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Originating over 2,500 years ago in the Greek-speaking world of the eastern Mediterranean, philosophy is the discipline at the core of a liberal arts education. The study of philosophy explores the fascinating range of theories and worldviews that have been offered in humankind’s attempt to comprehend reality. It leads us to question our deepest assumptions about the world and our lives. It demands that we think for ourselves about the values we hold, the lives we contemplate leading, and the nature of the universe in which we find ourselves. (read more about philosophy)

Philosophy classes here at Fort Lewis College encourage lively debate among students and professors over issues most central to our lives. To learn more about our department, feel free to browse the website or download our brochure (PDF). If there is anything that we can do to help, please let us know.

Philosophy News & Updates

4/25/12: ​One of our philosophy majors, Ursula Squire, has been accepted to law school.  Congratulations, Ursula! 
 
4/18/12: Dr. Justin McBrayer is one of two 2012 recipients of the New Faculty Teaching Award.  Our department now has TWO teaching awards to its credit!
 
4/10/12: ​One of our philosophy majors, Ryan Murphy, has been accepted to San Francisco State for graduate school in philosophy.  Congratulations, Ryan! 
 
4/5/12: "Wealth or Waste? Rethinking the Value of a Business Major," as reported in The Wall Street Journal.  It turns out that employers want employees who have the breadth and critical thinking skills that come from a liberal arts degree. 
 
3/22/12: An article in the New York Times entitled "Does it Matter Whether God Exists?" cites an article entitled "Skeptical Theism" recently published by Dr. Justin McBrayer. 
 
3/8/12: Dr. Sarah Roberts-Cady has been promoted to full professor.  Congratulations, Sarah!
 
2/27/12: Dr. Justin McBrayer  is one of 20 PhD's to be chosen as a participant in this summer's St. Thomas Summer Seminar in Philosophy of Religion sponsored by the Templeton Foundation.
 
12/1/11: The Wall Street Journal has released its data on the Best and Worst Jobs of 2011.  Guess who ranks at 16 out of 200 different jobs?  Philosophy! 
 
11/29/11: Dr. Justin McBrayer's recent work in philosophy of religion is noted on the philosophy of religion blog the ex-apologist.
 
10/16/11: "Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?" The Atlantic magazine.
 
10/16/11: Dr. Justin McBrayer will be presenting a paper on counterpart theodicies as responses to the argument from evil at the 2012 Mountain/Pacific meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers in Santa Barbara, CA from January 11-13, 2012.
 
10/15/11: Dugald Owen will be giving at lecture entitled “Answering Agrippa: An Internalist Solution to the Regress Problem” at the Northwest Philosophy Conference in Portland, OR on Nov. 4th & 5th, 2011.
 
9/6/11: The department has received a grant from the Society of Christian Philosophers to bring renowned philosopher Dr. Linda Zagzebski to campus for a talk!
 
9/2/11: Dr. Justin McBrayer's paper "Are Skeptical Theists Really Skeptical? Sometimes Yes, and Sometimes No," is forthcoming in the International Journal for Philosophy of Religion.
 
7/16/11: Dr. Justin McBrayer's paper "Skepticism about the Argument from Divine Hiddenness," is forthcoming in the journal Religious Studies.
 
4/28/11: Dr. Sarah Roberts-Cady is the 2010-11 recipient of the Alice Admire Outstanding Teacher Award. Way to go, Sarah!
 
2/16/11: Dr. Justin McBrayer has been chosen from a worldwide pool of applicants as one of 15 participants in the Knowing in Religion and Morality workshop at Purdue University sposored by the Templeton Foundation.
 
11/23/10: Dr. Sarah Roberts-Cady's paper “Conflict of Interest in Industry-Sponsored Clinical Research,” is forthcoming in the International Journal of Applied Philosophy.
 
11/19/10: Congratulations to Philosophy major Dylan Leigh on winning the campus-wide Common Reading Experience Essay Contest. Way to go, Dylan!
 
9/20/10: "Lessons in Morality at West Point," as reported by the BBC
 
8/27/10: Philosophy major's mid-career pay is higher than those majoring in Business, Biology, Pscyhology, English, Sociology, Journalism, Anthropology, Art, etc. (from Payscale.com)
 

 

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Philosophy Club Schedule

October 10: "WTF is Postmodernism?" a student-led discussion, 7 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

October 20 (Thursday): "Is Epistemic Self-Reliance an Ideal?" Dr. Linda Zagzebski, University of Oklahoma, 3:30 Vallecito Room, Student Union

November 7: "How is Virtue Relevant for Medical Ethics?" Dr. Kip Boyd, Chief Medical Officer, Mercy Hospital, 7 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

December 5: "Prediction & Truth: At What does Science Aim?" Doug Moore, FLC student, 7 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

Winter Break!

January 23: "The crystal, the equation, and the metaphor walk into a bar: what do Michael Polyani and Kurt Godel have to say to a writer?" Dr. David Clark, 7:15 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

February 6: “Knowledge and Incentives: Doing Good While Doing Well,”  Dr. Deborah Walker, Economist with FLC School of Business, 7:15 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

February 20: "Continental Philosophy," Dr. Nathan Guss, FLC Department of Modern Languages, 7:15 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

March 19: "What is Art? Is anti-essentialism essential?" Steve Meyers, FLC Department of English, 7:15 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union

April 2: "Can We Own a Work of Art?" a student-led discussion and debate, 7:15 pm, Senate Chambers of Student Union.

April 19 (Thursday): "Climate Change as Interspecies Genocide," Dr. Philip Cafaro, Department of Philosophy, Colorado State University, 3:30 pm, Noble Hall 130.
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