Yes, I'm a Philosophy Major. No, I'm Not Unemployable (2022)

Image: The Good Place (2020).

While home from college this summer, my interactions with adults outside of my family have tended to go something like this:

Them: So, how have you been? What have you been up to lately?

Me: I’m good, thanks. I just finished my first year of college.

Them: What are you studying?

Me: I’m not sure yet… I’m still deciding.

That last part is a lie. I usually feign indecision to avoid weird looks, passive-aggressive comments, and having to explain my choices.

You see, I’m a prospective philosophy major. Of all the humanities/ liberal arts subjects, which are already the brunt of many tasteless jokes in today’s STEM-focused digital age, I feel that philosophy is one of least respected and most misunderstood.

I became interested in philosophy around middle school, when I first watched “The Matrix” and learned that it was inspired by Plato’s Allegory of The Cave. These iconic works opened my eyes to an entirely new way of thinking. I questioned everything about the world around me. How could I trust that my sense perceptions accurately represented reality? How much of what I thought I knew was an illusion? How could I know that I wasn’t living in The Matrix? Would the answer to these questions change the way I go about living?

These questions are upsetting to some, but they continue to intrigue and baffle me. Now, I am a rising college sophomore intending on majoring in philosophy.

Recently, I had a minor medical procedure that required anesthesia (I’m fine). I had gone through the above script with the anesthesiologist, but he continued to press me about what I wanted to study. I gave in and told him, “Well, I’m interested in studying philosophy.” Without skipping a beat, he retorted, “Oh, you don’t want to study philosophy.”

Huh? Um, yeah, I do. “Why not?” I asked. “You can’t do anything with that,” he said. I shoved down my frustration. I figured it wasn’t the best idea to piss off the main person in charge of ensuring my comfort during the procedure.

But as I dozed off, I thought more about what he said. I think the anesthesiologists’ disdain for my academic path is reflective of the public’s perception towards the liberal arts, even among – especially among – workers in medicine and technology. I suppose it makes sense: while people who choose these types of careers are usually interested in their respective fields, oftentimes they view their studies as preparation for a specific (and usually lucrative) career track. Any exploration outside of the straight and narrow path towards this career is a waste of time, credits, and mental energy. Education is reduced to training.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this mindset, but I believe it can be dangerous to think this way in the 21st century. If there’s anything this pandemic year has taught us, it’s that life is unpredictable. The only constant in life is change, and things are changing faster than ever. No one knows what the jobs of tomorrow will look like.  Approaching education as a ticket to just one job, or even a handful of jobs, gives one little flexibility in our rapidly evolving world.

Philosophy arms students with a plethora of skills that will never become impractical. It teaches us to read critically, think logically and analytically, and communicate effectively. Incidentally, these are the very skills that employers are looking for. In addition to technical and quantitative proficiency, my generation will also need to be able to argue persuasively, discern truth from “alternative facts”, and contend with complex ethical issues, many of which will be brought about by globalization and the advancement of medicine and technology. Essentially, the workers of the future will need to be well-rounded. As Scott Harley wrote in The Fuzzy and the Techie, “fuzzy” liberal arts majors are and will continue to be a crucial component of the “techie” STEM work force. These disciplines MUST work together. The liberal arts were made for this moment.

“We need people who have the ability to look for different approaches and take an open mind to issues. These skills are promoted by philosophical approaches." – Businesswoman Lucy Adams via The Guardian

Beyond the major’s consistent turnout of successful, employable students, I believe philosophy is inherently valuable. When I first started taking philosophy classes at my local community college, I wasn’t learning for academic credit or to “get ahead” in any way. I was learning because I was genuinely interested. Nothing seems more important to me than critically examining the human condition, searching for truths about reality and existence, figuring out the basis of moral right and wrong, and learning how to live a meaningful life.

“Philosophy was never meant to be sold on the market; it is meant to stand outside it, to question and criticize it, like Socrates did.” – Times Higher Education

That is why I want to major in philosophy. Hopefully, I either exposed you to a new perspective or provided more fodder for your current beliefs.