Northern Arizona University Department of Philosophy Department of Philosophy College of Arts and Sciences Northern Arizona University General Overview Plato used the image of people coming out of a dark cave into the sun as a metaphor, showing the power of philosophy to liberate the minds of human beings. The Philosophy Department s principal objective past, present, and future is to provide the foundation of a liberal education. We are engaged in this task not only as teachers but also as members of the university community.
Philosophy considers perennial problems of human existence in a systematic and rigorous way.
Among these problems are the requirements of careful thinking, the nature of a moral life, the possibility and scope of knowledge, the relation between mind and body, and the foundations of special concerns like religion, science, and art. Philosophers propose and criticize solutions to these problems, and their endeavors have a direct bearing on everyday human concerns. Philosophy helps us see what is required for sound thinking in every area of human endeavor, and so provides foundations. Our teaching requires that we serve as exemplars of inquiring, careful, and critical thinkers. Thus, as we ask our students to engage in the problems that have come to define philosophy, so we too engage ourselves with these questions.