As a business major who has a strong interest in philosophy I'm strongly considering adding a philosophy minor. My question is this: how can studying philosophy help me in not just business but in life in general? What are some benefits to adding a philosophy minor?
Good philosophers don't take anything for granted. They are committed -- sometimes painfully so! -- to the idea that no beliefs, values, or points of view ought in principle to be exempt from scrutiny and criticism. They understand how easy it is to run a life on autopilot; to get into habits (of behavior or mind) that, on reflection, they can't justify or endorse; and to succumb to the temptations of complacency, or even smugness and arrogance. And they seek to teach and to model how to avoid these easy pitfalls. Studying, or studying with, such philosophers can give you the resources, and the inclination, to live a more deliberate life. Of course, too much self-scrutiny will prevent you from living your life at all. But taking courses that prime you to be reflective, especially about your own life, might help you establish habits of thought that will serve you well no matter what you end up doing with your life.
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