The Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy is home to a group of professors whose research is recognized across Canada and beyond. Our members have published in some of the best journals in the field, have national and international reputations for their work and have made contributions to important debates on a broad range of issues. And we take our teaching work just as seriously as our research; I’m sure you will enjoy learning from and with us.

We are a fairly small department, which means that we get to know our students very well—working hard to help them succeed. Some of our senior students participate in faculty research projects, getting first-hand experience with front-line research and learning important research skills. We also have a funded, student-staffed Philosophy Help Centre, where senior philosophy students provide advice and support to other philosophy students.

Beyond the opportunities we create for students are those our students create for themselves (with our encouragement and support). The Department and the Philosophy Club organize activities and events every year, including talks from professors and graduate students as well as an annual undergraduate conference where our students get to present their best work. More recently, two of our younger professors have led a spring book reading and discussion event over a weekend in the Rockies. Because of our small size, philosophy students here have opportunities to get involved in things such as presenting papers and grading for our introduction to logic course, opportunities that are only open to graduate students at most other universities.

There are numerous branches within the study of philosophy, touching virtually every topic — from questions about God’s existence, through to aesthetic principles, to the concepts of space and time:

• Justice and Goodness: Investigates questions about right and wrong, or good and evil, such as biomedical ethics or environmental philosophy.
• Truth and Reality: Looks at truth and reality through areas such as logic, metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of science.
• Social Philosophical Concerns: Delves into fundamental social philosophical issues addressed by political philosophy, ethics and the history of philosophy itself.
• Scientific Philosophical Concerns: Focuses on the conditions under which enquiry produces genuine truth and accurate representations of objective reality.
• Human Reasoning and Argumentation: Explores the ways in which human beings interact when they give and receive reasons.

If you have questions about philosophy at the University of Lethbridge, need assistance or advice, or if you would just like to stop by for a visit, please don’t hesitate to contact us.