Philosophy and Religious Studies
The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies engages in the thoughtful, sustained, and critical examination of ideas that shape our lives and society.
Please contact me by email (tduncan@uca.edu) if you would like more information about our programs.
Dr. Taine Duncan, Chair
Philosophy is a practice of rational inquiry, especially the process of clarifying concepts, understanding and articulating ideas, and evaluating those ideas. From the start, wonder, curiosity, and doubt have motivated the great questions of philosophy. In our Philosophy Program, students become creative and critical thinkers informed by the many answers great minds have offered to the most basic questions asked by people everywhere.
The interdisciplinary Religious Studies Program explores the myriad ways that religions have shaped human thoughts, actions, histories, and cultures. Thinking through these questions enhances our capability to flourish in a diverse and pluralistic world where philosophies, religions, and faith traditions exist in close proximity and contact.
In our classes, students learn to develop their own thoughtful and articulate responses to fundamental questions and focus on understanding this world in all its variety. Students also become equipped to participate in broader conversations that are happening in our communities, as some of the most pressing questions of our time concern how to live well together. Both philosophy and religious studies provide intensive training in skills that employers prize, such as the ability to communicate, think outside the box, cultivate independence of thought alongside sensitivity to others, and develop cultural competency in a fast-changing and diverse world. Students who choose our programs recognize that the questions and problems we explore are interesting and important, and they find a vibrant intellectual community here.
Come join the conversation!
What can you do with a degree in philosophy and/or religious studies?
Visit our alumni spotlight to find out! Our graduates place into a wide range of law programs, graduate schools, and careers.
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