A life examined over instant noodles

Last month, The New York Times ran an article entitled “In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined” on the growing number of students who are majoring in philosophy. It topped the list of the most e-mailed articles at one point. I imagine that a good number of Times’ readers majored in philosophy and wanted to share the giddy news with other philosophy majors. Perhaps others, like me, were simply shocked and wanted to share their shock. Who would have thought that in a sinking economy some programs managed to double their student numbers? As the article states:

The economic downturn has done little, if anything, to dampen this enthusiasm among students, who say that what they learn in class can translate into practical skills and careers. On many campuses, debate over modern issues like war and technology is emphasized over the study of classic ancient texts.

Rutgers, which has long had a top-ranked philosophy department, is one of a number of universities where the number of undergraduate philosophy majors is ballooning; there are 100 in this year’s graduating class, up from 50 in 2002, even as overall enrollment on the main campus has declined by 4 percent.

Although I found the article engrossing, I would have liked to have learned about what exactly these people DO after graduation. The student interviewed in the story’s opening switched from pre-med to philosophy and is applying to law school. Rutgers’ department chair notes that those students who double majored in philosophy and, say, economics, went on to achieve great things. But if you don’t double major or go on to grad school, what jobs are open to you? This questioned is left, um, unexamined.

I have the utmost respect for philosophy and most employers, one hopes, look upon critical thinking as a positive thing. Having majored in political science, I also understand the desire to study something that you’re passionate about even when your pocketbook tells you to opt for something more “practical.”

I suspect that philosophy majors have it even tougher on the job market than political science majors. It would have been nice if the reporter interviewed Rutgers alums about the career paths that they pursued and how long it took them to land their first full-time jobs. I am sure that many Rutgers students believe that finishing a great school will guarantee a great job and are in for a nasty shock. University officials mean their graduates well but can’t exactly say: “And 15 percent of our students went on to become successful professional interns and continue to take a philosophical approach to lending jobs with health care coverage.”

A life examined is a jolly good thing indeed, but one would rather examine it with brass in pocket. Just a thought for the class of 2008…