About the Department of Philosophy
The Department of Philosophy at the University of Memphis is committed to providing students, the profession of philosophy, and the community with innovative and high-quality educational programs, scholarship, and service, which enhance the development of philosophy as a discipline and the quality of the local, as well as global, intellectual environment.
Overview
As part of the University's General Education Program, the Department strives to imbue students with skills required for critical thinking and problem solving and an appreciation of their human and cultural heritage.
At the BA level, we introduce students to the discipline. At the MA level, the emphasis is on specific and applied aspects of disciplinary sub-fields (such as epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of mind, etc.) which prepare graduates to continue the study of philosophy and enhance their intellectual lives. The PhD program trains professional philosophers who produce high-quality scholarly work and are able to teach courses not only in their specialty but also a wide variety of basic courses. Our department enjoys a strong record of placing our Ph.D. graduates in academic positions.
Pluralism
The Department of Philosophy at the University of Memphis is committed to pluralism within the discipline. We foster an environment in which a variety traditions, approaches, and methods are able to work together. Our teaching and research demonstrate the breadth of approaches and traditions within philosophy, and we aim to produce students are conversant in a variety of such approaches. Our high level of research productivity and conscientious training of students in such varied approaches, especially approaches often overlooked by the mainstream of the discipline, contribute to the vitality of the Department and the profession at large. Adopting this kind of inclusive stance in which a plurality of philosophical methodologies and styles are respected and encouraged is the centerpiece of the University of Memphis program. Our successes in this effort have been recognized across the global philosophical community, and we have been gratified to see other programs emulate our practices and aspirations. We encourage applications from students who share these interests in pluralism.
