◆ Philosophy

What a moral philosopher
really does.

20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

20evidenced tasks
41,530in the US (2025)
$80,340median pay / year
7systems it runs on
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Recruit and hire new faculty.
Run a national search for a tenure-track moral philosophy hire: draft …3 sources agree

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The work, task by task

20 tasks
Hands on the work12
Recruit and hire new faculty.+
Run a national search for a tenure-track moral philosophy hire: draft the job ad, assemble the candidate packet with CV, writing sample, and teaching statement, circulate it to the philosophy department and Dean for approval, and set an application deadline for November 15 with faculty interview slots in late January.
escojdonet3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grade papers and exams+
Grade the midterm papers for Introduction to Moral Theory: apply the published rubric to each essay, record scores and brief constructive comments, compile class grade totals, and return annotated papers to students within ten working days.
escojdonet3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Maintain student attendance and records+
Maintain the semester attendance list and student records for Moral Philosophy 201: record weekly attendance, note excused absences with documentation, update gradebook entries after each assessment, and send an attendance summary to the program coordinator at month end.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Keep current with field literature and conferences+
Keep current with literature and conferences in moral philosophy: subscribe to three top journals, compile a monthly annotated bibliography of new papers relevant to my research, and propose two conference presentations for the next academic year.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Moderate classroom discussions+
Lead a 75-minute seminar on moral responsibility with clear discussion prompts, enforce class norms so everyone can speak safely, note misunderstandings to follow up with individual feedback, and upload the annotated discussion notes to the course folder by Monday.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Provide clinical services such as assessment and psychotherapy+
Prepare intake materials and a treatment plan template for psychotherapy referrals focusing on moral distress, schedule two 50-minute assessment slots this week, document consent and risk assessment, and send a brief clinical summary to the referring clinician within 48 hours.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Write letters of recommendation for students.+
Write a one-page recommendation for Claire Huang outlining her analytical strengths, teaching potential, and suitability for the PhD program, address it to the admissions committee, sign it, and email the signed PDF to Claire and the admissions portal by Thursday morning.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.+
Compile an annotated bibliography of ten recent books and articles on virtue ethics and moral education, include one-line relevance notes for undergraduates, sort by theme, and upload the reading list to the course resources page before the next seminar.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice4
Work with people2
Watch and assess2

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
11 tasksMicrosoft Worddrafts and formats the job advertisement and candidate packet for departmental reviewOpen its task library →
7 tasksMicrosoft Outlookschedules interview slots and circulates the packet to faculty and the Dean
5 tasksBlackboard Learnuploads the final syllabus to the course site for students
4 tasksGoogle Docscollaboratively drafts and revises the syllabus with colleagues before finalizing
3 tasksMicrosoft Excelrecords scores, calculates totals, and maintains a gradebook for the classOpen its task library →
3 tasksIBM SPSS Statisticsproduces the statistical analyses and output tables to include in the manuscript
2 tasksMicrosoft PowerPointprepares the 45-minute lecture slides and visual aids for the seminar
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

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ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where a moral philosopher actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $80,340 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $49,050; the top tenth near $153,600
  • 41,530 people employed in this occupation

Where the evidence lives

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O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job14 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register8 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild12 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures

Close to this work

12 nearby
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Questions people actually ask

You usually split time between teaching, research, and service. Morning might be a 1–3 hour class (prepare slides in PowerPoint, post readings on Blackboard Learn), followed by office hours answering student questions and writing recommendation letters.

Afternoons often go to research: reading journals, running analyses in IBM SPSS Statistics if you do empirical work, drafting papers in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and attending faculty meetings in Outlook. Evenings can include grading with Excel or Word and prepping the next day’s syllabus.

For writing and collaboration you’ll use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and email/calendar in Microsoft Outlook. Teachers post lectures and assignments on Blackboard Learn and make slides in PowerPoint.

If you do empirical research you’ll use IBM SPSS Statistics for analysis and Excel for data cleaning. Recruit/hiring documents and grant proposals are usually prepared in Word and tracked with Outlook.

Yes, but use them carefully. AI can generate drafts or suggest readings, but you must verify facts, citations, and arguments yourself. Don’t submit AI-generated text as your own work without editing and checking primary sources.

Keep student data private: don’t upload names or grades to public AI systems. For grant proposals, follow your university’s rules about external tools and keep final submissions in Word with proper citations.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 41,530 people work in this category. The median pay is $80,340 per year; the lowest tenth earn about $49,050 and the top tenth about $153,600. Those are national numbers and include instructors at many ranks.

Actual pay varies by rank, institution type, and location: adjuncts often earn much less per course, while tenured professors at research universities reach the top end.

You’ll typically need a PhD in philosophy with coursework in ethics, metaethics, and moral psychology. As an undergrad, take philosophy, logic, and psychology courses and learn formal writing with Word and Google Docs.

Gain experience teaching (TA or adjunct), present at conferences, and start submitting short articles. Learn basic statistics and SPSS if you want to run empirical studies, and build a writing sample for grad school applications.

Clear, precise writing and argumentation. You’ll spend hours drafting articles, grant proposals, syllabi, and recommendation letters in Word or Google Docs—so being able to lay out objections and replies cleanly wins.

Closely linked is the ability to teach and lead discussions: moderating classroom debates, giving feedback, and mentoring students are core tasks you’ll do every term.