Philosophy

Philosophy is the perfect subject for those who wonder what on earth it's all about... why on earth taxpayers are paying good money for a whole heap of chin-strokers, that is.

But when the sneerers move in, asking you to justify three years of hard thinking, and wondering whether you'd be doing that if you had to pay top-whack tuition fees, just let them know that philosophy involves a critical examination of our most fundamental beliefs about truth and reality, right and wrong, interpretation, explanation and morality. It looks at basic assumptions about what we know and how we should live. You might also study the history of philosophy, business or medical ethics, elements of law and the philosophers themselves including Plato, Kant, Russell, Descartes and Locke.

There are four main branches to the study of philosophy: the logic and philosophy of language; ontology and metaphysics (abstract stuff such as being and knowing, and the nature of life); epistemology and methodology (the theory and nature of knowledge); and ethics. Within these groupings there's even further room for specialisation.

It's not, of course, a directly vocational subject. Instead it gives you the opportunity - perhaps the only chance many people will have in their lives - for extended reflection on and discussion of, in the immortal cliche, "life, the universe, and everything" (unless you count the times when the late-night drinking sessions turn deep, but we don't remember them as being particularly coherent). The academic rigour of a philosophy course isn't for everyone. It's not easy to be proved wrong (that depends on whether we can ever actually know anything) but your arguments can be ripped to shreds.

During a philosophy degree, you'll learn transferable skills of thought, analysis and problem-solving and the ability to think logically and to present your thoughts cogently. Employers value such attributes, so your chances of a good job are pretty high, especially in areas such as journalism, publishing and management consultancy. Some specialisations can help ease the move into the real world; philosophy of law is a good link to a legal career, while business ethics is valued in many areas of commerce.

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