"Philosophy" means "love of wisdom." Wisdom is not just knowledge but a sense of what knowledge is all about and an insight into the hidden presuppositions underlying the way we look at ourselves and the rest of the world. The wise person understands how things stand to one another in importance. Philosophy begins in wonder—wonder at the world, wonder most of all at the human person. And after philosophical reflection the wonder remains, even though it is wiser. For there is nothing on earth more wonderful than human beings, and the ancient Greek command "Know thyself!" begins a quest that lasts a lifetime.

The study of philosophy has always been of serious interest to human beings. In addition, in any field—from business, to medicine, to law, to teaching, to computer programming and civil engineering—the ability to think clearly and creatively as well as the capacity to solve problems is central to professional success and personal satisfaction. Of course, while taking one or two philosophy classes does not guarantee success, a philosophy class is one of the best ways to work on the acquisition and development of:

• Critical thinking skills: The ability to identify key issues in decision-making or problem solving; and to identify various related problems and solutions.
• Skills in argumentation: The ability to proceed in a valid and sound way from premises to conclusions; to rationally persuade others; to more rigorously seek reasoned self-understanding.
• Communication skills: The ability to summarize the content of a message clearly and objectively (for example, to differentiate fact from value); to explain complex ideas and principles.
• Skills in design and planning: The ability to look at a problem, or an opportunity, from different angles and to identify alternative plans of action or design.