In my time as a college student, I’ve discovered something most people knew all along, college is breeding ground for ideas. Anything you might be interested in mostly likely has an established club and if not, it’s not difficult to create one.
In that way, college is the perfect place to indulge in impractical interests you have, which is why philosophy is so prevalent on campuses. Students oftentimes are only required to study and their free hours are theirs, giving them ample time to theorize about the wonders of the world. Philosophy by itself is impractical, you can’t spend your days musing about, but there is undoubtedly value in applying philosophical thought to real world issues.
Philosophy is more than just the odd musings of lonely men, it’s a way of thought and understanding. A philosopher sees things for what they are and attempts to explain how they got to this point. Some are more interested in the physical, others with the metaphysical but all are simply trying to explain their chosen area of thought and by doing so are able to think in ways most people do not. That makes them a valuable tool that can be used in really any field, yet most people do not pursue a degree in philosophy.
It’s too impractical to remember. Visible growth is often more valued than invisible, so things like philosophy get pushed to the side for later. No doubt there has been a decline in general intelligence, which perhaps can be linked to the decline in the general public’s appreciation of philosophy. If more people took an interest then perhaps the world would be facing fewer difficulties.