What can you do with a degree in Philosophy?

Philosophy has proven to be an excellent background for any of the following fields:

  • education
  • law
  • computers
  • religion
  • psychology
  • social work
  • business
  • advertising
  • public administration

Many wildly successful people pursued a degree in Philosophy while in college. Here are just a few of them:

  • Natalie Wynn – YouTuber and political commentator (here she uses her philosophical background to critique Canadian conservative Jordan Peterson)
  • Kumail Nanjiani – Pakistani-American comedian and actor
  • Lana Del Rey – Singer-songwriter
  • Stephen Breyer – U.S. Supreme Court Justice
  • Wes Anderson – American filmmaker
  • Bruce Lee – Martial artist and actor
  • George Soros – Billionaire investor and philanthropist

The study of philosophy is more urgent than ever. Watch this video, in which philosopher Divya Dwivedi, speaking at an UNESCO Forum, contemplates what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us and what a post-pandemic world might look like. 

Marble statues of ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, right, and Plato, left, in front of the Athens Academy in Greece (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

Marble statues of ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, right, and Plato, left, in front of the Athens Academy in Greece (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

Why else, apart from future career success, should you study philosophy? According to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex and a MacArthur "Genius Award" recipient, "...[Philosophy is] always a good thing to know, no matter what you go on to study—to be able to think critically. To challenge your own point of view. Also, you need to be a citizen in this world. You need to know your responsibilities. You’re going to have many moral choices every day of your life. And [philosophy] enriches your inner life. You have lots of frameworks to apply to problems, and so many ways to interpret things. It makes life so much more interesting. It’s us at our most human. And it helps us increase our humanity. No matter what you do, that’s an asset." Read her full comments here.