Philosophy is the systematic study of questions any thoughtful human being faces concerning the nature of knowledge, reality, thought, and value. What is valuable and what is value? What gives thought and language meaning? What is truth, and how can we know it? The main value of philosophy lies in its contribution to a liberal arts education. It can, however, also provide excellent preparation for a wide variety of professions (notably, law), because of the training it provides in rigorous thinking and incisive and clear writing. Philosophy cuts across other academic disciplines by examining their concepts, methods, and presuppositions.