The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies is not the first department that comes to mind when you think of all the programs offered at NC State. Yet, philosophy is one of the few subjects that develops the abstract critical thinking skills desired by employers and required by students to be better members of society.

There is no better place for undergraduates to take a philosophy course than NC State. The philosophy and religious studies department offers degrees in both philosophy and religious studies as well as minors in ethics, logic, cognitive science and health, medicine and human values. 

The critical thinking skills that philosophy courses cultivate are some of the most desired skills by employers today. The problems that students tackle in philosophy require discipline and teach a way of solving complex problems. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 93 percent of employers value critical thinking, clear communication, and complex problem solving skills more than an undergraduate’s major.

Philosophy majors go on to do great things, with one of the best acceptance rates into medical school of undergraduate majors and the highest LSAT scores compared to other majors. Furthermore, most of the careers that philosophy majors pursue aren’t philosophy, but include journalists, lawyers, mathematicians, economists, political scientists and teachers.

The true value in philosophy is being able to understand the roots of a complex problem. By starting from a few observations philosophers can discover the roots of a concept or idea. A classic example is going from a belief that sensory experiences are true to the conclusion that humans have a soul.

Skills like these are exactly what engineers and scientists require to do their job on a daily basis. The only difference between philosophers and engineers is that philosophers use words and speak in the abstract and engineers use math and speak in detail. Not just engineers and scientists need this, but so do lawyers, business people, and doctors, for the same set of reasons.

Furthermore, philosophy will develop your clear and effective communication skills. As complicated as philosophical arguments sound when explained orally, those same arguments have to be explained in written form by philosophy students. Being able to communicate effectively in written form is something that most students struggle with, and NC State students are no exception. According to NC State University, for the first-year class admitted in fall 2016, 67 applicants* had a perfect SAT math sub score, but only 10 applicants* had a perfect SAT writing sub score. 

Despite this, effective communication is a vital skill to have in the modern workplace, as more of our communication relies on email, memos, reports, and instant messaging. What good is brilliant bridge design, a new computer circuit, or the discovery of a unique chemical if NC State students can’t tell the world about it?

With a wide selection of courses that are welcoming to students without a background in philosophy like issues in business ethics, contemporary moral issues and thinking logically, you’re sure to find something that interests you. Most of these classes offered can fulfill a GEP requirement for students in unconventional ways.

Even as an applied math major I would recommend that students, if they can, take LOG201- Logic to fulfill their mathematical sciences requirement instead of a generally unhelpful and confusing introductory math class. The value of a philosophy class, compared to a math or science class, is just so much more for most students.

Philosophy is all about defining and understanding complex ideas like reality and mortality, but in rigorous and logical ways. No claim can be made in a philosophy class without logical proof. By thinking in this way, philosophy classes develop abstract critical and logical reasoning skills that are needed no matter what your future career is.

Everyone should, for their own sake, take a philosophy class because there is no other class that can substitute for a philosophy class when it comes to teaching critical thinking and communication skills.

*Editor’s Note: This column was updated to correctly reflect applicant’s SAT score data.