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About Us

Engaged thinking and integrated pluralism characterize philosophy at the University of Oregon.

Offering undergraduate (B.A., B.S., and minors in Philosophy and in Ethics) and graduate (M.A. and Ph.D.) degrees, the department is home to ongoing dialogues and inquiries across philosophical perspectives and academic disciplines.

We emphasize the following philosophical Traditions and Fields of Focus:

  • Aesthetics
  • American and Pragmatist Philosophy
  • Analytic Philosophy
  • Bioethics
  • Continental Philosophy
  • Critical Theory
  • Decolonial Philosophy
  • Environmental Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Feminist Philosophy
  • History of Philosophy
  • Latin American Philosophy
  • Native American Philosophy
  • Philosophy of Data, Media, & Technology
  • Philosophy of Race
  • Political/Social Philosophy

Our graduate program produces first-rate scholars and teachers with a strong foundation in the history of philosophy, a well-rounded preparation in the diverse concerns of contemporary philosophy, and the skills to communicate effectively across different traditions and schools of thought. Our graduates have an established track-record of successful placement in tenure-track positions at liberal arts colleges and research universities. The University of Oregon Philosophy Department is a leading program for those seeking to integrate multiple philosophical perspectives in dialogue with the history of philosophy.

Our thriving undergraduate program includes a major and minor in Philosophy as well as a minor in Ethics. Throughout our undergraduate curriculum, we encourage our students to become engaged, reflective citizens and lifelong learners while preparing them for careers in government, law, the non-profit sector, business, or higher education. Our undergraduate program prepares students with skills requisite for both fulfilling careers and the work of citizenship, as well as practices of reflection and curiosity through which we can combine jobs and duties with a rich personal life.  Our classes specifically emphasize the skills of critical reflection, ethical awareness, synthetic thinking (summarizing trends in research, distilling patterns in data, and connecting seemingly disparate ideas), written and oral communication, and creative problem-solving.

Our faculty and students collaborate with a range of University-wide, interdisciplinary programs and research centers, including Comparative Literature, the Computer and Information Science Program, the Interdisciplinary Data Sciences Initiative, the New Media and Culture certificate, the Department of Education Studies, the Center for Environmental Futures, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, the Department of German & Scandinavian, the Latin American Studies ProgramReligious Studies, the Department of Romance Languages, the Center for the Study of Women in Society, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

The department is also home to Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy and the journal Research in Phenomenology.