Western State Colorado University Philosophy minor provides students with an understanding of the history of philosophy, an exploration of diverse worldviews, and the tools to examine the complex, unexamined assumptions underlying contemporary society.  The Philosophy minor emphasizes development of logical and analytical skills, affording students the intellectual ability to theorize, articulate, and support sophisticated philosophical perspectives.

Why study philosophy at Western?

A minor in philosophy is both a practical endeavor and a life-enriching experience.  For many, the liberal arts university experience will, unfortunately, be the only place where thinking for the sake of thinking is supported and encouraged.  But with a philosophy minor, graduates will be more likely to keep thinking once they leave academia, and bring their ideas to fruition in whatever field they choose.  Not only will they understand why education matters, but they themselves will matter in the world.

The philosophy minor at Western State Colorado University was specifically designed to complement any major that Western State Colorado University offers. Given that philosophy as a discipline allows individuals to see the world from varied perspectives and helps to provide rational approaches to evaluate ideas, a minor in philosophy deepens the value of a liberal arts education itself by providing the tools needed to understand and appreciate the relationship among the fields of study available at Western State Colorado University.

For those considering graduate school, a minor in philosophy helps sharpen verbal and analytical skills needed for the GREs, LSATs, and GMATs.  Most importantly, however, philosophy provides exposure to the theoretical discourse in which graduate work engages.

Outside of academia, a philosophy minor helps develop real-world, professional skills.  A background in philosophy enhances communication, argument, and critical thinking skills.  Those with experience in philosophy are better able to understand and classify the content of information presented to them, and are not easily swayed by opinions disguised as facts.  Philosophy also helps individuals to understand key issues in decision-making and problem-solving situations.  It enhances research, investigation, design, and planning skills.  Being well-versed in philosophy enhances the ability to see situations from multiple perspectives, and better define the parameters of the task at hand.

All of these skills are “transferable,” meaning that they are not career-specific.  Current trends indicate that over a current University graduate’s lifetime, he or she will hold several jobs in several different fields.  Thus, having skills that can move with an individual through any career shifts becomes vital to “real world” success.  Reasoning, researching, planning, and communication are essential to problem solving and clearly presenting ideas.  Whether planning to go into a traditional or non traditional career, a background in philosophy will enhance the knowledge gained in an individual’s specific field of study, and allow the broadest range possible in terms of later career opportunities.

Next Steps

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An introduction to historical and contemporary approaches to epistemology, philosophical methodology, logic, systems of classification, and methods of validation. Emphasis is placed on critical inquiry into the complex relationship among logic, empiricism, and rationalism, while focusing on the real-world implications of the epistemological assumptions of logic itself. Prerequisite: PHIL 101

 PHIL 315 - EASTERN PHILOSOPHY (3 credits)

An introduction to the central philosophical questions which have conceptually founded Eastern philosophy. This course surveys primary texts, intellectual movements, and cultural traditions that inform and influence Eastern philosophy while investigating the theoretical spaces that exist between philosophical assumptions of the East and West. Prerequisite: PHIL 101


A discussion of the significance of women and gender in the development of philosophy. This course questions how the philosophical canon has appropriated, incorporated, and sometimes erased women's contributions. Drawing upon a variety of discourses in and outside of philosophy itself (including feminist and queer theory), students will assess how the philosophical endeavor changes in light of previously overlooked and currently influential gender studies work. Students will use gender and sexuality as a framework that enriches and interrogates philosophical fields ranging from cultural theory to epistemology. Prerequisite: PHIL 101

 PHIL 335 - ETHICS (3 credits)

An examination of influential moral philosophers and contrasting theories concerning how one "ought" to live, from ancient Greek and Eastern philosophers to contemporary thinkers. Central questions of the course explore the "good life," critique ideologies that limit ethical options, and imagine how to expand individual choices in cultivating a just society. The course concludes with student applications of ethical theories to current global issues. Prerequisite: PHIL 101.


An exploration of the significance of faith in our human worldview. Through a comparative approach to major world religions, students investigate the underlying assumptions behind the ways of "knowing" God and participating in the "divine," and how those assumptions diversely manifest themselves culturally, metaphorically, and psychologically. Prerequisite: PHIL 101.


An exploration of the ongoing relationship between philosophy and science, and an examination of how philosophical movements have informed some of the major shifts in scientific paradigms throughout history. The course concludes with an examination of how scientific revolutions potentially "de-center" humans, and reorient the relationship between the self and the world. Prerequisite: PHIL 101.


Special topics (1-6 credit hours, to be determined by faculty, department and student)


This course analyzes, and provides students the opportunity to more deeply investigate, the philosophical foundations of spoken and written representation through a broad survey of theoretical readings in aesthetics, authorship, interpretation, realism, and subjectivity. Examining a diverse range of classic and contemporary thinkers in philosophy and cultural studies, the course explores the ways representation frames the experiences of being in the world, and asks such questions as: How do ideas become the words we speak?; Do the words we speak mean the same when written?; and What makes the narrative possible? The answers to these questions have broad philosophical, political, and cultural implications. Prerequisite: Phil 201 or PHIL 335; or ENG 371.

 PHIL 492 - INDEPENDENT STUDY ( 1-6 credits)

Independent Study Opportunity



Faculty & Staff


Lecturer in Sociology and Politics and Government
B.A., Dartmouth College, Philosophy , Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, Philosophy of Education
Phone: (970) 943-2582
Office Location: Kelley 208
Professor and Director of the Master of Environmental Management Program; Professor of Env Sustainability & Philosophy; Director, Headwaters Project
B.A., Western State Colorado University; , M.A., St. John's College; , Ph.D., Washington State University.
Phone: (970) 943-3450
Office Location: Kelley Hall 107
Director of Philosophy, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Communication Arts
B.A., Pace University , Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany
Phone: (970) 943-3004
Office Location: Taylor Hall 208E