value of philosophy

Tag

36 Answers to “What Is the Value of Philosophy?” (updated)

Friction, a philosophy channel featuring interviews of professional philosophers, recently released a supercut of three dozen thinkers answering the question “What is the value of philosophy?” (more…)

Rawls on the Limits—and Limited Exposure—of Philosophy

In an interview in 1991, John Rawls is asked, “When you look at current events, in general, do you think of them with the A Theory of Justice framework in mind?” (more…)

The Reinstatement of an Undergraduate Philosophy Program

In 2019, Janet Levit, the then-provost of the University of Tulsa, arranged for the elimination of the school’s philosophy major. Now, new leadership at the university has committed to rebuilding its philosophy program. (more…)

Service-Learning in Philosophy Courses

“Moral problems, like global and local food insecurity, aren’t just abstract problems; they are practical problems with practical solutions. It’s important not just to present students with the problems, but also to empower them with real-world actions they can perform to help alleviate these problems.” (more…)

Advising Software Says Philosophy Majors Have Two Career Options

Some universities and colleges are spending money to have their students use a career advising software, TypeFocus, that appears to be based on pseudoscience, biased against the humanities, and severely misinformed. (more…)

Logic Course Breaks University of Sydney Enrollment Record — Or It Doesn’t

Over 2200 students at the University of Sydney are currently enrolled in “Philosophy 1012: Introduction to Logic,” setting a university-wide record for highest enrollment in any course the university has ever offered. (more…)

Philosophy Under Threat at St. Mary’s College

The administration at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is considering eliminating the school’s philosophy programs. (more…)

Australian Philosophers Object to Proposed Tuition Hikes for Philosophy Students

In June, Australian Minister of Education Dan Tehan announced a proposal to “double down on our core mission of educating Australians for the jobs that will be in demand in the future” that would lower university costs for science, engineering, information technology, nursing, etc., but raise costs for those studying philosophy and other humanities fields by 113%. (..

How Do Moral Philosophy Courses Affect Student Behavior?

Do college philosophy courses in ethics affect the real-world choices of the students who take them? A trio of philosophers recently took up this question and have just published their results. (more…)

Philosophy, Employment, and the Public Good (guest post by Alison Assiter)

“Educating students in philosophy and the humanities is a public good. We need people who think analytically and imaginatively and in unusual ways.” (more…)

Public Philosophy and the Civic Duty of Universities (guest post by Angie Hobbs)

“Like Plato’s Academy, the majority of modern universities should be civic institutions that engage with, learn from, and enhance the well-being of their local communities…. Each philosophy department should contain at least one member engaged in public interaction.” (more…)

Popular Philosophy and Populist Philosophy (guest post by Timothy Williamson)

“Philosophy is even harder than it seems; the right response to its difficulty is not to trash all the work already done by thousands of highly gifted and knowledgeable men and women.”

(more…)

The Philosophy of Popular Philosophy: A Miniseries (guest post by Aaron Wendland)

The following is the first installment of a miniseries on “The Philosophy of Popular Philosophy.” The series is being guest-edited by Aaron James Wendland, assistant professor of philosophy at National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia, and philosophy editor at The New Statesman. In the following post, he discusses the relationship bet..

The Career Trajectories and Workplace Skills of Philosophy and Language Majors

A new study looks at the jobs and skills of college graduates, including those who major in philosophy, finds that choice of major “isn’t as deterministic of our work as we might believe,” and aims to help students understand how their education has prepared them for the job market. (more…)

Moral Philosophy Courses Can Change Students’ Behavior

The share of meal plan expenditures on meat by students who took part in a philosophy class on the ethics of eating animals declined from 52% to 45%, with “no evidence that meat-eating rates went back up during the two months data was monitored,” according to a recent study whose authors believe it provides evidence for the claim that “ethics classes can influence s..

The Variety and Value of Public Philosophy

Readers may recall our discussion last month of the column by Agnes Callard (Chicago) in which she questions whether public philosophy is good. In response, the Executive Committee of the Public Philosophy Network (PPN) has now issued a helpful reply. (more…)

What You’d Share to Show Non-Philosophers the Value of Philosophy

Happy World Philosophy Day! World Philosophy Day is the creation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It’s aims include recognizing the value of philosophy, encouraging philosophical work, and raising awareness of philosophy among the public. (more…)

Teaching Gen Ed Students the Value of Philosophy (guest post by Andrew P. Mills)

Earlier this year, Andrew P. Mills , professor of philosophy and director of the Integrative Studies Program at Otterbein University, and president of the American Association of Philosophy Teachers, conducted a survey about teaching non-philosophy majors and getting them to see the value of philosophy. (more…)

American Catholic Philosophical Association Issues Statement Defending Philosophy

The American Catholic Philosophical Association (ACPA) has issued a public statement defending the role of philosophy in higher education. It is a response to a perceived increase in threats to the existence of philosophy programs and presence of philosophy requirements in curricula at colleges and universities, especially Catholic ones. (more…)

Philosophy in Schools: Continuing the Conversation (guest post by Myfanwy J. Williams)

The following is a guest post * by Myfanwy J. Williams, responding to last week’s post about claims made regarding the benefits of pre-college philosophy instruction. Dr. Williams is co-director of what she calls “a very small not-for-profit company,” which she is in the process of establishing with two fellow philosophers, John Foster and Faye Tucker (Second Though..

The Benefits of Pre-College Exposure to Philosophy: Data Needed

Occasionally philosophers make claims about the benefits of teaching elementary and high school students philosophy. (more…)

Bringing Philosophy and Business Education Together

A new program at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University combines philosophy and other humanities disciplines with a business education. “Integrated Business and Humanities” is a business major that requires its students to philosophy, language, culture, and other humanities courses. (more…)

Philosophy Threatened at Newcastle (Australia)

Under a proposed reorganization of its curriculum, the University of Newcastle, which advertises itself as a “world class university” would eliminate the possibility of students majoring in philosophy, along with 80% of its philosophy faculty. (more…)

Skepticism About Philosophy’s Capacity To Improve Thinking

Philosophy departments often include in their pitch to undergraduates the claim that studying philosophy can improve one’s thinking skills. But does it? (more…)

Philosophers From Women’s Colleges Oppose Eliminating Philosophy At Mills

Philosophers at Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard—all women’s colleges—have authored a letter opposing the proposed elimination of the philosophy department at Mills College. (more…)