In this section

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • To construct sustained arguments and analyze the arguments of others
  • To develop and defend a philosophical position
  • To engage in sustained and critical reflection of your values and beliefs
  • To reflect meaningfully on yourself, others, and the world

WHO YOU COULD BE

  • Lawyer
  • University professor
  • Journalist
  • Researcher
  • Writer
  • Work in technology, business, and education

 

 

OVERVIEW

What is the meaning of life? Are you dreaming right now? Is free will an illusion? What is justice? Is your mind just your brain? Is it immoral to eat meat? What is gender? Can science tell us everything there is to know? How does race affect us?

The philosophy department at Puget Sound introduces students to influential historical and vibrant contemporary philosophical work. In so doing the department stresses intellectual values traditionally associated with the study of philosophy: breadth of outlook, rigorous argumentation, imagination, consistency, systematicity, and the dialectical interplay of different minds. It contributes to a liberal arts education by helping students better understand the world, who they are, and what they should do. Philosophy students learn how to think critically, how to write clearly, and how to reason effectively, which prepares them to pursue a wide variety of career interests.

 

 

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ALUMNA
Jessica Chan-Ugalde '18

"The philosophy department at Puget Sound is impressive in rigor, community, and care. My education here has shaped my conduct, analytic process, and intellectual interests. I'm very thankful to have been a part of it."

 

SAMPLE COURSES

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Students gain experience in a variety of ways:

  • Colleen Hanson '19, Liam Grantham '20, Simone Moore '20, Holden Chen '20, and August Maleug '20 competed in the 2019 National Ethics Bowl
  • Peter O'Meara '18 interned at the Institute of Ideas in London
  • Sienna Murphy '21 presented her paper, "Credibility Excesses as Cases of Testimonial Injustice" at an undergraduate philosophy colloquium in Louisville, KY
  • Keren Rivkin '24 received a summer research grant to study animal consciousness

JOBS

Our alumni work at:

  • Washington State Department of Health (staff attorney)
  • Boeing Company (flight line expediter)
  • Snowflake Data Marketplace (Partnerships and GTM)
  • Georgia State University (associate professor, philosophy)
  • Western Digital (director and associate general counsel)
  • Akamai Technologies (technical project manager)
  • Seattle for Growth (director)

CONTINUE STUDYING

Our alumni continue their studies at:

  • UCLA (Ph.D., philosophy)
  • Columbia University (law school)
  • University of Edinburgh (M.Sc. in Mind, Language, and Embodied Cognition)
  • University of Washington (Ph.D., philosophy)
  • Cornell University (law school)
  • University of Miami (M.Ed. in Community and Social Change)

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Ethics Bowl WCCW
CORRECTION CENTER FOR WOMEN

Through the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS), the Ethics Bowl team competed in the first ever intercollegiate Ethics Bowl at the Washington Correction Center for Women.

Nicolas Navarro '16
PEACE CORPS IN GUATEMALA

Nicolas Navarro '16 is one of two recent Philosophy alumni who have volunteered in Guatemala through the Peace Corps.

Prayer flags in Nepal
WATSON FELLOWSHIP TRAVEL

Samantha Lilly '19 turned her summer research grant on understanding suicidality across cultures into a project that was accepted for a fellowship including travel from the Netherlands to Nepal.