In my early formative years, I was reading philosophers such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Hermann Hesse, and anything else I could get my hands on.
Later at university, I studied philosophy obliquely through the lens of communication — learning the Socratic method and reading up on Plato’s Phaedrus. I was always deeply interested in the discipline, but at the back of my mind, like many others, I viewed philosophy as a useless subject.
It simply didn’t get you a job.
Even in those days, if you could get a job in computers, you were well on your way — but for that, you needed maths and science.
It was almost laughable when we saw British graduates who had studied PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) at Oxford. What on earth were they going to do with that?
Yet my assumptions were challenged when I encountered a PPE graduate who was working as an incredibly talented financial planner.
Telling me things 30 years ago that most people weren’t even considering, he proved the immense practical value of his training.
Confoundingly, he subsequently left the country, and I had to find another financial planner. A great pity.
The Ancient Discipline Returns in the Age of AI
Fast forward to today, and The Economist highlights a massive historical plot twist: philosophy students are now in high demand in the world of artificial intelligence.
They are being snapped up to help solve critical digital dilemmas.
For instance, if an AI possesses so much information, what doesn’t it know?
As Socrates purported, true wisdom lies in recognizing one’s own lack of knowledge and knowing how to ask the right questions.
In the age of generative technology, this ancient Socratic method has become an invaluable asset.
Philosophy, Ethics, and South Africa’s Modern Challenges
When we look at South Africa today, we see profound philosophical, moral, and ethical dilemmas playing out in real time, particularly surrounding immigration and the treatment of minorities.
Consider the public marches against illegal immigrants.
While it is true that entering the country without authorization breaks the law, a deeper philosophical question arises:
How should a majority treat illegal immigrants under its care?
How many African immigrants should be allowed into the country, and should there be strict quotas based on the skills the economy desperately needs?
We have seen a massive middle class — teachers, doctors, and other professionals — initially enter South Africa illegally from places such as Zimbabwe, only to later become naturalized citizens.
Did we need all those people?
It is a complex, multi-layered ethical dilemma.
Similarly, a massive philosophical question surrounds our historical minorities — white, coloured, and Indian communities.
How should the majority treat these distinct minorities in a unified South Africa?
It is deeply tragic to look at the illegal immigrant issue and witness, yet again, the ill-treatment of vulnerable minorities in this country.
These aren’t problems an algorithm can calculate.
They require precise, structured moral reasoning.
Returning to the global job market, it is quite amazing that an ancient discipline once discarded and laughed at is experiencing such a massive resurgence.
It is beautifully ironic that those who once mocked philosophy are now realizing its absolute importance to human operations on this planet.
To see how this plays out practically, here are 10 professional paths where philosophy-trained thinkers are increasingly leading the way, mapped with a close eye on our local South African landscape.
10 Active Professions for Philosophy Majors
1. AI Safety & Value Alignment Researcher
The Role:
Working directly within AI frontier labs such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google DeepMind to solve the “alignment problem” — ensuring advanced AI systems act in ways that are beneficial to humanity and avoid unintended consequences.
South African Context:
Local financial hubs and fintech startups are building risk-mitigation teams to audit automated systems before deployment.
Estimated Local Salary:
R450,000 – R950,000+
2. Legal Advisor & Constitutional Analyst
The Role:
Deconstructing complex competing claims, interpreting statutory law, and building coherent legal arguments that hold up in messy real-world scenarios.
South African Context:
Exceptionally critical given our complex Constitution. Philosophical reasoning maps directly into public interest litigation, land reform frameworks, and human rights advocacy.
Estimated Local Salary:
R350,000 (Candidate Attorneys) to R1,200,000+ (Senior Advisors / Partners)
3. Public Policy Specialist
The Role:
Drafting state regulations, evaluating demographic data, and designing systemic guidelines that balance majority rule with robust minority protections.
South African Context:
Highly valued within provincial governments, think tanks, and departments dealing with high-stakes issues such as immigration, transformation, and economic policy.
Estimated Local Salary:
R450,000 – R1,000,000+
4. Management Consultant & Strategic Planner
The Role:
Helping organizations navigate uncertainty by testing assumptions, identifying blind spots, and analyzing systemic risks that narrow data models can miss.
South African Context:
Top consulting firms and local advisory groups value philosophers for untangling complex problems within state-owned enterprises, supply chains, and mining houses.
Estimated Local Salary:
R500,000 (Entry Analyst) to R1,500,000+ (Senior Principal)
5. Corporate Governance & Ethics Officer
The Role:
Moving beyond basic compliance to design and implement ethical frameworks governing how businesses use data, treat consumers, and impact society.
South African Context:
Essential for JSE-listed companies operating under the ethical culture and accountability principles of the King IV Report.
Estimated Local Salary:
R450,000 – R900,000+
6. AI Prompt Engineer & Semantic Specialist
The Role:
Because modern AI models operate through human language, these specialists use precise vocabulary, formal logic, and argument structure to optimize outputs and reduce AI errors.
South African Context:
Growing within advertising agencies, digital platforms, and customer-facing banking applications.
Estimated Local Salary:
R350,000 – R750,000
7. UX (User Experience) Researcher
The Role:
Using concepts such as phenomenology — the philosophical study of conscious experience — to understand human behaviour and design better digital systems.
South African Context:
Important for Cape Town’s technology sector and Johannesburg’s fintech industry, particularly when designing inclusive platforms for diverse users.
Estimated Local Salary:
R350,000 – R800,000+
8. Bioethicist & Healthcare Policy Advisor
The Role:
Resolving moral dilemmas arising from medical technology, automated healthcare systems, clinical trials, and resource allocation.
South African Context:
Increasingly relevant as the country debates healthcare reform and balances public and private medical resources.
Estimated Local Salary:
R400,000 – R850,000
9. Content Moderation Strategist & Epistemologist
The Role:
Applying epistemology — the study of knowledge and truth — to decisions about misinformation, online harm, algorithmic fairness, and digital discourse.
South African Context:
Important for media organizations, political consultancies, and digital platforms dealing with deepfakes and social polarization.
Estimated Local Salary:
R400,000 – R800,000
10. AI Transparency & Explainability (XAI) Advocate
The Role:
Bridging the gap between engineers, regulators, and the public by ensuring automated decisions can be explained in understandable human terms.
South African Context:
Growing in importance under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which emphasizes responsible handling of personal data.
Estimated Local Salary:
R450,000 – R900,000+
Local Career Paths Matrix
Tech & AI Route
Sectors:
Fintech, banking, technology hubs
Philosophy Skills:
Symbolic logic, semantics, algorithmic bias analysis
Public & Social Route
Sectors:
Government, think tanks, NGOs
Philosophy Skills:
Political philosophy, ethics, policy framework design
Corporate Route
Sectors:
Consultancies, JSE boards
Philosophy Skills:
Governance, assumption testing, strategic vision
Philosophy helps decision making
Coding tells a system exactly what it can do. Philosophy helps a society decide what it should do.
In an era where technical execution is increasingly automated, the ability to think, reason, and untangle deep moral grey areas has become one of humanity’s greatest competitive advantages.
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