What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is one of the oldest academic disciplines, covering topics of perennial human interest, such as what it means to live a good life, as well as topics that provide useful skills, such as ethics and logic. Philosophers study issues of basic human importance, such as: what sorts of things exist in the universe, the nature of the mind and thinking, what we can know, what is valuable, how we should treat others, and what constitutes the best form of government. Philosophers consider theoretical, conceptual, and foundational questions of this sort both on their own and in relation to other disciplinary areas. They study, for instance, mind and consciousness, moral conduct and agency, the organization of social structures, decision making, ethical questions concerning the environment, biotechnology, and business, and questions in the foundations of mathematics, physics, biology, and the cognitive sciences.
Philosophy graduates in the United States have historically had success in terms of both salary and further education, with philosophy majors earning median mid-career salaries of over $80,000 and getting higher admittance rates to law school and medical school than other majors. While philosophy has typically attracted a narrow demographic, in recent years it has launched a campaign to diversify its ranks, putting students at UC Merced in a position to help change the future of the discipline. We think this is part of the reason the major is “back on the rise” among undergraduates.
Philosophy at UC Merced
The UC Merced Philosophy Department is a liberal arts community within a research university. We create opportunities for personal enrichment, personal and political empowerment, and socially-engaged philosophy for the underserved population of the Central Valley. Our faculty engage in cutting-edge academic and socially-engaged research, with collaborations both within and beyond the department. We offer a broad array of rigorous classes to students of all majors, with many of our classes crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries. We believe that public education in the liberal arts plays a vital role in democracy.
Contact philosophy@ucmerced.edu
(Important: Our campus email systems have heavy spam filters, and ordinary messages are often caught in them. If you don't receive a reply within about a week, contact the current chair at their personal email, hicks.daniel.j@gmail.com.)
