My experience, many decades ago, taking lower-level Philosophy classes at a "top-ish" American research university:

- The first 2+ courses in Philosophy were great stuff, expanding my worldview & understanding.

- After that...the subject plunged to far-less-than-worthless. Required readings became impenetrable gibberish, seemingly written by intellectual super-snobs, vying with each other for nothing but "Most Incomprehensible Waste of Time" bragging rights.

The only philosophy I ever found useful was existentialism. Most other philosophies seem to be nothing but exercises in apologetics for the status quo, and that niche is already handily filled by economists.

Philosopher needed urgently over here

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31932482