Philosophy and Religious Studies Program

Meeting information; Papers from meetings;
Links for Kentucky Philosophy Programs and Events; Links for Student Essay Contest

Collaborative Faculty-Student Grant

These grants encourage and support joint faculty-student research and/or creative projects within NKU's College of Arts and Sciences.
Abstract deadline: February 17.
Proposal deadline: March 13. more...

Closed Class Policy

What is Philosophy?
Philosophy, understood broadly as the pursuit of wisdom, explores the values and concepts central to our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. To advance that understanding it asks and attempts to answer in a reasoned and systematic way questions that are profoundly basic, comprehensive and significant. Through careful and critical reflection philosophers:

seek to establish principles of proper human conduct (ethics)
attempt to establish standards of evidence and techniques for evaluating arguments and ideas (logic)
inquire into the fundamental nature of knowledge and reality (metaphysics and theory of knowledge)
examine generally the relationships that exist among persons, society, and the world at large (social and political philosophy)

The Uses of Philosophy
A person who studies philosophy can expect to develop a variety of skills that are useful no matter what you do in life. Philosophy promotes the following abilities:

to think and write clearly
to communicate clearly and precisely
to organize ideas and issues
to articulate and solve problems
to assess the pros and cons of issues
to analyze complex data.

Philosophy is a particularly good choice for students interested in graduate studies in the law or theology. Indeed, Philosophy majors (because of the skills named above) do extraordinarily well on graduate admissions exams of all sorts.

For some persons the best and most satisfying reason to study philosophy is that it provides an opportunity to examine your own beliefs and ponder how you would answer the deepest and most fundamental questions about our existence.

The study of philosophy helps students deepen their understanding of themselves and their society and widen their perspective on the beliefs and values of others.

What is Religious Studies?
Religious studies is the scholarly examination of the widespread and diverse phenomena of human religious experience, the expression of these experiences in systems of belief and in institutions, and their impact upon the interaction with culture and society. Religion embodies some of humanity's most profound and enduring attempts to answer perennial questions about the nature of ultimate reality, and about human nature and destiny. An important dimension of religious studies at NKU is its incorporation of cognate courses from other disciplines, including philosophy, anthropology, sociology, history, geography, and literature.