Welcome to the Department of Philosophy

Philosophy is an ancient academic discipline, but it also moves with the times. While we continue to research the traditional problems of philosophy (e.g., What is knowledge? What is the basis of right action? What is the nature of reality? ), our faculty also do research on such timely topics as the spread of online misinformation, political speech, the reliability of testimony and memory, quantum mechanics, animal minds, and data ethics.

Philosophy strongly emphasises both creative thinking and argumentative rigor. Our students learn to think critically and creatively, and to clearly articulate and impartially evaluate their own ideas and those of others. These are highly portable skills that are broadly applicable in business, in the laboratory, and in the professions.

We offer classes in most of the major fields and historical periods of philosophy. In addition to its stand-alone value, our B.A. in Philosophy complements many other degrees as a second major. It is a particularly good choice for those interested in attending law school, but fits well with other degrees including psychology, political science, physics, computer science, and mathematics. At the graduate level, we offer distinct M.A. and Ph.D. programs.