Philosophy and religion are among the oldest fields of study in the world, exploring more deeply than any other academic discipline who we are ultimately as people.
The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies offers minors both in Philosophy and in World Religions. The department also houses both the Liberal Studies major and Liberal Studies minor. Liberal Studies is a multidisciplinary program that incorporates the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences in a structured way that helps students develop their whole person. All courses taught in philosophy and religious studies provide students with a heightened capacity for critical thinking and a deeper understanding of human nature.
Our philosophy courses familiarize students with basic issues, problems, and methods of philosophy, as well as with the history of philosophy. Our courses in religious studies explore ideas and issues relating to the world’s major religions, focusing on the intellectual, historical, cultural, and personal dimensions of religion in human life.
Faculty
The department currently has nine faculty members, eight with Ph.D.’s in either philosophy or religious studies. Our faculty members possess breadth as well as depth in research and teaching in the humanities. Their individual areas of research are wide-ranging and include: 19th century German philosophy, the interface of science and religion in the 17th through 18th centuries, ethics, social philosophy, classical Hinduism, feminism and lesbian studies, biblical hermeneutics, aesthetics, classical philosophy, and contemporary European philosophy.
Hands-on Learning
All students in the Liberal Studies program, in consultation with their thesis advisor, write a substantial senior thesis on a topic of their choosing. In addition, liberal studies students have the option of creating an individualized internship that combines work experience with personal reflection and skill development. These optional, one-to-three credit internships have been arranged in diverse professional and work settings to give students valuable “hands-on” learning experience.
Student Organizations
The Philosophy Club, coordinated by students under faculty guidance, sponsors a variety of academic and social activities throughout the academic year. Some of these include the Socrates Café (coffee and lively discussion at the meeting point of current events and timeless philosophical questions), dinner gatherings, movie nights, meditation group meetings, and special guest lectures on selected topics in philosophy, religion, and culture.