Is there a career place for philosophers?

Question: Is there a career place for philosophers!?

The philosophy courses at my university are all based on learning past philosophy, I want to pursue philosophy as a career, but not teaching others what dead people said!. Is there a place for modern day philosophers!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Of course!. Recently The Guardian printed an article detailing how the recruitment rates for Philosophy grads showed the highest increase against other graduates!. So the demand for philosophy students is certainly growing!.

The most popular route for Philosophy graduates is to pursue a career in ethics!. This can be in the form of many different roles, as an advisor for businesses, medical boards, the government, animal welfare organisations, schools, universities!.!.!.etc!. The practice of critical thinking, debating, reasoning and concluding (all stemming from the analysis and criticism of past philosophers) are highly valued skills in a commercial world which is often looking to be more environmentally and ethically viable!.

Other popular career paths include those in:
Journalism - some of the best persuasive and emotive writing will usually incorporate some form of philosophising!.
Advertising - Philosophy grads can offer a fresh perspective on marketing and selling techniques!.
Counseling/advising - Many philosophy graduates take a course in therapy or counseling which offers them the chance to employ their reasoning skills to help solve problems!.
Recruitment, consultancy, retail, youth work, teaching (usually in conjunction with another subject such as RE or English), PR!.!.!.are all possible career paths for a philosopher!.

Finally, there are a number of great modern day philosophers - why not wikipedia/google Julian Baggini for example!? Or AC Grayling!? They are both professional modern day philosophers, the former of whom is not even professionally involved in academia!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You shouldn't look at learning philosophy in college as memorizing what a bunch of dead people said!. technically, that's all they do in physics departments, but you'd probably be a pretty challenged physicist if you didn't study Einsten, Newton, or Bohrs!.

In the same manner, you learn what the philosophers of old had to say so that you have a full understanding of the progress made by the philosophers of old!. Once you are fully brought up to speed, then you can begin making progress in the field!.

Physics wouldn't progress very far if every new student had to come up with every progression in the field made in the past 500 years, would they!? So why is philosophy different!?

Study the philosophies, find the ones who you agree with, then specialize in that field, be it Theology, Existentialism, Analytic philosophy, or Continental philosophy!.

As far as professional philosophy, it is a lot like history; you're going to have to go for your Masters and Ph!.D, and probably end up teaching as a means of securing an income!. Nothing wrong with that!. Freidrich Nietzsche was a maverik philosopher who nonetheless was a professor of Philology at the University of Basil!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's similar to science in that respect!. You have to learn what has already been said and done and stand on the shoulders of giants to proceed!. Modern day philosophy professors are indeed inventing new ideas!.

Some philosophy courses are explictly history, but some like "Aesthetics" or "Epistemology," particularly at the graduate level involve more discussion and creative thinking!.

You can indeed be an amateur philosopher!. But to be a professional, you pretty much work in academia!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You should first try to consider what does the word "philosopher" means to you!. What is it!? Think about it!.
Does the word "philosopher" imply "career maker"!? or moneymaker or what-else !. !. !. etc!.!? On the other hand one of the first dilemmas which appears in front of the beginning philosopher is "how to earn a living!?", in farther cases "what am I supposed to eat today!?"!. That sort of scenarios oft take place in the life scene of a philosopher!. But that's why he is namely a philosopher, because he is totally unaware, unprepared and careless about that sort of matters!. He just can not spare a lot of time for this!. He has more valuable things to consider rather than how to earn money enough to buy couple of yachts to the girl he loves!. One after all should ask himself: "what do I need this career for!?" and eventually to find the answer!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

there definitely is a place for 'modern' philosophers!

you find a never ending supply of modern philosophers working in esteemed places like mcdonalds serving fries, janitors cleaning out vomit from plugged toilets and, probably the highest concentration, in all welfare offices across the nation collecting their main source of income!.

you do not need to have an academic background in philosophy to be progressive in philosophy!. all you need is a huge prescription of prozac, some jack daniels and an incredible false sense of superior intellect!.

linking words academic and intelligence with philosophy is contradictory and insulting!. it is like saying employed philosopher or generous miser!. the words just do not go together!.

chances of you ever having any form of success in this world with 'progressive philosophy' will result in supplementing your meager existence by walking the streets late at night offering diseased bare back sexual favors in exchange for pennies on the dollar!.

modern day philosophers are about as useful as cockroaches, tape worms and diarrhea!. there must be something useful but to this day, the reason still eludes us!.

dont despair!. your career in higher thought, heightened intelligence and self deceived supremacy will result in becoming a big fat nothing in life that has contributed a huge zero to humanity!. in fact, you will be a negative to society as you are sucking out welfare money where it could have helped more deserving people that truly need it!.

ohhhh, boo hoo hoo!

did someones feelings get hurt!? does someone have a sensitive baby skin that needs cuddling and a kiss when ones knee is scraped!?

sounds like someone isnt tough enough for the real world when they message me and not accept responses!.

here's the jist of it:

i dont need to bring anything to school to bring judgment on anybody!. BUT it seems that you are very able to bring that conclusion onto yourself very easily! i'll glimpse over to the papers every so often to see if there is ever a headline that reads 'self declared intellect goes even crazier and runs down street naked while on fire and shouting excepts from mr bean!.'

'if' you read my answer, though worded somewhat harshly by todays whipped standards, it is filled, just filled with real world advice!. think life is tough in the working world being stuck in a job you hate!? wait until you 'get out on your own' and try and make whatever horrific miserable living you can on sheer mediocre 'talent'!. the world is unforgiving to the lazy but it is even more unforgiving to the untalented and clueless!.

what kind or 'weirdo' goes on answers and has 'nothing' to give!? i dont know who you are talking about but whether you believe or not, people line up and have to wait for any spare moment i have so that i can dispense my real world wisdom!. i know it is hard for losers in life to actually comprehend that people pay me, beg me and want to talk to me just for some guidance in their life but that is up to those who hate my guts to believe!.

is 0 (zero) a number!? holy cr@p, you have to ask that!? well, here's another of my free tips in life!. when your bank account reads 0 (zero), let me know if that is a real number or not!. let me know if you arent on social welfare, grubbing through the streets looking for cans to recycle and bits of garbage to eat!.

now, excuse me as i get back to my incredibly awesome life! and those who follows and reads my responses know, i am consistent and the what is revealed in consistency!? oh yeah, the truth!

ciao!Www@QuestionHome@Com

you dont need a college degree to be a philosopher!.

Taking philosophy at college, all you learn is the history of philosophy

College degrees in philosophy are only good for teaching philosophy!.

I recommend just taking logic and critical thinking courses!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes!. Seminar after seminar after seminar after experiental weekend after seminar after semnar after seminar!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you will most likely have to pursue something else but in your spare time you could write a book or something on your own philosophiesWww@QuestionHome@Com

no, but it will look good on a CV and many jobs required 'heavy' thinking!.

Just my thoughts!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Thinks like ethics committee's etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hang on I'll just give that some thoughtWww@QuestionHome@Com