Philosophy is for You

There’s no one type of person who is attracted to philosophy, and we welcome a diversity of points of view. The only requirement for studying philosophy is a genuine desire to think. Still, there are a few sorts of people who seem especially to gravitate towards philosophy. See if you fit into one or more of these categories.

Puzzle Solvers

Philosophical problems are often logical puzzles, and many who study philosophy enjoy wrapping their minds around complicated logical problems.

Debaters

Philosophical training can be a great aid to those who like to argue and debate, and philosophical problems (whether they be about morality, politics, government, religion, or anything else) are natural problems for debate. If you are passionate about any of these issues and like arguing about them, philosophy is a natural place for you.

Generalists

If you are the kind of person who likes math and English and history and physics, and you can’t really decide what you should study, philosophy may be the perfect area. Philosophy tends to be interdisciplinary in the issues it tackles, and it uses all parts of your brain. Some people are really engaged by metaphysical questions about the meaning of life, God, death, the soul, the good, and the beautiful. Philosophy is their natural home.

Activists

Philosophical reflection sometimes produces deep convictions about how the world should be changed. Philosophy students learn to think outside the box and consider solutions to problems that threaten liberty, equality and human rights, and some (both liberal and conservative) become convinced that the point of philosophy is, as Marx said, not just to understand the world, but to change it.