Philosophy is the subject that is studied almost in every faculty in higher educational establishments. However, some students believe that it is impractical to learn such a discipline and it is more beneficial to focus on math or science. Moreover, they reckon that the employment of philosophy teachers is a waste of colleges money since this subject is useless for people. They claim that philosophy, in its essence, has no subject of its own and speaks of general laws that can be learned through more applied sciences. It is clear that the students with stated beliefs do not realize the real advantages of philosophy implementation in educational establishments.
To begin with, philosophy is based on thoughts regarding nature, ethics, knowledge, and being. According to Greek, philosophy expresses the love of wisdom, meaning that it assists people in obtaining the correct positions in their lives (Schlick 114). However, more practical people who choose action over words are more eager to study the subjects that seem more helpful in succeeding in their future careers. That is apparently why they see philosophy as a waste of time, as they do not recognize the knowledge it brings to those who study it thoroughly. For example, Tredennick and Tarrant (1954) state that “to those readers who do not share Plato’s concepts, the Phaedo might be found irritating and pointless, a logical exercise based on unacceptable premises” (p. 95). During philosophy lessons, they do not attempt to learn about ethical and logical concerns that might be implemented in their future careers. As a result, students cannot comprehend the significance of priorities society should choose for content well-being, frequently discussed in philosophy lessons (Schlick 113). Overall, philosophy focuses on using logic to understand how people experience the world, rather than mathematical approach most students favor.
To sum up, philosophy is implemented in colleges to assist students in making their choices depending on the essential wisdom passed on through generations. Plato (1954) states that “the key to life lies not in observing conventional opinions and usage, but in questioning them, and only committing oneself to what can be rationally justified” (p. 19). As a result, students, who are opposed to studying this discipline, cannot find their inspiration and motivation in things that somehow appear impractical or useless to them. Philosophy also seems crucial for everyone to gain satisfaction with life and determine how to enhance it through ideas regarding ethics, logic, and knowledge.
Works Cited
Plato. The Last Days of Socrates: Euthyphro, the Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Edited by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, Penguin Books, 1954.
Schlick, Moritz. “The future of philosophy.” Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Philosophy. 1931.