Department of Philosophy

The Philosophy Department prides itself on an interdisciplinary approach to the fulfillment of its three-part mission: to provide students with a philosophy major that will prepare them to enter a variety of careers or for further graduate study; to serve the College's philosophical needs by providing key philosophical courses for other programs; and to contribute to the College's mission of providing a liberal arts education to all students. Read More..

Honors Society and Weinstock Prize event!

Lehman College’s Philosophy Department welcomed four of its students into the National Philosophical Honor Society, Phi Sigma Tau, on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. The ceremony honored Victor D. Borja-Armas, Katherine D. Guerra, Natalia A. Oliver, and Salimah Ross. Mr. Abraham Elie, who currently serves as the president of Phi Sigma Tau’s Lehman Chapter, Lambda-Chi, conducted the swearing in of the new initiates, and welcomed the next generation of honorees.

The day’s events also featured a keynote address by Dr. John Chaffee, Professor of Philosophy at LaGuardia College, CUNY. Dr. Chaffee’s talk, entitled “Philosophy’s Mandate,” engaged the audience in the kind of philosophical activity embodied by the Honor Society by inviting the audience to think about how philosophy can serve as a way of life, as it had for Socrates.

The Philosophy Department also took the opportunity to announce the winner of the Weinstock Essay Prize, which recognizes the best paper written for a philosophy course. This year’s winner was Jane (Jee Eun) Mae (pictured above), for her paper, “Our Obligations to Alleviate Global Poverty.” Ms. Mae was awarded a Certificate and a $300 cash prize.

Philosophy Film Series continues!

The Philosophy Department's Film Series, coordinated by Profs. Steven Birnbaum and Michael Buckley, continues with great success. The latest discussion was facilitated by Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, the Department's Chair, and focused on several philosophical aspects of the classic scifi movie, Dark City. It depicts a dystopian society where things turn out to be not quite what they seem to be, raising questions about how we know what we think we know (epistemology), what the nature of the world actually is (metaphysics), and how should we conduct our lives (ethics). Besides, it was a lot of fun! Stay tuned for future installments of the Philosophy Film Series...

Jessica Gordon-Roth joining Philosophy Department as Assistant Professor

Dr. Gordon-Roth has spent the past year as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia .She received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her B.A. in Philosophy from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. Professor Gordon-Roth's area of specialization is the history of early modern philosophy and especially John Locke. Gordon-Roth's research is focused on the ways in which different conceptions of "substance" and "mode" inform the early modern debate over personal identity. Professor Gordon-Roth enjoys teaching history of modern philosophy, logic, critical reasoning, introduction to philosophy, and other courses. She is especially excited to design and implement new courses for Lehman College students. 

Why study Philosophy?

Here are some surprising, practical, reasons for getting a Philosophy Major!