Department of Philosophy
From Theory to Practice: Philosophy in Action
The Philosophy Department at Stetson University is a vibrant community of thinkers at all stages of learning and teaching. We investigate the most basic questions: existence, meaning, and value. What can we know? What is the nature of reality? What is the good life? Philosophy is a conversation that lives in an ever-expanding set of texts, hosting questions like these and many, many more, from the ancient world to brand new perspectives. We read canonical figures like Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and de Beauvoir, and a wide range of contemporary thinkers, including our philosophy colleagues near and far.
If you join our department, whether in a class, minor, or major, you’ll find the opportunity for mentored research by way of one-on-one conversations, group discussions, immersive out of classroom activities, and a lively community. Such philosophical investigations naturally lead to self-examination and the clarification of one’s own basic commitments and values.
Our pluralist and experiential curriculum emphasizes philosophy inside and outside the classroom. Sign up for our classes, attend colloquia, join Ethics Bowl, and attend our monthly Philosophy Club meetings and more informal Idle Talk discussions.
"I simply wouldn’t be who I am today without Stetson’s Philosophy department. I promised myself on the day of my graduation that one day, when I had a 'real job,' I would give back to the department that so fostered my intellectual and personal development. In my time as an undergraduate, the Philosophy faculty put truth to the vision of a values-centered education in tangible, experiential ways that administrative rhetoric and marketing slogans simply cannot."
- Mary Bernard, graduate from Stetson’s philosophy department and counselor, MS, RMHCI
The Philosophy department is committed to racial justice. Read our statement about recent events and anti-racism.
Philosophy investigates the most basic questions facing human beings: questions of existence, meaning and value. What can we know? What is real? What is the good life? These questions have found expression in an ever-expanding set of philosophical texts. The philosophical investigation of such issues is always undertaken in dialogue with other philosophers, past and present. Philosophers critically evaluate the answers proposed by ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, and compare them to those of modern philosophers such as Descartes and Kant, as well as to proposals from more recent philosophers such as Wittgenstein and de Beauvoir. Philosophical investigations of this sort naturally lead to self-examination and to the clarification of one's own basic commitments and values. So why study philosophy? Philosophers generally believe the unexamined life is not worth living. Our department deepens and enriches the lives of our students through mentored research by way of one-on-one conversations.
Find out more about why Philosophy is a great major.
The Philosophy Department's Senior Research Fund helps support undergraduate philosophical inquiry by providing scholarships for (1) academic conference presentations and (2) summer research. The fund is entirely supported by student and professor contributions. You might consider donating to the fund (select “philosophy” under Designation). 100% of your donations will be used to support the research and presentation activities of our senior philosophy majors.