In a philosophy class, a student asks the teacher, "I don't understand - what's the use of philosophy? How do philosophers manage to make money at all? I came here to study law, so why do I need philosophy?"
In fact, the student, who barely put effort into studying any subject, had an "excuse" only in this case. Like many other students, most of whom will never become lawyers.
The blonde allows herself such contempt only for philosophy. Smirking with sincere bewilderment, she throws her brilliant question at the teacher. The teacher calmly responds, giving examples of philosophers who were able to earn money through philosophy. One could envy his patience.
Undoubtedly, this blond girl is not the first to ask such a question to the teacher. Surely every philosophy teacher has heard such mercenary questions about their subject at least once.
Whoever said that philosophy should be profitable? Philosophy is like art: not everyone can appreciate it, not everyone can afford it.
A cucumber vendor at the market can earn more than a vendor of wisdom. And that's okay. Some people need philosophy, while others need cucumbers. If philosophy is not needed by a particular person, it does not mean a loss of its value. Nor does it mean that philosophy should be quantified in monetary terms directly.
Measuring philosophy by profitability is like weighing cucumbers based on the buyer's level of consciousness: "Your consciousness weighs exactly three kilograms and not a gram more! And you, young man, do not even weigh one and a half cucumbers!" Philosophy has its own benefits, and they are not measured solely in money.
Recalling the vivid Hollywood film of 2016, "Gods of Egypt," we witness a noble transformation in the judgment of a person that occurs after their death. At the beginning of the film, the person was evaluated based on the weight of their treasures, but in the end, they were judged by their deeds. However, it seems that we are partially returning to the initial idea of judging a person based on the amount of money. Or perhaps we never departed from it?
Despite The Old and New Testaments, the high moral ideals instilled in us by religion, myths, and of course, fairy tales from childhood, society continues to assess a person not by the merit of their deeds but by the depth of their wallet. A guy who saves someone's life or constantly makes donations to the needy is certainly commendable, and he will undoubtedly find approval in society. However, the majority strive to be like that guy with a big house, an expensive car, and a decent annual income that allows him to live the way he wants. But the essence of a person is not in money, just as the meaning of life and the meaning behind many things that a person does in their life. Philosophy is one of those things.
Answering the question "How do philosophers make money?" - the best thing you can do is remove the word "philosophy" from the question. Don't try to sell philosophy. Use it. Use it in any of the ways to earn money. Otherwise, philosophy will turn from a helper into a limitation. Of course, you can always write a book, create a course, or engage in teaching. But philosophy is a universal tool of thinking applicable in any way of earning money. Even if you sell cucumbers.