PHILOSOPHY WORK GROUPS:    Ancient / Medieval / Renaissance   History & Philosophy of Science   Modern Philosophy   Practical Ethics

Philosophy as a discipline speaks to the intersection of other fields such as the arts and sciences, logic and computation, ethics, religion, law and the social sciences. It provides the breadth and scope that is necessary in an age when people tend to focus entirely on specialized fields of study. And it provides the student with the broader context for the specialized areas of research.

The backbone of the research and teaching of the Department consists in a thorough training in the History of Philosophy. This discipline is a basic part of the discipline of Philosophy. The University of South Carolina has maintained and continues to develop strength in this discipline. Those who proceed to do work in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, logic and other areas of specialization are required to show a strong grasp of the issues in the History of Philosophy. In addition to strengths in Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern Philosophy, the department has an interest in Classical American Philosophy and has been the site for the edition of the Works of William James and the Letters of William and Henry James.

The Department is involved in cross-disciplinary research and teaching in a number of areas. In the Arts, it works closely with Languages, Literature and Cultures, especially with Classical Studies. In the Sciences, the Department has a major NSF Funded research project on the ethical and social implications of Nanotechnology, and has initiated one of the leading centers in this field. It also houses the journal Philosophy of Science. The Department also has significant contacts with other disciplines such as Religion, Law and the Social Sciences, and with Linguistics, and it houses the International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion.

Students do graduate work in issues and problems from the History of Philosophy (Ancient to Contemporary). They also do work in various areas of advanced research, including Practical Ethics and History and Philosophy of Science.

The Department believes that a good collegial context is a requirement for doing successful work in Philosophy. The members of the Department combine an interest in the Major Questions with an ability to interpret technical disciplines in a common sense language.

Jeremiah M. Hackett
Fall 2005