Should you choose the love of wisdom...or a good career? Here is a parable:
Thales, Philosopher and Businessman
Plato says that Thales, the first philosopher and a formidable astronomer, went out
one night to
look at the stars. Raising his eyes to heaven rather looking where he was going, he
fell into a
well, and was laughed at by those who think only of practical affairs.
Aristotle says, though, that Thales set out one day to prove a point. His friends
and family told
him that philosophy was useless, that he would never get ahead by indulging his love
of
wisdom. So one winter, he took his modest savings and signed leases on all the olive
presses in
the area. When the olives came ripe he had a monopoly, and made a small fortune. Then
he
went back to philosophy.
For Thales, the love of wisdom meant the freedom to spend his life on the things that
matter
most. In the UD Philosophy Department, we cultivate that same freedom.
Our graduates are teachers, attorneys, businesspeople, writers, physicians (yes, with
a bit of
creativity, you can do philosophy and pre-med), and, of course, philosophy professors.
Whatever they do, they do it with the freedom that comes of having spent four years
of their
lives dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom.
See how our students seek wisdom during their time at UD.
See how they master the practical after they leave.
Learn about our graduate programs.
Menu
