Philosophy
Doing Philosophy expands our minds and helps us become better thinkers and writers. Philosophy provides us with the tools to discover, examine, and evaluate insights and ideas. It also helps us reflect on ethical dilemmas and develop our moral reasoning skills. Philosophy is not just for those who seek wisdom; it is also for those who want techniques to be able to think, speak, and write clearly and defensibly. It helps us clarify different world-views, assess moral claims, evaluate theories of knowledge, and be able to apply problem-solving skills to real world cases.
If you want to sharpen your ability to reason, studying Philosophy is for you! You can then be more effective in addressing the issues we face and in working with others. Philosophy helps us evaluate theoretical systems and how they are applied in our lives and institutions. With the skills we learn in Philosophy, we are better able to examine our values and beliefs—and confront the biases and prejudice within and around us. We can make a difference in how we live in the world.
This major is an excellent preparation for graduate study or a career in teaching, law, medicine, information technology, publishing/editing, culture/museum studies, social sciences, or theological studies. Philosophy provides a strong foundation for careers in education, business, research, writing, or counseling. A major in Philosophy is a plus for any field that requires analytical abilities, problem-solving skills, and an open mind.
The Philosophy department encourages students to major or minor in Philosophy—or minor in Ethics. It is an excellent major or minor for those who wish to go into bioethics, law, medicine, journalism, or film. We also help students arrange double majors such as with Art, Political Science, Business, Film studies, English. A minor in Philosophy works well with virtually all majors, as well as the Pre-Law minor. The Ethics minor is an excellent choice for those majoring in Business, Nursing, Sociology, Health Care Policy, or Religious Studies.