Philosophy

Overview

The Department of Philosophy at Lewis and Clark College  is firmly committed to a diverse and inclusive community in which productive critical inquiry can occur. We believe that everyone ought to be able to examine our lives including race, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity or class. We are also actively striving to improve the legacy of our discipline in a variety of ways. 

The Philosophy department joined with other Philosophy departments in the Northwest and received a Mellon grant to investigate the ways in which Philosophy is integral to work on diversity and inclusion. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, Philosophy majors at Lewis & Clark College will be able to:

• Identify and assess claims by critically determining the logical relations between them; specifically, by identifying premises and conclusions and whether those arguments are sound or cogent,

• Identify philosophical puzzles and problems; recognize kinds of philosophical claims (e.g. metaphysical vs. epistemological) and their relationships,

• Appreciate the value of philosophical thinking, reading, interpretation, and the dialogue it provides,

• Identify and appreciate different forms of value (e.g. instrumental vs. intrinsic; moral vs. non-moral),

• Use standard philosophical tools and methods including conceptual analysis and thought experiments,

• Use criteria to assess the relative merits of competing theories such as coherence, consistency, conservativeness, simplicity, predictive success, and common sense,