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Question: Philosophy questions!?
i have some questions about Philosophy!.
1) what is Philosophy
2) what type of job involves Philosophy
3) do you need a degree
4) what qualifications do you need
5) what type of people (personality type) study/are interested in PhilosophyWww@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
1!. philosophy is "love of wisdom!." but to be more helpful, i think of it as the bottom-most layer of thinking about issues!. its the study of what goes on underneath various disciplines!. for example, philosophy of science doesnt study scientific phenomena, but science itself!. the same for philosophy of mathematics, ethics, religion, etc!. according to tradition, there is a "first philosophy" that deals with reality itself: metaphysics!. this branch of philosophy and epistemology (study of knowledge) are considered the most fundamental studies of philosophy!.

2!. directly, i can only think of teaching philosophy!. however, because philosophy is, i think, the discipline most focused on developing general thinking skills, one can use those skills in any occupation that requires critical thinking abilities!. and in an ideal world, most or all people would have developed a philosophy about their occupations!.

in any case, many philosophy majors go on to become attorneys!. some go on to other types of professional jobs!. in fact, philosophy majors consistently hold among the highest (and in some years the highest) test scores on the gre (for grad school), the lsat (for law school), and gmat (for business school)!. recently, (not sure what year) philosophy majors scored third highest on the lsat (after math and econ majors), second highest on on the gmat (second to math again), first on the gre verbal section, and if i recall correctly, were the 4th most selected major to medical schools!. this assumes you are in a good program and are learning lots!.

3!. you dont need a degree to study philosophy!. however, i think philosophical studies arent easily accessible to someone without guidance or help!. so a degree in philosophy would probably be a tremendous help in better understanding the field!. if you were asking if you need a degree for the jobs in answer to #2, you only need a philosophy degree (a phd or maybe a ma) to teach it!.

4!. you need a capacity to think abstractly and logically!. and probably a good amount of discipline to work through difficult readings!.

5!. while there isnt any one type, i think certain qualities are more common!. the study of philosophy seems to favor those who can think rationally, logically, and abstractly!. as well as those who are inquisitive and curious about why things are the way they are!. those who flexible in their thinking tend to do better than those who are entrenched!. and (as with any field of study) those with greater discipline are more likely to get greater results!. finally, i think the implications of the things you learn in philosophy are extremely significant, regarding life and many important issues, though i dont think this is well-recognized!. so if you are the type of person who likes to think deeply about things, you may be suited to philosophy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

1!. I enjoyed the above answer
2!. I would say any that employ reasoning, lawyers and journalists sometimes come from an education in philosophy!.
3!. Normally you would, but if you educate yourself and can get published in a journal, you could still make a name for yourself and get a job as a professional philosopher!.
4!. Strong reasoning skills and a great imagination
5!. Curious and questioning in my experienceWww@QuestionHome@Com

1!. philosophy is just ideas based on logical reasoning!.!.!. often interesting ideas

2!. professor!.!.!. thats it!. although PhD stands for doctorate of philosophy

3!. Yes

4!. A doctorate and some experience

5!. People who have their head in the clouds but are also disciplined enough to do hard work!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To be a philospher you need only your mind, opinions, experiences, and imagination!. To get paid for being a philospher, see the answer the person above me gave!.Www@QuestionHome@Com