Existentialism in the classroom: We are doomed
In recent years, American higher educational instutions have recorded a boom in philosophy majors. One reason offered is that,
“Once scoffed at as a luxury major, philosophy is being embraced at Rutgers and other universities by a new generation of college students who are drawing modern-day lessons from the age-old discipline as they try to make sense of their world, from the morality of the war in Iraq to the latest political scandal.”
These passionate young students, it goes on to report, spend class time considering such complex sociopolitical quandries as the metaphysics of the Matrix, and whether extinction is necessarily a bad thing.
Obviously, philosophy majors are known for their practical decision-making capacity in the face of major world challenges.
