Philosophy and Humanistic Studies Department
Welcome to the Department of Philosophy & Humanistic Studies
“The unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates
Philosophy, sometimes known as the mother of all disciplines is an essential area of study for a liberal arts program. Studying philosophy will help you think analytically, understand and clarify ideas, as well as challenge your own beliefs and assumptions. Socrates was put to death for corrupting the youth; really, he was only doing what any good philosophy teacher would do: asking students questions as a way to challenge their own ideas, and beliefs.
We offer courses in all areas of philosophy such as: Ancient Greek philosophy, Medieval philosophy, 19th and 20th century philosophy, ethical theory, existentialism, logic, Buddhist philosophy, and many more. Many of our courses apply philosophy to real world problems such as: ethical issues in health care, ethics in computing; environmental philosophy, engaged philosophy:peace and justice issues, and others.
The department also houses the popular Interdisciplinary Studies program and the following interdisciplinary minors: Humanistic Studies; Science and Society; and Sustainability. Our HUM courses (all of which are interdisciplinary) cover topics as varied as immigration, race, artificial intelligence, moral issues in modern society, environmental activism, knowledge and power, science and technology in film, utopia and dystopia. In these courses and programs, our goal is to explore the intersections of humanities, social sciences, arts and/or sciences. We encourage students to think beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and emphasize creative and critical thinking in addressing the complex questions and challenges of an interconnected world.
On our website, you will find information about our course offerings, the Interdisciplinary Studies major, the contract major in philosophy and our minors. Please do contact us for further information.