What does it mean to live a good life? How should you treat yourself and treat others? What does it mean to be a person, to have a mind, and to be excellent at things? What does justice require? Those are some of the questions we work to answer when we study philosophy. Because doing so requires that you think hard, read carefully, argue effectively, and communicate well, studying philosophy provides an excellent preparation for virtually any career. But, it doesn’t just prepare someone professionally, but by addressing such fundamental questions it also helps prepare someone, personally, to live a meaningful life. See reports from our alumni.
The Department of Philosophy at St. Mary’s is made up of a pluralistic faculty, representing philosophical traditions of the West, South Asia, and East Asia. Our curriculum includes courses on traditional areas of philosophy, such as Ancient Greek philosophy, modern European philosophy, and Existential philosophy, but we are unusual in offering courses in both East and South Asian thought. We also offer a number of courses addressing contemporary moral and social topics, including environmental ethics, feminism, bioethics, the ethics of technology and AI, and the philosophy of race.
Academic Offerings
Why Study Philosophy?