Philosophy

Department Chair: Dugald L. Owen
Email: owen_d@fortlewis.edu

Professor: Sarah E. Roberts-Cady
Associate Professor: Dugald L. Owen
Assistant Professor: Justin P. McBrayer

The purpose of the philosophy curriculum at Fort Lewis College is not only the study of traditional and contemporary philosophical issues for their intrinsic interest and importance, but also the demonstration that these age-old but continuing efforts to understand ourselves and our relation to the world are important to everyone. It is the mark of a liberally educated person to understand the conclusions of the specialized sciences in terms of their basic assumptions, to think seriously about the nature of such assumptions, and to be aware of the way in which our views of reality are influenced by our cultural heritage and by the very structures of our language. Perhaps the most important function of philosophy as part of the liberal education is the destruction of the complacency and provincialism of much of our thinking.

A major in philosophy will provide a sound foundation for graduate studies in philosophy, law, or theological studies, as well as any other program demanding rigorous skills in reasoning and analysis. For students majoring in philosophy, as well as for those majoring in other disciplines and minoring in philosophy and for those taking several philosophy courses as electives, the program is designed to provide a systematic acquaintance with humankind’s most fundamental attempts at self-knowledge and a concomitant basis from which students can formulate their own views of themselves and the world.

Major and Minor in Philosophy:

Philosophy Major

Philosophy Minor