Philosophy Department
Welcome to the Philosophy Department!
Philosophy is the active pursuit of knowledge or wisdom. It emphasizes logic and rigorous, critical thinking—valuable skills that are useful in many contexts. Philosophy is considered excellent preparation for graduate and professional careers in fields such as law, health sciences and public service.
BGSU has an international reputation for its focus on applied philosophy, which includes ethics, meta-ethics, ethical analysis of public policy, and political philosophy. The department has an active group of scholars, and hosts regular colloquia and annual workshops on applied ethics and public policy.
At the undergraduate level, the department offers a major and a minor in philosophy. At the graduate level, the department offers a specialized masters’ degree and a PhD in applied philosophy. See the Graduate Program home page for more details.
Home of the Philosophy Politics, Economics and Law Program
The department is also home to an innovative, multidisciplinary undergraduate major and minor in Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law (PPEL). See the PPEL home page for more details.
Employment Opportunities
The department is currently engaged in a job search for the Spring 2025 academic semester for adjunct faculty. For further details, see here.
DEPARTMENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Remembering Don Scherer
We are sad to report the passing of a longtime faculty member of the department, Don Scherer.
Professor Scherer joined the philosophy faculty in 1967, having previously taught at Hobart College. In 1999-2000, he visited at Santa Clara University, where he consulted with environmental studies faculty on how to incorporate ethics within the scope of their research, whatever their disciplinary base. Emeritus since 2003, he continued to teach courses in environmental philosophy, with particular interests in the social aspects of ecological restoration, the ethics of energy use, and the relationships between sustainability, the specialization of labor and negative externalities. The vice-president of Green Energy Ohio, Professor Scherer consulted on environmental developing concerns, including approaches to greening industry, park uses, urban restoration, private-public partnerships and wind and solar energy development.
He was one of the faculty members who built the Philosophy Department at BGSU from relatively humble origins to its current status as one of the foremost departments in the nation in its niche of applied philosophy.
He is survived by his loving wife Char, and a multitude of children and grandchildren.
Department Events
Fall 2024 Colloquium Schedule TBA
Justin Donhauser Recognized with 2023 Andrew Light Award for Public Philosophy
The department is delighted to announce that our late collegue Dr. Justin Donhauser is the recipient of the 2023 Andrew Light Award for Public Philosophy by the International Society for Environmental Ethics (ISEE).
ISEE established this award to promote work in public philosophy and honor contributions to the field by Dr. Andrew Light, who was recognized for his distinctive work in public environmental philosophy at ISEE’s 2017 annual summer meeting. With this award, ISEE strives to recognize public philosophers working in environmental ethics and philosophy, broadly construed, and who bring unique insights or methods that broaden the reach, interaction, and engagement of philosophy with the wider public. This may be exemplified in published work or engagement in environmental issues of public importance.
This year’s Andrew Light Award winner is Dr. Justin Donhauser of Bowling Green State University (USA). The award recognizes Dr. Donhauser posthumously for outstanding achievements in public philosophy over the course of a highly engaged, but sadly truncated career.
Dr. Donhauser was also recently promoted to ther position of Teaching Professor in the Department.
FEATURED
What Can I Do With a Philosophy Degree?
Philosophy can prepare you for all sorts of fascinating careers. Meet three of our recent BGSU philosophy graduates -Robert Mominee, Hannah Nicol, and Daniel Gordon- and see what amazing things they've gone on to do with their degree.
Updated: 10/24/2024 11:42AM