What can be done with an undergraduate Philosophy degree? Anything!
In pursuit of reasonable answers to fundamental questions, a student of Philosophy develops the ability to read critically, to reason well both orally and through analytical writing, and to ask relevant and interesting questions. While the development of these skills may be personally beneficial in enhancing one's self-understanding, they translate into specific skills that are vital to success in many professions. After all, everyone has to do these things at least occasionally. While a great many Philosophy majors do go on to a graduate program (in Philosophy, law, medicine, etc.) where these skills are used in an academic or an otherwise obvious way on a daily basis, there are a host of fields where the skills honed as a Philosophy major are the gateway to professional success. Some of those fields might surprise you. Compiling a list of well-known Philosophers is easy. But contemporary Philosophers tend not to be famous. Here is a list of some famous contemporary Philosophy majors who have used their critical thinking skills to "some" success:
Government and Politics
William "Bro” Adams, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and former university president, Bachelor’s Degree, Colorado College, 1972
Fulbright Fellowship, Ecole des Haute Etudes and Ecole Normale Superieure, 1977–1978
PhD (History of Consciousness), University of California Santa Cruz, 1982
Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles and former member of the US House of Representatives (CA-37)
Studied philosophy at San Diego State University (no degree earned), 1971–1973
William Bennett, Secretary of Education and best-selling author
Bachelor’s Degree, Williams College, 1965
PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 1970
David L. Boren, former US Senator, former Governor of Oklahoma, and president of University of Oklahoma
Master's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Oxford University, 1965
Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court Justice
Bachelor’s Degree, Stanford University, 1959
Patrick Buchanan, politician
Bachelor’s Degree, Georgetown University, 1960
Pete Buttigieg, politician
Bachelor's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Oxford University, 2007
Wesley Clark, retired US Army general and presidential candidate
Master's Degree / Rhodes Scholarship (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Magdalen College Oxford, 1968
Bill Clinton, US President
Rhodes Scholarship at University College Oxford, 1968–1970
Chris Coons, US Senator
Master's Degree (Ethics), Yale Divinity School, 1994
Rudolf Giuliani, former New York City mayor and presidential candidate
Bachelor’s Degree (minor), Manhattan College, 1965
Raisa Gorbachev, former first lady of the Soviet Union
Moscow State University, 1954
Swanee Hunt, former US Ambassador to Austria
Bachelor's Degree, Texas Christian University, 1972
Thomas Jefferson, US President
Bachelor’s Degree, College of William and Mary, 1762
Jack Keane, retired American four-star general
Master's Degree, Western Kentucky University, 1976
Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran
Bachelor's Degree, Isfahan University, 1969
John Lewis, civil rights activist and Member of the US House of Representatives
Bachelor's Degree (Religion and Philosophy), Fisk University, 1967
Robert MacNamara, Secretary of Defense and head of the World Bank
Bachelor’s Degree, University of California Berkeley, 1937
Emmanuel Macron, president of France
Master's Degree, Paris Nanterre University, 2001
Paul Martin, prime minister of Canada
Bachelor's Degree, St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto, 1961
Beverley McLachlin, first female and longest serving Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Alberta, 1965
Master’s Degree, University of Alberta, 1968
Alex Mooney, member of the US House of Representatives (WV-2)
Bachelor's Degree, Dartmouth College, 1993
Elizabeth Anne Reid, former women’s affairs adviser to Australian Prime Minister and UN program director
Bachelor’s Degree, Australian National University, 1965
Bachelor of Philosophy (Post-Graduate) Degree, Somerville College Oxford, 1970
Max Rose, former member of the US House of Representatives
Master's Degree (Philosophy and Public Policy), London School of Economics, 2009
Brian Schatz, US senator from Hawai'i
Bachelor's Degree, Pomona College, 1994
David Souter, Supreme Court Justice
Bachelor’s Degree, Harvard College, 1963
Fred Thompson, former senator and presidential candidate (and erstwhile actor)
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Memphis, 1964
George F. Will, journalist, author, and political commentator
Bachelor’s Degree, Trinity College, 1962
Karen Lerohl Wilson, lawyer and public policy expert
Bachelor’s Degree, College of William and Mary, 1972
Activism
Grace Lee Boggs, social activist and philosopher
Bachelor's Degree, Barnard College, 1935
PhD, Bryn Mawr College, 1940
Stokely Carmichael / Kwame Ture, civil rights leader
Bachelor’s Degree, Howard University, 1964
Angela Davis, social activist and philosopher
Bachelor’s Degree, Brandeis University, 1965
Master's Degree, University of California San Diego, 1968
PhD, Humboldt University of Berlin, 1969
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader
Taught social philosophy at Morehouse College, 1961
Robert Parris Moses, educator and civil rights activist
Bachelor's Degree, Hamilton College, 1956
Master's Degree, Harvard University, 1957
Doria Shafik, Egyptian feminist activist
PhD, Sorbonne University in Paris, 1939
Malala Yousafzai, education activist
Bachelor's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Oxford University, 2020
Academia
Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University
Bachelor's Degree, Yeshiva University, 1991
Master's Degree, Yeshiva University, 1994
Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, president of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury
Bachelor's Degree, Morehouse College, 1972
Noam Chomsky, professor, activist, author, and public intellectual
Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Grant Cornwell, president of Rollins College
Bachelor's Degree, St. Lawrence University, 1979
PhD, University of Chicago, 1989
John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University
PhD, Georgetown University, 1995
William Dudley, president of Washington & Lee University
Bachelor's Degree, Williams College, 1989
PhD, Northwestern University, 1998
Vivia Fowler, president of Wesleyan College
PhD (Psychological and Philosophical Foundations of Education), University of South Carolina, 1994
Marjorie Hass, president of Rhodes College
Bachelor's Degree, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1987
PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1993
Rev. John I. Jenkins, president of University of Notre Dame
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Notre Dame, 1976
Master’s Degree, University of Notre Dame, 1978
Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust and former president of Agnes Scott College
Bachelor's Degree, Davidson College, 1983
DPhil, University of Oxford, 1990
Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges & Universities and former president of Mount Holyoke College
Bachelor's Degree, Mount Holyoke College, 1980
PhD, Brown University, 1985
Cornel West, philosopher, activist, and public intellectual
PhD, Princeton University, 1980
Business
Herbert Allison Jr., former Fannie Mae CEO
Bachelor’s Degree, Yale University, 1965
Sheila Bair, former FDIC chair
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Kansas, 1975
Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Flickr and Slack
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Victoria, 1996
Master’s Degree, University of Cambridge, 1998
Patrick Byrne, founder of Overstock.com
PhD, Stanford University, 1995
Chris Dixon, internet entrepreneur and investor
Bachelor's Degree, Columbia University, 1996
Master's Degree, Columbia University, 1999
Paul Draper, winemaker
Bachelor's Degree, Stanford University, 1959
Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and presidential candidate
Bachelor’s Degree, Stanford University, 1976
Paul Graham, computer scientist and venture capitalist
Bachelor's Degree, Cornell University, 1986
Robert Greenhill, investment banker
Bachelor’s Degree, Yale University, 1958
Jeffrey Gundlach, investor
Bachelor's Degree, Dartmouth College 1981
Christy Haubegger, entertainment executive and founder of Latina magazine
Bachelor's Degree, University of Texas at Austin, 1989
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn
Master’s Degree, Wolfson College Oxford, 1993
Damon Horowitz, entrepreneur and in-house philosopher at Google
PhD, Stanford University, 2007
Carl Icahn, investor and former CEO of TWA Airlines
Bachelor’s Degree, Princeton University, 1957
Jessica Jackley, entrepreneur and co-founder of Kiva
Bachelor's Degree, Bucknell University, 2000
Gerald Levin, former CEO of Time Warner, Inc.
Bachelor’s Degree, Haverford College, 1960
Bill Miller, investor, fund manager, and philanthropist
Doctoral studies, Johns Hopkins University, 1970s
John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods Market
Philosophy major (no degree earned), University of Texas at Austin and Trinity University, ca. 1975–1977
Richard Moross, founder of MOO
Bachelor's Degree, University of Sussex, 2000
Lachlan Murdoch, media magnate and son of Rupert Murdoch
Bachelor’s Degree, Princeton University, 1994
Erika Nardini, CEO of Barstool Sports
Bachelor's Degree, Colby College, 1998
Christopher North, technology investor and former CEO of Shutterfly
Master's Degree, New York University, 1999
Max Palevsky, co-founder of Intel and venture capitalist
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Chicago, 1948
Graduate studies at University of Chicago, University of California Berkeley, and University of California Los Angeles
Amy Prieto, CEO/CSO of Prieto Battery and professor of chemistry at Colorado State University
Bachelor's Degree, Williams College, 1996
Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia
Bachelor’s Degree, Reed College, 1991
PhD, Ohio State University, 2000
George Soros, investor and philanthropist
Bachelor’s Degree, London School of Economics, 1951
Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal
Bachelor’s Degree, Stanford University, 1989
Religion
Rabbi Michael Lerner, political activist and editor of Tikkun
Bachelor’s Degree, Columbia University, 1964
PhD, University of California Berkeley, 1972
Pope John Paul II
PhD, Jagiellonian University, 1948
Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize winning theologian and missionary
PhD, University of TĂĽbingen, 1899
Writing
Simone de Beauvoir, writer, philosopher, and political activist
Master's Degree, Sorbonne University in Paris, 1929
Pearl Buck, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning writer
Bachelor’s Degree, Randolph-Macon Women’s College, 1914
Mary Higgins Clark, novelist
Bachelor’s Degree, Fordham University, 1979
Susanna Clarke, Hugo Award-winning author
Bachelor’s Degree, St. Hilda’s College Oxford, 1981
Alain de Botton, writer, philosopher, and television presenter
Master's Degree, King's College London, 1992
Philip K. Dick, science fiction writer
Studied philosophy (no degree earned), University of California Berkeley, 1949
E.L. Doctorow, novelist (Ragtime)
Bachelor's Degree, Kenyon College, 1952
Alice Domurat Dreger, author (Galileo's Middle Finger), activist, and former professor
PhD (History and Philosophy of Science), Indiana University Bloomington, 1995
Umberto Eco, author (The Name of the Rose)
Laurea (Master’s) Degree, University of Turin, 1954
T.S. Eliot, Nobel Prize-winning essayist, publisher, playwright, and poet
Bachelor’s Degree, Harvard College, 1909
Continued philosophical studies at Harvard and Sorbonne University in Paris
Ken Follett, author (Eye of the Needle)
Bachelor’s Degree, University College London, 1970
Michael Frayn, playwright (Copenhagen) and novelist
Bachelor’s Degree, Emmanuel College Cambridge, 1957
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author (Plato at the Googleplex) and MacArthur Fellow
Bachelor’s Degree, Barnard College, 1972
PhD, Princeton University, 1977
Sam Harris, author (The End of Faith) and co-founder of Project Reason
Bachelor’s Degree, Stanford University, 2000
Christopher Hitchens, author
Bachelor’s Degree, Balliol College Oxford, 1967
Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize-winning author, The Remains of the Day
Bachelor's Degree, University of Kent at Canterbury, 1978
Charles R. Johnson, novelist (Middle Passage)
Master’s Degree, Southern Illinois University, 1973
PhD, Stony Brook University, 1988
Hanif Kureishi, playwright, screenwriter, and novelist
Bachelor's Degree, King's College London, 1977
Ira Levin, novelist (Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives), playwright, and songwriter
Bachelor's Degree, New York University, 1950
Yann Martel, author (Life of Pi)
Bachelor’s Degree, Trent University, 1985
Iris Murdoch, author (Under the Net)
Bachelor’s Degree, Somerville College Oxford, 1942
Katha Pollitt, poet, essayist, and critic
Bachelor's Degree, Radcliffe College, 1972
Ayn Rand, author (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged) and philosopher
Bachelor’s Degree, Petrograd State University, 1924
Jane Savidge, writer and music publicist
Bachelor's Degree, University of Nottingham, 1987
Susan Sontag, writer and MacArthur Fellow
Master’s Degree, Harvard University, 1955
Matthew Stewart, author, management consultant, and philosopher
Bachelor's Degree, Princeton University, 1985
DPhil, Oxford University, 1988
Studs Terkel, oral historian and writer
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Chicago, 1932
Miguel de Unamuno, author (Abel Sánchez)
Bachelor's Degree, University of Madrid, 1883
PhD, University of Madrid, 1884
David Foster Wallace, author (Infinite Jest)
Bachelor’s Degree, Amherst College, 1985
Elie Wiesel, author (Night)
Studied at Sorbonne University in Paris, 1948–1951
News and Journalism
Suroosh Alvi, co-founder of Vice Media
Bachelor's Degree, McGill University, 1991
Barbara Amiel, Lady Black of Crossharbour, journalist and writer
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Toronto, 1963
John Chancellor, journalist
Philosophy major (no degree earned), University of Illinois Navy Pier, 1947-1948
Ronan Farrow, journalist
Bachelor's Degree, Bard College, 2004
Glenn Greenwald, journalist and author
Bachelor's Degree, George Washington University, 1990
Chris Hayes, journalist, political commentator, and MSNBC host
Bachelor’s Degree, Brown University, 2001
Mark Hulbert, finance journalist and market analyst
Bachelor's Degree, Haverford College, 1977
Master's Degree, University of Oxford, 1979
Tamara Keith, journalist and NPR White House correspondent
Bachelor’s Degree, University of California Berkeley, 1999
Kathryn Jean Lopez, journalist, political commentator, and National Review Online editor
Bachelor’s Degree, Catholic University of America, 1997
Anne Morrissy Merick, journalist and Vietnam War reporter
Bachelor's Degree, Cornell University, 1955
Markos Moulitsas ZĂşniga, founder of Daily Kos and co-founder of Vox Media
Bachelor's Degree, Northern Illinois University, 1996
Stone Phillips, broadcaster
Bachelor’s Degree, Yale University, 1977
Ben Taub, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Bachelor's Degree, Princeton University, 2014
Katy Tur, journalist
Bachelor's Degree, University of California Santa Barbara, 2005
Juan Williams, journalist
Bachelor’s Degree, Haverford College, 1976
Matt Yglesias, journalist
Bachelor's Degree, Harvard University, 2003
Arts and Entertainment
Riz Ahmed, actor and rapper
Bachelor's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, & Economics), Oxford University, 2001
Trey Anastasio, musician (Phish)
Philosophy major (no degree earned), University of Vermont, 1983–1986
Wes Anderson, filmmaker
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Texas at Austin, 1990
Kurt Braunohler, comedian
Bachelor's Degree, Johns Hopkins University, 1998
Russ Cochrane, producer and screenwriter
Bachelor's Degree, Dalhousie University, 1993
Ethan Coen, filmmaker (of the Coen Brothers)
Bachelor’s Degree, Princeton University, 1979
Stephen Colbert, comedian and TV host
Philosophy major (no degree earned), Hampden-Sydney College, 1982–1984
Adam Conover, comedian
Bachelor's Degree, Bard College, 2004
Wes Craven, filmmaker
Master's Degree, Johns Hopkins University, 1964
Arthur Danto, art critic and philosopher
PhD, Columbia University, 1952
Lana Del Rey, singer-songwriter
Bachelor’s Degree, Fordham University, 2008
Dessa, rapper, singer, and poet
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Minnesota, 2003
Harrison Ford, actor
Philosophy major (no degree earned), Ripon College, 1960–1964
Richard Gere, actor
Philosophy major (no degree earned), University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1967–1969
Ricky Gervais, comedian and creator of The Office
Bachelor’s Degree, University College London, 1983
Philip Glass, composer
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Chicago, 1956
Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama
Bachelor's Degree (studied philosophy but did not declare any major), Evergreen State College, 1977
Juan Luis Guerra, musician
Philosophy major (no degree earned), Universidad AutĂłnoma de Santo Domingo, ca. 1975
Jake Gyllenhaal, actor
Philosophy major (no degree earned), Columbia University, 1998–1999
Chris Hardwick, comedian, TV host, and founder of Nerdist.com
Bachelor's Degree, University of California Los Angeles, 1995
Theo James, actor
Bachelor's Degree, University of Nottingham, 2007
Zola Jesus, musician
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Wisconsin Madison, 2010
Duncan Jones, director, producer, screenwriter
Bachelor's Degree, The College of Wooster, 1995
Graduate studies (no degree earned), Vanderbilt University, 1995–1997
Rashida Jones, actor
Bachelor's Degree, Harvard University, 1997
Kennedy, TV personality and former MTV VJ
Bachelor's Degree, University of California Los Angeles, 2005
Stacy London, stylist and host of What Not To Wear
Bachelor’s Degree, Vassar College, 1991
Keith Lucas, comedian and screenwriter
Bachelor's Degree, The College of New Jersey, 2007
Kenny Lucas, comedian and screenwriter
Bachelor's Degree, The College of New Jersey, 2007
Natasha Lyonne, actor
Philosophy major (no degree earned), New York University, 1995–1996
Amy Madigan, actor
Bachelor's Degree, Marquette University, 1972
Terrence Malick, filmmaker (The Thin Red Line)
Bachelor’s Degree, Harvard University, 1965
Rhodes Scholarship at Magdalen College Oxford, 1966–1968
Taught philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1968
Steve Martin, comedian, actor, and musician
Philosophy major (no degree earned), California State University Long Beach, 1963–1967
Deepa Mehta, director and screenwriter
Bachelor’s Degree, University of New Delhi, circa 1971
Moby, musician
Philosophy major (no degree earned), University of Connecticut, ca. 1983
Robert Motherwell, painter and printmaker
Bachelor's Degree, Stanford University, 1936
Kumail Nanjiani, comedian, actor, and writer
Bachelor's Degree, Grinnell College, 2001
Barnett Newman, painter
Bachelor's Degree, City College of New York, 1927
Olmeca, hip-hop artist
Bachelor's Degree, California State University Los Angeles, 2004
Annabel Park, documentary filmmaker
Bachelor's Degree, Boston University, 1991
Adrian Piper, conceptual artist and philosopher
Bachelor's Degree, City College of New York, 1974
PhD, Harvard University, 1981
Steve Reich, composer
Bachelor's Degree, Cornell University, 1957
Buffy Sainte-Marie, singer-songwriter
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1983
Susan Sarandon, actor
Bachelor’s Degree (minor), Catholic University of America, 1969
Paul Schrader, screenwriter, director, and film critic
Bachelor's Degree, Calvin College, 1968
Willard Scott, actor
Bachelor’s Degree, American University, 1953
Wallace Shawn, actor and playwright
Bachelor's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, & Economics), Magdalen College Oxford, 1968
Gene Siskel, film critic
Bachelor’s Degree, Yale University, 1967
Elliott Smith, singer-songwriter, musician
Bachelor’s Degree, Hampshire College, 1991
Kim Thayil, musician (Soundgarden)
Bachelor's Degree, University of Washington, 1985
Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Ottawa, 1961
Christy Turlington, model
Bachelor’s Degree, New York University, 1999
Sports
Mike "Bud" Budenholzer, NBA coach (Milwaukee Bucks)
Bachelor's Degree, Pomona College, 1993
Arian Foster, former American football player (Houston Texans)
Bachelor’s Degree, University of Tennessee, 2009
Pat Haden, former American football player (St. Louis Rams)
Bachelor's Degree (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics), Oxford University, 1978
Phil Jackson, NBA coach
Bachelor’s Degree, University of North Dakota, 1967
Bruce Lee, martial artist
Studied philosophy at University of Washington (no degree earned), 1961–1964
Michael McCaskey, president/chairman of the Chicago Bears
Bachelor’s Degree, Yale University, 1965