At City University of New York the number of philosophy majors has increased an amazing 51 percent since 2002. In fact, more colleges nationwide are offering undergraduate philosophy programs, and in those with established programs, like Texas A&M, UMass Amherst, and Notre Dame, enrollment has doubled since the 1990s.What's up? The New York Times reports, "Once scoffed at as a luxury major, philosophy is being embraced . . . by a new generation of students who are drawing modern-day lessons from the age-old discipline as they try to make sense of their world, from the morality of the war in Iraq to the latest political scandal."
In addition to the growing number of students majoring in philosophy, the number of students minoring in it is also up. So, while Jane and John Student are studying medicine, economics, political science, etc., readying themselves for careers in which they'll have an influence on our overall society, isn't it nice to know they are (voluntarily!) taking philosophy courses to develop their skills in writing, critical thinking, and analyzing the big moral questions.
