Philosophy provides an essential component in any sound general education in two ways: by means of the understanding it provides of various philosophical matters and by means of the general intellectual skills in logic, the use of language, and the assessment of evidence it inculcates.
Not only does philosophy provide an understanding of a wide range of matters, but the matters dealt with are important and exciting. Consider this: Is human reason fallible? Does morality rest on arbitrary foundations? Is there such a being as God?
Many subject areas besides philosophy inculcate various general intellectual skills. But philosophy, unlike most such areas, deals professionally with logic, the use of language, and the assessment of evidence. As a result, philosophy is an especially valuable training ground for the intellect. Such training is provided in almost all courses in philosophy, but especially in courses in logic or critical thinking, the philosophy of language and epistemology (or the theory of knowledge). Such courses are invaluable to the person who must live by thinking—the scientist, scholar, lawyer, journalist, business manager, etc.
Philosophy is also a valuable background for many other disciplines. Courses in logic, language, and epistemology have a universal relevance. So do courses in moral philosophy. Courses in moral and social philosophy are of special relevance to those doing work in literature, history, religion, or education. And then there are philosophy courses especially designed to deal with philosophical matters as they affect other areas, e.g., the philosophy of law, of science, of religion, of history, of education, and of the fine arts.
And did you know that philosophy majors score better than any other undergraduate major on the verbal reasoning and analytical writing sections of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)?
In addition, CU Boulder’s Philosophy Department is ranked 12th among public research universities. Faculty members have published with prestigious presses like Oxford and Cambridge and won fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, NASA and the WEB Du Bois Institute at Harvard. One faculty member is a Professor of Distinction and has recently been elected to the American Academy of Sciences.