• Philosophy

    In the Philosophy Department at Worcester State University, you will gain insight into the nature of individuals, societies, and values and hone your ability to examine yourself and the world around you. You also will learn to think logically and communicate clearly—skills that are essential to success in a diverse array of disciplines and careers, including those in the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences.

  • As a philosophy student, you’ll explore philosophical works from the past and present in small classes under the guidance of our talented faculty—internationally respected scholars—on interdisciplinary topics such as human rights, civil rights, immigration, genocide, gesture, embodied communication, and cognition. In lively discussions with peers and professors, you will investigate some of life’s most challenging questions, including:

    • What is does it mean to be human?
    • What are race, gender, sexuality, and other identities, and what role do they have in human society and inequality?
    • What are freedom, justice, and truth?
    • What is the best political arrangement for a society? Are there universal definitions of such things, or do they vary by time and culture?
    • How are bodies and minds related?
    • What is time and space?
    • Is there a God?
    • How do we agree on terms and understand each other as we communicate across experiences and cultures?

    If you are majoring in biology, criminal justice, history and political science, nursing, psychology, sociology, or urban studies, our philosophy minor is an excellent complement to your studies. If you are seeking an introduction to law and its role in society, we offer a dynamic philosophy and law minor. Whatever your field of study, philosophy will deepen your thinking and sharpen your rhetorical skills.
    We also participate in the WSU Commonwealth Honors Program for exceptional undergraduate students and offer a number of honors courses.