Salina Williams

PHILOSOPHY Learn more than you are taught “The unexamind life is not worth living” - Socrates The Department of Philosophy at Wichita State University is fortunate to have faculty members with a wide range of areas of expertise. The philosophy major is designed to be maximally flexible so as to allow students to craft their own plans of study in accordance with their interests. Possible areas of focus include Asian Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Ethics, and Philosophy of Science. “The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it.” - Bertrand Russell OVERVIEW Philosophy, one of the oldest of intellectual pursuits, is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. It involves the logically rigorous investigation of important conceptual issues--matters which cannot be straightforwardly addressed through empirical means such as performing experiments or taking surveys. Philosophers evaluate the arguments for and against a position with the aim of holding only those beliefs that can be supported by the best reasons. In philosophy, we examine many of the deepest and most fundamental questions that we face as human beings: Is there a God? What is the best form of political society? What standards of moral conduct should we adopt? Do we have free will? What counts as a good explanation in the physical sciences? What is the relation between mind and body? What is it to live a good life? “Working in philosophy is really more a working on oneself” - Ludwig Wittgenstein Grow intellectually and professionally with HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE Some of our students are involved with the Pre-Law Student Association, which, among other things, holds LSAT study groups and hosts information sessions on campus from regional law schools. Through its Cooperative Education and Internship program, WSU has forged strong relationships with public, private and nonprofit organizations that offer a variety of cooperative education and internship opportunities. These positions are an invaluable way for WSU students to gain professional experience to complement the strong academic fundamentals they learn in the classroom. In the past, philosophy students have participated in the Co-op program through placements in local law firms. Philosophy majors at WSU have opportunities to work on campus tutoring student athletes and serving as a tutor in the logic clinc. PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE A degree in philosophy provides excellent preparation for a variety of post-graduate pathways, both academic and non-academic. WSU philosophy students have pursued graduate studies in such areas as philosophy, education, computer science, business and public administration. Many others have attended law school. Some have used their philosophy degrees to launch careers in such diverse fields as real estate development and organic farming. JASON VAN SICKLE PRESIDENT AND CEO J. VAN SICKLE AND CO. I consider my background in philosophy, and the training it provided me in philosophical thought and critical reasoning, as one of the greatest keys to my success in business. I truly believe that philosophy is one of the best core educations that anyone can get to prepare them for facing the challenges of life (in any field of work). CRAIG MACY JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE HARVARD UNIVERSITY FOUNDER AND CEO SYNCRONUS CORPORATION In 1989, I made the decision to major in philosophy at Wichita State University. Five years later, I was graduating with a law degree from Harvard Law School. It was only during LSAT preparation that I realized how critical my philosophy training was going to be with respect to nailing the exam. With two courses in formal logic under my belt, the game questions were nearly automatic. The ability to quickly navigate verbose, conceptually rich material and instantly distill it to its component elements proved critical to success in both the exam and the law generally. Philosophy, as it turned out, was and is the ideal pre-law major. SARAH STRYDOM CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER MIDWEST SINGLE SOURCE Getting my bachelor’s degree in Philosophy was one of the best choices I could have made for my professional career. A degree in Philosophy serves many purposes. First, my Philosophy degree taught me to think critically and analytically which has been a valuable skill for me as an employee. Secondly my degree taught me how to clearly articulate my thoughts which has proven valuable numerous times as I navigate the business world. Finally, it never ceases to be a great interview question when someone asks me why I chose to get my degree in Philosophy. When I tell them it “made me a better thinker” I automatically make a great first impression. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM JOIN AN ORGANIZATION Gain leadership experience through participation in: Philosophy Society an undergraduate group that meets regularly to discuss philosophical issues, and occasionally sponsors events on campus CONFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS There are several regional undergraduate philosophy conferences at which philosophy majors from WSU have presented their work. In addition, there are a number of undergraduate philosophy journals which afford opportunities for publication. LECTURE SERIES SCHOLARSHIPS The Philosophy Department each year invites a distinguished philosopher onto campus to give two public lectures which students are encouraged to attend. As part of the visit, our speaker gives a master class for students. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from a nationally recognized scholar. Craig Macy and History of Philosophy Scholarships. These are two competitive essay prizes given out annually to philosophy majors. Each comes with a monetary award.