Department of Philosophy

Our majors and minors provide an intensive course of study through which you'll rigorously engage in logical analysis, conceptual interpretation and critique of texts, arguments and ideas.

You'll develop a broad competence in the history of philosophy and a thorough understanding of diverse philosophical positions, so that you may reflectively pursue whatever path in life you choose.

Our graduate programs are central to the mission of the department and to our vision of its future.

As part of our Ph.D. program, you will be immersed in advanced philosophical training and pursue high-quality independent research under the mentorship of faculty. You ’ll be equipped to become an independent member of the international philosophical community and to find full-time academic employment or a satisfying career beyond the professoriate.

If you have a strong background in philosophy or allied fields, our M.A. program will prepare you to obtain admission to more advanced degree programs (especially doctoral programs in philosophy and related areas) or to launch a career in other fields.

The Department of Philosophy—its staff, faculty and graduate students—is committed to cultivating a welcoming, inclusive and just community that supports all its members regardless of sex, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, caste, nationality, citizenship, religion, political opinion, age, socioeconomic background, marital or family status, disability or military service.

We recognize that bias, whether overt or concealed, is an obstacle to justice, inclusiveness and productivity in philosophy as a discipline, and we attempt to combat it in the composition of our department, the courses we teach and the events we organize and sponsor.

This includes recruiting students from underrepresented groups to join our department, training graduate students in the design of inclusive syllabi, offering courses each year on non-Western philosophy and gender studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and scheduling talks each year on minority issues. In addition, the department will continue to take concrete steps to address issues of justice and inclusion.

• The Simon Silverman Phenomenology Center gives you access to the unpublished, transcribed papers of Husserl, the archives of the Heidegger Circle, and the entire personal libraries of Erwin Straus, Stephan Strasser, Aron Gurwitsch, Amedeo Giorgi, Adriaan Peperzak, and John Caputo. It also hosts visiting scholars and sponsors an annual symposium.
• The Center for Interpretive & Qualitative Research (CIQR) gathers faculty and graduate students from many fields who share an interest in qualitative and interpretive methods. Our own Dr. Fred Evans was among its founding figures, and we still enjoy its monthly seminars, workshops, and many other activities.
• The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) introduces you to scholarship focused on gender, embodiment and sexuality.

• The Duquesne Undergraduate Philosophy Society meets weekly for philosophical stimulation. All Duquesne undergraduates are welcome, and undergraduates from any university may submit papers to our journal, Phenomena.
• Duquesne Graduate Students in Philosophy (GSIP) represents the concerns of graduate students, organizes a yearly conference, and has just launched a journal called Confluence.
• Duquesne Women in Philosophy (DWiP) promotes the advancement of women in philosophy.
• The Duquesne chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) removes barriers to participation in academic philosophy by members of marginalized groups.