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Students pay plenty to go to university and expect a good job as a result.
Ewan Sargent put the question to departing Massey University philosophy professor Peter Schouls. Philosophy, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence. A common perception is that philosophy is something practised by vague academics who ponder abstract questions, such as how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. He's aware of the image and admits philosophy can be obtuse. Those are interesting questions, but he says their practical relevance lies as a training ground for developing questioning skills.