Philosophy
Studying philosophy will provide you with the necessary tools for thinking about the serious challenges facing us in the 21st century. You will earn a bachelor of arts degree while gaining expertise in writing, researching, critical analysis, and public speaking.
Why Choose a Degree in Philosophy?
Philosophy has been defined as the love of wisdom, the search for truth through reasoning, and a discipline that comprises aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics. We believe such definitions have their purpose, but the only way to truly understand philosophy is to engage in the study and practice of philosophical inquiry. Through this work, you will build intensive research, informed critical analysis, and careful writing skills as preparation for a wide array of careers and fields, ranging from library science to social work, law to teaching.
What You’ll Study
Our program offers a major and minor. As part of the curriculum, you’ll investigate many of the questions philosophers ask—What can I know? Who am I? What is justice? Does God exist? What is the nature of time?—and several others, as well. Our faculty cover the ideas of ancient philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle; early modern philosophers, like Descartes, Conway, and Kant; 20th-century thinkers, such as Heidegger, Beauvoir, and Quine; and recent theorists, like Foucault, Kristeva, and Lewis. Topics include ancient Western philosophy, Indian philosophy, social and political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and the philosophies of religion, science, race, mind, language, and law. Moreover, our emphasis on research and writing equips our students with skills appropriate to a wide range of pursuits. Many of our students earn course credit while on an overseas program.
Outside the classroom, our department hosts a vibrant philosophy colloquium featuring renowned philosophers from both here in the Northwest and across the country. We also joined with other philosophy departments in the Northwest to apply for and receive a Mellon grant to investigate the ways in which philosophy is integral to work on diversity and inclusion. This grant has enabled us to contribute to making the department, and Lewis & Clark as a whole, more diverse and inclusive.
Connect With Lewis & Clark!
Complement Your Education With One of These Minors
The most popular minors for our philosophy majors are Middle East and North African studies, religious studies, and rhetoric and media studies.
What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
Being a philosophy major, I have the opportunity to research and learn about important ideas that shape our society, and be able to put my ideas and arguments into them.
I find the philosophy major interesting because the courses span a wide selection of traditions and philosophers. The department also encourages students to explore topics that they are personally interested in.
English and philosophy are deeply intertwined. It’s always fascinating to read authors and philosophers from the same area and time period, because they tend to express the same thoughts in different styles.
What Can You Do With a Degree in Philosophy?
Philosophy majors are one of the three highest scoring groups on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), second on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), and sixth on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Together with the relevant science courses, a BA in philosophy provides unique preparation for medical school. Public agencies and businesses seek individuals who possess the writing, critical thinking, public speaking, and analysis skills that are fostered by philosophy. Recent graduates have gone on to enjoy careers in social work, the ministry, management, library science, law, government, education, computer science, and communication. In addition, some of our recent graduates now hold faculty positions in higher education.
Dedicated Faculty
Our expert professors are your expert mentors. You will learn directly from faculty (no graduate assistants here!) that are nationally recognized in their fields of study and who love to work with and learn from their students. Your professors will inspire you to be a thoughtful and passionate participant in a diverse world. Your small classes will support you as you explore new ideas, find your voice, and speak your truth.
Invest in Yourself
A private liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate with their bachelor of arts degree in four years that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition.
Find Your People
Our students are active in the Philosophy Club and regularly attend colloquiums where visiting philosophers, philosophy faculty, and fellow students present papers and posit questions about the fundamental natures of society, life, and knowledge. These talks are always followed by lively discussion, giving you a great chance to engage with the ideas you’re exploring in class. There are also occasional movie nights, where we watch a film and then discuss its philosophical implications, and hikes through the nearby Tryon Creek State Park.
Philosophy Events
“Collective Distraction” by Ege Yumuşak (University of Pennsylvania)
Consider a society with vast income and wealth inequality—a society that has an overclass that enjoys tremendous riches and an underclass that suffers from abject conditions. Despite your belief in free speech in the public sphere, you might think something is wrong with this particular issue consuming so much collective attention in such a society. Should the public not be concerned with its failure to distribute its resources fairly? Many would share this intuition. Yet, it is hard to specify what is wrong with putting the question “Should the government fund space tourism?” up for public debate. I attribute this hardship to political epistemologists’ undue focus on the doxastic realm and their subsequent blindness to the zetetic realm. Epistemically speaking, the standard view of political speech classifies questions as mere requests for information. I argue against this account of questions and present a way in which we can effectively undermine the idea that questions are epistemically innocent. I use this account to unmask the epistemic defect of further questions raised in the public sphere, such as “How will the government pay for a national healthcare plan?” or “Why has socialism failed everywhere it’s been tried?”
