1. CareerAddict is a registered trademark of DeltaQuest Media. Robert Rowland Smith, author of Breakfast with Socrates and Driving with Plato, joins Philosophy Talk to discuss what philosophy's take everyday life.This is unusual, because philosophers seem … Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author whose forthcoming book, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, will be released this fall. Feel free to suggest more. All students are individuals, and everyone learns in their own unique way. Chang and Charles Malik, Co-authors of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Claude Levi-Straus, Seminal Anthropologist. Philosophy encourages the student to formulate questions and follow arguments. Philosophy develops intellectual abilities important for life as a whole, beyond the knowledge and skills required for any particular profession…It enhances analytical, critical, and interpretive capacities that are applicable to any subject matter and in any human context”- The American Philosophical Association, 4. The first time I spoke to Jules, he was interviewing me. You are trying to make it clear to your interviewers that you think carefully about how you teach and are well-educated on educational practices. The first time I spoke to Jules, he was interviewing me. A provision to keep in mind is that if you can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with your philosophy (that is, disagreeing intelligently, for well-thought-out reasons), then you’ve probably landed on an obvious truism. enhance your problem-solving capacities, your ability to organize ideas and issues, and your ability to distinguish what is essential from what is not; become better able to look at things from a variety of perspectives, to understand different viewpoints, and to discover common ground among them; learn how to critically examine your own views as well as those of others; develop your ability to understand and explain difficult material; learn how to distinguish good reasoning from attempts to manipulate opinions, to construct sound complex arguments, and to evaluate others’ reasoning; develop good interpretive, comparative, argumentative, analytical, and descriptive writing skills that will allow you to communicate your ideas in a clear and powerful way. What principles guide you in deciding what to do and do they stand up to scrutiny? – People used to want to seek enlightenment because enlightenment itself was one of the best things we could do. If we understand correctly, you discovered it after struggling with some issues on your own in your adolescence? A practical philosophy, not just the one presented here, can help us get better in touch with what happens, strengthening our relationship with life. Why It Works: This explanation makes clear that this teacher believes effective teaching brings everybody along together. Avoid clichés: Be able to show how your statement relates to your unique point of view. I’d, for Tim Ferriss’s blog that had gone viral in the online philosophy community. life to letting thought be thought by life. Bust of stoic philosopher Seneca by an anonymous sculptor of the 17th century. Then there’s a lot of rich stuff in classical philosophy in general—no one reads Cicero any more but he was the most popular author of the Renaissance. Philosophy does not need to be intimidating. Wide variety of interesting classes taught by outstanding professors3. I eventually went to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy support group for people suffering from social anxiety. In the years since, Jules has gone onto to become a prominent writer and author. ” has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Can we hope to attain it? Which paths will provide a more fulfulling life for you and which popular paths will eventually leave you feeling hollow? I think I read Marcus Aurelius at school. “A clear, well-defined philosophy gives you the guidelines and boundaries that keep you on track,” — precise reason why you should have one that would guide and drive all your actions. Is anything true? Contact Us, The Department of Philosophy main office has moved online, as have all department courses. What Classroom Management Structure Would You Use? ©2020 DeltaQuest Media. It was around then that I became interested in the revival of Stoicism, and started to interview other people who use its philosophy today. From what we’ve read, you feel like there is something missing from Stoic philosophy that you’ve tried to find by studying other schools and are beginning to write about. Sure, it's broad and applicable to many classroom situations, but the universality and obviousness makes the phrase a problem. Don’t take our word for here; check out these news stories: “Salary increase by major,” Wall Street Journalhttp://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Degrees_that_Pay_you_Back-sort.html, “Philosophy is back in business,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek, 1/12/10http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2010/ca20100110_896657.htm, “I think, therefore I earn,” The Guardian 11/19/07http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/nov/20/choosingadegree.highereducation, “Study of philosophy makes gains despite economy,” Philadelphia Inquirer 10/1511A story featuring former Lehigh philosophy major, Shannon Maloney, ’12.http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-15/news/30283702_1_philosophy-number-of-four-year-graduates-college-students, Planning to go to graduate school, law school, or medical school? What books would you recommend that you think embody Stoic lessons or ideas but usually are not mentioned in discussions about Stoicism? What are you doing?’ I think a lot of academics could do with a reminder of that. Before the job interview, make sure you have a philosophy that you can neatly articulate. I use multiple methods of teaching (linguistic, visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to reach students, so that no one is left behind. Ideally, you’d be able to sum up your teaching philosophy in one sentence, if you had to. His book, Philosophy for Life is a hit all over the world and his Tedx Talk “. Stoic philosophy, which he has been a tireless advocate for, is more popular than it has been in centuries—with many bestselling books, conferences, and news stories extolling its virtues to a hungry public. Philosophy professors are dedicated teachers who are experts in their fields and who are genuinely interested in helping students to develop their understanding and skills. Then, when I was 21, I was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety brought on by some bad drug experiences. The skills you can develop though the study of philosophy are just those that employers are looking for. Science is useful, but it can never provide the meaning of life, or tell you what knowledge is. Card payments collected by DeltaQuest Media, company no. Philosophy encourages critical and systematic inquiry into fundamental questions of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the meaning of life, and the nature of reality, knowledge and society. 5. Effective communication is important for success at a company. You can also make brief mention of educational theories or scientific studies that support your philosophy, or you can refer to other educators who exemplify your philosophy. We’re all control freaks, so that’s a really useful, simple idea that we need to keep reminding ourselves of. Accessed April 22, 2020. What are you doing?’ I think a lot of academics could do with a reminder of that. Here’s what some of our students have said about why they study philosophy: Top Five Reasons to Study Philosophy1. All rights reserved. When I set up DailyStoic.com, I thought it was only appropriate to reverse the roles of our first meeting, I decided to reach out and interview him to see how philosophy can help us with life and indeed, become a way of life. What is truth? Let the rest be implied. It helped me a lot, and it also reminded me of Stoicism. A philosophical life might be a better life. ‘There isn’t much dancing in Greek philosophy’ as Jean Vanier said when I interviewed him. If your educational philosophy actually is that everyone deserves a chance (or something similar), then be sure to make your statement unique by explaining how you see the principle of equality as relevant to education. Thanks to philosophy classes, you can use your argumentative skill for logical reasoning that begins with a premise and ends with a conclusion. What standards do you set for yourself, and why? It is an on-going love affair with life. I suffered from that from 17 to 21, five pretty rough years. Aquinas went as far as saying that one couldn't really begin the study of philosophy seriously until one was 50. Does art have to be beautiful to be good? You’ll look unprepared for the job if you don’t have a ready answer. While the discipline of philosophy can help pave the way forward, it remains to be widely regarded as irrelevant to formal education programs in business schools. Humor, for one, a sense of the absurd. Because we’re human. Especially if you can say you were a philosophy MAJOR, people will assume you care little about money and may find you intriguing, even slightly dangerous. 2. The study of philosophy not only affects how you think but also your development as a person. You will also be a coveted employee due to your ability to develop and successfully tackle problems. Think about your teaching methods and goals. You are also able to evaluate and understand the parameters of various problems. Philosophy encourages critical and systematic inquiry into fundamental questions of right and wrong, truth and falsehood, the meaning of life, and the nature of reality, knowledge and society. “ A clear, well-defined philosophy gives you the guidelines and boundaries that keep you on track,” — precise reason why you should have one that would guide and drive all your actions. Our professors have won teaching awards and consistently earn high ratings on student evaluations. It can overemphasize self-reliance and under emphasize the importance of friendship. It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it. One way I emphasize this philosophy in my classes is to incorporate regular feedback from students. Can we justify our judgments about the merits of a film, a book, a painting, a poem? ", The Best Way to Answer Interview Questions About You, How to Answer Interview Questions About Organization, How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Career Aspirations, How to Answer Interview Questions About the Job You Want. Why did you decide to become a teacher? Think about the methods you apply in the classroom, and your goals for your students. One, a “good life” can be, in part, a philosophical life. It may also draw upon your own experience of childhood education either as a parent or as a child yourself. Or maybe you could recommend a Stoic gem that most people haven’t read? On the other hand, if you have a succinct and clear philosophy, the hiring manager will be impressed by your ability to think about the methods and goals of your teaching practice. The interviewer wants to know that you have a teaching philosophy, that you can articulate it, and that your beliefs about teaching and learning are a good fit for the school. Also consider how you've put your ideas about education into action, and what principles are demonstrated by your work in the classroom. In fact, I can conceive of no single piece of knowledge is universally beneficial. What is happiness? Stoics can be Puritans, which I’m definitely not. Stoics often seem quite prickly, cold, pedantic personalities which they hide behind a stiff veneer of rationalism. For example, on the face of it you might think that mathematics is a more practical area of study than philosophy, but can you honestly say that you've actually ever used the formula for the volume of a cylinder in real-life? I think it’s too rule-based—Massimo Pigliucci wrote the other day of the ‘algorithm of Stoicism’—I don’t see life as something best approached with an algorithm, though I think that’s why Stoicism appeals to computer programmers. Secondly, the wisdom of focusing on what you can control. Part of the package of research skills includes the ability to define problems systematically, which involves developing questions that are relevant to a particular problem. Be succinct: Summarize your philosophy in a sentence or two. Personal developmentCareers and jobs are only one part of the rest of your life. Can bad people be truly happy? The ancients like Plato and Aristotle or even more medieval and modern, western philosophers like John Locke and Rene Descartes all grappled with life’s big questions and attempted to further mankind’s understanding of their existence. Philosophy also makes you a better communicator such that you can express yourself without infringing on other people’s rights. Additionally, most employers love job seekers whose part of their educational experience includes philosophy as this is testament to the latter’s ability to critically analyze complex questions. While you don’t need to fit everything you believe about teaching into a single sentence, it’s important to be able to express the most central part of your ideas and priorities as a teacher. The skills provided are transferable to many employment fields and allow you to adapt effectively to any changes made in your career. He’s brought thousands and thousands of people peace, effectiveness and a little bit closer to wisdom through his unique take on ancient philosophy. Related: Social Sciences and Modern Business, President of Morgan Stanley (Robert Greenhill), Founder and Manager of a Hedge-fund (Don Brownstein), Supreme Court Justice (Stephen Breyer AND David Souter), US Secretary of Education (William Bennett), Prime Minister of Canada (Paul Martin, Jr.), Network Television Journalist (Stone Phillips), Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author (Studs Terkel), Host of an Iconic Game Show (Alex Trebek), Academy-Award Winning Filmmaker (Ethan Coen), Four-star General in the US Army (Jack Keane), Fighter in the French Resistance in WWII (Stephane Hessel), Co-author of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (P.C. It was around then that I became interested in the revival of Stoicism, and started to interview other. … Make sure you’re able to articulate your beliefs succinctly. The Department of Philosophy offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy graduate degree. An Elite CafeMedia Publisher - Update Privacy Preferences. A wide variety of interesting courses taught by outstanding professors.There are philosophy courses that address moral issues, others that focus on the nature of science and technology, many that explore some of the most important philosophical works written across the history of Western civilization and others that introduce great thinkers of Eastern philosophy, courses for those who are interested in mathematics and logic or politics and societies or religion or knowledge or the human mind or the nature of reality. Alison Doyle is the job search expert for The Balance Careers, and one of the industry's most highly-regarded job search and career experts. at school. The main thing is to use it well.”  - Rene Descartes. What lets you know you’ve done a good job? According the Wall Street Journal, being a philosopher is among the best jobs in the United States.http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/st_BESTJOBS0104_20110105.html. Interview Answers About What Inspired You to Become a Teacher, Answering Job Interview Questions About Strengths and Weaknesses, Sample Cover Letter and Resume for a Teacher, Best Ways to Answer Interview Questions About Strengths, 12 Common Teacher Interview Questions and Best Answers, Best Answers for What is Your Greatest Weakness With Examples, The Best Way to Explain How You Managed a Problem Employee, How to Answer "What Interests You About this Job? I eventually went to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy support group for people suffering from social anxiety. The interviewer wants to see that you understand your teaching philosophy and can describe it well. Whither are you straying? It can help you to live better by helping you to understand yourself as a thinking, acting being. What can you do with a degree in philosophy? With its emphasis on reason and argumentation, philosophy is an excellent preparation for a career in law, religion, business, international diplomacy, social work, medical management or writing as well as post-graduate education. His book, Philosophy for Life is a hit all over the world and his Tedx Talk “ How Philosophy Can Save Your Life ” has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Most knowledge in every disc… You have promised to help those in peril by sea, those in captivity, the sick and the needy, and those whose heads are under the poised axe. You have promised to help those in peril by sea, those in captivity, the sick and the needy, and those whose heads are under the poised axe. Philosophy is the ultimate "transferable work skill." It helped me a lot, and it also reminded me of Stoicism. Philosophy’s critical skills also provide the best defense against popular foolishness and falsehoods, allows you to see through cultural and intellectual fads, protects you from the empty posturing of politicians and the inane prattling of media pundits and commentators, defends you from the slippery claims of advertisers and salespeople, and enables you to see right through silly opinions and everyday nonsense. Philosophy majors successfully work in, but are not limited to the following occupational fields: Mark Cuban: AI will produce the world’s first trillionaires from CNBC. You live the kind of life you live because you think it is the best life possible, right? What sparked your interest in Stoicism and philosophy as a way of life—or as you put it for life? More than any other discipline, philosophy explores the core issues of the Western intellectual tradition. You do not need to feel that famous philosophers are the only people with interesting thoughts about life. What is it for one thing to cause another thing to happen? In this fast-paced world, you need to constantly update your general knowledge via regular research on the Internet, magazine, newspapers, academic journals and broadcast media. It turns you into a good orator as is evidenced when you are able to clearly outline your ideas as well as principles. Skip the clichés. I emphasize three ideas: firstly, that our thoughts affect our emotions. A few years later, in 2007, I interviewed the two founders of CBT—Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck—and discovered they’d both been directly influenced by Stoicism. Well, the idea that business people and sports people find most useful is to accept what’s beyond your control. It also shows that the candidate is receptive to feedback and able to incorporate that into their approach. Department of Philosophy  |  Lehigh University |  15 University DriveBethlehem, PA 18015  |  phone 610-758-3775  |  fax 610-758-3790, "Robert E. Rubin, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury 1995-1999: 'Philosophy Prepared Me for a Career in Finance and Government'," New York Times, Bethlehem, PA 18015  |  phone 610-758-3775  |  fax 610-758-3790, Wide variety of interesting classes taught by outstanding professors, Great preparation for any career or graduate study, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/opinion/robert-e-rubin-philosophy.html, http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Degrees_that_Pay_you_Back-sort.html, http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2010/ca20100110_896657.htm, http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/nov/20/choosingadegree.highereducation, http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-15/news/30283702_1_philosophy-number-of-four-year-graduates-college-students, http://pleasandexcuses.com/2012/09/06/philosophy-major/, http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2009/09/choice-of-college-major-sways-lsat-score.html, http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html, http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/st_BESTJOBS0104_20110105.html, https://philosophy.as.uky.edu/where-can-philosophy-take-me, “It’s important to learn about genetics, but it is more important to learn to think. Jules Evans is not who you’d think of when you hear the word “philosopher” but that’s rarely true when it comes to the best and most practical philosophers. Whither are you straying? Be able to provide more detail if required. What is art? If you don't know what your teaching philosophy is, try writing down a few key statements you believe to be true about education, and then proceed from there. With these skills, you could be useful in a variety of careers because you can come up with numerous ideas to solve a problem. If you have already been speaking for a couple of minutes, or if you feel that the interviewer wants to move on, you can skip this part. What would be the one Stoic idea or exercise that you think anyone would benefit from? Simply put, if your philosophy is a truism or a cliché, it’s obvious you didn’t put much thought into it. They didn’t have much sense of the power of the arts, imagination, music, dance, poetry. His book, Philosophy for Life is a hit all over the world and his Tedx Talk “How Philosophy Can Save Your Life” has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. For both of them, one needs to be raised in the right habits, and have experience of real life problems, before one can appreciate the insights of philosophy. What sorts of political institutions are best? Heading for a career in the business world? I believe the classroom is a living community and that everyone, from the principal to the students to the parents, must contribute in order to maintain a positive atmosphere. address: The Black Church, St. Mary’s Place, Dublin 7, Ireland. A philosophy course reaps a lot of dividends including opening you up to a variety of career choices. Jules Evans is not who you’d think of when you hear the word “philosopher” but that’s rarely true when it comes to the best and most practical philosophers. It is difficult to talk about the "practical use" of almost any piece of knowledge out of context. For example, I ask students to fill out a mid-course evaluation of the class, in which they reflect on the course goals and provide feedback on whether or not the course is helping them meet these goals thus far. Studying philosophy can enrich your personal and professional life by teaching you how to acquire, analyze and use knowledge. Does that mean you would identify as a Stoic? However, only share an example if you have enough time. A poorly organized or less-than-succinct statement will be hard for other people to understand and could hurt you. 19th and 20th century Continental philosophy, Contemporary metaphysics and epistemology, Ethics and social and political philosophy, 4 Reasons to Take Logic Your First Year of College, Mark Cuban: AI will produce the world’s first trillionaires, Why Your Board Needs A Chief Philosophy Officer, A Wall Street Giant Makes a $75 Million Bet on Academic Philosophy, Tech has a big talent gap, and companies are hiring philosophy majors. This is a good answer to give if there’s time to elaborate. We are all capable of thinking in unique ways. If you sense that the interviewer wants to move on, don’t provide more detail. : A personal teaching philosophy is different than a pedagogical theory, although the two are related. Waldorf or Montessori education, for example, involve very different approaches to teaching (pedagogies) than the mainstream American public-school system utilizes, and yet teachers from each system might articulate very similar philosophies. Well, there’s a lot missing from Stoicism. And philosophy majors earn high mid-career salaries. My philosophy skills has made me more valuable to prospective employers and graduate schools.”. Great preparation for any career or graduate study. Jules Evans delivering his talk, “How Philosophy Can Save Your Life” (Photo: philosophyforlife.org). A Harvard Medical School professor makes the case for the liberal arts and philosophy, Shine on Medical School Applications Without a Pre-Med Major, If Students Are Smart, They’ll Major in What They Love, American Institutes for Research study shows that a humanities degree does not result in higher career wages, NON-SCIENCE MAJORS AND MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS: STANDING OUT AMONG THE APPLICANT POOL, "In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life of the Mind", "Philosophers Find the Degree Pays Off in Life and Work", uncover assumptions and suggest alternatives, ability to distinguish subtle differences without overlooking similarities, analyze, develop and formulate logical arguments, capability to make knowledgeable decisions, examining thoroughly the consequences of various actions, aptitude to examine various angles of topics, ability to write and speak clearly and effectively, interpret and assess various thoughts and theories. Because we’re curious. Great preparation for any career or graduate study5. It’s an explanation of your values and beliefs as they relate to teaching. Those who study philosophy are engaged in asking, answering, evaluating, and reasoning about some of life’s most basic, meaningful, and difficult questions, such as: In studying philosophy, you’ll have a chance to grapple with these questions yourself and to think about what others—some of the greatest philosophers of the past and present, as well as your fellow students—think about them.