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Philosophy News
- Whether you’re in engineering, business, the sciences, the arts, or social sciences, philosophy trains you to question assumptions, analyze problems from multiple angles, and communicate ideas clearly and concisely. By sharpening the intellectual tools you use in your primary field, philosophy... Read full story
- In his forthcoming book, “Idealization and the Moral Point of View: An Adam Smithian Account of Moral Reasons” (Oxford University Press), philosophy professor Nir Ben-Moshe explores the nature of moral judgment and moral reasons. Drawing on Adam Smith and contemporary debates in metaethics... Read full story
- The Department of Philosophy annually recognizes the academic excellence of graduate and undergraduate students and the teaching excellence demonstrated by graduate students and faculty. Read full story
Living Well Online
Explore philosophical reflection on human happiness, flourishing, and virtue, with a focus on the challenge of living well in a digital age.
Current Controversies: Achievement and Games
Why should we think achievements are good, independent of any broader social or personal benefit? Why should games be important sources of satisfaction when they seem so trivial? Why should we—as many do—pride ourselves in our achievements in games?
Early Stoicism
An investigation into Ancient Greek Stoicism. We study the influences on the first Stoics and the Stoic theories of logic, physics, and ethics.
Michel Foucault
Understand the work of one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century.
Philosophy of Law and the State
Examine issues in the philosophy of law, such as the nature of law, law and morality, justice, liberty and authority, punishment, and legal responsibility.
Earn a certificate in the ethics of artificial intelligence
Employers are actively seeking employees who have experience grappling with the risks and ethical questions of artificial intelligence. The Ethics of AI Certificate teaches students the core skills and knowledge they need to understand how to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence while harnessing its benefits.
Upcoming events
Alumni Spotlight: Liam R. F. Bird (Racial Equity Initiatives at Chicago Public Schools)
Liam R. F. Bird is the director of Racial Equity Initiatives at Chicago Public Schools. He received his BA in Philosophy, with a minor in Psychology, from Illinois in 2007.
Faculty Spotlight: Stephen Finlay
Stephen Finlay commences as Professor of Philosophy in Fall 2025, returning to his alma mater after a gap of 23 years. His past research is focused on metaethics and philosophical moral psychology, particularly the semantics and pragmatics of normative language and the nature of normativity. He has written extensively on value, the meaning of 'ought', the nature of reasons, normative disagreement and motivation. His 2014 monograph, Confusion of Tongues: A Theory of Normative Language lays out an ambitious program for solving the central problems of metaethics.Professor Finlay...