Philosophy (B.A.)
Philosophy Roundtable, the MU undergrad philosophy group
What is philosophy?
Philosophy is thinking carefully about the big questions of human life: how should I live? Does it matter if someone believes in God? Does the suffering of animals matter to our choices about what to eat or wear? Should the suffering of a complete stranger matter just as much as the suffering of someone I know and care for? Are the claims of science and religion compatible or there is some underlying tension between them? Is the mind the same thing as the brain?
In doing philosophy, we are asking these questions (and many more!) and exploring better and worse answers to these questions. We are interested in which responses make more sense, are more reasonable, and more likely to be true.
What do philosophers do?
Philosophers these days are employed as ethicists in hospitals and companies, as community leaders, as teachers, and as experts in their communities. There are philosophers working in businesses, government, entertainment and the arts, NGOs, prisons, and schools. Knowing how to philosophize can help people become more successful at doing things like
- communicating with other people who don’t share your worldview;
- resolving disagreements;
- expressing your thoughts clearly in speech and in writing,
- understanding why you and others think and act as they do;
- interpreting difficult-to-comprehend materials and explaining them clearly to others
These are all skills that are highly valuable to employers and will also help us live better and more fulfilling lives as human beings.
Philosophy at Marymount
The Philosophy Department at Marymount Unversity offers a BA and a Minor. The Minor in Philosophy is ideal for students in majors like Crminal Justice, Education, Interior Design, and Business.
