I am very happy to welcome you to our web site. Since you are here it must mean that you are somewhat interested in who we are and what we do. I hope the entries here will provide you with the information you seek, and I invite you to visit us in person on the Fifth floor of the Vertical Campus. We are always delighted to see new faces.

You may be wondering what philosophy is about. Philosophy is about searching for truth. Philosophy is about the most basic questions we human beings ask ourselves. It poses general questions about the nature of reality, knowledge, values, reason, morals, conduct, and institutions. It is about the fundamental mysteries that thoughtful people have pondered since the beginning of civilization. How should I live? How can I distinguish knowledge from error, reality from illusion, good from evil, truth from fiction, a worthwhile life from wasted time?

The objective of the philosophy department is to enable students to identify, clarify, and assess their own answers to questions such as these. This objective is pursued by examining the questions as subjects in their own right, by subjecting that examination to the rigors of rational thought and dialogue, and by searching for clues in the greatest theories, ideas, and debates of human intellectual history.

The department at Baruch College has particular strengths in legal and political philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics and philosophy of mind, and the history of ideas. Certain areas of emphasis have been developed. Students can study with an emphasis on intellectual history since five courses are offered on a regular basis which cover the history of philosophy from the early Greek period to the present day. A second area of development we call our pre-law emphasis. Philosophy is excellent preparation for law school, and the philosophy department offers five courses that are especially recommended for students on that career path. Finally, students interested in the nature of thought, mind, human nature and psychology may focus on metaphysics and philosophy of mind, an emphasis that overlaps our intellectual history courses and adds four topical courses in the area, which are taught every year. So, we offer many choices.

You may be wondering whether philosophy would be right for you. Philosophy is for thinkers. I invite you to check out the other features of this web site, try out a course, and decide for yourself.