(from elsewhere)(via stephen hicks)
Only two regrets I have in life. First was not choosing a degree in philosophy despite my fascination with it – although my study of art and art history has framed my personality and life.
I can attest personally that the study of certain philosophy dramatically improves your ability in the work force.
It’s a lot like living life as Methuselah. You have all this accumulated wisdom of all these smart folks, and you don’t have to so much learn the hard way as you go along, as work to gather useful information with which to apply that accumulated wisdom. It’s so much easier.
- Intro-Micro/Macro Economics, History, Philosophy, Grammar, Rhetoric, Art (aesthetics).
Combine that series with ANY one of the technical disciplines (learn how to extend your perception with logical instrumentation):
- Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Accounting, Finance, Programming, Mathematics, Law, Econometrics.
We should teach western fairy tales, myths and legends, literature and history throughout our youth.
If you enter the world literate, with exposure to moral philosophy, grammar and rhetoric, classes on math through geometry, newtonian physics, basic checkbook accounting, money, banking, credit and interest, basics of consumer purchase/sale and contract, and most importantly, classes on cooperation(ethics), friendship, and marriage – then you are armed for daily life.
We focus too heavily on trying to make everyone a member of the upper middle class via mastery of abstractions. But those of us with those abilities will succeed no matter what. and instead, we create chaos in our civilization by both destroying the family as the source of wisdom and education on life matters, sending unsophisticated people entirely unready into a world managed by law, economics, finance credit and interest.
We screw over our lower and middle classes with the folly of good intentions and false promises.