In the following Q-and-A, senior philosophy major Emilio Ruiz shares some of his experiences as a philosophy major:
What have you enjoyed most about being a philosophy major at Illinois State University?
I have enjoyed learning how to think about things in a different way. Hopefully it will help in my future endeavors.
If you had to take one—and only one—philosophy book or article to a desert island, which one would it be?
I would take Wittgenstein’s Tractus Logico-Philosophicus. I just looked that up, and it does sound like an interesting book.
Do your friends and family know that you study philosophy?
My family keeps getting philosophy mixed up with English for some reason. But I know the difference.
What other majors did you consider?
I have an associate’s degree in psychology and considered that or English. Philosophy has been a very good major though, and I’m sad that I did not take more philosophy classes. (I took some English and theatre classes, which were great in their own ways.)
What are you plans after graduation?
After graduation I plan on teaching English in Uruguay or another South American country.
