Why study Philosophy? 6 compelling reasons

Learning and being educated in this discipline allows one to reach conclusions that others do not even consider.

At a time when everything must be valued according to the price that can be paid for it on the market, philosophy is increasingly cornered: it is forgotten and undervalued in the political reforms of education. However, this does not mean that this educational option has no value, on the contrary. Studying philosophy means learning skills that are unlikely to be developed in other disciplines.

And the fact is that there are plenty of reasons to study philosophyThere are plenty of reasons to study philosophy, as long as we inform ourselves about the nature of this source of knowledge. In the following lines we will see the most outstanding ones.

Why study philosophy?

This is a selection of those strong points that philosophy offers to those people who decide to learn from it. They are not ordered according to a particular criterion, but you will certainly be able to order them in your head by highlighting those that most appeal to you. If you are wondering why study philosophyit will be very useful for you.

1. It offers a better scientific knowledge

Science is a type of knowledge-gaining method that has proven to be incredibly valuable for centuries. However, in practice, knowing about science does not always imply interpreting well the data that its research methods offer us.

We often believe that scientific information is given to us by nature and conveys an obvious meaning to anyone who knows it, but this is not the case. The philosophy of science allows us to know whether certain interpretations of data are adequate or not, whether the research methods used allow us to draw the conclusions we want, or even whether the hypotheses from which we start are flawed.

Thus, on the one hand, training in philosophy is an excellent complement to science-based careers, and on the other hand, it also allows them to build a career as consulting philosophers of science who can guide teams of researchers in revising the approaches of their studies.

2. It is suitable for curious minds

Philosophy is the educational career par excellence for curious people, interested in the great questions of life and existence.. For example: why do we live, what can we know, what exists and what does not exist, how should we behave in order to be good?

In practice, the number of questions of this type that philosophers can come to ask themselves is infinite and, although they usually do not reach conclusions that fully satisfy their initial curiosity, the hunger to know more and more leads them to order their ideas in an increasingly sophisticated way, the hunger to know more and more leads them to order their ideas in an increasingly sophisticated way..

3. It allows them to develop constructive criticism

The world moves more and more by the logics imposed by the market, and that is why it is good to maintain a perspective distanced from this system and to raise criticisms to those dynamics of relationships and trade from which it is so difficult to escape. Philosophy was born precisely for this: to question the most widespread beliefs, those that dominate our minds so much that we do not even consider them beliefs, but absolute truths.

In this way, studying philosophy provides a rational counterpoint that makes it possible to have a different mentality, capable of detecting anomalies where other people cannot, and therefore makes social change possible.

4. It can be applied to one's own life

Many of the questions posed from philosophy have personal implications. For example, the existential crisis is not the same if you already have an experience in this area, and the same is true of doubts about your own life.The same is true for doubts about how to act correctly and what kind of behavior to avoid.

In other words, philosophical activity does not take place on the margins of personal life; they normally merge into one.

5. It helps us reinterpret the world

Philosophy is not exactly a form of therapy, but it does allow us to arrive at stimulating reflections on our own lives. stimulating reflections on one's own experiences, the world, personal relationships and everything around us. and everything that surrounds us.

Thus, it makes it easier for us to find alternative ways of interpretation, those that satisfy us more and allow us to be happy. Ultimately, since we can never have a totally objective view of reality, it is better to direct our subjectivity towards what brings us closer to happiness and well-being.

6. It allows us to detect attempts at manipulation

The analysis of discourses is one of the areas in which philosophy is most useful.

Given that both propaganda and advertising are increasingly present in our lives, and taking into account that many times we are offered arguments that seem rational even though they are actually a bunch of political slogans, philosophy helps us to estimate to what extent certain statements are based on rationality or not.

Detecting these intellectual deceptions before they take root in our minds based on stereotypes and preconceived ideas, it is very useful to develop our own perspective on things, one that does not depend on ideologies.