About the Philosophy Department
Two Perspectives:
What is Philosophy?
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The fundamental task of philosophy is the analysis of
concepts and the criticism of beliefs. There is nothing new in the idea. When
Plato in The Republic addressed the question "What is justice?" and criticized
the accounts of justice offered by his interlocutors, he was engaged in just
this task. This reference to ancient philosophy is not accidental, for it is
the department's conviction that fruitful inquiry into philosophical problems
must be grounded in an understanding of the history of philosophy. Thus, in
addition to the courses offered in the systematic fields of philosophy (ethics,
logic, metaphysics, theory of knowledge, etc.), the department teaches a
complete range of courses covering major historical periods. The Philosophy
Department also offers freshman seminars, advanced seminars, an honors program,
and an opportunity for independent study. Each fall the department sponsors a
Foreign Study Program at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Recent Philosophy Faculty News:
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