Associate in Arts - Philosophy

The study of philosophy develops and refines a rigorous, analytic understanding of certain of fundamental concepts, e.g., knowledge, reason, truth and value. Since all other disciplines in academia rely on the use of such concepts, the study of philosophy is essential for an education directed toward completeness.

The study of philosophy also yields other tangible academic benefits. It has been shown that philosophy students scored at least five percentage points above average in admission tests for professional and graduate schools in America. No other subject matches philosophy in this respect. Philosophy students do better in examinations for business and management school than anyone except mathematicians.

With employment opportunities beyond academia apparently growing, e.g., consultants to hospitals, state legislatures, Congress, genetic engineering firms and artificial intelligence companies, there has also been a proliferation of philosophical journals focused on such topics as the allocation of scarce medical resources, abortion, euthanasia, disposal of nuclear waste, corporate responsibility and fair profit, etc.