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Philosophy

Philosophy

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Description

Philosophy investigates the most important questions that human beings can ask: How should we live? What is justice? What is the nature of mind or consciousness? What can we know about God’s existence and nature? In studying philosophy, students are able to explore these questions in depth. They have the opportunity to cultivate, and begin to satisfy, their own intellectual curiosity.

Our program is small, with a faculty who are dedicated to students. Students have the opportunity to interact with faculty one-on-one, both in and out of the classroom, and really get to know them.

Students in philosophy do not train for one specific job. Rather they develop fundamental intellectual skills: the ability to read critically, to analyze and evaluate complex views and arguments, and to write clearly. This prepares them intellectually for a wide variety of careers in law, medicine, business, and many other fields.

Donations are applied to...

New donations will contribute to the establishment of a third scholarship in support of outstanding students in our program who have financial need. This is the William McCurdy Scholarship.

Bill McCurdy was an outstanding and beloved teacher for many years in the Philosophy Program at ISU, where he taught general introductory courses in philosophy and ethics, along with courses in logic and Asian philosophy. He combined a formidable command of the subject with an easy, approachable personality, and his intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for philosophy were contagious with students, many of whom went on to major in the subject. His own work in philosophy was characterized by an undaunted intellectual independence. He was drawn to the most difficult problems in metaphysics, logic, and the philosophy of language, and he was particularly interested in finding solutions to these problems in the work of Charles Sanders Peirce.

Bill’s untimely death in 2021 was a terrible loss, not only to his colleagues at ISU but to the many, many people in the community whose lives he touched. Donations in his memory have begun the process of establishing an endowment for this scholarship, and further donations will contribute to the completion of that endowment.

Make your gift go farther!

College of Arts and Letters Dean Kandi Turley-Ames has generously offered to match dollar for dollar any gift to the Bill McCurdy Philosophy Endowment up to $500 in total donations. Give now and stretch your donation!

Why are donations necessary?

The Philosophy Program aims to establish scholarships to support the most dedicated and talented students in our program who have financial need. We are currently able to award two annual scholarships: The Levenson scholarship, which was created in 2021 by ISU alumnus Tom Neel, a former student of Dr. Levenson, who taught philosophy at ISU for 35 years before retiring in 2016; and the William L. King Scholarship, which was established in 2022 by the family of Dr. King to honor his 34-year career as Professor of Philosophy at ISU.

Thanks To Our Recent Donors!

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