Philosophy

Overview

William James said Philosophy is “the habit of always seeing an alternative.” By creating alternatives, philosophy holds out the promise of shaping a better world. This lies at the heart of our mission. We teach students to reflect on the meaning and significance of their own experiences by posing questions they may not yet have the means to answer. In fact, the work of philosophy is not so much to produce definitive answers as it is to question given answers, to interrogate our basic assumptions and habits of thought. 

Goucher College’s unique mission and liberal arts curriculum help students master the skills employers overwhelmingly want in job candidates. After graduation, many of our students attend top graduate programs, while others embark on careers in fields such as business, nonprofit organizations, government, law, medicine, ministry, finance, psychology, counseling, diplomacy, and ethics.

Career

You will study the history of Philosophy, discovering that the discipline has changed dramatically over the centuries in both its content and its character. You will practice philosophy, developing skills of analysis and methodological self-awareness to help you make good judgments and begin solving contemporary problems. 

And you will engage in close readings of primary texts, learning not only how philosophical thought has continually put its own truths into question, but how many of our most familiar academic disciplines began as philosophic questions.