The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”. But this meaning does not tell us very much. Unlike the other disciplines(学科)，philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it is actually unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: art, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, medicine, psychology, religion, science, and values. Philosophy is one of the world’s oldest subjects of study, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason you get a Doctorate(博士学位) of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology.
Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy.
Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding other disciplines. Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field.
There are a number of general uses of philosophy. It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data. These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on. It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job. The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
28．According to Paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of ______.
A．social sciences B．natural sciences
C．both social and natural sciences D．the subject matter of politics
29．With the study of philosophy, you can_______.
A．become a great leader B．succeed in everything
C．find a good job soon after graduation D．make progress in your career development
30．According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Philosophy is an independent discipline.
B．Logic helps you to become a better thinker.
C．The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.
D．The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define.
31．From the passage, we can conclude ______.
A．not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B．a person will get a Ph.D. if he/she studies philosophy
C．philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
D．philosophy is the only solution to all the problems to the world