Philosophy tries to make sense of human experience and reality through critical reflection and argument. The questions it treats engage and provoke all of us, and they occupy an important place in our intellectual tradition: Are there objective standards for deciding what is right and wrong, or is morality merely a subjective matter? Is capitalism morally acceptable? Do I have a will, and is it free? How do my words and thoughts come to be about the world? Does God exist? Can machines think? How are mind and body related? Students in philosophy classes will be exposed to arguments on both sides of such questions, and they will be encouraged to develop and rationally defend their own positions.

Philosophy is not an isolated discipline. It enjoys mutually beneficial exchanges with many fields of study within the humanities and sciences. Philosophers develop tools that allow them to examine critically the assumptions and implications of the social and natural sciences, religion, and law.

The study of philosophy provides several benefits. It emphasizes rigorous understanding of problems, together with careful analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the available solutions. It encourages clarity in the presentation of one’s own ideas, as well as sensitivity in the consideration of the ideas of others. The study of philosophy therefore encourages one to develop skills and habits that are useful not only in philosophy, but in other areas as well. Philosophy students historically do well, for example, in law and medical schools.

However, one should not think that philosophy is only valuable in academic settings. Philosophical questions arise in many areas of family, business, and civic life. Philosophers strive to face these questions with the kind of intellectual honesty that leads to respect for the views of others, and continual reassessment of their own. In this way, the study of philosophy fosters values and attitudes that are helpful for responding to a lifetime of intellectual challenges.