Philosophy is impelled by reference to that totality which distinguishes human existence.
It analyzes the frameworks within which other human endeavors occur and recommends ways in which they might be situated so as to throw light on the character of totality. Such illumination, in turn, affects those other human endeavors by giving them perspective. By reason of its location in a Catholic institution, the department of philosophy is particularly interested in the ways revelation has led to development within a properly philosophic wisdom available to believers and unbelievers alike. The major tool of philosophic research lies in the careful study of classic texts from Plato to Aristotle to Heidegger and Wittggenstein. The cultivation of competence in logic and facility in at least one classical and one modern language are viewed as indispensable auxiliaries in the project.