Who We Are

The Philosophy Department provides a major course of study in philosophy and a minor as well. In addition, the Philosophy Department teaches most of the sections of University Core 3000 (“Faith, Philosophy, and Science”), which is required of all SPU students and explores issues at the intersection of faith, philosophy, and science.

Our Mission

Our mission is to equip students with an understanding of both the history of philosophy and the problems of philosophy, and to do so in a way that underscores the relationships between philosophy and the Christian faith. We seek to graduate students who can speak and write with clarity about important philosophical, religious, moral, and social issues.

Learning Outcomes

For Philosophy majors (and, to a lesser extent, minors):

• The ability to formulate (orally and in writing) a full range of philosophical problems and proposed solutions to them, including solutions proposed by salient figures in the history of philosophy.
• The ability to write clear and well-argued essays on philosophical topics.
• The ability to engage clearly and thoughtfully in rational dialogue.
• The ability to develop the intellectual virtues of curiosity, intellectual honesty, rigorous thinking, and charity (in interpreting others).

For SPU students in general:

• The ability to write clearly about a series of important issues at the intersection of religion, philosophy, and science (e.g., the faith/reason issue, the problem of evil, and the soul/body issue).
• The ability to develop intellectual virtues of curiosity, intellectual honesty, and charity (in interpreting others).