Taylor Hunt, B.A. Philosophy Class of 2017
“The skills learned by studying philosophy are skills that supplement any discipline.”
Taylor Hunt graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2017 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Sociology and then completed an M.A. in Philosophy at the University of Kansas. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy at KU and working as a graduate teaching assistant. Her primary research interests are moral psychology and virtue ethics.
Hunt initially decided to major in philosophy because of its importance to society and human life and found the discipline deeply pleasurable to study on a personal level. As an undergraduate student, she wanted to make philosophy more accessible to students from other majors, so she started the FHSU philosophy club. “After I joined the FHSU philosophy program, I started meeting people who enjoyed talking about philosophy and wished they could do it more often but didn’t want to take a class just to get access to that kind of discussion,” she says. With her hard work, the club became a thriving environment where students from any majors could gather and participate in philosophical discussions with their fellow students.
Hunt believes the FHSU program’s emphasis on developing dialectical skills, especially through its use of the three-tiered writing system, thoroughly prepared her for graduate studies in philosophy. “By the end of my time in the FHSU program I was able to clearly explain complex ideas, develop strong objections to those ideas, and suggest potential responses to those objections. Demonstration of these skills was necessary for getting into graduate school, and I’ve been practicing them constantly throughout graduate school,” she says.
When asked what advice she has for students considering a major in philosophy, she says, “I would advise a prospective undergraduate student who is considering majoring in philosophy to go ahead and do it (and pair it with another major, something else you enjoy and can see yourself utilizing in a future career). There are good reasons to major in philosophy. The skills learned by studying philosophy are skills that supplement any discipline. These skills – critical thinking, effective communication, analytical reasoning, making connections, etc. – are highly sought after by employers. So, being a philosophy major makes you an attractive job candidate. Philosophy is also intrinsically good for you. It is good to think critically about important things and expose yourself to different ideas. These are skills that are applicable to every aspect of our lives. Additionally, honing these skills makes us better citizens and people.”