Welcome to the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies!

The aim of the Philosophy & Religious Studies Department at UW-Whitewater is to foster critical thinking and appreciation in the areas of reasoning, knowledge, reality, meaning, gender and race issues, ethics, history of religions, hermeneutics, religious rituals, and sacred stories. The goal is to instill these fundamental skills in UW-Whitewater students so that they are better prepared for their careers and lives in the 21st century.

We currently have ten faculty members, each of whom brings unique teaching, experience, and research in the attainment of our aim and goal. Our particular research emphases are in German philosophy, feminist philosophy, philosophy of race, philosophy of science, epistemology, ethics, social philosophy, aesthetics, memory studies, biblical interpretation, classical Hinduism, Buddhism, and religion in the human sciences.

We offer minors in Philosophy and World Religions. Our philosophy courses familiarize students with basic issues, problems, and methods of philosophy, as well as with the history of philosophy. Our religious studies courses 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. These minors and courses provide students with a heightened capacity for critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

 

Liberal Studies Program

The department also offers the Liberal Studies major and Liberal Studies minor. It is the mission of the Liberal Studies program to serve students who want a broad liberal arts background and the flexibility to tailor their studies to their own needs, interests and career goals by offering a dynamic program. The Liberal Studies major and minor encompass the study of a wide range of disciplines, including the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, which enable students to develop breadth of vision, a capacity for critical thinking, and a fundamental understanding of human nature, society and values. The program seeks to foster the development of skills and abilities employers’ consider most important, such as problem solving, analytical thinking, interpersonal relations and communications skills, among others. The Liberal Studies program aspires to present courses of study that are particularly appropriate for nontraditional, returning, and transfer students who desire to complete a degree.

Extras:

• Chris Calvert-Minor's website