The Love of Wisdom.
“Philosophy” comes from the Greek word meaning “love of wisdom.” Students, therefore, choose philosophy because it instills a lifelong love and quest for knowledge and enhances their analytical capacities.
It asks crucial questions, such as, How should we live our lives? Which social and political arrangements are the most just? What grounds our belief that the past is a good indicator of the future?
Important fields of study have been born from or radically influenced by philosophy: physics (e.g. Democritus, Isaac Newton), psychology (e.g. William James and Gustav Fechner), theology (e.g. Augustine, Aquinas, Kierkegaard), mathematics (e.g. Pythagoras, Descartes, Leibniz), political science (e.g. Plato, Machiavelli, Rawls), and many others. All subjects of inquiry are open to the philosopher’s questioning, and students of philosophy are trained to see the assumptions and reasoning that connect all these fields through history and into our society today.
Why Study Philosophy?
Our daily lives are about navigating through a world of ideas. To listen to a politician’s speech, a critic’s analysis of a piece of art, or even your friend’s business plans, is to be confronted with ideas and arguments. These ideas and arguments are meant to get you to see the world in a specific way and thus influence your actions. Philosophy enables you to reason through these often convoluted and complex ideas in a reasonable and logical manner, allowing you to consider a topic independently of rhetoric and flash.
What Do You Study in Philosophy?
Those new to philosophy might have a hard time conjuring up a clear image of what philosophers do. Popularly, philosophy is associated with stargazing and asking questions that are as vague as they are irrelevant, and to which there are no answers. To the contrary, philosophy deals in a clear and precise manner with the real world, its complex social, material nature, and our place in it. Because of this, philosophical fields of studies are diverse.
What Can Philosophy Do for You?
Philosophy is a classic liberal arts major that is known for being both challenging and fascinating. It is good to study what you love, since it leads to a happier life. It turns out philosophy is good for careers as well as for minds and happiness. Students graduate with a broad range of knowledge and skills that are applicable in every profession, making philosophy one of the most flexible undergraduate programs.
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Department News
- 2026 UWM Brian Winters Undergraduate Philosophy Essay CompetitionThe author of the best essay submitted will receive a monetary award of $2000, disbursed in fall 2026! Eligibility: Enrolled UWM student with declared …
- Philosophy students explore a new way of thinking with Indigenous philosophy courseThe especially innovative and original course on Indigenous Philosophy that Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy Eric Wilkinson is currently teaching is featured in the …
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus John Koethe’s “Cemeteries and Galaxies”Check out our very own Dr. John Koethe’s interview with Wisconsin Today on WPR about his recently published poetry book “Cemeteries and Galaxies.” This …
- Congratulations to Braden CooperCongratulations to UWM philosophy major Braden Cooper, whose philosophy article has been accepted for publication in next month's edition of Stance: An international undergraduate …
