Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts 

The philosophy department offers courses in all of the major historical periods of the western intellectual tradition (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary) and in the main disciplines of philosophy (Logic, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, and Aesthetics). Students in the philosophy major are encouraged to see their study of philosophy as more than the accumulation of knowledge; it is the development of a love for wisdom. The study of philosophy builds skill in constructing and analyzing arguments, in reading and writing critically, and in approaching problems reflectively.

At Providence College, all students are introduced to philosophy through the Development of Western Civilization Program. In addition, all students take six credits (2 courses) in philosophy as part of the core requirement. One course provides the students with a foundation for making moral judgments. The other may be any qualifying core course in philosophy.

The department has 23 full-time faculty members all of whom have their Ph.D. and are committed to helping students explore the fundamental issues of philosophy. They come from a variety of institutions including Brown University, the Catholic University of America, Duquesne, Emory, Fordham, Harvard Law School, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Marquette, Notre Dame, Penn State, University of California Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Toronto. Their research is well represented in the major areas of the history of philosophy, as well as from the perspectives of both analytic and continental philosophy.

The philosophy department offers a major and a minor course of study. In both courses, faculty seek to help students to develop an understanding of philosophy as a liberal discipline, able to provide the insights and perspectives required for critical reflection on and evaluation of other disciplines. Students are exposed to the great thinkers and key problems that make up the western intellectual tradition. They are encouraged to understand and follow the advice of Socrates, whose philosophy was motivated by the Delphic imperative to “know thyself”; and, to serve their community and the human family through the challenge of St. Thomas Aquinas who called students and teachers to “Contemplate, and give to others the fruits of your contemplation.”

Students are very welcome to contact the department for more information. Information about the department, department members, and the study of philosophy at Providence College is also available on the college’s Web site.