“How important is it for a typical university to maintain a department in each of the following fields?” A survey by Polarization Research Lab asked people that question. Fifteen fields were listed, and respondents were given four options: Essential — a university should always have this department Important, but could be cut if necessary Not very important This department should be cut. The field with the most public support, according to this survey, is English, with 86% of the respondents calling it “Essential” and another 11% calling it “Important”. In spots 2 and 3 were Mathematics and History. Very few deemed these fields “not very important” or said they “should be cut”. At the bottom of the list was Gender and Sexuality Studies, with 24% of the responses saying it is “Essential,” 28% saying it is “Important”, 21% saying “not very important,” and 28% saying “should be cut.” Where does philosophy fall on the list? Close to the bottom, with 34% calling it “Essential,” 45% calling it “Important”, 17% saying it is “not very important”, and 4% saying it should be cut. The following graph shows the results. It was brought to my attention by Philippe-Antoine Hoyeck (Carleton University), who shared and wrote about it in a thread on X.com. Mr. Hoyeck says the lesson here is that “philosophers have done a pretty woeful job of marketing ourselves as the people who can teach and employ… crucial [critical thinking] skills”. Discussion welcome. Related: How to Show that Studying Philosophy Improves Thinking Skills Studying Philosophy Makes People Better Thinkers: Further Data The Benefits of Studying Philosophy: Not Just Selection Effects? The Demand for Philosophers Improving Philosophy’s Prospects with a Model for Bringing it to High Schools Two Ideas for Improving the Future of Philosophy  

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