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Philosophy

For the love of wisdom

Study the great thinkers to find your own answers

What is a good and moral life? Can there be more than one truth? What happens when we die?

Based on reason and rooted in wonder, philosophy takes on life’s big issues. With a philosophy degree from Eckerd, you’ll learn to reason, write, discuss and debate with logic and conviction, taking part in active philosophical discussion and argument on issues of genuine importance.

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Better research opportunities

At Eckerd College, the relationships that develop from daily interaction with your professors can lead to amazing research projects that simply aren’t possible at larger institutions.

Broader perspectives

While some philosophy departments limit their focus, ours is open to both Western and non-Western philosophies. You’ll study the history of philosophy as well as current topics like the connection between philosophy of mind and the latest findings in neuroscience. Explore your passion in class or through supervised research.

Unique classes

Because we’re a liberal arts college, you get to take interesting courses like Philosophy of Film. Student watch a variety of films and discuss the idea that movies are used by filmmakers to share philosophical ideas.

Elizabeth Skolnick '08, Philosophy major

In Their Own Words

“Studying philosophy at Eckerd not only taught me the critical-analytical thinking skills that helped me to excel professionally, but opened me up to ideas that enriched my development as an individual. All along the way, my professors nurtured creative and spirited dialogue in the classroom, as well as exploration of how the material we studied remains relevant to the global sociopolitical discourse as well as personal growth, throughout the ages.”
— Elizabeth Skolnick ’08
Environmental Researcher

Beyond the Classroom

Students who are particularly gifted with logic can get teaching experience without leaving our Florida campus by being a teaching assistant for Introduction to Logic and Symbolic Logic.

All Philosophy majors write a senior paper, supervised by a professor. Recent papers explored a phenomenology of the symbolism found in The Tibetan Book of the Dead; the relation between morality and art in Plato’s Republic and Schiller’s Letters on Aesthetic Education; and the role of metaphor and imagination in logical thought. The last of these was published in a professional journal.

Want to see Philosophy from the standpoint of another culture? One Philosophy major spent a year studying it at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. For a shorter adventure, examine the relationship between philosophy and classical art in the birthplace of Western philosophy during our three-week tour of Greece.

Study Abroad Pics on Flickr

Spend a week living and serving like a monk in a Buddhist monastery in California, or go straight to the source and volunteer in a Tibetan community in Dharmsala, India.

Service Pics on Flickr
Quick Contact
727.864.8331
admissions@eckerd.edu

Popular classes

Introduction to Eastern Philosophy

Eastern thinking can seem very different to those who’ve never studied it. This course examines the nature of reality, society and self in East Asian philosophy, with an emphasis on metaphysics and ethics.

Philosophy and Film

See Philosophy through the lens of film by watching and discussing films like Inception, The Matrix and Being John Malkovich. This course will introduce you to both philosophy and the philosophy of film.

Monastery on top of mountain in Meteora

Photo: Hannah Mendola ’20

Outcomes

Find Eckerd alumni on LinkedIn

What can I do with a philosophy degree?

  • Chaplain
  • Ethics Specialist
  • Filmmaker
  • Intelligence Officer
  • Journalist
  • Lawyer
  • Librarian
  • Policy Analyst
  • Public Policy Expert
  • Public Relations Professional
  • Researcher
  • Social Entrepreneur
  • Teacher

Where our philosophy majors go to graduate school

  • Emory University
  • George Washington University
  • Northwestern University
  • Spalding University
  • Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
  • University of Central Florida
  • University of South Florida

Where our philosophy majors go to work

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