Department of Philosophy
The Department of Philosophy is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and offers both a Major and a Minor in Philosophy.
The Department counts 21 full-time faculty members working in a variety of specialties, who are active scholars committed to undergraduate education. They share their expertise in a wide variety of philosophical schools, national traditions, historical periods, and specialized areas of philosophical work.
The curriculum is designed to provide students with a foundation in the history of philosophy and also to encourage students to pursue work in their own areas of interest. Formal coursework is only one part of the Philosophy student's education. Since inquiry and study are most fruitful when conducted in a vital community of fellow scholars, the Department is committed to offering a number of excellent learning opportunities that go beyond traditional classroom structures.
Office Hours
Faculty Office Hours Winter 2025
Articles/Interviews
Professor Judy Whipps is featured on the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy’s homepage in their “I am an American philosopher” interview series. Read the whole interview here (https://american-philosophy.org/i-am-an-american-philosopher-interview-series/i-am-an-american-philosopher-judy-whipps/)
![Professor Judy Whipps](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/pic_whipps[1726086438].jpg)
Professor Judy Whipps
Recent Happenings For GVSU Philosophy
![Professors Wenhui Xie and Andrew Spear in front of Pantheon in Rome, Italy at night.](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/wenhui_and_andrew_in_rome[1726086438].jpg)
GVSU philosophers in the world: Professors. Wenhui Xie and Andrew Spear at the world Congress of philosophy in Rome, August 2024. Professors Xie and Spear both presented their research, attended other sessions at the conference, and spent some time one evening checking out the architecture of Rome.
Upcoming Events
![Philosophy Department presents Reason and Resistance in Sor Juana, a talk by Areins Pelayo. The event is on February 14th from 3:00 PM-4:30 PM in MAK-B-1-138.](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/pelayo_poster_besides_talk_description[1738957824].jpg)
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695) was a novohispanic nun who composed several poems, plays, and essays. Though still relatively unknown, there is increasing philosophical attention to her work and its contribution and relevance to feminism, early modern thought, and colonialism. My aim is to contribute to this growing literature by arguing that Sor Juana deployed her own theory of reasoning as a tool of epistemic resistance against oppressors. Laura Benítez (2019) has recently shown the Thomistic influence in Sor Juana’s epistemology, especially her theories of sensibility and understanding. José Medina (2013) uses Sor Juana as a case study in epistemic resistance. My talk builds on both of these analyses of Sor Juana.
Questions?: Contact Alycia LaGuardia-LoBianco laguarda@gvsu.edu
Past Events
![CLAS presents...What They Did With That Distinguished Humanities Alumni Discuss Their Studies, Their, Stories, And Their Accomplishments](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/what_they_did_with_that[1730212224].jpg)
![GVSU Philosophy at Major Fair](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/majorsfair2023[1726086438].jpg)
Majors Fair
BMS and Philosophy Major Jonathan McCabe and Prof. of Philosophy Andrew Spear want YOU to major in Philosophy!
![What Are You Going To Do With That? Career-Pathways and Possibilities Student Event Hosted on March 14 from 6-7:30 PM in the Alumni House](/cms4/asset/D3B6F7EA-CE7D-2294-44BAF27C33C3337B/what_are_you_going_to_do_with_that[1726086438].jpg)