Courses in the history of philosophy introduce students to the ideas of great thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche. Nonmajors acquire valuable skills of analysis and argumentation while learning to ask fundamental question about identity, meaning, and value.
Thematic courses range from ethics and social philosophy to the mind-body problem.
The department offers majors and minors in both philosophy and religious studies. Advisers encourage students to acquire background in a special interest by taking courses in other disciplines. A philosopher of science, for example, needs to study biology, just as a student interested in aesthetics must learn about art, music, and literature.