Department of Philosophy

Why Philosophy?

What is truth? How are scientific claims justified? Are we responsible for our actions? Do people have free will? What is justice?

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Ken Taylor Memorial

Memorial Reception in honor of Professor Kenneth Taylor, April 5, 2023

APA honors Professors

Professors Helen Longino and Michael Friedman are honored for their contributions to the field.

The Paradox of Trust

Lanier Anderson and Jorah Dannenberg discuss the internal tension known as the Paradox of Trust.

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We are a lively community of philosophers with a broad range of scholarly interests.

We offer rigorous, competitive programs in traditional core areas of philosophy, as well as opportunities to explore sometimes-neglected subfields like feminist philosophy or aesthetics.

Our traditional strengths in logic and the philosophy of science remain central to the department, and they are now complemented by very strong programs in action theory, ethics and political philosophy, language, mind and epistemology, and the history of philosophy — especially ancient philosophy and Kant studies.

History of the Department See Faculty Research Areas

Engage Philosophy

Philosophy should be engaged and applied, addressing questions as they arise in the real world and within the practices of other disciplines. That tradition in Stanford Philosophy is reflected in our collaboration with a wide range of interdisciplinary programs. Follow the links below to learn more.

Undergraduate program overview

Graduate program overview

Undergraduate Community

Graduate Community

Upcoming Events

October

HAI Vodcast with Ge Wang and Vanessa Parli | Episode 1: What Do We (Really) Want from AI?

Date

Wed October 4th 2023, 9:15am - 11:00am

Location

Gates Computer Science Building
353 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
119

See event details

October

Simulcast: Geoffrey Hinton in Conversation with Fei-Fei Li

Date

Wed October 4th 2023, 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Location

Gates Computer Science Building
353 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
119

See event details

October

When Crack Was King, A Conversation with Donovan X. Ramsey

Date

Wed October 4th 2023, 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Location

Humanities Center
424 Santa Teresa Street, Stanford, CA 94305
Levinthal Hall

See event details

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News

In the Press

Office hours: The objects inside a Stanford philosopher’s office

Stepping inside a scholar’s office is a bit like stepping into their life and mind. Here's a look at the books, art, and mementos in philosophy Professor R. Lanier Anderson’s office, and what they reveal about him as a scholar and person.BY MELISSA DE WITTE

In the Press

World-First Ethics: A Q&A with Leif Wenar

Ethics is sometimes seen as purely conceptual or abstract — but the best ethics start on the ground and grow from real life. So says Leif Wenar, the new faculty director of the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, who sees ethics as emerging from our most urgent problems.

Books & Publications

Stanford philosophy professor’s new book focuses on ‘gender feels’ over ‘gender identity’

Professor R. A. Briggs argues that many different aspects of gender may pertain to a single person, necessitating a broader gender framework. “Nobody has to match a template—neither mainstream templates nor other cultural templates about what it is to be a man, woman, or non-binary,” said R. A. Briggs, professor of philosophy in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.

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