Department of Philosophy

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Introduction

Since its founding in 1820, philosophy, in the form of natural religion, moral philosophy, and logic, has been part of the University's curriculum, and was recognized as a regular senior course of study in 1829. In 1874, the University included a Department of Mental, Moral, and Political Philosophy. Shortly thereafter philosophy was available as an area of major concentration, and in the late nineteenth century the Department began offering graduate instruction leading to the M.A. By the turn of the century, there was an autonomous Department of Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts. The curriculum of the Department of Philosophy narrowed as other departments emerged: in 1930 a separate Department of Psychology was formed, and in 1960 the University established an independent Department of History and Philosophy of Science. The Department's faculty currently research a broad range of subjects within the history of philosophy; various problems in social and political philosophy, ethics and aesthetics; logic and the application of logical and mathematical techniques and results to philosophical issues; and assorted issues in metaphysics and epistemology. The Department currently comprises 18 full-time faculty members, 14 adjunct professors, and 7 professors emeriti, as well as a diverse graduate student body of approximately 50 students from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Turkey, as well as from throughout the United States.

Approximately 39,000 students, of whom 7,600 are enrolled in the Graduate School and the professional schools, currently study at the University.  The Bloomington campus, renowned for its limestone architecture and woodland atmosphere, includes both the Herman B Wells Library (the main library) as well as nineteen specialized branch libraries spread throughout various departmental buildings; they collectively hold over 6.7 million bound volumes and many millions of other materials, including manuscripts, maps, music, microforms, and films. The University's Lilly Rare Book Library houses a world-renowned collection of 400,000 books, 100,000 pieces of sheet music, and 6.5 million manuscripts, including first and rare editions of many medieval, Renaissance and modern scientific and philosophical works.

The cultural opportunities in Bloomington, a city of nearly 70,000 people, equal or exceed those available in many large American cities. The University's Jacobs School of Music is generally acknowledged to be the best in the United States. It presents more than 1000 performances a year, including everything from small-scale faculty and student recitals to a full symphonic repertoire, jazz concerts, and a full-scale opera season produced by the University's nationally recognized program each season. The University Theatre and Drama Center presents classic and contemporary drama during the academic year, and the Museum of Art, designed by I. M. Pei and Partners, houses a collection of more than 30,000 objects on three floors, and includes a vast atrium connected to the Library of Fine Arts.

Within a 20-minute drive are a number of state parks as well as two lakes that serve as popular sites for sailing, boating, and waterskiing. Brown County State Park attracts thousands of visitors year-round and is renowned for its spectacular fall colors. The picturesque artists' community of Nashville, Indiana, and Indianapolis, the state Capitol, are a short drive away.