Philosophers like to think about difficult but important questions. What is the best way to live? Do we have free will? Are we responsible for our actions? Is the world as it appears? Philosophers refuse to accept easy answers to these questions and instead develop techniques of reasoning to construct and evaluate different possible approaches.
All philosophy courses examine the history of attempts to formulate and answer their chosen questions, but the reasoning acuity that philosophy courses build is useful far beyond this. It can be employed to solve any sort of difficult problem; it can also allow one to live a more intelligent, more carefully examined life.
The Department of Philosophy offers courses that satisfy requirements in several categories of the Integrated Curriculum, including Inquiry into Ethics and Justice, Historical Analysis, Fine Arts, Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, and the Social Responsibility tag. The department also offers courses needed for a major or minor in philosophy and other courses students may wish to select as electives in completing a variety of liberal arts degree programs.
Philosophy Department Learning Goals
The Elmhurst University Philosophy Department aims to serve both the broader student population and our major and minors. It is our mission to provide Elmhurst University students with an excellent education in the liberal arts by teaching them to understand the great ideas and theories regarding human experience; to understand and apply ethical theories; to do close and careful reading; to perform critical analysis of ideas and arguments; and to present their thoughts carefully and clearly. Our specific goals are as follows:
The Elmhurst University Philosophy Department aims to introduce students to great thinkers and important ideas as they developed over the course of human history. We intend students to understand some of the theories and concepts that organize and explain human experience.
• We teach students to work with abstract ideas and to think critically. As such we help students learn the principles of logic, careful expression, and clarity.
• We train our students to be able to carefully and persuasively articulate ideas and argument, both in writing and in oral presentation. These skills are important in any career.
• We inspire our students to engage with contemporary practical problems as well as with the great philosophical questions. We aim to help our students grapple with today’s most pressing ethical issues.
Students majoring and minoring in philosophy gain a broadbased, historically-informed understanding of the field through courses in reasoning and ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy along with multiple electives within the major. Contrasting theories about knowledge, reality, values, and ethics lead to wide-ranging discussions and challenge students to examine their own assumptions.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of a philosophy major or minor, a student should be able to:
1. Understand and explain philosophically important theories and concepts that have historically been used to organize and explain human experience.
2. Understand and employ the principles of contemporary logic to think clearly and critically.
3. Apply relevant ethical theories to contemporary and historical ethical problems.
Articulate and argue for a philosophical position both in writing and in oral presentation.
Chair: Katrina Sifferd
Faculty Tyler Fagan, Russell Ford, William Hirstein