He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that Mill Philosophy is the examination of ideas and the evaluation of first principles. Philosophy helps us free ourselves from dogmatic or unreflective habits of mind. It instills habits of intellectual integrity, impartiality and rationality.
Philosophy enlarges our conception of what is possible and enriches our intellectual imagination.
Accordingly, philosophy is an essential ingredient of any sound education. Besides providing individual courses, the Department offers a well-rounded Philosophy Minor. The Minor provides an introduction to ethics, logic and the history of philosophy. It also helps students develop crucial intellectual skills such as critical thinking, logical reasoning and conceptual analysis - in short, it helps students learn to think for themselves. Emphasis is balanced between philosophical content and the cultivation of philosophical thinking.