Quote:
Originally Posted by JD159
The very first essay I wrote in University was on Socrates and his argument for the immortality of the soul. Incredibly interesting. I studied philosophy because I felt that it might help me find some objective conclusions about the universe, so when I began reading one of the greatest philosophers and his argument for an immortal soul, I thought this stuff must be gold! It has to be true!
Well the soul may or not be immortal, and his argument may or not be true. HOWEVER. As I wrote the essay I had to outline and understand his argument and the argument flow. Fully comprehending his work to clearly outline step by step how he arrived at his conclusion was a mind opening experience. That is when I really started to love philosophy. It wasn't asking and debating the universal metaphysical questions that I'll probably never have an answer to (which is still great fun), but comprehending and explaining a philosophers argument. It truly is one of the greatest mental exercises and skills one can perform, IMO, and will grant you a set of useful and transferable skills that are very applicable. But to make use of these skills in the real world, you need books that will grant you "knowledge".
Philosophy as useless knowledge? Yup. But with those kinds of works, it is the mental exercise that you gain.
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And this is why the "Socratic method" is still almost universal in law school.
If you haven't had the opportunity, you owe it to yourself to visit Athens and walk along the very marble paving stones in the agora where Socrates taught. Very humbling.
BTW, if you think philosophy is a useless major, you should try anthropology.