Does Philosophical Study Improve Intellectual Abilities?

Philosophy majors traditionally score higher on standardized tests and demonstrate greater reflectiveness and logical skills. However, these results do not necessarily prove that philosophy causes these improvements, as they may be attributed to self-selection where naturally reflective individuals are drawn to the field.

Empirical studies, such as those involving the Cognitive Reflection Test, indicate that students entering their very first philosophy courses already score significantly higher than the population average. This suggests that the trait of reflectiveness exists before students have received any formal philosophical instruction.

While randomized controlled experiments are the gold standard for determining causation, they are impractical or unethical in an academic setting. Instead, researchers use techniques like covariate adjustment to control for confounds, such as socio-economic background or prior educational opportunities.

A potential solution to the self-selection problem is measuring intellectual abilities at the start of college and again at graduation. If philosophy students maintain superior scores even after controlling for their baseline freshman performance, it serves as stronger evidence that the study of philosophy actively contributes to their intellectual development.