Philosophy

Philosophy is the search to understand ourselves and the world by reflecting critically on the beliefs and values that shape our lives.

What is the relationship between mind and body? Are there limits to what we can know? Are there objective moral truths? Are our own political and economic institutions just? Is there such a thing as beauty, and does it matter in art? At Vassar, we approach these and other questions across a variety of perspectives and traditions: ancient and modern; eastern and western; analytic and continental. We aim to help students at all levels learn to think, speak, and write with open-mindedness, clarity, and rigor.