Philosophy

Philosophy explores central aspects of the human condition, of our world and of our relation to that world.

Philosopher Ishani Maitra will speak on "The Authority of Hate Speech"

Fourth and final lecture in 2016-2017 Forry & Micken Lecture Series on Speech and Harm

Isani Maitra (University of Michigan) will present the fourth and final lecture in the 2016-2017 Forry and Micken Lecture Series on "Speech and Harm."  Her lecture is titled "The Authority of Hate Speech," and will be presented in Pryne Lecture Hall (Fayerweather 115) on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 5:00pm.  The event is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact the Philosophy Department at Amherst College 413-542-5805 or djbrace@amherst.edu.

The Department of Philosophy at Amherst welcomes all students, from those who would like to sample a course or two, to those who would like to major in the discipline and perhaps even study the subject in graduate school.

Department Highlights

Philosophy lecture

About Philosophy

What is philosophy? Why Study Philosophy? Here are just a few of the many reasons.

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philosophy class

About the Major

An Amherst philosophy education conveys a sense of wonder about ourselves and our world, through exploration of philosophical texts and personal engagement with philosophical issues.

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lecture in philosophy

Lecture in Philosophy

Every year, the Amherst Lecture in Philosophy brings a distinguished philosopher to campus for a public lecture.

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About Philosophy

Our History

The teaching of philosophy has a rich history at Amherst College.

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list of alumni

Alumni

Meet our alumni, including those teaching philosophy at colleges and universities around the world.

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Philosophy Courses

Current Courses
PHIL 111

Philosophical Questions

Description

Explore issues pertaining to religious conviction, knowledge, mind, freedom, ethics, and value through critical engagement with written work – some classical, some contemporary – in the philosophical tradition.

PHIL 217

Ancient Greek Philosophy

Description

Examine the origins of Western philosophical thought in Ancient Greece, considering views of the Milesians, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Protagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans and the Stoics.

PHIL 473

Seminar: Speech and Harm

Description

Can harmful speech be restricted in a way that still honors our freedom of speech? Should it be?