Philosophy is a field of study that seeks to understand the fundamental nature of reality, existence, knowledge, morality, and the meaning of life. It involves the critical examination of concepts, ideas, beliefs, and arguments in order to systematically address questions about the nature of reality, human existence, ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and more. Philosophy is often divided into different branches or areas of inquiry, including metaphysics (the study of the nature of reality), epistemology (the study of knowledge and belief), ethics (the study of morality and values), logic (the study of reasoning and inference), philosophy of mind (the study of consciousness and mental processes), philosophy of language (the study of language and its relation to thought and reality), and many others. Here are all about the career in philosophy.
Philosophers use various methods, including critical thinking, analysis, logical reasoning, and conceptual analysis, to examine and evaluate arguments and ideas. They may also draw on historical philosophical traditions and engage in thought experiments, hypothetical scenarios, and conceptual analysis to explore complex questions and problems. Throughout history, philosophers have addressed a wide range of topics, including the nature of reality, the existence of God, the foundations of knowledge, the nature of morality, the nature of mind and consciousness, the limits of human understanding, the nature of free will, the relationship between mind and body, the nature of language, the structure of scientific inquiry, and the meaning of life, among many others.
What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a discipline that refers to the study of finding answers to the general and fundamental questions relating to reason, mind, existence, knowledge, values, language, etc. Philosophy is based on the fact that we must examine these aspects of our life to find their deeper and full meaning. This reminds us of a famous statement by Socrates, the father of Political Philosophy, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. It is believed that Philosophy was the first subject that came into existence and from it emerged all the other subjects. According to Abdelaziz Zekkouri, Philosophy gave birth to mathematics and science. Philosophy is a subject that makes people think about finding an answer to the question ‘Why’ of their life and its finer aspects. Philosophy as a discipline is not restricted to any particular subject or subjects rather it combines a range of subjects and constitutes of certain elements from each of these subjects like history, politics, psychology, ethics, religion, logic, etc.
What are 4 types of Philosophy?
Metaphysics: Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the fundamental nature of reality. It explores questions related to the nature of existence, being, reality, substance, causality, and the relationship between mind and matter. Metaphysical inquiries often involve abstract and conceptual thinking about the nature of reality and its underlying principles.
Epistemology: Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that focuses on the nature of knowledge, belief, and justification. It explores questions related to the nature of truth, skepticism, justification, evidence, perception, and the limits of human knowledge. Epistemology seeks to understand how knowledge is acquired, justified, and evaluated, and it examines different theories of knowledge and belief.
Ethics: Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions of morality, values, and ethics. It examines questions related to right and wrong, good and bad, and the principles that govern human behavior and decision-making. Ethics explores different ethical theories and systems, such as consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, and applied ethics, and it seeks to understand the foundations of ethical judgments and actions.
Logic: Logic is the branch of philosophy that studies the principles and methods of reasoning and inference. It deals with questions related to the structure of valid arguments, the principles of sound reasoning, and the rules of deductive and inductive reasoning. Logic is often used as a tool in other areas of philosophy to analyze and evaluate arguments, identify fallacies, and construct valid and coherent arguments. It also has practical applications in mathematics, computer science, and linguistics.
Educational Qualifications
After a 10+2 level examination from any career, an individual is required to do his or her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. After that, one is required to do Masters in Philosophy with at least 50% marks in Bachelors. The cut-off may vary from one university to the other but most of them require at least 50%. One can also go for further studies in this field like MPhil in Philosophy or a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Some of the specializations that are offered in the field of Philosophy are Ethics, Philosophy of language, Epistemology, Political Philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, etc.
Those who are interested in pursuing a career in Philosophy are expected to possess a particular set of skills. Having critical and analytical thinking skills, communication skills, and determination to solve problems by finding answers to various problems are some of these skills. A person who pursues this career is also required to carry on extensive research and engage in intellectually stimulating debates. One must be able to see any problem from multiple perspectives, to find answers to various questions, and also possess persuasion as well as argumentative skills to give shape to their expressions.
Interpretative skills are also required and students of philosophy are expected to be non-dogmatic. It is said that Philosophy is such a profession where a person should keep an open mind to discovering new realities. One might have acquired a Doctoral in Philosophy and yet it is required that a person keeps a beginner’s mind so that he or she can look at various possibilities differently each time to find answers to those questions which have not answered before or even if these have been answered before, they were not answered satisfactorily.
Some of the best institutes that are known for their courses in Philosophy are :
- Hansraj college, Delhi;
- St Joseph’s College, Bangalore;
- Loyola College, Chennai;
- Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata;
- St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and Mumbai;
- Christ College, Bangalore;
- Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi;
- Garden City College, Bangalore;
- University of Mumbai;
- University of Calcutta;
- Scottish Church College, Kolkata;
- Fergusson College, Pune;
- St Stephens College, Delhi;
- Jadavpur University, Kolkata;
- Presidency College, Kolkata, etc.
Job Opportunities
An individual who has obtained a degree in Philosophy either in Bachelor or at the Masters’s level has an opportunity to work in India or in abroad. There are numerous job opportunities available in this field such as journalism, diplomacy, a specialist in HR, research, student affairs, policy analyst, social worker, interviewer, consultant, law, insurance, and teaching jobs at various universities, colleges, and research institutes. Philosophy is given as an optional subject in competitive exams like UPSC and a person who has done his or her Bachelors or Masters in Philosophy and later wishes to go for such public services can take philosophy as their optional subject. Since philosophy is not a single subject rather a set of certain elements from different subjects they are taught in this discipline. A person who has done his or her under graduation or graduation in philosophy also has several job avenues from which he or she can choose as per his or her area of expertise and interest and not just restrict oneself to teaching, writing, or going for research.
Conclusion
It is said, “Philosophy is not suitable for those looking for a money-making career”. It is true to a certain extent that students of philosophy are expected to have a lust for knowledge and when money comes into the picture, lust for knowledge takes a back seat. However, various job avenues are opening up in modern times in this field and they offer a huge sum of money. The role of a philosopher is not always easy and it requires a tremendous amount of patience as one might not always get satisfactory answers. Moreover, if someone is truly interested in this field, they should give it a try as it has huge potential. Visit careerguide now
