A Message from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Philosophy Web site. Since ancient times, philosophers have asked big questions. Philosophy today continues that tradition, critically exploring a vast range of topics and calling into question many of our established assumptions.
The 13 full-time philosophers in our department cover a dazzling array of specialties. These include metaphysics, epistemology, ancient philosophy, early modern philosophy, moral philosophy, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of social science, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of law, aesthetics, applied ethics, Asian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and more.
Our faculty have earned advanced degrees from extremely prestigious universities (Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Syracuse, as well as the London School of Economics, UC-Irvine, U Mass, and SUNY Buffalo), and the department has an international research reputation. Faculty members have published more than 20 books and 220 articles. In addition, they are active refereeing manuscripts, maintaining blogs, and presenting papers at refereed national and international conferences. They have won local, UM-wide, national, and international research awards. In recent years, department members have held invited research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, Australian National University, Harvard University, and Oregon State University.
Our department offers both undergraduate (major, double-major, minor) and graduate (master’s) degrees. The Philosophical Gourmet (http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/maprog.asp) ranks our M.A. program among the top 9 nationwide. The high rating of the M.A. program ensures in turn that the undergraduate program will be very high in quality. And in fact some of our undergraduate majors are currently pursuing philosophy Ph.D.s in programs every bit as prestigious as those in which we have placed our M.A. students. (For a complete list, see the MA Program section of our Web site.)
The Philosophers’ Forum, a group mainly composed of graduate students and undergraduate majors, does much to enhance the life of the department. They schedule WiP (Work in Progress) sessions throughout the year, featuring both faculty and student presenters, as well as a varied array of social outings and the annual spring Gateway Graduate Philosophy Conference that brings in participants from across the country. In addition to promoting social cohesion, these events give our students invaluable practice with the give and take of academic philosophy. All Forum functions are open to the general public.
I am incredibly proud of our department. If you would like to know more about philosophy, the members of our department, our programs and courses, or upcoming Forum presentations, please use the tabs to the left to navigate our Web site. We hope to see you in our classrooms and at various departmental events.
Stephanie Ross
Professor and Chair