Philosophy Department

At Taylor, we aren’t looking at just your next 4 years. We are looking at the impact you can make for God’s kingdom in the next 40+ years. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Taylor as Midwest’s #1 regional college for the last 6 years, and they stress our emphasis on teaching. This is especially true in our philosophy program.

Question: Why should I choose Taylor’s Philosophy Program?

Other Christian college philosophy programs affirm the importance of the integration of faith and learning, but in some cases the professor’ lack of formal theological training limits the degree to which you can experience this integration. All three of Taylor’s philosophy professors have seminary training, and two of them have seminary degrees. Their ability to weave together philosophical and theological insights is evident both in the classroom and in their scholarly publications.

Question: How can I be prepared for the secular world in business and law (for example) if I study philosophy at Taylor?

We strengthen your faith and prepare you for service, regardless of what God calls you to do and where He calls you to do it. Philosophy graduates can follow complex lines of reasoning, see the various sides of an issue, and craft a thoughtful response. Our majors are well equipped in the areas of logic, ethics, epistemology and Christian apologetics.

One significant way you can practice your philosophical skills is through our Ethics Bowl competition. This is an intercollegiate debate competition with regional and national tournaments. The Taylor Ethics Bowl team is one of the best in the region and recently advanced to the quarterfinals of the national competition.

The success of our graduates in such a wide variety of fields is a testament to how well our program prepares them in the transferrable skills of critical thinking and conceptual analysis. There is no end to the opportunities you can have with a philosophy degree.

Question: What are my opportunities to grow professionally outside the classroom?

Along with Ethics Bowl, you can attend the national meetings of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Indiana Philosophical Association, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society, as well as regional conferences such as the Gospel Coalition and the Wheaton Theology Conference.