Philosophers Think Better: New Research Reveals the Truth

This article discusses a study that provides empirical evidence for the long-held belief that studying ideology enhances rational thinking skills.Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

Historical Belief: Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle believed philosophical training was essential for cultivating human reason. This idea has become a common, sometiems admiring, sometimes scornful, cliché.
New Empirical Evidence: American researchers have analyzed data from nearly half a million students across 800 universities and colleges in the US (1990-2019).
Findings: The study found that philosophy students score significantly higher on rational skills tests compared to students in other disciplines. These skills include logical reasoning, unraveling statements, and making subtle distinctions in concepts.
Beyond skills: The researchers also noted that philosophy students tend to exhibit characteristics like “intellectual curiosity, modesty, and an open mental attitude.” They suggest these traits are important for actually using rational skills in a “philosophical” way.
Addressing Self-Selection: the researchers accounted for the possibility that students who are already intellectually curious and possess strong rational skills might be more inclined to study philosophy. Even after compensating for this self-selection bias and differences in prior education and social background, philosophy students still showed better performance in rational skills.
Support for Philosophy’s Value: The authors believe their analysis supports the “popular and venerable beliefs that philosophy is a valuable profession.”
Limitations and Future Research: The researchers acknowledge some limitations:
they didn’t differentiate between types of philosophy courses (e.g., analytical vs. continental).
The data doesn’t fully capture all traditionally attributed philosophical virtues like intellectual autonomy or courage.
The study couldn’t determine if students actually apply their philosophical skills for the right reasons or at the right times, which would require different research methods.

In essence, the article presents a study that offers concrete data to back up the idea that studying philosophy makes people better thinkers, at least in terms of their rational abilities and certain intellectual dispositions.