As a student in the philosophy department, you will work with a dynamic and productive community of scholar–teachers dedicated to undergraduate and graduate teaching, academic research, and professional training for future philosophers. You will join a lively intellectual community, an academically rigorous, critical, intellectually diverse department committed to teaching and research in Continental philosophy and the history of philosophy.

We understand the two elements of the scholar–teacher model as equally valued, intrinsically connected and mutually reinforcing. For that reason, we foster high-quality scholarship by faculty, graduate students and advanced undergraduate majors, providing a context within which the necessary resources are available.

Duquesne’s philosophy department is unique in that they have one of the largest phenomenology centers in the US. The faculty nurture individual thought through primary literature and recommend that students publish and their papers at academic conferences. The level of individual mentorship is nearly impossible to find elsewhere and has added immense value to my academic career.

Jason Minicozzi

Departmental Programs

We serve our majors and minors by providing an intensive course of study through which they rigorously engage in logical analysis, conceptual interpretation and critique of texts, arguments and ideas.

We help you develop a broad competence in the history of philosophy and a thorough understanding of diverse philosophical positions, so that you may reflectively pursue whatever path in life they choose.

Our graduate programs are central to the mission of the department and to our vision of its future.

As part of our Ph.D. program, you will be immersed in advanced philosophical training and pursue high-quality independent research under the mentorship of faculty. You ’ll be equipped to become an independent member of the international philosophical community and to find full-time academic employment or a satisfying career beyond the professoriate.

If you have a strong background in philosophy or allied fields, our M.A. program will prepare you to obtain admission to more advanced degree programs (especially doctoral programs in philosophy and related areas) or to launch a career in other fields.

Departmental Ethos

We serve the general undergraduate community through the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum and the university-wide Bridges Common Learning Experience in order to form intellectually deep, civically engaged, globally aware and ethically minded students who accept the challenge to be distinctive, thoughtful, skilled and service-oriented critics of society and agents of change as they faithfully pursue justice and peace in their individual lives, communities and the world.

The Department of Philosophy—its staff, faculty and graduate students—is committed to cultivating a welcoming, inclusive and just community that supports all its members regardless of sex, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, caste, nationality, citizenship, religion, political opinion, age, socioeconomic background, marital or family status, disability or military service.

We recognize that bias, whether overt or concealed, is an obstacle to justice, inclusiveness and productivity in philosophy as a discipline, and we attempt to combat it in the composition of our department, the courses we teach and the events we organize and sponsor.

This includes recruiting students from underrepresented groups to join our department, training graduate students in the design of inclusive syllabi, offering courses each year on non-Western philosophy and gender studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and scheduling talks each year on minority issues. In addition, the department will continue to take concrete steps to address issues of justice and inclusion.

 

 

Meet Our Faculty

Dr. R. Shane Agin

Dr. R. Shane Agin

Associate Professor, French & Italian

Dr. Kelly Arenson

Dr. Kelly Arenson

Acting Director of Graduate Studies & Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Jennifer Bates

Dr. Jennifer Bates

Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Therese Bonin

Dr. Therese Bonin

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Tom Eyers

Dr. Tom Eyers

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Michael Harrington

Dr. Michael Harrington

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Jay Lampert

Dr. Jay Lampert

Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Patrick Miller

Dr. Patrick Miller

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Lanei Rodemeyer

Dr. Lanei Rodemeyer

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. Daniel Selcer

Dr. Daniel Selcer

Department Chair & Associate Professor, Philosophy

Dr. James Swindal

Dr. James Swindal

Professor, Henry Koren, C.S.Sp Endowed Chair in Scholarly Excellence, and Director of Undergraduate Studies

Dr. Eric Vogelstein

Dr. Eric Vogelstein

Associate Professor, Philosophy & Nursing, Director of Ethics for the School of Nursing

Dr. Fred Evans

Dr. Fred Evans

Professor Emeritus