Introduction to Philosophy/Why Study Philosophy?

We can hone our analytic and problem-solving abilities, and improve the way we think about thinking, by studying fundamental questions. It is often the reasoning and answers other people have come up with when faced with similar questions that can help most. This is useful in both academic and practical applications.

The choice of essential questions is itself also interesting, as well as the answers - both questions posed, and answers given by particular philosophers depend on the time or era in which they lived.

Often, philosophers will go into professional fields such as law, medicine, and government. However, philosophy is about a great deal more than just academic education, analytical skills, and improving one's prospects for employment. It is not to be confused with history, semantics or debating (though all these elements are part of the study).

The study of philosophy is best undertaken seriously as an attempt to understand oneself and the universe, and even to reconcile the two. While a few years of reading up on philosophical history will certainly improve the quality of one's thinking, philosophy truly becomes worthwhile when it changes our lives. A thorough examination of internal and external life can dramatically change the way we see the world, casting a clearer light on phenomena that we were once immersed in. In this way, the study of philosophy is the study of our lives.