Why do we need to justify philosophy?

Below is a link which explores the rationale behind the appointment of Dr Angie Hobbs (University of Warwick) as the UK's first Senior Fellow in the Public Understanding of Philosophy in 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/oct/02/philosophy-public-understanding-hobbs

Mark Vernon suggests that, in contrast, Europe has no need for such a post, since philosophy is accepted as having value in its own right by the public, as a discipline as well as an activity relating to everyday life.

Angie Hobbs, an expert on Ancient Greek philosophy and ethics, frequently appears on Radio 4's In Our Time philosophy debates, and most recently can be heard discussing the nature and relevance of heroism on the Radio 3 iplayer link below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vf5gy

Ruth