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Professor Brandon Polite gestures toward a screen behind him as he speaks. Visible on the screen are pictures of food, and text says Philosophy of Food Symposium: Day 2.

Philosophy

Learn to communicate clearly, question assumptions, and defend your ideas—skills that are important in any field.

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Major, Minor

Sharpen your mind. Use it everywhere.

Philosophy helps you think more clearly about the questions you already care about—from moral responsibility and social justice to pop culture and everyday decision-making. Students enjoy the collaborative, conversational nature of our classes, and they value the sense that philosophy equips them with tools they can immediately use in other fields and in everyday life.

Philosophy also helps you learn to write with precision rather than generality. How? You’re expected to explain your reasoning clearly, support your ideas with strong arguments, and think through possible objections.

Over time, students realize these skills are a huge advantage. The ability to read carefully, think critically, and write clearly doesn’t just help in philosophy, it improves their work in every class.

Major or Minor in Philosophy

Requirements Courses

Course Spotlight

Philosophy courses at Knox invite students to connect abstract ideas to concrete cases. Where else can you study Taylor Swift’s re-recordings, debate political issues (like free speech, justice, and inequality), grapple with matters of life and death, consider the role that technology plays in our lives, and have a full class discussion about whether a hot dog counts as a sandwich or “Old Town Road” counts as a country song?

  • PHIL 116 Introduction to Metaphysics
  • PHIL 195H Philosophy (Taylor’s Version)
  • PHIL 228 Death and Life
  • PHIL 230 Political Philosophy
  • PHIL 245 Philosophy of Games
  • PHIL 295FF The Digital Self
A student stands in front of a classroom, speaking. Two students are visible in the background.

Philosophy Bootcamp

One of the most unique experiences in philosophy at Knox is our yearly advanced seminar. In this course, students choose a philosophical question that interests them and research it in depth. Through hands-on workshops, they learn how to build strong arguments, write clearly, and fine-tune their work.

The seminar ends with a symposium on campus where students present and defend their ideas before a public audience. Many students call it a philosophy “bootcamp” because it’s challenging, focused, and rewarding. Recent topics have included the philosophies of food, literature, the body, and language—showing just how wide-ranging philosophy can be.

Philosophy News

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Polite

Professor Brandon Polite '03 to Publish Anthology ft. Taylor Swift... Are You Ready for it?

To compile the book’s content, Polite reached out to his interviewees from his Taylor Swift miniseries.

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Deconstructing Barbie

Students Explore Urban Living, Barbie, and More During Immersion Summer 2024

Knox students participated in multiple intensive four-week immersive programs during summer 2024.

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Philosophy of Food

Knox Philosophy Students Debate Ethics of Food During Two-Day Symposium

Philosophy students presented the research they completed over winter term as their capstone project.

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  • Madison Byrket ’25
  • Glenn Mandel ’81
  • Juan stands over a beaker with a funnel connected to it near a sink in a science lab wearing a dark blue t-shirt, a red hair band, and blue latex gloves.

Meet Our Philosophy Majors and Minors

Madison Byrket

Madison didn't plan to major in philosophy, until she spoke with Professor of Philosophy Brandon Polite ’03.

Meet Madison

Glenn Mandel ’81

Glenn's career path into law was unconventional, beginning with international recruiting and, ultimately, leading him to law school

Meet Glenn

Juan Manuel Ramirez

Juan makes use of one of Knox's four-week research summer projects to expand his knowledge of environmental studies.

Meet Juan

Philosophy FAQs

Philosophy majors develop transferable skills—critical thinking, analytical reading, persuasive writing, and ethical reasoning—that prepare them for a wide range of careers and graduate programs.

No. Philosophy at Knox emphasizes applied questions and practical reasoning, and it is designed to support students with diverse goals, not just future academics.

Yes. The flexibility of the major and minor makes philosophy easy to combine with other fields, often enhancing students’ work in their other disciplines rather than competing with it.

Is Knox for you?

Contact us to find out more about our comprehensive majors, minors, and programs.

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