Literally, philosophy means “love of wisdom.” A good working definition might be “the search for truth,” because philosophy concerns itself with questions and problems that we as humans have long considered, including questions about our place in the universe, the meaning of a good life, and the nature and value of knowledge.
Because they are often focused on their future careers, few students begin college with the intention of majoring in philosophy. Those who do choose philosophy as a major usually switch from something else, such as management or political science, or they might add philosophy as a second major. They switch because they discover the value of a good education in philosophy.
A major in philosophy helps to develop a variety of important skills which contribute to professional success. These include analytical thinking, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving, useful in every professional career; the ability to build an argument (highly valued by law schools); clarity of communication both written and spoken; and an increased awareness of human solutions to a variety of human problems. Philosophy is therefore excellent training for many careers and also for graduate school preparation.
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