Philosophy investigates life鈥檚 most fundamental questions. Is there a God? Do we have free will? What is knowledge, and how can I reliably achieve it? What is the best form of government? What is the source and nature of our moral obligations? Philosophers pursue answers to such questions through a rigorous and systematic evaluation of arguments. By utilizing their analytical skills to question established beliefs and scrutinize ideas, philosophers deepen our understanding of the world and its problems.
Students in our classes learn to question their convictions, engage charitably with critics, and develop and defend reasoned answers to difficult questions. We train students in critical thinking, logical analysis, and argumentative writing鈥攕kills that enable them to read, write, and reason effectively in virtually any domain. Our majors advance to graduate study in many fields, including law, medicine, business, education, journalism, technology, and the sciences.
Our department offers courses in numerous areas of philosophy, such as ethics, social philosophy, political philosophy, logic, cognitive science, and Artificial Intelligence. We take up controversies associated with race, gender, religion, politics, economics, science, and technology, subjecting arguments on all sides to respectful cross-examination because philosophy is a collaborative search for truth, not mere consensus.
Philosophy is hard. You may not end up with all the answers you want, but you will acquire the knowledge and skills to ask the right questions and responsibly assess a variety of answers. You鈥檒l increasingly know not only what you believe but why you believe it.
We hope you鈥檒l be interested in joining our philosophical community. Come and talk with us.
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy Major and Minor available
Course requirements for a philosophy major include Critical Reasoning, Ethics, one course in Knowledge and Reasoning (Logic; Epistemology), one course in Social Philosophy (Justice, Equality, and Liberty; Feminist Philosophy; Philosophy of Race and Racism), one course in the History of Philosophy (Ancient Philosophy; Modern Political Philosophy), and Senior Seminar.
Majors also select five electives from a wide range of additional courses, including Philosophy of Law; Philosophy, Power, and Politics; Money, Market, and Morals; Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences; Foundations of Artificial Intelligence; Medical Ethics; Environmental Ethics; and more.
Course requirements for a minor are found .
An education in philosophy offers a versatile set of skills that equips students for a wide range of career paths. Philosophy majors are especially well-prepared for post-graduate studies; they routinely lead the rankings for the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Philosophy majors also have excellent job prospects, with a median mid-career salary that surpasses that of all other humanities and even most science fields, exceeded only by those with math and engineering degrees.
Recent Departmental News:
In conjunction with 乌鸦传媒 Student Government, the Department of Philosophy welcomed Professor Nadine Strossen to campus on February 5th, 2024, to discuss 鈥淔ree Speech on Campus: What You Need to Know,鈥 followed with a book signing. Professor Strossen is a New York Law School Professor Emerita and past national President of the American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008).
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Dr. Daniel Cullen was featured on a panel with the author of Cancel Wars: How Universities Can Foster Free Speech, Promote Inclusion, and Renew Democracy, to discuss the author's thesis on how universities may foster open inquiry, restore civic trust, and strengthen our pluralistic democracy. .
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In conjunction with Communities in Conversation, Dr. Cullen organized an event with Roosevelt Mont谩s that included a Q&A and panel discussion about Rescuing Socrates, in which Mont谩s describes how, as a Dominican immigrant who spoke no English, his immersion in the Great Books at Columbia transformed his life, and why they matter to a new generation of students.
