At the Brooklyn headquarters of the Unemployed Philosophers Guild philosophy, humor, art, politics, and history come together in the form of quirky and clever giftware designed to excite and enlighten. The company began in the late 80s as a way for former SUNY Purchase philosophy student Stephen Shaw to not only avoid having to land an ordinary 9-to-5 job (hence the “unemployed” part of the company’s name) but to also be able to fill the void that he saw in the lack of smart and meaningful products available on the market.