Philosophy

Dr. Steve Robinson

What is Philosophy about? It’s about the power of ideas — to change people, and to change the world. Thinking, understanding, and asking the big questions. Demanding answers. Challenging common sense and popular opinions.

What can you rely upon as truth, and what is false? Is there a God? What should you do with your life? What does a just society look like? What are the limits of scientific knowledge? What can money not buy? You study philosophy if you wonder about questions like these, if you want to know why Plato’s answers to them have been so influential — or St. Augustine’s, or Newton’s, or Einstein’s, or Derrida’s. In the process, Philosophy will change you, in ways that are rewarding both personally and practically.

Successful Philosophy students excel in thought, speech and writing. They can move seamlessly between different points of view on an issue; they can anticipate objections to their opinions, and are prepared to disarm them; they can ingest difficult material and turn it into something everyone can understand; they can see deep, interesting and far-reaching connections between ideas.

Special Features

Small classes permit instructors to give students considerable individual attention in all aspects of their education, including in class discussion, presentation preparation, and writing development. There is also an active student philosophy club and a range of scholarships available for Philosophy students.

Sample of Available Courses

Intro to Philosophy Philosophy of Science
Intro to Logic Philosophy of Mind
Critical Thinking Environmental Ethics
Philosophy of Religion Political Philosophy

Possible Careers

Contrary to popular opinion, Philosophy provides great preparation for a large number of different careers. BU has Philosophy alumni working in all of these areas: Law, Architecture, Teaching, Publishing, Public Relations, Ministry, Business, Journalism, Public Administration, Fundraising and NGO’s. In addition, Philosophy training is well-established as among the best preparations for graduate work, as evidenced by philosophy students having the best overall performance on standardized intelligence tests like the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).