Philosophy programs teach people to think critically about ideas. Students learn to reason in abstract and real terms. They learn the history and methods of philosophy.

Philosophy asks questions so basic that most of the time we don't even think about them. How did we get here? Are we here for a purpose? What defines what is good and bad, true and false, ugly and beautiful?

Note that philosophy asks these questions, but it doesn't necessarily provide final answers to them. That's because for every answer, philosophy has another question, such as, How do you know that this answer is true? Is this answer true for all time? Would it be true if someone else knew it, but you didn't?

If you are new to philosophy, you may wonder how you can study these questions without expecting to get a final answer. With other sciences, such as physics, you are used to getting answers. You start from certain agreed-upon premises (such as how much force Earth's gravity exerts) and then solve problems. But philosophy is about questioning the premises.

This does not mean that philosophy is a destructive force - that it is about denying knowledge. Rather, philosophy teaches good thinking habits that result in valid knowledge. It teaches you to break down complex ideas into their premises and question those premises. You can trust your conclusions only when you are satisfied with your premises and with the way you put them together with your experiences to reach your conclusions. These good thinking habits are useful in all professions.

Philosophy is particularly good preparation if you want to work with ideas. So you may want to study philosophy before going to law school or seminary. A four-year program leading to a bachelor's degree is the usual route. A large number of colleges offer this program.

Requirements for a philosophy program usually permit a fair amount of free choice. But in general you need to study a mix of ancient and modern philosophers. You also take courses from the major branches of philosophy. Metaphysics explores the nature of reality. Ethics and aesthetics look at what ought to be or is desirable. Epistemology and logic are about what is knowable. A course in logic is often required. You may have a senior seminar in which you do research and present your findings to the class.