Philosophy

Introduction

Philosophy is among the oldest intellectual disciplines. Many areas of study now distinct from philosophy — for example, the various sciences — may be regarded as offspring of philosophy which have come of age. Nevertheless, the central philosophical questions remain as vital as ever. These include:

What is the good life?
What are our moral duties to others?
What is knowledge, and do we have any?
What is the ultimate nature of reality?
Is there a god?

Through a collaborative study of questions like these, our faculty helps students develop the skills that we value as a department—skills like active reading, critical thinking, analytic writing, and effective speaking.

The Department of Philosophy offers a variety of courses in traditional areas of study, including ethics, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, and the history of philosophy. A number of courses satisfy General University Requirements (GURs). The department also offers a major and a minor in philosophy. The major is intentionally one of the smallest in the University and can often be combined with other programs of study.

Work in philosophy fits well into many pre-professional programs, including those for law, medicine, and business. Indeed, studies have consistently shown that philosophy majors are among the top performers on qualifying exams such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the Graduate Required Exam (GRE). More generally, by training students to carefully engage with complex problems in creative new ways, the study of philosophy is excellent preparation for any career that involves critical thinking and analytic reasoning.

Faculty

RYAN WASSERMAN (2005) Chair and Professor. BA, Western Washington University; PhD, Rutgers University.
DANIEL HOWARD-SNYDER (2001) Professor. BA, Seattle Pacific University; PhD, Syracuse University.
FRANCES HOWARD-SNYDER (1993) Professor. BA, MA, University of Capetown; PhD, Syracuse University.
HUD HUDSON (1992) Professor. BA, Boise State University; MA, PhD, University of Rochester.
NEAL TOGNAZZINI (2014) Professor. BA, Western Washington University; MA, PhD, University of California, Riverside.
DENNIS WHITCOMB (2007) Professor. BS, Kansas State University; PhD, Rutgers University.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Philosophy, BA

Undergraduate Combined Major

Politics/Philosophy/Economics, BA (In Moratorium) (see Economics Department)

Undergraduate Minor

Philosophy Minor

Courses

Philosophy

Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400 are described in the University Academic Policies section of this catalog.