Hi guys, as you can see, i’m kinda still new to this site. Although i haven’t posted much i have decently scanned through the forums in hopes of learning more about philosophy. I am in my last year of high school and next year i am planning to take a philosophy major, when i told this to my friends they all laughed. They asked me what kind of a job i could do with a philosophy major? Then i started thinking, really what is the value of philosophy in this modern day world where the little magic box brainwashes billions of people and the all mighty buck is king? I mean how much do people care? In Plato’s time people used to value philosophers because well, Plato was great. But nowadays in the media all you hear about are worthless celebrities and their scandals. The value for wisdom and intellect has died, so i was wondering if you guys could help me out a bit, what kind of jobs do you think i could as a philsophy major (except for a lawyer and teacher which i have already considered) and what value do you think people hold about philosophy today and what will become of the future of philosophy? Will it’s value worsen as people become more brainless and media frienzied or will people start looking toward philosophers as their next leaders and as people of status?
Are you saying you’d like to be a philosopher?
hey,
i’m in my third yr university and i am a criminology and philosophy student. I originally went into university only as a crim student, but I really picked up on philosophy as there were two compulsory philosophy courses required for my first year of criminology. In my second year I registered in the philosophy program. My original intentions were to study crim for 3 years, write the LSAT and go to law school. Criminology really changed my opinion about the legal system, and for that reason I have reconsidered my future career.
To tell you the truth I’m in the same position you are and I’ve been studying philosophy for 3 years! I’m ok with that though. Philosophy isn’t the only degree I’ll have but it is one that I find necessary. As someone posted on this site a while back, philosophy teaches you what every employer wants from their employees: the ability to think critically, analyze situations, and produce the best possible results. When people ask me what I am studying I tell them philosophy and crim, and the usual response is “wow, philosophy…you must be smart.” If this is the response that the general public gives when they discover u’ve studied philosophy, I’m pretty sure you could run into a few decent jobs in the future 
All in all, my suggestion is to take something else along with your philosophy. It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s no more than you would normally have…compulsory courses for one count as electives for the other. Hope that helped…and if you’re confused just talk to a guidance counsellor, they know all the details.
wow thnx for that, well in University i’m hoping to take a double major with philosophy and criminology or economics or political science, probably political science. Oh btw i have the same plan as well, take philo, then LSATs then law school here i come. Thnx for the insight again, i wasn’t sure if i was following the right path and if it’s going to lead anywhere but the employer job thing does sound logical and like a good thing 
thnx again, and any other posts of a different perspective would also be appreciated
Um… no.
If you’re a crazy artsy fartsy guy that thinks in metaphors like me… then take philosophy for the literature foundation.
fuck it… philosophy is a foundation for anything. You can do ANYTHING with a philosophy degree.
It’s just hard.
Philosophy is important for understanding who you are, not what you want to be
Study philosophy for the love of thought, not career.
Best of luck (and get off the Plato kick…and read aristotle)
Well, if I must be technically, I suppose that there is such a thing as a “professional philosopher”. A professional philosopher is someone who dedicates their life to not only learning more about philosophy for themselves, but also teaching what they learn to others. So, in this sense, they are a teacher, as well.
But I personally believe that their is more to life than money. Of course, you will still need a job of some sort to keep yourself alive. It all depends on how you prioritize your your personal desires.
Is making a lot of money, raising a family, and owning a lot of expensive things more important to you than living a humble life, with no much money or many possessions in order to pursue philosophy? If you want a high paying job, perhaps a philosophy major is not for you. But, if you can live without a huge sum of money, then I’d considering pursuing a major in a area you seem to enjoy (namely, philosophy).
Lastly, I highly recommend that you take some time to search through the old threads in this forum. There have been many people who have asked the same question that you ask. In those threads, you will be offered a wider variety of responses.
Hope this helps…
edited
The only thing a man owns is his religion and his knowledge.
The only things that do not change (much) over time are firearms and books. 
edited
Huma nature, itself, may never change, but culture and society sure do a good job changing tendencies in individual people.
The “Freudian Id” remains the same, though, if you catch my drift…
We all have the instinctual desire to survive, regardless the cost.