Why are philosophers so successful? Because philosophy gives you training in life-long skills that don’t become outdated and gives you the ethical and conceptual foundations for many areas of life.
- Philosophers are exceptionally good at analyzing and synthesizing complex information.
- The content of philosophy is relevant to everyday life. For example, just as our mobile devices need operating systems, we also need moral operating systems. We all have opinions about morals and values, but philosophy gives us a much firmer grasp of the foundations of ethical values such as freedom, individuality, community, and the meaning of life, and how they work together.
- Philosophers excel at “critical thinking” and “thinking outside the box.” Philosophy is both scientifically informed and relevant to important developing areas of modern life, such as neuroscience, public policy, and computer software design. Unlike science, philosophy specializes in logical experimentation in thought and discussion; philosophers think outside the box and can thus be creatively ahead of their time. For example, the philosopher Locke, back in the 17the century, suggested that the coordination of our senses is learned. So for example, if a blind person were suddenly able to see, she would not be able to recognize by sight the shape of an object she previously knew only by touch. Presented with a cube and a globe, she could not tell which was which just by looking. It is only recently that vision studies by neuroscientists have shown Locke to have been right.
Take a look at our programs, take a course and discover how philosophy can give you skills and information that will last a life-time!
And, of course, philosophy is also an interesting and stimulating subject in its own right. It aims at reflecting about fundamental issues — goodness, truth, beauty, justice, knowledge, reality — in varied and stimulating ways, as well as educating students in habits of mind that are useful in all of these fields. It is an especially satisfying subject to study for people who are not satisfied with easy answers.
The philosophy department, located in Heger Hall, is a lively, friendly and intellectually-stimulating place. We host regular events involving philosophical discussion, including presentations by philosophers and other professionals, discussions on specific topics or films, informal gatherings, and an annual student philosophy conference at which students present their own work. Hofstra also has a chapter of the Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society.
Why are philosophers so successful? Because philosophy gives you training in life-long skills that don’t become outdated and gives you the ethical and conceptual foundations for many areas of life.
- Philosophers are exceptionally good at analyzing and synthesizing complex information.
- The content of philosophy is relevant to everyday life. For example, just as our mobile devices need operating systems, we also need moral operating systems. We all have opinions about morals and values, but philosophy gives us a much firmer grasp of the foundations of ethical values such as freedom, individuality, community, and the meaning of life, and how they work together.
- Philosophers excel at “critical thinking” and “thinking outside the box.” Philosophy is both scientifically informed and relevant to important developing areas of modern life, such as neuroscience, public policy, and computer software design. Unlike science, philosophy specializes in logical experimentation in thought and discussion; philosophers think outside the box and can thus be creatively ahead of their time. For example, the philosopher Locke, back in the 17the century, suggested that the coordination of our senses is learned. So for example, if a blind person were suddenly able to see, she would not be able to recognize by sight the shape of an object she previously knew only by touch. Presented with a cube and a globe, she could not tell which was which just by looking. It is only recently that vision studies by neuroscientists have shown Locke to have been right.
Take a look at our programs, take a course and discover how philosophy can give you skills and information that will last a life-time!
And, of course, philosophy is also an interesting and stimulating subject in its own right. It aims at reflecting about fundamental issues — goodness, truth, beauty, justice, knowledge, reality — in varied and stimulating ways, as well as educating students in habits of mind that are useful in all of these fields. It is an especially satisfying subject to study for people who are not satisfied with easy answers.
The philosophy department, located in Heger Hall, is a lively, friendly and intellectually-stimulating place. We host regular events involving philosophical discussion, including presentations by philosophers and other professionals, discussions on specific topics or films, informal gatherings, and an annual student philosophy conference at which students present their own work. Hofstra also has a chapter of the Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society.