“Philosophy” (from Greek φιλοσοφία) means “love of wisdom.” It also means the experience of making critical sense of, and finding meaning in, all kinds of personal and global complexity. This experience is fundamental for human beings of all identities and cultures—Western and non-Western, ancient, modern, and postmodern.

The philosophy program provides a foundation for further critical exploration of issues like those above. It affords a deeper grasp of how all areas of human knowledge—in the humanities, the natural and social sciences, in the arts, and in social and political life—are connected. The core of our program gives students a solid grasp of classic philosophical texts and subjects. Many courses also explore emerging transdisciplinary perspectives that are redefining knowledge, experience, and practice in the twenty-first century world.

Students who pursue philosophy majors or minors, or who take philosophy courses as electives, have created successful careers in a rich variety of fields, including (besides teaching philosophy) law, business, psychology and other sciences, and the arts. Philosophy majors also are the highest postgraduate wage-earners in the humanities and among the top scorers in all fields in tests such as the GRE, LSAT, and GMAT.

What complexities speak to you? Our program can help you find out.