Skip to main content

Glendon (GL) – Philosophy

Print
Location/Bureau : C216 York Hall, Tel.: 416-487-6733
Chair/Directrice : D. Olin
Professors/Professeurs : G.J.D. Moyal, D. Olin
Associate Professors/Professeurs agrégés : J. Baker, J. Gonda, L.-P. Hodgson, C. Campbell

Philosophy, it is often said, teaches not what to think, but how to think.  The skills it develops are those which are at the heart of a liberal arts education.

You will study questions such as: What is truth?  How do we come to know the truth?  What is it to be a person?  Is morality relative or are there abstract moral truths?  Why do we punish criminals by putting them in prison?  Is democracy the best system of government?  In the course of studying these questions, you will come to a better understanding of different points of view, and will become a better thinker, debater and writer.

The critical thinking skills acquired in studying Philosophy include: analyzing key concepts, organizing ideas, developing a critical mind, and communicating effectively. These skills are, of course, transferable to other domains. It isn’t surprising, then, that philosophy majors as a group consistently outperform most other majors on the LSAT (law school), MCAT (medical school), GMAT (business school) and GRE (graduate school) exams. The skills cultivated by the study of philosophy have wide application.

As a result, Philosophy majors can be found in many careers, including law, business, computer science, government, medicine, journalism, teaching and school administration.

The fact that Philosophy develops one’s critical skills certainly provides one good answer to the question ‘Why study Philosophy?’ But there is a second answer, just as valid. If you are gripped by philosophical questions and problems; if your imagination is stimulated and your curiosity piqued by those questions; if you value having an open mind and wish to avoid dogmatism on any given issue, then you already know the best answer to the question.

Philosophy is offered by the Faculties of Glendon and Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.