary world.

In an era when vocational degrees are becoming increasingly popular it might be fashionable to dismiss broader and more general subjects such as philosophy as outmoded and out of date. Yet studying the subject that has fascinated mankind for millennia is once more being recognised as far more relevant to contemporary working life than degree courses offered on passing cultural trends. Quite how a course on David Beckham – as recently offered as part of a football culture course at Staffordshire University – is relevant to reality now, let alone in five years time, is surely far more mysterious.

Furthermore, philosophy courses contain a wide range of philosophical topics – everything from ancient ethics, to political and legal philosophy, to logic. As a result there are elements that should appeal to students with an interest in subjects as diverse as history, religious studies and even maths and physics.

GOING DEEP
Indeed it was an interest in the last two areas that inspired David Levy, who is now a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, to study the subject at St Andrews. After graduating, Levy used his philosophy skills to great effect – first in an IT job in Silicon Valley, then as a financier in the City of London. ‘Although philosophy is essentially an academic rather than a vocational course’, he reflects, ‘it is still remarkably relevant outside the confines of academia’. Indeed, he continues, ‘we teach students how to think, assimilate and critically analyse information, as well as how to write and argue’.

‘Such skills’, he observes, ‘are incredibly useful in the “knowledge economy” of the 21st century. And the ability to critically assess information is essential in a wide variety of careers – anything from management consultancy, to financial analysis, to journalism, the civil service, media and the law.’

Moreover, in teaching you how to think for yourself, the study of philosophy is an excellent method of ‘learning how to learn’ – a skill that can be applied to any career choice you might later make and a sign of adaptability. Perhaps most importantly of all, as Levy points out, unlike some knowledge which might be rendered obsolete over time by factors such as ever-evolving technology, ‘the ability to think critically does not become devalued over time’.

Although no philosophers of the stature of Socrates or Plato, Marx or Mill, have emerged in the last hundred years or so, philosophy’s effects on the present and the shape of our society are hard to underestimate. It is perhaps this reason, combined with something of a backlash against the narrow outlook of many other relatively recent degree subjects that is helping to regain philosophy’s reputation as one of the more relevant of the arts and humanities degrees.

And, as a current philosophy student makes the case, it can be an enjoyable as well as a useful too.

CASE STUDY:
Georgi Gardiner is about to enter the final year of her philosophy degree at the University of Edinburgh and, after three years, her enthusiasm for the subject still appears undimmed.

‘I really wanted to keep my options open’, she explains about choosing her degree. ‘I wasn’t keen to jump straight into a career on leaving university…and I really wanted to study something genuinely interesting and of fundamental relevance to the world at large’. And she believes her course has done exactly that.

‘Studying philosophy entails a lot of reading, writing and discussion’, she continues. ‘It’s about thinking clearly , finding faults in arguments, comprehending ideas, developing your thinking and improving your understanding of the world – which is exactly what I wanted to do at university.’ For Gardener, part of this appeal comes from the fact that study of philosophy exposes students to new ideas, which can then be reinterpreted by individual students in seminars and discussions.

‘Conversation’, she reflects, ‘is the philosophy student’s equivalent of time spent in a laboratory – you put your ideas to the test and experiment with them. However, unlike in the sterile environment of a laboratory, you can eat in discussion groups and don’t have to wear ridiculous goggles all day!’

As well as enjoying the course in its own right Gardener also believes that what she is learning can be applied to many aspects of life. ‘I see philosophy as something anyone does as soon as they question the world’, she explains, ‘be it wondering if parents should be allowed to hit their children or whether the current tax levels are fair’.

As a result she sees academic philosophy as ‘a powerful toolbox for tackling everyday questions’ as well as subject that will grant her the freedom to choose her own career. ‘Employers increasingly value philosophy graduates’, she enthuses, ‘as, although it doesn’t provide direct training for many jobs, it does demonstrate that you can think clearly, as well as write and explain things particularly well.’

FURTHER INFORMATION
No specific subjects are necessary to go on to study philosophy, but a minimum of four Bs in Highers are generally required.

Courses in philosophy are offered by the universities of Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow, St Andrews and Aberdeen. These include straight philosophy MAs or philosophy combined with subjects as diverse as business, psychology or even Scandinavian studies.

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