Western Carolina University

What’s Involved in the Study of Philosophy and Religion?

Ethics: Each of us at times faces decisions that have ethical significance. The choice of a career or a decision to marry or stay single raises questions about motives (selfish or altruistic?) and the consequences of decisions (beneficial or harmful?). Most of our choices affect others.

Logic: How do we argue well? How can we resist persuasion and manipulation? Logic helps us tell sound reasoning from unsound, so that we can sort out the messages of newspapers, ads, and political speeches.  

History of philosophy: What motivates a suicide bomber? Is sexism wrong in all cultures? When is war justified? Who gets to vote? The history of philosophy teaches us about different world views as well as their historical origins, limitations, and insights.  

Philosophy in academic disciplines and professional practices: What good is art? Do defendants have too many rights? If cloning saves lives, what’s wrong with it?  Philosophy students apply insights from logic, ethics, and history of philosophy to art, law, literature, public policy issues, religion, and science.

Religious traditions: What is unique and what is universal about religions?  What are the practices, concepts, beliefs and history that define a religion?  How do religions interact?  What happens when religion and science encounter each other?  How does religion lead to cooperation or clashes?  In courses about eastern or western religious traditions you may expand your ideas or think critically about your own and other world religions.