Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies

Philosophy is a discipline that is central to the humanities and to a liberal arts education. The philosophy major will help you acquire skills in critical thinking and analysis, develop a broadened perspective, discuss questions of meaning and value, and gain an appreciation of the historical development of philosophical ideas.

The undergraduate study of philosophy prepares you for graduate and professional study in a surprisingly wide variety of fields. Philosophy constitutes an essential part of the education that you will need to be a thoughtful and skilled participant in the world of work and to be a responsible citizen in the larger community. This major is among the best for those considering graduate studies and law school.

The religion major recognizes that one of the aims of a college education is to enable you to see your individual beliefs, practices, rituals and stories as situated within a larger narrative that encompasses multiple perspectives and practices. Acquiring that broadened perspective is, in large part, what it means to be an educated person.

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies also oversees an interdisciplinary ethics minor as well as helps support minors in classical studies, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies and studies in women and gender.