Alumni Profile: Jordan Kleist

Name: Jordan Kleist
Major: Philosophy
Graduation Year: Spring 2019

What are your plans after graduation? 

I’ll be attending law school in the fall at the University of Chicago.

What's your favorite stereotype about philosophy majors?

That we “spend all day thinking about really deep stuff.” Which has some truth to it, depending on what one considers “really deep."

What motivated you to study philosophy?

A big factor was high school debate, where I learned that I have a lot more interest in normative questions than descriptive ones. I found that I really like the logical analysis that philosophers use, and I figured it would be really good preparation for law school.

What philosophical questions have kept you up at night?

This is super un-original, but I definitely have been kept up thinking about the existence of free will.

Has there been a professor or faculty member who has most influenced your academic career?

Professor Tiberius is currently my senior thesis advisor—she’s been fantastic about guiding my academic interests and pushing me to improve my writing.

What is a skill you've gained studying philosophy at a university level?

Philosophy has definitely improved my writing ability—it forces you to write in a clear and logical manner, especially when dealing with abstract and/or challenging material.

What advice do you have for students that might be interested in philosophy?

It’s an incredibly broad major, from logic to ethics to epistemology to philosophy of mind, and you can focus on the area that appeals to you.

This story was written by an undergraduate student in CLA.