Philosophy & English

Students majoring in English will find that a second major in Philosophy will enhance the overall quality of their educational experience. Philosophical texts are not only highly compelling in their own right; they also tend to be the ones with most distinctive afterlives, tracing their lineage through the dramas of Shakespeare to the novels of Toni Morrison and David Foster Wallace, the films of Terrence Malick and Wes Anderson, and the lyrics of Jay Z. Philosophers, like literary theorists and scholars, raise critical questions about methodology, meaning, and the limits of human understanding. Mastery of philosophical concepts will enhance your ability to interpret literary texts and critically evaluate ideas presented in them; and delving into literary and cultural studies, ethnic literatures, film studies, creative writing, and critical theory will enrich your interpretative approach to philosophical texts, while also attuning you to their cultural and historical contexts and supplying fruitful material for philosophical thought experiments.

If you have questions, contact Professor Oksana Maksymchuk (omaksymc@uark.edu).