The goal of the Department of Philosophy is to enable students to develop thoughtful attitudes toward life and the world through a confrontation with the thought of great philosophers. To treat such problems as the nature of our individual and social lives, the nature of the world in which we live, and the nature of our apprehension of, and response to that world.

All philosophy courses will include a close reading and analysis of primary sources and a substantive writing component.

Our faculty agree on the necessity of having someone wiser than themselves in the classroom at all times. So together with their students they read the Great Books: works from the long shelf of those who challenge us or are clearly our superiors, from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas through Descartes, Shakespeare, Hume, Kant and Nietzsche to Freud, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, Lewis and Tolkien, Camus and Solzhenitsyn.

David Salyer
"It would be hard to overstate the importance of the UNK philosophy program. It has shaped me so profoundly, I cannot imagine my life otherwise. An ancient philosopher once counseled: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” The professors at UNK gave me the liberty and guidance needed to do just that, day after day, during the most formative years of my life. They modeled the habits of careful reading and reflection, of writing and expression that have served me well, not only in my vocation [as a pastor], but in all aspects of life. I am constantly telling students, parents, friends, and colleagues that they must take advantage of this rare gift we’ve been given right here in central Nebraska."

David Salyer

Pastor