DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Classes and Teaching

Philosophy is often thought to be the discipline that investigates eternal questions like what is the good? and what can we know? But these questions, though they may be as old as human history, have been asked and answered in many different ways. For this reason, philosophers are constantly rethinking, not only what philosophy is about, but also who has counted, or could be counted, as a philosopher. Even courses devoted to historical periods often explore a variety of ways in which the philosophy of that time has had an impact on the philosophical community of the present, which comprises a widely diverse group of thinkers, who may share little more than the desire to better understand the world in which we live. For historical courses of this kind, consider the 210 sequence, ranging from ancient to early modern philosophy, as well as many of the 300-level history courses regularly offered by the department. For courses arranged by topic, but with an eye toward including a consideration of how these questions are received by a diverse audience, try some of the department’s offerings in contemporary philosophy.

In addition, the department is dedicated to ensuring that all students have the skills they need to succeed in philosophy. To this end, we have created the Ruth Barcan Marcus Clinics for Formal Logic, a peer-tutoring program in logic for traditionally underrepresented or formally underprepared students.  

Some of the most interesting work in contemporary philosophy looks directly at the application of philosophical concepts like justice or knowledge or responsibility to current social issues. These include thinking about race, gender, class, and other socially constructed kinds. For courses like this, consider one or more of the following (an asterisk indicates a course whose syllabus has been recently diversified).