Opportunities to engage with great philosophical ideas

Academics

Cornell's philosophy department is home to a distinguished tradition of philosophical research and teaching. Students at every level and in every area of intellectual endeavor find opportunity to engage with great philosophical ideas and problems and develop the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary for advancing our understanding of them.

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Undergraduate Program Graduate Program Faculty Profiles Course Listings

Academic Pursuits

Undergraduate Program

The study of philosophy provides students with an opportunity to become familiar with some of the ideas and texts in the history of thought while developing analytical skills that are valuable in practical as well as academic affairs. It affords the excitement and satisfaction that come from understanding and working toward solutions of intellectual problems.

Graduate Program

The Sage School's graduate program leads to the Ph.D. in philosophy. Its distinguishing characteristics are small classes and a collegial atmosphere in which vibrant philosophical exchange among graduate students, faculty and visiting philosophers is the norm. Graduate students receive individual attention to their work from faculty members. And the intellectual community among graduate students is stimulating and supportive.

Philosophy News

'My path is not predetermined and I am always in flux'

Hanako Yamasaki is majoring in comparative literature and philosophy.

'I now think intersubjectivity is the most important part of the human condition'

S. Gottfried is a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar who is also majoring in philosophy & English.

Sina Toussi ’91: Honoring professors and transforming lives

Sina Toussi ’91 established a new undergraduate scholarship in honor of Professors David B. Lyons and Allen W. Wood. The gift contributes to Cornell’s Undergraduate Affordability Initiative, and it is focused on supporting first-generation college students from the Bronx, New York.

Ask an Ambassador: A class that changed my approach to my studies

A senior talks about one of his favorite classes.

Taking History Seriously

For Steinberg, the relevance of history extends beyond academia. He is heartened by the increasing number of philosophers engaging in public philosophy, especially in relation to contemporary issues like social media and AI.

In Search of Norms within a World of Facts

I'm interested in understanding norms. There are moral norms that tell us how to conduct ourselves in relation to others, there are epistemic norms for how we should orient our beliefs in relation to the world [...] and then there are legal norms that tell us, for example, that no one should be depr...

two women with graphic of female body in between them

Bohannon, Manne event focuses on female body image, evolution

"Is Fat Female? Evolution, Feminism, and Getting the Story Right” takes place in person March 5; a virtual conversation between the two will be livestreamed March 6.

Cornell expert: Anti-trans executive order belies unfounded moral panic

Wednesday's executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports discriminates not only against transgender people, but also against women, says philosophy professor Kate Manne.

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