Department of Philosophy

From love and beauty to society and politics to science and nature, philosophies all over the world address “big questions” about how peoples conceive of their world, and our place in it.

Major questions across all these realms include:

  • what kinds of things exist?
  • what kinds of things can or should be understood?
  • what kinds of things are valued?
  • what should we be and what should we do?
  • how should we interact with our world?
  • what should our methods or approaches of engagement be?

The benefits of studying philosophy include skills to communicate effectively both in writing and in speaking, and deeper conceptual reasoning abilities. The benefits of studying world philosophies, where contemporary issues are treated in conversation with historical understandings, is to develop deeper conceptual reasoning abilities and facility in a dynamic global world.

Training in philosophy is good preparation for careers in government, law, higher education, journalism, teaching, and more, as well as for standardized exams for business school, medical school, law school, and graduate school.

Contact

Department of Philosophy
Wardman Hall
562.907.4243
562.698.4996 (fax)