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Department of Philosophy

Welcome to the Department of Philosophy! Wichita State University has a vibrant, challenging philosophy program with faculty who teach and research a wide range of philosophical concerns.

About Philosophy

A bachelor's degree in Philosophy equips you with a versatile skill set that is highly sought after in today's job market. Develop critical reasoning, analytical prowess, effective communication and ethical awareness – qualities that are invaluable in any career path.

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New Course Fall 2026

PHIL 314 Introduction to Legal Ethics

This pre-professional introduction to legal ethics provides a practical approach to ethical decision-making for common ethical issues in civil and criminal law, policing, and corrections, with the theoretical grounding necessary to adapt and apply these skills to new and changing contexts. An important course for students in any legal career path. Fulfills the ethics requirement for Criminal Justice majors.

Programs

  • The Philosophy Major

    Improve your critical thinking, logical reasoning, textual analysis, analytical writing, communication and research skills. Learn how the canons of Western thinking, as well as forgotten and excluded voices, contribute to our worldviews and institutions.

  • The Pre-Law Concentration

    Gain a rich theoretical context for understanding the aims and methods of law, normative systems, and action guidance, as well as written and verbal practice developing argumentation and advocacy skills.

  • The Philosophy Minor

    Supercharge any degree with critical humanities skills for career succss in the AI era. A minor consists of 15 credit hours of philosophy courses, selected in consultation with a departmental advisor, that orients students to the philosophic aspects of their major fields.

  • Paid Internships for Philosophy in Practice

    Thanks to a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, paid applied learning opportunities are now available for Humanities majors through the new WSU HIREs program.  Students are paid $15/hr to work in health humanities, pre-law, and other career-relevant, meaningful placements.  Contact: Susan.Castro@wichita.edu. 

  • Health Humanities Certificate

    Pair our courses in Philosophy of Medicine, Bioethics, and Biomedical Engineering Ethics with courses from humanities and social sciences across campus to engage with the human side of health.

  • Asian Studies Certificate

    Learn about Buddhism, Daoism, wabi sabi, mushin no shin and more, from Asian metaphysics to the arts.  Develop your cultural awareness, conceptual sophistication, and evaluative perspecive by understanding the foundations of various cultures and worldviews that contribute to our increasingly integrated global society. 

Philosophy Scholarships

Current WSU students interested in any Fairmount College scholarship, including philosophy, can submit an application through ScholarshipUniverse.

Student Testimonials

I studied philosophy because I wanted to understand what it means to know something — to learn what knowledge, reasoning, and intelligence really are.  I never expected those to become the most practical questions of my career, which ultimately led me to Silicon Valley to start a company focused on applied artificial intelligence.  The entire field of AI is an exercise in applied epistemology: you can't build computer programs that replicate human reasoning until you understand human reasoning.  All of that said, the benefits of a degree have gone far deeper for me, because it taught me valuable lessons about self-reflection, intellectual growth, problem-solving tools like logic and reasoning, and how to live life with a curiosity that results from becoming a lover of wisdom (the literal definition of a philosopher).

Jason Van Sickle
WSU Philosophy Alum,  Founder & CEO, Insource Ai

Philosophy News

  • Summer PhilosoTea, Thursdays at 4pm

    — Beginning June 4, 2026: Students, faculty, staff, and friends of philosophy are invited to join us for "tea" on Thursdays 4-6pm in our cozy and bookfull Katherine Bradfield memorial Library and Lounge, located in the basement of Fiske Hall. We actually will have tea and biscuits.

  • IACAP Comes to Kansas!

    — The International Association for Computing and Philosophy will be held at the University of Kansas in Lawrence KS July 15-17, 2026. Students who would like to attend may apply for funding from the Katherine Bradfield Memorial Fund. Click for more details.

  • Paid Internships in Philosophy

    — Thanks to a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, four philosophy students helped launch the Philosophy in Practice track of the WSU-HIREs paid internship program in Spring 2026. Summer 2026 opportunities include health humanities, pre-law, and more. Click for more details.

  • Philosophy Pizza Party

    — Join us for our end of year celebration! May 6th, 4:00 to 6:00pm, in the Philosophy Library Annex in Fiske Hall. Open to majors, minors, and friends of Philosophy. Food and soft drinks provided. Come and hang out with the profs and your fellow Philosophy students.

  • Yujin Nagasawa on The Problem of Evil and Meaning in Life, April 29

    — Please join us in Hubbard Hall 209 at 3:30pm on April 29, 2026 for the next talk in the Douglas H. Dees Distinguished Philosophy Lecture Series, "The Problem of Evil and Meaning in Life" by distinguished speaker Yujin Nagasawa. Dr. Nagasawa is Professor of Philosophy and Kingfisher College Chair of the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at the University of Oklahoma. This talk is free and open to the public.

  • Dr. Sager gives keynote address on Buddhism

    — On Saturday, April 25th, 2026, Dr. Angela Sager is giving the keynote address on Buddhism for the Museum of World Treasures Gala Masquerade. The speech is connected to the Museum's new Asia exhibit "A Vehicle for the Ages: Buddhism's Origin and Influence Across Asia". Her talk is titled "Only Grant Me a Refuge!: Buddhism as an Existential Response to Suffering."

  • Jayden Island wins Student Body President!

    — Congratulations to philosophy major Jayden Island, who won the election to become our new Student Body President at WSU. Way to go, Jayden!

  • Colloquium on Argument Interpretation

    — Please join us April 9, 2026 at 3:30 in Hubbard Hall 209 for "Argument interpretation, the principle of charity, and epistemic injustice" with Dr. Patrick Bondy. This talk is free and open to the public.

More about Philosophy

Historic Fiske Hall

Dedicated in 1906, Fiske Hall is the oldest surviving building on Wichita State's campus and is home to the Department of Philosophy. Today, Fiske has been updated to include modern amenities to accommodate students, faculty and staff.

Contact us

Fiske Hall, Room 110

1845 Fairmount St.
Wichita, KS 67260-0074

Department Chair: Patrick Bondy
Phone: 316-978-3125
Fax: 316-978-3036

Start your journey now.

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