What if you could explore with outstanding faculty a fundamental question in life: Does free will exist?
Philosophy is a rigorous
exploration of the concepts
that drive our world
HARD QUESTIONS
Philosophers are in a unique position in the academy. Instead of facts—historical events or empirical scientific data—we explore concepts such as “a fact.” Who came up with the idea of “fact?” We take presuppositions other fields take for granted and ask: “Are you sure? How do you know?”
Since Socrates, philosophers have put the human mind through its paces and enjoyed testing the limits of rationality. The game is to be able to make a valid statement, then back up everything you say with proof.
At Drew the proportion of philosophy majors has far exceeded what would be expected. It’s testimony to the strength and reputation of our program. Many years we’ve had numbers you’d expect from an institution of 15,000, not 1,500.
Math and poetry combined—that gives you a sense of how we use our whole minds to read and write philosophy. We use the expressive power of language in combination with the replicable rigor of logic to build assertions that will stand the test of time.
1 of 10
The Princeton Review’s Best 300 Professors lists Professor Erik Anderson as one of just 10 top philosophy professors in the country.
Careers Made easy
know advantage
Our graduates often head to law school, for example, at places such as Harvard, Michigan, UCLA, NYU and Rutgers. Our students’ scores on the LSAT, MCAT and GMAT are significantly above average.
Majors in philosophy tend to be particularly sought by business schools as well, who appreciate the combination of reasoning and writing skills that, together, are a powerful and very useful combination.
Many grads have continued on in graduate education in philosophy and to write, teach and collaborate with specialists in other fields to contribute philosophical modes of thinking and wisdom.
Full-Impact Students
Stephen Petro
As part of a bioethics internship at the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote grants and did journal research on gender and sexuality for an upcoming symposium there. I’m planning to go to medical school, and philosophy has keyed me into the major ethical issues in medicine.
Full-Impact Students
Anna-Theresa Keane
I had never taken a philosophy class before I came to Drew, but I’ve always been an argumentative person. Philosophy allowed me to figure out strengths and weaknesses of viewpoints and to think critically, logically and clearly.
Full-Impact Students
Jacob Hazle-Cary
Philosophy has influenced me in innumerable ways. It has given me a way to analyze events going on in the world and a pragmatic, goal-driven outlook on life.
Full-Impact Students
Alexandra Norman
I planned to major in psychology until I took Professor Anderson’s Aesthetics course. It was fascinating; I was excited every morning to get up and go to class. Philosophy opened up a world of critical thinking and looking at things from a different perspective. I tried another philosophy course and declared it my major.
Passionate Faculty
Erik Anderson
Professor
I once had a student tell me it took them 10 years in the workplace before they realized they’d been employing all along the analytical and logical skills learned studying philosophy at Drew. I’m now the NEH Distinguished Teaching Professor of the Humanities. I’m also a bebop fan with a cycling problem.
Ph.D., University of Colorado
Passionate Faculty
Seung-Kee Lee
Associate professor
I teach history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, existentialism and my research focuses on Kant and German idealism. I received the 2012 President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Drew. I am also the coordinator of the Drew University Philosophical Society (DUPS).
Ph.D., Catholic University of America
Passionate Faculty
Thomas Magnell
Professor & chair
I’m the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Value Inquiry, an international quarterly now in its 40th year of publication, as well as the author of several books, including Values and Education.
D.Phil., Oxford University
Successful Alumni
Consultant
Center for Writing Excellence, Montclair State University
Photographer
Boston area
Volunteer Coordinator
Komen for the Cure, Susan B. Komen Foundation
meetings of the mind Founded two decades ago by a student who is now a Drew philosophy professor, the Drew University Philosophical Society gathers regularly —and then questions what that means.
My Favorite Course
“What’s more immediate than the language you use? This course gave me the tools to look at words and their context. I can listen to what someone is saying, and get to know them better. It has helped me to understand people in a huge way.”
A probing of fundamental philosophical questions, such as: Are there rational grounds for the existence of God? Can the notion of God be reconciled with the presence of evil? How do we know what we know? What is a cause? Could there be disembodied thoughts? Is human behavior free or is it determined? Are there objective grounds for values? What makes a society just? What counts as a good explanation? The specific questions for extended study are selected by the instructor.
Offered: every semester.
PHIL 104 - Introduction to Ethics (4)
An examination, both critical and historical, of moral theories that have shaped Western thought. Of central concern are questions about the criteria of moral goodness, the strictures of moral obligation, and the nature of justice. Some attention is given to the subjects of moral relativism, hedonism, and egoism. The theories of moral reasoning considered include those of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Cynics, the Epicureans, Hobbes, Kant, Bentham, and J. S. Mill.
Offered: every semester.
PHIL 210 - History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4)
A survey of the history of philosophy from pre-Socratic Greek thought to medieval scholasticism. Particular attention is given to works of Plato and Aristotle. The views of pre-Socratics, Stoics, Epicureans, Augustine, and Aquinas are also discussed.
Offered: fall semester.
PHIL 211 - History of Modern Philosophy (4)
A survey of European philosophical thought in the 17th and 18th centuries. Readings are largely in the areas of metaphysics and epistemology and include selections from the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Offered: spring semester.
PHIL 213 - Introduction to Logic (4) (Same as: MATH 213.)
A study of the principles and methods of correct reasoning. Emphasizes the analysis of arguments, informal fallacies, and elementary deductive logic.
Offered: annually.
PHIL 313 - Analytic Philosophy (4)
A seminar on influential work of 20th-century philosophers who developed and practiced methods of analysis. Discussions center on problems in the philosophy of language and on problems of epistemology concerning the grounds for our knowledge of the external world, of the past, and of ourselves and others. Readings are drawn from the works of Russell, Moore, Ayer, Ryle, Strawson, and Quine.
Offered: fall semester in even-numbered years.
PHIL 318 - Theory of Knowledge (4)
A critical examination of the following topics: the problems of perception, of memory, and of necessary truth; the justification of empirical knowledge; and the issue between rationalism and empiricism. The readings are taken from primary sources, both classical and contemporary.
Offered: fall semester in even-numbered years.
PHIL 319 - Problems of Metaphysics (4) (Same as: HISTG+119.)
A critical examination of the following topics: the problem of time, of mind and body, of the self, of determinism and fatalism, and of the issue between idealism, materialism, and psychophysical dualism. The readings are taken from classical and contemporary primary sources.
Offered: spring semester in even-numbered years.
PHIL 335 - Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (4) (Same as: HISTG+136.)
A seminar on issues at the center of philosophical controversy today, such as the controversy over free will and determinism, the possibility of artificial intelligence, and the Gettier problem. Discussions range over epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language. Readings are selected from works written in the second half of the 20th century by philosophers such as Ayer, Foot, Strawson, Frankfurt, Putnam, Boden, Searle, Gettier, Chisholm, and Nagel.
Offered: spring semester in odd-numbered years.
II. Upper-level PHIL Electives (8 credits)
III. Capstone (2 credits)
PHIL 400 - Senior Project in Philosophy (2)
The senior project involves guided research that concludes with a substantial paper in Philosophy on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor. The project typically takes the form of an additional paper for a companion course taken concurrently, which may also be paired with a specialized honors thesis.
Notes
Students majoring in philosophy should take courses in other departments that are particularly relevant to their own philosophic interests and should consult their major adviser when they select their courses. Students should gain some proficiency in a foreign language if they wish to go on to do graduate work in philosophy.
Minor
Requirements for the Minor (24 credits)
I. Core (8 credits)
PHIL 101 - Introduction to Philosophy (4)
A probing of fundamental philosophical questions, such as: Are there rational grounds for the existence of God? Can the notion of God be reconciled with the presence of evil? How do we know what we know? What is a cause? Could there be disembodied thoughts? Is human behavior free or is it determined? Are there objective grounds for values? What makes a society just? What counts as a good explanation? The specific questions for extended study are selected by the instructor.
Offered: every semester.
PHIL 104 - Introduction to Ethics (4)
An examination, both critical and historical, of moral theories that have shaped Western thought. Of central concern are questions about the criteria of moral goodness, the strictures of moral obligation, and the nature of justice. Some attention is given to the subjects of moral relativism, hedonism, and egoism. The theories of moral reasoning considered include those of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Cynics, the Epicureans, Hobbes, Kant, Bentham, and J. S. Mill.
Offered: every semester.
II. Intermediate and Upper Level (16 credits)
Including 8 upper-level credits. Selected in consultation with the department.
