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Research Opportunities

Research in philosophy is not organized as it is in the sciences, where a single primary investigator oversees and coordinates the work of many different members of a team, from other professors to post-docs to graduate students working on their Ph.D. to undergraduates. Instead, each philosopher's research is fairly self-contained. We share our work in progress with our peers to get feedback and develop our work, of course, but most philosophers don't have researchers doing their own research as part of a larger project.

That means that research opportunities for undergraduates usually take the form of finding funding to spend the summer learning about a topic and writing about it, perhaps in the context of a summer research program or a summer school. Some of these programs are Harvard Internal, some are more broadly based.

Harvard Programs

• SHARP : Summer Humanities and Arts Research Program
• The Harvard Review of Philosophy edits and discusses the articles it considers for publication in its yearly issue. This is a great opportunity to read and discuss philosophy.
• Harvard College Research Funding
• The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program . MMUF exists to counter the underrepresentation of marginalized groups on college and university faculties nationwide through activities designed to encourage the pursuit of the Ph.D. in the humanities and social sciences (from the website).
• Harvard-Cambridge Scholarship summer program. Offers summer scholarships for study in Cambridge, UK.

Other Programs

The programs outside of Harvard are constantly changing, so instead of giving you a list of programs, here are resources that continually update.

• Diversity Institutes : There are various summer programs designed for students from traditionally underrepresented groups.
• Over the course of the academic year, there are round-ups of philosophy summer programs. Daily Nous , a philosophy blog, often has these.

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How to do research in Philosophy

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Library resources for researchers working on analytic philosophy, continental philosophy, logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology and the history of philosophy.

START WITH GOOD KEYWORDS

Topic-specific keywords will help improve your results in a general multidisciplinary database like Google, Google Scholar , HOLLIS , or Academic Search Premier . 

Add keywords like these to your search:

• Subdisciplines: epistemology, aesthetics, "philosophy of religion," action theory
• Time period terms: renaissance, ancient, 17th
• Thinkers, movements, works: "Vienna Circle," “Bhagavad Gītā,” Aristotle, Nietzsche, Al-Ghazâlî 
• Concepts: determinism, fact, "common sense," becoming

UPGRADE YOUR SEARCH: KEY DATABASES

The best tool for your project may be a specialized search engine, also known as a database. These databases are subject-specific or format-specific search tools:

PhilPapers is a top database for philosophy research. It includes a large corpus of journal research books and articles, with robust indexing and topic guides. It is maintained by the philosophy community and counts the majority of professional philosophers and graduate students among its registered users.

The Philosopher's Index is a bibliographic database designed to help researchers easily find publications of interest in the field of philosophy. It provides indexing and abstracts of journal articles, books, contributions to anthologies, and book reviews published worldwide.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a highly regarded, peer-reviewed reference source for philosophy, with entries on a wide range of topics.

Databases for Philosophy - explore the full list of Harvard Library databases in this subject category.

CONNECT WITH US

Lee LaFleur , the interim library contact for Philosophy, is available to support researchers via email or in-person consultation.

Department of Philosophy Affiliates

The Robbins Library of Philosophy , located in Emerson Hall, is the Department of Philosophy's library.

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Research Specialties & Topics

Our department is heavily invested in all types of philosophy research and exploration, providing our students with a variety of outlets to explore within philosophical studies. View a list of our specialties and topics below:

The department has an unusually strong commitment to teaching and research in aesthetics. Graduate-level coursework examines the principles of aesthetics and the philosophies of the individual arts (such as film, music, literature, and graphic novels). Undergraduate and graduate-level seminars provide students with opportunities to pursue specialized topics (such as, art and language, criticism, and the aesthetics of mass art). Both courses and seminars give philosophy students an opportunity to interact with persons from a variety of backgrounds in the humanities.

Three of the aesthetics faculty are practicing artists:  Roy Cook  is a (sometimes professional) LEGO sculptor and (amateur) cartoonist;  Geoffrey Hellman  brings over four decades of experience as a concert pianist to bear on topics in musical aesthetics; and  Michael Kac  is a performing musician and composer. All are interested in the ways that philosophical problems arise in relation to the arts and in topics in aesthetics more generally.

Cook is also interested in the particular philosophical problems raised by ‘popular’ art, in issues surrounding attempts to define the concept ARTWORK and to define particular artforms, and in the aesthetics of popular art generally and film and comics in particular. He has co-edited (with Aaron Meskin) an anthology on the aesthetics of comics and graphic novels ( The Art of Comics: A Philosophical Approach , Wiley-Blackwell, 2014).

Kac researches and teaches the philosophy of music, particularly as regards music in relation to language and how music relates to the nonmusical world (when it does).

Hellman is especially interested in the nature of artistic expression and the whole question of “meaning” in music and musical performance.

Additionally,  Michelle Mason  has published on David Hume’s essay on taste and has research and teaching interests in problems that arise at the intersection of ethics and aesthetics (such as, if – and if so, how – morally relevant features of an artwork bear on its evaluation as a work of art and how to adjudicate apparent conflicts between moral and aesthetic values).

Naomi Scheman  has written on feminist issues in criticism and epistemological questions posed by photography and film.

Aesthetics faculty have supervised PhD dissertations in aesthetics that range from theories of representation to the status of pornography as art.

The department provides a variety of opportunities to develop specialization or competence in applied ethics.  Brian Bix  and  Sarah Holtman  work on issues related to applied ethics as they intersect with issues in philosophy of law;  Valerie Tiberius  does research on topics in environmental philosophy.

PhD students in philosophy may minor in bioethics. Students are encouraged to take courses both in relevant areas of the philosophy department and in related areas of health care, law, and the sciences.

The department encourages research in feminist topics in epistemology, philosophy of science, moral and political philosophy, and aesthetics. Faculty members increasingly use feminist perspectives in their courses, such as in ethics, history of philosophy, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science.

Interested students can pursue a graduate minor in feminist studies through the  Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) . Faculty working on feminist theory in various disciplines include, among others,  Debra DeBruin , affiliate member of the philosophy department and faculty at the  Center for Bioethics . There are many faculty with interests in gender and sexuality in other departments throughout the University. A good place to find other faculty with feminist and related interests is on the  graduate faculty roster  for the Feminist Studies PhD program.

Faculty in the department have particular expertise regarding the history of early modern and early analytic philosophy. Professors focusing on the history of philosophy include  Jessica Gordon-Roth  and  Michael Bennett McNulty  . Gordon-Roth researches John Locke; early modern theories of personal identity; feminist philosophy; and early modern women philosophers, including Anne Conway, Mary Astell, and Catharine Trotter Cockburn. McNulty studies Immanuel Kant; the history of philosophy of science, especially in the early modern period; Margaret Cavendish; and early analytic philosophy.

Other faculty have various research and teaching interests in the history of philosophy.  Sarah Holtman  and  Michelle Mason  each work on the history of moral philosophy.  Roy Cook  ,  Peter Hanks  , and  Joseph Owens  study early analytic philosophy.  Alan Love  has interests in the history of philosophy of science, especially of biology.

The department regularly offers focused graduate seminars on particular themes and figures in the history of philosophy. Recent seminars include those on theories of personal identity in the early modern period and on Kant’s philosophy of science. Many undergraduate courses are synoptic, covering a particular time period or swath of topics in the history of philosophy. Regularly, courses at the 4000/5000 level examine particular figures (recently, Wittgenstein, Kant, and Conway). Complementing the research and course offerings within the department is the  Early Modern Interest Group  (EMIG), housed within the Minnesota Center of Philosophy of Science. Every semester, an interdisciplinary group works through less canonical primary texts and hosts visiting speakers.

The department is particularly strong in logic, the philosophy of logic, and the philosophy of mathematics.  Roy Cook  and  Geoffrey Hellman  specialize in these areas, while other faculty members sometimes teach courses in them.

The year-long sequence in logic takes graduate students from the basic semantics and proof theory for first-order logic through soundness, completeness, and undecidability. It also introduces a number of other important topics, including basic set theory, the axiomatic method, Turing machines, recursive functions, the famous meta-theorems of Gödel and Tarski, and second-order logic.

In addition to this sequence, students can take courses in modal logic (propositional and predicate), philosophy of logic, and philosophy of mathematics. Seminars are offered on such advanced topics as structuralism, intuitionism and constructivism in mathematics, conventionalism, the status of second-order and intuitionistic logic, foundations of modality, logicism, and the philosophical significance of Gödel's theorems.

The department offers intermediate and advanced courses in epistemology and in metaphysics, as well as seminars on special subjects. Recent topics have included skepticism about the external world, the problem of induction, other minds, perception, memory, testimony, the structure of knowledge, social epistemologies, and naturalized epistemology.  Peter Hanks  and  Naomi Scheman  teach these courses (among others), employing a wide variety of approaches, including traditional, analytic, Wittgensteinian, feminist, and cognitive-theoretical approaches. Several courses in history of philosophy, philosophy of science, and philosophy of language also consider epistemological issues.

Metaphysics courses typically cover such topics as identity, essentialism, Zeno's paradoxes, arguments for the unreality of time, freedom and determinism, the realism/nominalism debate, and the nature and existence of natural and social kinds. In addition, offerings in the philosophy of mind (on the prospects of artificial intelligence and the nature of the mind), in the philosophy of science (on space, time, and quantum mechanics), and in the philosophy of language (on truth and abstract entities in semantics) often incorporate metaphysical issues. Faculty teaching metaphysics courses include  Roy Cook ,  Peter Hanks , and  Joseph Owens .

The department offers broad programs in moral philosophy and in political philosophy. Currently, there are graduate courses in the history of ethics, ethical theory and metaethics, applied ethics, the history of political philosophy, and the works of contemporary political theorists.  Brian Bix ,  Sarah Holtman ,  Michelle Mason , and  Valerie Tiberius  regularly teach a variety of courses in moral philosophy; Holtman and Mason teach courses in political philosophy; Bix and Holtman teach courses in philosophy of law. Holtman and Tiberius host a biweekly discussion group that provides students in moral and political philosophy a forum in which to present their own work and to discuss current philosophical issues.

Outside the department proper, the  Department of Political Science  provides students additional course opportunities in political philosophy. Both the  Center for Bioethics  and the  MacArthur Interdisciplinary Program on Global Change, Sustainability and Justice  offer graduate minors, both of which afford excellent opportunities for combining theoretical and applied work. The MacArthur Program offers the possibility of multi-year fellowship support.

Brian Bix ,  Peter Hanks ,  Michael Kac ,  Joseph Owens , and  Sandra Peterson  study and teach the philosophy of language, using both formal and ordinary language approaches—Fregean, Davidsonian, Austinian, and Wittgenstenian approaches, among others. As a member of the linguistics faculty, Kac also provides an important cross-disciplinary link.

In our intermediate courses in the philosophy of language students become acquainted with central issues concerning reference, truth, and meaning. Advanced courses continue the study of these issues, at greater depth. Special topics courses and seminars provide students with a chance to examine specific subjects, including theories of truth, rule-following, rationality and interpretation, linguistic understanding and misunderstanding, belief ascription, and our knowledge of meaning. These courses are supplemented by a variety of offerings in related areas such as philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of logic.

The philosophy program at Minnesota has traditionally placed heavy emphasis on the mind-body problem ("the world knot," as Herbert Feigl called it), the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of cognitive science in general. Faculty specializing in the philosophy of cognitive science frequently collaborate with colleagues in linguistics, computer science, and psychology.

Joseph Owens  and other faculty teach courses in the philosophy of mind, psychology, and related areas. The University offers a graduate minor in the  Center for Cognitive Sciences , with faculty drawn from philosophy, psychology, computer science, linguistics, anthropology, and neuroscience. Students take one course each in psychology, computer science, and cognitive science; electives from the included fields outside their majors; and a team-taught proseminar.

Since the founding of the  Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science  and its series  Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science  in the 1950s, the University of Minnesota has become known throughout the world as a leading center for research and teaching in the philosophy of science.

The department regularly offers a range of courses in the philosophy of science, including topics such as the nature and evaluation of scientific theories, scientific explanation, and causation. These courses are often taught in sequence with graduate research seminars focusing on more specific topics, including the history of philosophy of science (e.g., logical empiricism or 19th century philosophy of science). The department also offers courses relating to the whole spectrum of sciences: mathematics, physics, biology, psychology and cognitive science, and the social sciences.

The research interests of faculty include:  Geoffrey Hellman's  study of the implications of theories in physics for issues in the philosophy of mathematics;  Jos Uffink's  investigations of the foundations of quantum mechanics and of probabilistic or statistical theories in general; and,  Alan Love's  work on the nature of conceptual change and interdisciplinary explanation in the biological sciences, as well as the structure of scientific problems and methodology in philosophy of science.

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• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

broad research areas

Find faculty exploring these topics

Metaphysics & Epistemology

Metaphysics is concerned with the nature of existence and the universe, and epistemology is a related area focused on exploring knowledge.

Philosophy of Science & the Sciences

Philosophy of science is concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science and of various branches of science.

Philosophy of Mind & Cognitive Science

These areas investigate the nature of cognition, probing the nature of cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and related disciplines.

Ethics & Value

Philosophers working in ethics and value look into and question the frameworks of personal and societal morality, and how these influence human behavior.

History of Philosophy

Experts in history of philosophy focus on one or more eras of human thought and their significance at the time and, often, their relevance in terms of contemporary understanding.

areas of expertise

• Allan Hazlett
• Becko Copenhaver

Ancient Philosophy

Cognitive science.

• Michael Barkasi
• Carl Craver
• Casey O'Callaghan

Early Modern Philosophy

Epistemology.

• Nicholas Koziolek
• Jonathan Kvanvig
• Matt McGrath
• Anne Margaret Baxley
• Lori Watson
• Kit Wellman

Experimental Philosophy

• Anya Plutynski

Linguistics

Metaphysics.

• Jonathan Kvanvig

Moral Psychology

Philosophy of biology, philosophy of language, philosophy of logic, philosophy of medicine, philosophy of memory, philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, philosophy of perception, philosophy of race, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, social and political philosophy.

• Clarissa Rile Hayward
• Frank Lovett

the faculty bookshelf

The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism

Most people have wondered whether anything really matters, some have temporarily thought that nothing really matters, and some philosophers have defended the view that nothing really matters. However, if someone thinks that nothing matters--if they are a "nihilist about value"--then it seems that it is irrational for them to care about anything. It seems that nihilism about value mandates total indifference. This is the "problem of nihilism" Allan Hazlett addresses in The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism.   Hazlett argues that the problem of nihilism arises because desire--and thus caring--is a species of evaluation that admits of irrationality. This contradicts the influential Humean view that desire does not admit of irrationality, which has a ready solution to the problem of nihilism: since desire does not admit of irrationality, it cannot be irrational to care about something that you believe does not matter. However, following G.E. Anscombe, Hazlett argues that desire has the same relationship to goodness as belief has to truth: just as truth is the accuracy condition for belief, goodness is the accuracy condition for desire.  This reveals desire as an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry, in the same way that belief is an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry. Desires can amount to knowledge (in the same way that beliefs can amount to knowledge) and, crucially for the problem of nihilism, desire admits of irrationality (in the same way that belief admits of irrationality). Nevertheless, although it is obviously irrational to believe something that you believe is not true, Hazlett argues that it is not irrational to desire something you believe is not good, despite the fact that goodness is the accuracy condition for desire. This provides a solution to the problem of nihilism, and shows that nihilism about value can coherently be combined with the anti-Humean view that desire is a species of evaluation.

• Oxford University Press

Appearance in Reality

Appearance in Reality  deals with this question. You rely on instruments and everyday experience to verify your theories, but these theories are about unseen things that seem to have very strange properties. What’s the relationship between the appearance of things and their reality?

Metaphysics in that sense is really inescapable. Everybody poses these questions to themselves, but when people recognize that they've run into a metaphysical problem they typically say, “oh okay, that's just for the philosophers,” and they walk away from it, not realizing that they’ve actually taken a philosophical position already.

The Universe As We Find It

What does reality encompass? Is reality exclusively physical? Or does reality include nonphysical--mental, and perhaps 'abstract'--aspects? What is it to be physical or mental, or to be an abstract entity? What are the elements of being, reality's raw materials? How is the manifest image we inherit from our culture and refine in the special sciences related to the scientific image as we have it in fundamental physics? Can physics be understood as providing a 'theory of everything', or do the various sciences make up a hierarchy corresponding to autonomous levels of reality? Is our conscious human perspective on the universe in the universe or at its limits? What, if anything, makes ordinary truths, truths of the special sciences, and truths of mathematics true? And what is it for an assertion or judgment to be 'made true'? In  The Universe As We Find It , John Heil offers answers to these questions framed in terms of a comprehensive ontology of substances and properties inspired by Descartes, Locke, their successors, and their latter day exemplars. Substances are simple, lacking parts that are themselves substances. Properties are modes--particular ways particular substances are--and arrangements of propertied substances serve as truthmakers for all the truths that have truthmakers. Heil argues that the deep story about the nature of these truthmakers can only be told by fundamental physics.

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction

When first published, John Heil's introduction quickly became a widely used guide for students with little or no background in philosophy to central issues of philosophy of mind. Heil provided an introduction free of formalisms, technical trappings, and specialized terminology. He offered clear arguments and explanations, focusing on the ontological basis of mentality and its place in the material world. The book concluded with a systematic discussion of questions the book raises--and a sketch of a unified metaphysics of mind--thus inviting scholarly attention while providing a book very well suited for an introductory course.

The book is intended as a reader-friendly introduction to issues in the philosophy of mind, including mental–physical causal interaction, computational models of thought, the relation minds bear to brains, and assorted -isms: behaviorism, dualism, eliminativism, emergentism, functionalism, materialism, neutral monism, and panpsychism. The  Fourth Edition  reintroduces a chapter on Donald Davidson and a discussion of 'Non-Cartesian Dualism', along with a wholly new chapter on emergence and panpsychism. A concluding chapter draws together material in earlier chapters and offers what the author regards as a plausible account of the mind's place in nature. Suggested readings at the conclusion of each chapter have been updated, with a focus on accessible, non-technical material.

Key Features of the  Fourth Edition

• Includes a new chapter, 'Emergence and Panpsychism' (Chapter 13), reflecting growing interest in these areas
• Reintroduces and updates a chapter on Donald Davidson, 'Radical Interpretation' (Chapter 8), which was excised from the previous edition
• Updates 'Descartes' Legacy' (Chapter 3) to include a discussion of E. J. Lowe's arresting 'Non-Cartesian Dualism', also removed from the previous edition
• Includes a highly revised final chapter, which draws together much of the previous material and sketches a plausible account of the mind's place in nature
• Updated 'Suggested Reading' lists at the end of each chapter
• Routledge University Press

Debating Sex Work

Prostitution is often referred to as "oldest profession." Critics of this expression redescribe it as "the oldest oppression." Debates about how best to understand and regulate prostitution are bound up with difficult moral, legal, and political questions. Indeed, it can be approached from numerous angles--is buying and selling sex fundamentally wrong? How can it possibly be regulated? How can sex workers be protected, if they are allowed to work at all? In this concise, for-and-against volume, ethicists Lori Watson and Jessica Flanigan engage with each other on the nature and consequences of sex work, revealing new and profound ways in which to understand it.

Debating Pornography

This volume takes an unusual but radical approach by analyzing pornography philosophically. Philosophers Andrew Altman and Lori Watson recalibrate debates by viewing pornography from distinctly ethical platforms -- namely, does a person's right to produce and consume pornography supersede a person's right to protect herself from something often violent and deeply misogynistic?

Equal Citizenship and Public Reason

This book is a defense of political liberalism as a feminist liberalism. The first half of the book develops and defends a novel interpretation of political liberalism. It is argued that political liberals should accept a restrictive account of public reason and that political liberals' account of public justification is superior to the leading alternative, the convergence account of public justification. The view is defended from the charge that such a restrictive account of public reason will unduly threaten or undermine the integrity of some religiously oriented citizens and an account of when political liberals can recognize exemptions, including religious exemptions, from generally applicable laws is offered. In the second half of the book, it is argued that political liberalism's core commitments restrict all reasonable conceptions of justice to those that secure genuine, substantive equality for women and other marginalized groups. Here it is demonstrated how public reason arguments can be used to support law and policy needed to address historical sites of women's subordination in order to advance equality; prostitution, the gendered division of labor and marriage, in particular, are considered.

A Concise Introduction to Logic | 13th Edition

From Amazon: Over a million students have learned to be more discerning at constructing and evaluating arguments with the help of A CONCISE INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC , 13th Edition . The text's clear, friendly, thorough presentation has made it the most widely used logic text in North America. The book shows you how the content connects to real-life problems and gives you everything you need to do well in your logic course. Doing well in logic improves your skills in ways that translate to other courses you take, your everyday life, and your future career. The accompanying technological resources offered through MindTap, a highly robust online platform, include self-grading interactive exercises, a new digital activity that allows you to apply the skills you learn to a real-world problem, and videos to reinforce what you learn in the book and hear in class.

Philosophy of Mind in the Early Modern and Modern Ages

From Routledge: The early modern period is arguably the most pivotal of all in the study of the mind, teeming with a variety of conceptions of mind. Some of these posed serious questions for assumptions about the nature of the mind, many of which still depended on notions of the soul and God. It is an era that witnessed the emergence of theories and arguments that continue to animate the study of philosophy of mind, such as dualism, vitalism, materialism, and idealism.

Covering pivotal figures in philosophy such as Descartes, Hobbes, Kant, Leibniz, Cavendish, and Spinoza, Philosophy of Mind in the Early Modern and Modern Ages provides an outstanding survey of philosophy of mind of the period. With an introduction by Rebecca Copenhaver and sixteen specially commissioned chapters by an international team of contributors.

Essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy of mind, enlightenment philosophy, and the history of philosophy, Philosophy of Mind in the Early Modern and Modern Ages is also a valuable resource for those in related disciplines such as religion, history of psychology, and history of science.

Thomas Reid on Mind, Knowledge, and Value

This volume offers a fresh view of the work of Thomas Reid, a leading figure in the history of eighteenth-century philosophy. A team of leading experts in the field explore the significance of Reid's thought in his time and ours, focusing in particular on three broad themes: mind, knowledge, and value. Together, they argue that Reid's philosophy is about developing agents in a rich world of objects and values, agents with intellectual and active powers whose regularity is productive. Though such agents are equipped at first with rudimentary abilities, those abilities are responsive. Our powers consist in a fundamental and on-going engagement with the world, a world that calls on us to be flexible, sensitive, astute, and ultimately, practical. Thomas Reid on Mind, Knowledge, and Value represents both the vitality of Reid's work, and the ways in which current philosophers are engaging with his ideas.

From Kant to Croce: Modern Philosophy in Italy, 1800-1950

From Kant to Croce is a comprehensive, highly readable history of the main currents and major figures of modern Italian philosophy, described in a substantial introduction that details the development of the discipline during this period. Brian P. Copenhaver and Rebecca Copenhaver provide the only up-to-date introduction in English to Italy's leading modern philosophers by translating and analysing rare and original texts and by chronicling the lives and times of the philosophers who wrote them. Thoroughly documented and highly readable, From Kant to Croce examines modern Italian philosophy from the perspective of contemporary analytic philosophy.

• University of Toronto Press

A Multisensory Philosophy of Perception

Most of the time people perceive using multiple senses. Out walking, we see colors and motion, hear chatter and footsteps, smell petrichor after rain, feel a breeze or the brush of a shoulder. We use our senses together to navigate and learn about the world. In spite of this, scientists and philosophers alike have merely focused on one sense at a time. Nearly every theory of perception is unisensory. This book instead offers a revisionist multisensory philosophy of perception. Casey O'Callaghan considers how our senses work together, in contrast with how they work separately and independently, and how one sense can impact another, leading to surprising perceptual illusions. The joint use of multiple senses, he argues, enables novel forms of perception and experience, such as multisensory rhythms, motions, and flavors that enrich aesthetic experiences of music, dance, and gustatory pleasure.

Explaining Cancer Finding Order in Disorder

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. Almost everyone’s life is in some way or other affected by cancer. Yet, when faced with a cancer diagnosis, many of us will confront questions we had never before considered: Is cancer one disease, or many? If many, how many exactly? How is cancer classified? What does it mean, exactly, to say that cancer is “genetic,” or “familial”? What exactly are the causes of cancer, and how do scientists come to know about them? When do we have good reason to believe that this or that is a risk factor for cancer? These questions are (in part) empirical ones; however, they are also (in part) philosophical. That is, they are questions about what and how we come to know. They are about how we define and classify disease, what counts as a “natural” classification, what it means to have good evidence, and how we pick out causes as more or less significant. This book takes a close look at these philosophical questions, by examining the conceptual and methodological challenges that arise in cancer research, in disciplines as diverse as cell and molecular biology, epidemiology, clinical medicine, and evolutionary biology.

Faith and Humility

This book is devoted to articulating the connections between the nature and value of faith and humility. The goal is to understand faith and humility in a way that does not discriminate between religious and mundane contexts, between sacred and secular. It arises from a conviction that these two character traits are important to a flourishing life, and intimately related to each other in such a way that the presence of one demands the presence of the other. In particular, the book defends the claim that each of these virtues provides a necessary, compensating balance to the potential downside of the other virtue. The result of such an inquiry, if that inquiry is successful, will require a re-orienting of discussions surrounding faith, including debates about the relationship between faith and reason.

Beyond Vision: Philosophical Essays

Beyond Vision brings together eight essays by Casey O'Callaghan. The works draw theoretical and philosophical lessons about perception, the nature of its objects, and sensory awareness through sustained attention to extra-visual and multisensory forms of perception and perceptual consciousness. O'Callaghan focuses on auditory perception, perception of spoken language, and multisensory perception. 

The Construction of Human Kinds

Ron Mallon explores how thinking and talking about kinds of person can bring those kinds into being. Social constructionist explanations of human kinds like race, gender, and homosexuality are commonplace in the social sciences and humanities, but what do they mean and what are their implications? 

Mallon understands socially constructed kinds as the real, sometimes stable products of our cognitive and representational practices, and he suggests that reference to such kinds can figure in our everyday and scientific practices of representing the social world. The result is a realistic, naturalistic account of how human representations might contribute to making up the parts of the social world that they represent.

Layering and Directionality: Metrical Stress in Optimality Theory

The metrical grid, the prosodic hierarchy, and the devices that establish directional parsing effects are closely intertwined in metrical stress theory. The metrical grid is the structure that represents stress patterns. The locations of stressed positions on the grid are constrained by the positions of categories in the prosodic hierarchy. Both the metrical grid and the prosodic hierarchy are manipulated by constraints, such as alignment constraints, that establish directional orientations within these structures. Assumptions about the representations affect the behavior of the constraints, and the particular formulation of the constraints influences the ultimate configuration of the representations. Layering and Directionality is unique in the OT literature in that it examines both halves of the equation. It addresses the formulation of constraints that produce directional parsing effects, but it also addresses assumptions concerning prosodic and metrical structure. The book presents and defends three central proposals: the Weak Bracketing approach to layering relationships between prosodic categories, the Optimal Mapping approach to the relationship between prosodic categories and the metrical grid, and the Relation-Specific Alignment approach to parsing directionality. The book is also unique in its coverage of OT accounts, comparing the proposed approach to approaches that range from Generalized Alignment in standard OT to the more recent Iterative Foot Optimization couched within the framework of Harmonic Serialism. The book draws extensively on the typological literature to evaluate the predictions of the accounts examined.

• Equinox Publishing

Rationality and Reflection: How to Think About What to Think

Jonathan L. Kvanvig presents a conception of rationality which answers to the need arising out of the egocentric predicament concerning what to do and what to believe. He does so in a way that avoids, on the one hand, reducing rationality to the level of beasts, and on the other hand, elevating it so that only the most reflective among us are capable of rational beliefs. Rationality and Reflection sets out a theory of rationality--a theory about how to determine what to think--which defends a significant degree of optionality in the story of what is reasonable for people to think, and thereby provides a framework for explaining what kinds of rational disagreement are possible. The theory is labelled Perspectivalism and it offers a unique account of rationality, one that cuts across the usual distinctions between Foundationalism and Coherentism and between Internalism and Externalism. It also differs significantly from Evidentialism, maintaining that, to the extent that rationality is connected to the notion of evidence, it is a function both of the evidence one has and what one makes of it.

A Critical Introduction to Skepticism

Skepticism remains a central and defining issue in epistemology, and in the wider tradition of Western philosophy. To better understand the contemporary position of this important philosophical subject, Allan Hazlett introduces a range of topics, including: • Ancient skepticism • skeptical arguments in the work of Hume and Descartes • Cartesian skepticism in contemporary epistemology • anti-skeptical strategies, including Mooreanism, nonclosure, and contextualism • additional varieties of skepticism • the practical consequences of Cartesian skepticism Presenting a comprehensive survey of the key problems, arguments, and theories, together with additional readings, A Critical Introduction to Skepticism is an ideal guide for students and scholars looking to understand how skepticism is shaping epistemology today.

• Bloomsbury Academic

A Luxury of the Understanding

The value of true belief has played a central role in history of philosophy--consider Socrates' slogan that the unexamined life is not worth living, and Aristotle's claim that everyone naturally wants knowledge--as well as in contemporary epistemology, where questions about the value of knowledge have recently taken center stage. It has usually been assumed that accurate representation--true belief--is valuable, either instrumentally or for its own sake. In A Luxury of the Understanding, Allan Hazlett offers a critical study of that assumption, and of the main ways in which it can be defended.

In Search of Mechanisms: Discoveries Across the Life Sciences

Neuroscientists investigate the mechanisms of spatial memory. Molecular biologists study the mechanisms of protein synthesis and the myriad mechanisms of gene regulation. Ecologists study nutrient cycling mechanisms and their devastating imbalances in estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, much of biology and its history involves biologists constructing, evaluating, and revising their understanding of mechanisms.

• University of Chicago Press

Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings

Recently, the fields of empirical and experimental philosophy have generated tremendous excitement, due to unexpected results that have challenged philosophical dogma. Responding to this trend,  Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings  is the first introductory philosophy reader to integrate cutting-edge work in empirical and experimental philosophy with traditional philosophy. Featuring coverage that is equal parts historical, contemporary, and empirical/experimental, this topically organized reader provides students with a unique introduction to both the core and the vanguard of philosophy. The text is enhanced by pedagogical tools including commentary on each reading and chapter, study questions, suggested further readings, and a glossary.

Destiny and Deliberation: Essays in Philosophical Theology

Jonathan Kvanvig presents a compelling new work in philosophical theology on the universe, creation, and the afterlife. Organised thematically by the endpoints of time, the volume begins by addressing eschatological matters--the doctrines of heaven and hell--and ends with an account of divine deliberation and creation. Kvanvig develops a coherent theistic outlook which reconciles a traditional, high conception of deity, with full providential control over all aspects of creation, with full providential control over all aspects of creation, with a conception of human beings as free and morally responsible. The resulting position and defense is labeled "Philosophical Arminianism," and deserves attention in a broad range of religious traditions.

Debating the Ethics of Immigration: Is There a Right to Exclude?

Do states have the right to prevent potential immigrants from crossing their borders, or should people have the freedom to migrate and settle wherever they wish? Christopher Heath Wellman and Phillip Cole develop and defend opposing answers to this timely and important question. In addition to engaging with each other's arguments, Wellman and Cole address a range of central questions and prominent positions on this topic. The authors therefore provide a critical overview of the major contributions to the ethics of migration, as well as developing original, provocative positions of their own.

Kant's Theory of Virtue

Anne Margaret Baxley offers a systematic interpretation of Kant's theory of virtue, whose most distinctive features have not been properly understood. She explores the rich moral psychology in Kant's later and less widely read works on ethics, and argues that the key to understanding his account of virtue is the concept of autocracy, a form of moral self-government in which reason rules over sensibility. Although certain aspects of Kant's theory bear comparison to more familiar Aristotelian claims about virtue, Baxley contends that its most important aspects combine to produce something different - a distinctively modern, egalitarian conception of virtue which is an important and overlooked alternative to the more traditional Greek views which have dominated contemporary virtue ethics.

• Cambridge University Press
• Sounds: A Philosophical Theory

Sounds proposes a novel theory of sounds and auditory perception. Against the widely accepted philosophical view that sounds are among the secondary or sensible qualities, O'Callaghan argues that, on any perceptually plausible account, sounds are events. But this does not imply that sounds are waves that propagate through a medium, such as air or water. Rather, sounds are events that take place in one's environment at or near the objects and happenings that bring them about. This account captures the way in which sounds essentially are creatures of time, and situates sounds in a world populated by items and events that have significance for us.

Sounds & Perception

Sounds and Perception  is a collection of original essays on auditory perception and the nature of sounds - an emerging area of interest in the philosophy of mind and perception, and in the metaphysics of sensible qualities. The individual essays discuss a wide range of issues, including the nature of sound, the spatial aspects of auditory experience, hearing silence, musical experience, and the perception of speech; a substantial introduction by the editors serves to contextualise the essays and make connections between them. 

Explaining the Brain: Mechanisms and the Mosaic Unity of Neuroscience

What distinguishes good explanations in neuroscience from bad? Carl F. Craver constructs and defends standards for evaluating neuroscientific explanations that are grounded in a systematic view of what neuroscientific explanations are: descriptions of multilevel mechanisms. In developing this approach, he draws on a wide range of examples in the history of neuroscience (e.g. Hodgkin and Huxley model of the action potential and LTP as a putative explanation for different kinds of memory), as well as recent philosophical work on the nature of scientific explanation. Readers in neuroscience, psychology, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of science will find much to provoke and stimulate them in this book.

A Liberal Theory of International Justice

A Liberal Theory of International Justice  advances a novel theory of international justice that combines the orthodox liberal notion that the lives of individuals are what ultimately matter morally with the putatively antiliberal idea of an irreducibly collective right of self-governance. The individual and her rights are placed at center stage insofar as political states are judged legitimate if they adequately protect the human rights of their constituents and respect the rights of all others. Yet, the book argues that legitimate states have a moral right to self-determination and that this right is inherently collective, irreducible to the individual rights of the persons who constitute them.

Cogito, Ergo Sum: A Life of René Descartes

Descartes’s motto was that a life well hidden is well lived. Much of his own life is obscure to us now, which has led to tales of the great philosopher lying in bed meditating each morning until eleven, piously following the dictates of a Cardinal, writing verses for a Queen, and so on. Many of these myths are exploded in Cogito Ergo Sum, the first biography published since 1920 based on extensive original archival and field research. It is also explicitly the life of Descartes, in the flesh and blood, not a compendium of technical analyses of philosophical positions found in “life and works” biographies so dear to contemporary professional philosophers.

• David R. Godine, Publisher

The Knowability Paradox

The paradox of knowability, derived from a proof by Frederic Fitch in 1963, is one of the deepest paradoxes concerning the nature of truth. Jonathan Kvanvig argues that the depth of the paradox has not been adequately appreciated. It has long been known that the paradox threatens antirealist conceptions of truth according to which truth is epistemic. If truth is epistemic, what better way to express that idea than to maintain that all truths are knowable? In the face of the paradox, however, such a characterization threatens to undermine antirealism. If Fitch's proof is valid, then one can be an antirealist of this sort only by endorsing the conclusion of the proof that all truths are known. 

This book thus provides a thorough investigation of the literature on the paradox, and also proposes a solution to the deeper of the two problems raised by Fitch's proof. It provides a complete picture of the paradoxicality that results from Fitch's proof, and presents a solution to the paradox that claims to address both problems raised by the original proof.

From an Ontological Point of View

From an Ontological Point of View  is a highly original and accessible exploration of fundamental questions about what there is. John Heil discusses such issues as whether the world includes levels of reality; the nature of objects and properties; the demands of realism; what makes things true; qualities, powers, and the relation these bear to one another. He advances an account of the fundamental constituents of the world around us, and applies this account to problems that have plagued recent work in the philosophy of mind and metaphysics (color, intentionality, and the nature of consciousness).

A Theory of Secession: The Case for Political Self-Determination

Offering an unapologetic defense of the right to secede, Christopher Heath Wellman argues that any group has a moral right to secede as long as its political divorce will leave it and the remainder state in a position to perform the requisite political functions. He explains that there is nothing contradictory about valuing legitimate states, while permitting their division. Thus, if one values self-determination, then one has good reason to conclude that people have a right to determine their political boundaries.

Is There a Duty to Obey the Law?

The central question in political philosophy is whether political states have the right to coerce their constituents and whether citizens have a moral duty to obey the commands of their state. In this 2005 book, Christopher Heath Wellman and A. John Simmons defend opposing answers to this question. Wellman bases his argument on samaritan obligations to perform easy rescues, arguing that each of us has a moral duty to obey the law as his or her fair share of the communal samaritan chore of rescuing our compatriots from the perils of the state of nature. Simmons counters that this, and all other attempts to explain our duty to obey the law, fail. He defends a position of philosophical anarchism, the view that no existing state is legitimate and that there is no strong moral presumption in favor of obedience to, or compliance with, any existing state.

With Respect for Nature: Living as Part of the Natural World

Explores how humans can take the lives of animals and plants while maintaining a proper respect both for ecosystems and for those who live in them. We eat, inevitably, at the expense of other living creatures. How can we take the lives of plants and animals while maintaining a proper respect for both ecosystems and the individuals who live in them—including ourselves? In this book philosopher J. Claude Evans challenges much of the accepted wisdom in environmental ethics and argues that human participation in the natural cycles of life and death can have positive moral value. With a guide for the nonphilosophical reader, and set against the background of careful and penetrating critiques of Albert Schweitzer's principle of reverence for life and Paul Taylor's philosophy of respect for nature, Evans uses hunting and catch-and-release fishing as test cases in calling for a robust sense of membership in the natural world. The result is an approachable, existential philosophy that emphasizes the positive value of human involvement in natural processes in which life and death, giving and receiving, self and other are intertwined.

Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics

Now in an updated edition with fresh perspectives on high-profile ethical issues such as torture and same-sex marriage, this collection pairs cogently argued essays by leading philosophers with opposing views on fault-line public concerns. This is a evisedr and updated new edition with six new pairs of essays on prominent contemporary issues including torture and same-sex marriage, and a survey of theories of ethics by Stephen Darwall. Leading philosophers tackle colleagues with opposing views in contrasting essays on core issues in applied ethics.

• Wiley-Blackwell

This Third Edition builds on these strengths and incorporates new material on theories of consciousness, computationalism, the language of thought, and animal minds as well as other emerging areas of research. With an updated reading list at the end of each chapter and a revised bibliography, this new edition will again make it the indispensable primer for anyone seeking a better understanding of the central metaphysical issues in philosophy of mind.

Philosophy of Mind: A Guide and Anthology

This anthology provides a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to the philosophy of mind. Featuring an extensive and varied collection of fifty classical and contemporary readings, it also offers substantial section introductions--which set the extracts in context and guide readers through them--discussion questions, and guides to further reading. Ideal for undergraduate courses, the book is organized into twelve sections, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of courses.

Historical Dictionary of Decartes and Cartesian Philosophy

The  Historical Dictionary of Descartes and Cartesian Philosophy  includes many entries on Descartes's writings, concepts, and findings. Since it is historical, there are other entries on those who supported him, those who criticized him, those who corrected him, and those who together formed one of the major movements in philosophy, Cartesianism. To better understand the period, the authors drew up a brief chronology, and to see how Descartes and Cartesianism fit into the general picture, they have written an introduction and a biography. Since everything cannot be summed up in one volume, a bibliography directs readers to numerous other sources on issues of particular interest.

The Value of Knowledge and the Pursuit of Understanding

Jonathan Kvanvig argues that epistemology cannot ignore the question of the value of knowledge. He questions one of the most fundamental assumptions in epistemology--that knowledge is always more valuable than the value of its parts. Using Plato's Meno as a starting point, Kvanvig tackles the different arguments about the value of knowledge and comes to the conclusion that it is less valuable than generally assumed. The book will appeal to students and professional philosophers in epistemology.

The Philosopher’s Demise: Learning to Speak French

Already an accomplished reader of French, Watson found himself forced to learn to speak the language when he was invited to present a paper in Paris – in French. A private crash course and lessons at the Alliance Française only served to point out how difficult it can be to learn any foreign language, especially later in life. As he confronts his own national prejudices, Watson weaves in digressions on the contrasts between France and America, on the mysteries of French engineering, and on eccentric French cavers.

A Companion to Applied Ethics

Applied or practical ethics is perhaps the largest growth area in philosophy today, and many issues in moral, social, and political life have come under philosophical scrutiny in recent years. Taken together, the essays in this volume – including two overview essays on theories of ethics and the nature of applied ethics – provide a state-of-the-art account of the most pressing moral questions facing us today. It provides a comprehensive guide to many of the most significant problems of practical ethics, and offers state-of-the-art accounts of issues in medical, environmental, legal, social, and business ethics.

Spirits and Clocks: Machine and Organism in Descartes

Although the basis of modern biology is Cartesian, Descartes's theories of biology have been more often ridiculed than studied. Yet, Dennis Des Chene demonstrates, the themes, arguments, and vocabulary of his mechanistic biology pervade the writings of many seventeenth-century authors. In his illuminating account of Cartesian physiology in its historical context, Des Chene focuses on the philosopher's innovative reworking of that field, including the nature of life, the problem of generation, and the concepts of health and illness.

Life's Form: Late Aristotelian Conceptions of the Soul

Dennis Des Chene explores how Western philosophers understood life and the soul in the early modern period―before Descartes radically changed how the universe was conceived. Life's Form is a detailed analysis of the often overlooked work of the Jesuit commentators on Aristotle whose writings dominated Western European science and the academy until the mechanistic revolution. Des Chene considers the work of scholastic writers such as Suárez and the Coimbrans, who provided thorough and sometimes profound studies of Aristotle's definitions of the soul and of life.Life's Form is not restricted only to questions relevant to the human case, such as the immortality of the soul. Des Chene analyzes what might be called the protobiology of late Aristotelians: the theory of living things in general, of their powers, and of the relation between soul and body in all organisms. His mastery of doctrinal subtlety offers insight into conceptual issues of renewed relevance to the philosophy of biology.

The Philosopher’s Diet: How to Lose Weight and Change the World

This toothsome classic takes on the combined challenges of discovering the meaning of the universe and eliminating fat at the same time. Its topic sentence contains a promise that should sell millions: “In this book, I tell how to take weight off and keep it off.” He doesn’t stop there, but continues, “The book also embodies a philosophy of life. The weight program is the content of the book, the philosophy of life is its form.” If Descartes had sat down to write a treatise on losing weight as a metaphor for maintaining discipline amidst life’s vicissitudes, it would have read much like this.

Derrida and Phenomenology

Derrida and Phenomenology  is a collection of essays by various authors, entirely devoted to Jacques Derrida's writing on Edmund Husserl's phenomenology. It gives a wide range of reactions to those writings, both critical and supportive, and contains many in-depth studies. 

Danto and His Critics

Updated and revised, the Second Edition of  Danto and His Critics  presents a series of essays by leading Danto scholars who offer their critical assessment of the influential works and ideas of Arthur C. Danto, the Johnsonian Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at Columbia University and long-time art critic for  The Nation . This text reflects Danto's revisions in his theory of art, reworking his views in ways that have not been systematically addressed elsewhere, features essays that critically assess the changes in Danto's thoughts and locate Danto's revised theory in the larger context of his work and of aesthetics generally, and speaks in original ways to the relation of Danto's philosophy of art to his theory of mind. Rollins connects and integrates Danto's ideas on the nature of knowledge, action, aesthetics, history, and mind, as well as his provocative thoughts on the philosophy of art for the reader.

The Problem of Hell

The doctrine of hell presents the most intractable version of the problem of evil, for though it might be argued that ordinary pain and evil can somehow be compensated for by the course of future experience, the pain and suffering of hell leads nowhere. This work develops an understanding of hell that is common to a broad variety of religious perspectives, and argues that the usual understandings of hell are incapable of solving the problem of hell. Kvanvig first argues that the traditional understanding of hell found in Christianity suffers from moral and epistemological inadequacies. Historically, these shortcomings lead to alternatives to the traditional doctrine of hell, such as universalism, annihilationism, or the second chance doctrine. Kvanvig shows, however, that the typical alternatives to the traditional understanding are inadequate as well. He argues that both the traditional understanding and the typical alternatives fail to solve the problem of hell because they share the common flaw of being constructed on a retributive model of hell. Kvanvig then develops a philosophical account of hell which does not depend on a retributive model and argues that it is adequate on both philosophical and theological grounds.

Mental Imagery: On the Limits of Cognitive Science

A philosophical study of mental imagery in which Rollins aims to show that there are no logical or methodological reasons why the brain cannot store information in the form of pictures. He proposes a theory of how images function as representations.

The Intellectual Virtues and the Life of the Mind: On the Place of the Virtues in Epistemology

In this book the author argues that the cognitive virtues have a fundamental place in epistemology, but not the place given them by most contemporary epistemologists attentive to the virtues. The cognitive virtues, according to this thesis, service as part of our cognitive ideal, and are not reducible to, or explainable by, the familiar epistemological notions of justification or knowledge. In Kvanvig's view, the cognitive virtues derive their epistemological importance from what they indicate about the person having them, rather than about the beliefs of that person. The prominent Cartesian approach to epistemology, Kvanvig believes, rests on an account of the mind that is overly intellectual and temporarily too atomistic.

Strategies of Deconstruction: Derrida and the Myth of the Voice

In the past two decades, the "movement" of deconstruction has bad tremendous impact on a number of academic, disciplines in the United States. However, its force has been rather limited in the field of philosophy, despite the fact that in Europe the practice of deconstruction emerged in the work of philosophers. Although the reasons for this can be debated, two of the more obvious explanations are the mainstream Anglo-American philosophers rarely studied the German and French philosophical traditions in great detail, and deconstruction's focus on discourse and interpretation has made it more attractive to the literary and humanistic disciplines.

With this context,  Strategies of Deconstruction  focuses on the early work of Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher who introduced deconstruction in  Speech and Phenomena , his study of Edmund Husserl, and Of Grammatology, and whose philosophical reputation stems in no small part from his work on Husserl. In examining the philosophical import of Derrida's theories of reading, text, and language, specifically as they related to  Speech and Phenomena , J. Claude Evans makes careful reference to Husserl's own texts. His analysis indicates that there are many systematic irregularities in Derrida's study and that without those irregularities Derrida's conclusions cannot be substantiated.

• University of Minnesota Press

The Possibility of an All-Knowing God

Classical philosophical concern regarding the doctrine of omniscience arises out of the worry that divine foreknowledge is incompatible with human freedom: if God knows what humans will do, how can they be free (in the sense of being able to do otherwise)? Recent discussion has raised other problems- for example, some work on self-awareness suggests that each of us knows ourselves in a way no one else (including God) can.

These issues, as well as others, cast doubt both on the formulation of the doctrine of omniscience and the acceptability of any formulation. This work argues that there can be an omniscient being, that a simple formulation of the doctrine in terms of knowing all truths is adequate, and that human beings can be free even if God foreknows what they will do.

• Palgrave Macmillan

The Metaphysics of Transcendental Subjectivity

The general topic of this book is the metaphysics of the subject in Kantian transcendental philosophy. A critical appreciation of Kant's achievements requires that we be able to view Kant's positions as transformations of pre-Kantian philosophy, and that we understand the ways in which contemporary philosophy changes the letter of Kantian thought in order to be true to its spirit in a new philosophical horizon. Descartes is important in two respects. One the one hand, he institutes a philosophical movement which can be said to culminate in Kant; on the other hand, Descartes is one of the major opponents against whom Kant argues in establishing his own position. In either case, the Cartesian cogito is a central concern. Wilfred Sellars restates and transforms Kantian positions in the context of contemporary philosophy after the "linguistic turn", using the Platonic metaphor that thought is similar to discourse.

• John Benjamins Publishing Company

• Cambridge Libraries

Resources for My Subject

Philosophy: researching a topic.

• Philosophy Collections
• Philosophy eresources
• Researching a Topic
• Resources for researchers
• Referencing Guide

This guide explains how to start researching your topic.

Where to start

Encyclopedia and bibliographies give a useful starting point to find background information on your topic. The most useful ones for philosophy are:

• Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy    A broad range of articles. It is regularly revised and updated.
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy    Excellent free resource. Some bibliographic entries link to PhilPapers so you can find articles easily.
• Oxford Bibliographies Online: Philosophy    A growing resource which provides guidance and recommendations about useful books, journal articles and websites for a range of topics in philosophy.
• Oxford Reference Online Includes reference works and dictionaries for philosophy.

Finding Journal Articles

• Searching for a known item
• Searching for an unknown item

You could also try  iDiscover . Select the 'Articles and online resources' radio button, then type a few words from the article's title into the search box. If the article is available online (and many of them are) then you should be able to get to it directly by clicking 'Full text available'. If it isn't online, then iDiscover  will tell you where copies of the print journal can be found.

You can see the whole list of journals the university subscribes to via the iDiscover Journal Search . Other useful ways to search for journal articles include Google Scholar , Project Muse and JStor (this only covers some journals).

When you find a useful article, check its list of references to find more information on that topic.

If you're looking for articles on a given topic be careful with your search terms, and try synonyms if you're not getting the results you hoped for. You can:

• Add a few keywords to the search box on iDiscover . You will need to be logged in first.

Alternatively you can search a database which just covers philosophy articles:

• PhilPapers    A directory of online philosophy articles and books by academic publishers. It has some useful bibliographies by topic which make a useful starting point.
• Web of Science Covers over 1,700 arts and humanities journals
• Scopus Covers around 2,000 arts and humanities journals

There is also:

Google Scholar is a search engine for academic resources like journal articles, peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports.

When you use a campus-networked PC, Google Scholar will automatically link to the University of Cambridge library catalogue and display articles where we have full-text access.When off campus, you will need to select Cambridge in the Settings option (under Library Links).

However, with Google Scholar it can be very difficult to ensure that you don't find far too much irrelevant material.

Searching for information

• Planning your search
• Search techniques
• Evaluating results

Step 1: Write out the topic of your research as a sentence

This might be the whole topic of your research or just one area or argument.

Step 2: Identify the important words

Identify the keywords and phrases from your sentence or question.

Step 3: Identify alternative terms

Think of possible synonyms, variant spellings and related terms for each of your key concepts. Consider whether there are useful broader and narrower terms relating to your topic. Encyclopedia and dictionaries can be helpful to identify useful terms.

Step 4: Think about ways you could limit your search

You might find too many references on your topic, so think about ways that you could limit your search. Most databases will allow you to limit your search in these ways:

• Date - do you only want items published after a certain date?
• Language - do you only want references in English?
• Type of publication - do you only want references to journal articles, books, or theses.

Step 5: Think about where you are most likely to find relevant articles

More information on Philosophy eresources is available here .

You can use certain search commands that will improve the effectiveness of your search in most databases. Check the database help screens for more information.

Phrase searching

Use quotation (speech) marks to search for phrases where word need to appear next to each other (e.g. specific terminology, title of books and names). "Raven paradox"

Truncation and wildcards

Use a truncation symbol ( * ) to search for variant spellings and word endings  e.g. ethic* finds ‘ethic’, ‘ethics’, ‘ethical’...etc.

Use a wildcard symbol (?) to replace any single letter within or at the end of a word to search for variant spellings of words or plurals. e.g. Globali?ation’ finds British or American spelling

Search operators

Use search operators (also called Boolean operators) to combine your search terms. Type the operators in capitals.

AND (or + ) combines search terms so that each search result contains all of the terms.

• For example, ethics AND animals finds results that contain both terms. This makes your search narrower. Some databases automatically connect keywords with AND (not e.g. PhilPapers which you need to use a plus(+) to make sure words are included).

OR combines search terms so that each search result contains at least one of the terms. (Philpapers uses | instead)

• For example, ethics OR morals finds results that contain either term. This makes your search broader.

NOT (or - ) excludes a term, but if you're not careful you can also exclude useful items.

Combining search terms

Words representing the same concept should be bracketed and linked with OR. Groups of bracketed terms can then be linked with AND e.g. (ethics OR morals) AND animals

Once you've found some useful articles and assessed these, you may have to search again using different terms or a different database.

If the results are not on target you can:

• Check the spelling of your search terms
• Drop any unnecessary or misleading terms
• Think of other relevant search terms that you may have forgotten
• If you've found a few relevant articles, have a look at the keywords that the author has applied to it and the subject heading that it has been given.
• Carefully(!) use NOT to exclude any irrelevant articles.
• Look at other filters to refine the list of results.

Extended essays and dissertations

Examples of good extended essays and dissertations are available to consult in the library. Please ask for them at the library issue desk.

Some examples of dissertations which were awarded Firsts are available here .

Referencing

For any material you consult it is a good idea to record what you find, and where and when you found it. This will make it easier to acknowledge your sources correctly and retrace your steps if you need to.

For more guidance see the  Referencing guide .

For information about how to avoid plagiarism see The University's Referencing and Plagiarism  webpages

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Stanford Philosophy is a dynamic environment supporting ongoing research by faculty and graduate students in almost all areas of the field.

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The Department also hosts many active  reading groups  and  workshops .  

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Philosophy Graduate Research

Philosophy students’ thesis research contributes to the diversity of research topics and interests represented in the Philosophy Department. In recent years, students wrote theses on the following topics: just war theory, divine command theory, semantic skepticism, theories of quotation in the philosophy of language, genes and natural kinds, virtue and responses to climate change, second-person standpoint in ethics, perspectival realism in science, the principle of non-contradiction in Aristotle, pragmatic encroachment, Samaritan duties and political obligation, theory of sexual consent, and functionalism in Aristotle’s theory of mind.

The Philosophy Department supports student research in several ways:

• The department requires all students to take a two-semester sequence of seminars on philosophical writing and methodology.
• Thesis directors work closely with the students from the conception of thesis topics to the end.
• All faculty members are willing to help every aspect of research done by M.A. students.

• How it works

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Philosophy Dissertation Topics

Published by Grace Graffin at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On January 9, 2023

Introduction

The choice of dissertation topic is crucial for research as it will facilitate the process and makes it an exciting and manageable process. Several dissertation ideas exist in philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, aesthetics, deontology, absurdum, and existentialism. Philosophy dissertations can be based on either primary research or secondary research.

Primary data dissertations incorporate the collection and analysis of data obtained through questionnaires and surveys. On the other hand, secondary data dissertations make use of existing literature to test the research hypothesis . To help you get started with philosophy topic selection for your dissertation, a list is developed by our experts.

These philosophy dissertation topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for 2022 here.

Philosophy Dissertation Topics of Research

Topic 1: an examination of women's perspective on feminist philosophy..

Research Aim: This study aims to look into the importance of feminism in a philosophical context. It will also identify the factors that lead to postmodernism and liberal feminism from women’s perspectives and will also focus on the impact of feminist philosophy on the development of modern society.

Topic 2: Sociological Functionalism- Investigating the Development and Beliefs

Research Aim: This research study will focus on new types of functionalism and get a deeper understanding of inner and outer circumstances in which different approaches take place. This study will also investigate how the researchers use social theory to acquire a better understanding of the environment in which these concepts are used. It will also promote sociology through informing and inspiring practices and research.

Topic 3: Assessing the History and Development of Philosophical Work from the 15th to 21st Century.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the history and development of philosophical work from the 15th and 21st Centuries. It will examine the theoretical foundations of the practice, applications, and social consequences. This study will also focus on different factors of how philosophy has evolved in these centuries and what changes have occurred.

Topic 4: A Comprehensive View of Social Development of Loneliness.

Research Aim: This study will comprehend how various theoretical points of view are connected or linked r to loneliness. This study will also present an argument for an interpretative social point of view by dissembling the sense of loneliness into key components. It will also focus on the problems and different behaviours of people.

Topic 5: What does it mean to live in an Ideal Society- Discuss using Plato's Philosophies.

Research Aim: Plato is well known for his monologue known as the Republic; he was also the classical political philosopher whose views influenced future political thoughts. Plato’s ideal society was created during a time when Plato was exceedingly optimistic about human nature and its ability to absorb knowledge. This study will conduct a deep analysis of Plato’s ideologies and his views and their impact on the western political world.

More Philosophy Dissertation Research Topics

Topic 1: why we should stop capital punishment and adopt permanent solutions to help solve crimes..

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the importance of rehabilitation and counseling of criminals to bring them back to their usual walks of life. The whole idea is to eliminate crime, and capital punishment does not provide solutions where a clean society can be developed.

Topic 2: Should people always obey the rules? A closer look at the line between breaking rules and rebellion.

Research Aim: Rules are developed to maintain a balance in society and ensure discipline, which helps an individual in every sphere of their lives. But specific rules are created only for serving a group and not for the whole society’s best interest. This research aims at finding pieces of evidence where rule-breaking is a rebellion and for the upliftment of humanity and not in personal interest.

Topic 3: Loneliness: Reconstructing its meaning

Research Aim: This research aims at finding the meaning of loneliness, what it is to feel lonely, why some people are reclusive, isolate themselves. Loneliness is not always related to sadness, and some people feel better in isolation due to their bitter experiences of life.

Topic 4: Understanding why religion is paramount above anything else for many people around the globe.

Research Aim: Religion forms the basis of life and way of living for many people around the globe. People often get confused with religion and spiritualism, and the grandeur associated with religion becomes more important. The lack of knowledge and education forces blind faith. This research aims to find the reason for dependency on religion and how it negatively affects human lives.

Topic 5: What is the best way to boost a person’s creativity?

Research Aim: This research aims at finding the best possible way to boost a person’s creativity. The most important way is to motivate, inspire, and support them in their process of exploring innovative ideas. Recognition of talent can be the most effective method, which the research will investigate.

Topic 6: Morality and religion: Why are they different, yet they talk about the same thing?

Research Aim: The fundamental essence of religion is compassion and empathy for humans and ensures morality and ethics as a way of life. This research emphasises the primary aim of a religion and how people are getting disoriented and making rituals of religion the prime concern.

Topic 7: Wealth: Is it possible to be rich without having a lot of money?

Research Aim: Wealth and money are co-related as lots of money gives the power to buy anything. But a wealth of human life lies in their moral values, love, affection, proper health and wellbeing, and money cannot accept them. This research topic will speak about becoming wealthy, even with limited monetary wealth.

Topic 8: How can the custom of dowry be eliminated from people’s minds?

Research Aim: Dowry is a social parasite, and it is now a punishable offence by the law. But rules alone cannot change society. The research aims at eradicating the practice of dowry from people’s minds in the light of education.

Topic 9: To love or to be loved: Which is more important?

Research Aim: Love is the feeling of intense desire or deep affection. The most beautiful feeling gives a sense of satisfaction and grows through exchange between two individuals. To love and be loved are two co-related aspects as human expects love in return. The research focuses on the more critical dilemma, being on the giving or receiving side of love.

Topic 10: Why social behaviour and ethics cannot be separated?

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the importance of ethics in social behaviour and why they cannot be separated. An ethical society is a proper place to thrive for every individual.

Topic 11: A more in-depth look at things that make human life meaningful.

Research Aim: Money, power does not always buy happiness. The research lays the foundation for the importance of care, compassion, empathy. Love and affection as the more essential aspects that make human life meaningful.

Topic 12: Is it possible to create an ideal society?

Research Aim: An ideal society is free from any crime and economic disparities where everyone is treated equally. This research will discuss whether a perfect community is attainable; it is practically possible or not.

Topic 13: A closer look at modern life values.

Research Aim: The research aims to focus on the change in values in modern times. The research’s primary purpose is to provide a comparative study of how modern people’s mindset has changed over time.

Topic 14: Euthanasia: Is it ethical?

Research Aim: A long time debate exists regarding the ethical side of euthanasia. Ending someone’s life can be considered unlawful as we do not have the right to end something we did not create. This research aims at providing evidence in favour of euthanasia and also the negative aspects.

Topic 15: What is the value of truth? Are there instances when lying is good?

Research Aim: The research aims to provide evidence where lying is not unethical. The study will give an example from Bhagwat Gita, where Lord Krishna lied to safeguard humanity.

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• How It Works

Undergraduate Research

Getting started.

Speak with a faculty member whose interests align with your own.

If you have are unsure about a topic, please consider one of the following:

Communal & Contemplative Forms of Life. 

Subject areas: Philosophy of Religion, Socio-political philosophy, history of philosophy

The Problems of God and Evil.

Subject areas: Philosophy of Religion, Value Theory, medieval philosophy

Coming Unhinged: Intro & Problems in the Epistemology of Religion

Subject areas: Philosophy of religion, epistemology

If these topics interest you contact: Dr. Michael Hand and David Anderson

The Ethics of Deepfakes

Subject areas: applied ethics, philosophy of technology

Ethical Issues involved in taking a knee during the national anthem

Subject areas: applied ethics, socio-political philosophy

Reasons for and against capitalizing the ‘b’ in ‘Black’

Subject areas: applied ethics, philosophy of race

If these topics interest you contact: Dr. Menzel and Jared Oliphint

Philosophy in and out of the Classroom

Subject areas: Philosophy for Children (P4C), philosophy of education

If this topic interests you contact: Dr. Katz and Kenji Blum

Making Research Part of Your Degree Program

Each of these courses allows you engage in philosophical research.

PHIL 285. Directed Studies. Credit 1 to 4. Directed studies in specific problem areas of philosophy. Prerequisite: Approval of department head.

PHIL 289. Special Topics in… Credit 1 to 4. Selected topics in an identified area of philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

PHIL 291. Research. Credit 3. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in the department of philosophy and humanities. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore classification and approval of department head.

PHIL 485 .  Directed Studies . Credit 1 to 6. Directed studies in specific problem areas of philosophy.  Prerequisite : Approval of department head.

PHIL 489.   Special Topics in … Credit 1 to 4. Selected topics in an identified area of philosophy. May be repeated for credit.

PHIL 491 .  Research . Credit 3. Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in the department of philosophy and humanities. May be repeated for credit.  Prerequisites : Junior or senior classification and approval of dean of college.

PHIL 497 .  Independent Honors Studies . Credit 1 to 3. Directed independent studies in specific philosophical problems.  Prerequisites : Junior or senior classification either as Honors students or with overall GPR of 3.25; letter of approval from head of student’s major department.

Launch at TAMU  https://launch.tamu.edu/About-Us LAUNCH provides high-impact educational experiences and challenges students in all academic disciplines to graduate from an enriched, demanding curriculum. The programs administered by the office bring together outstanding students and faculty to build a community of knowledge-producers, life-long learners, nationally-recognized scholars, and world citizens. Through LAUNCH, motivated students have access to Honors courses, co-curricular enrichment activities, scholarly engagement, and/or research programs that can be customized to enhance each student’s personal, professional, and intellectual development.

Where can you showcase your work?

You can present your work at an undergraduate conference, or have it published in an undergraduate journal. TAMU offers both options. Other universities issue calls for conferences and calls for papers. These are listed below.

Showcasing your work at TAMU

Aletheia , the undergraduate journal of philosophy at texas a&m.

Regular Editions

Aletheia publishes at least two regular editions: A fall semester (Aug-Dec) edition and a spring (Jan-May) semester edition.

A call for papers typically goes out by the third week of each semester.

Special Editions

Aletheia publishes at least on special edition. It publishes the proceeding of the IvCUP each year. Additional special editions are at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

Contact Dr. D. Raymond for information: [email protected]

Current Call for papers

IvCUP , International Virtual Conference for Undergraduate Philosophy

What is it? In the spring of 2015, TAMU partnered with the University of Stockholm (Sweden), and Western University (Canada) to host the first IvCup. Each of the three universities locally collected submissions, and each identified their top two submissions. The top six papers (two from each university) were then discussed during a virtual conference. Each paper was distributed to all registered participants prior to the conference. Since all six papers were read prior to the conference, each author was given 10 min to presented the main argument. In response, two commentators, each from a different university provided a commentary. Most of the time was spent discussing the arguments.

In Spring of 2020, TAMU partnered with St. Francis Xavier University to bring back the IvCup.  With two universities, each university identified its top three papers for discussion at the conference.

Contact: Dr. Dwayne Raymond for information: [email protected] .

Call for papers deadlines:.

• Aletheia – October 29th, 2021 (Texas A&M)
• IvCup – March 18, 2022 (Texas A&M & St. Francis Xavier University)
• Theophron – January 17, 2022 (Princeton Theological Seminary)
• Ephemeris – February 1st, 2022 (Union College)
• Epistemai – February 1st, 2022 (University of Minnesota)
• American Philosophical Association – Various
• Canadian Philosophical Association – Various

Conference Registration Deadlines:

• Johns Hopkins University: 3rd Annual Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium – February 15th, 2022
• University of Texas: 2022 Compass Undergraduate Philosophy Workshop – December 15, 2021

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Topics in philosophy of mind, curriculum codes, cross-listed as.

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Department of Philosophy

Dietrich college of humanities and social sciences, master's in philosophy (m.a.).

The Philosophy M.A. provides exciting opportunities to pursue postgraduate studies in Philosophy for students with a degree in Philosophy who wish to continue their work in a more focused and advanced way, as well as for students with a degree in another field who wish to add a concentration in Philosophy. Students in this program will develop an understanding of a wide variety of philosophical subfields. The flexible course of study can be tailored to a student's interests and background. Students are expected to complete a Master’s thesis by the end of their second year, though a purely course-based option is also available for students who do not wish to continue in academia.

Coursework (Thesis-based: 10 courses)

Core (2 courses).

Core Seminar I & II are required for all students with no exceptions.

• 80600 (fall term)
• 80602 (spring term)

Formal Methods (2 courses)

• 80603 FMM: Tools & Techniques
• 80604 FMM: Computability Theory
• 80607 FMM: Topology
• 80608 FMM: Evolutionary Game Theory
• 80609 FMM: Classical Logic
• 80613 FMM: Language and Meaning
• 80616 FMM: Decisions and Games
• 80617 FMM: Causation
• 80618 FMM: Algorithmic Complexity
• 80619 FMM: Epistemic Logic and Topology

1 “formal methods” course, broadly construed (starred* in the course list )

If your “formal” course is not in the Logic category, one of your Formal Methods minis must be Classical Logic.

Philosophy Breadth (4 courses)

One from each of:

• Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Math, and Epistemology
• Language, Linguistics, and Mind
• Value Theory

Interdisciplinary (1 course)

1 course outside of Philosophy, e.g.:

• from another department at Carnegie Mellon University
• from a non-Philosophy (and non-HPS) department at The University of Pittsburgh
• This requirement can be satisfied through one or more internships, subject to advisor and DGS approval.

Elective (1 course)

• Any course from our department.

Master’s thesis

• This is 10 courses in total.

No course may be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

No more than 2 directed readings may be used to satisfy non-elective requirements.

At least 1 course must be a seminar (see course list): advanced, discussion-based courses that engage with professional philosophy and include a significant writing component.

Coursework (Course-based: 12 courses)

1 “formal methods” course, broadly construed (starred* in the course list)

Elective (3 courses)

• Optionally: one of these may instead be a second Interdisciplinary course.
• This is 12 courses in total.

The department's interdisciplinary research thrust affords an unusually broad range of career possibilities. Graduates of the program have been offered positions in Philosophy, Mathematics, Psychology, Computer Science, and Statistics, as well as research positions in industry. This wide range of interesting career opportunities reflects the department's unique dedication to serious, interdisciplinary research ties.

For a complete listing of our graduates and placement record, see our Masters alumni page .

The Philosophy Department offers all admitted master’s students with demonstrated financial need a tuition fellowship of up to 50%

In addition, qualified master’s students may have the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants or graders for undergraduate courses, for a stipend rate set annually by the department. In the 2023-2024 academic year, master’s students earned a $5,000 stipend for grading one course or a $6,000 stipend for serving as a TA. Such positions are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. 

Both the M.A. in Philosophy and M.S. in Logic, Computation and Methodology programs require two years of coursework. Students are not required to write a master’s thesis, although there is an option to do so. The normal full-time graduate course load in Philosophy is a minimum of three, 12-unit courses per term. Students must pass all required courses with a grade of B or higher. In order to receive a master’s degree, students must have a cumulative QPA of 3.25 or higher.

Advanced students can sometimes complete the program in a single year (including the following summer), corresponding to the fifth year of the combined 5-year B.S./M.S. degree. Also, there is a part-time version M.S. program, designed for students, such as qualified CMU staff employees using their staff benefits, who are able to pursue graduate study with only 1 or 2 courses per term.

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Philosophy Research Topics: 200+ Best Ideas To Explore

Philosophy is all about asking big questions and trying to understand things better. It helps us think about important stuff like what exists, what we should do, and what makes something beautiful. This blog will talk about excellent philosophy research topics that get you thinking.

There are so many cool things to explore – from questions about the mind and reality to how society should work. By learning about these ideas, you can get more intelligent and add to what humans know. Explore fascinating philosophical questions with us! 

We’ll examine exciting research that makes you go “hmmm” and “whoa.” It’s an adventure to figure out life’s big mysteries. There is no need for fancy words – just curiosity and an open mind. Philosophy is for everyone who wants to learn. Let’s think deeply together and discuss philosophy research topics. 

Why Philosophy Research Matters?

Table of Contents

Here are a few reasons why philosophy research matters

• It helps us understand people and big life questions better – Philosophy thinks about essential things like what is real, right and wrong, beauty, and what life means. Philosophical research gives new views on these big topics.
• It builds critical thinking skills – Studying philosophy improves skills like logical thinking, analyzing ideas, and making good arguments. These skills help us break down complex problems, evaluate ideas, and make sensible arguments. Philosophy trains the mind to think clearly.
• It provides foundations for other subjects – Many school subjects like physics, psychology, and linguistics build on philosophical foundations. Analytic philosophy has mainly influenced subjects like logic, the philosophy of language, and the philosophy of science.
• It can impact society – Philosophical ideas have shaped laws, policies, social norms, and attitudes over history. Applied ethics examines how philosophical frameworks should guide moral issues like social justice. Philosophy can provide ethical analysis of new technologies like AI and bioengineering.
• It has value in itself – Some argue philosophy is worthwhile for its own sake, separate from any practical impact. Philosophical inquiry allows us to contemplate life’s biggest questions deeply. Many find this search for wisdom inherently meaningful.

In short, philosophy builds transferable skills, provides foundations for other subjects, tackles big questions, and has value in thinking deeply about life. At the same time, not always concrete, philosophical research enables reflection on what it means to be human and our place in the world.

How to Choose Philosophy Research Topics

Here are some tips on how to choose good philosophy research topics:

• Start with your interests – Consider philosophical, meaningful, or intriguing philosophical issues. Research flows more smoothly when you have a natural curiosity about the topic.
• Look for under-explored areas – Scan philosophy journals and databases to find gaps where a new perspective could contribute. New angles on existing debates are often good topics.
• Consider professors’ specialties – Many professors actively publish and have specific areas of expertise. A topic that aligns with their research can allow closer guidance.
• Select manageable focus areas – Don’t pick topics that are too broad or already thoroughly debated. Focus on a specific part that can be covered deeply, given time/resource constraints.
• Check if original research is feasible – For undergraduate papers, topics requiring original data may be unrealistic. Survey recent literature to ensure primary research is viable at your level.
• Run topics by your advisor – They can evaluate if the topic is reasonable in scope, offers enough academic sources, and aligns with program expectations. Their input is invaluable.
• Craft a robust research question – The research question drives the paper. Ensure it is arguable, not just factual, and identifies a tension/problem to resolve.
• Evaluate practical significance – What real-world implications might this topic have? How could the research be meaningful beyond academia? Consider the potential impact.
• Ensure philosophical depth – Topics should connect to fundamental philosophical debates and allow room for conceptual analysis. Seek substance over just novel observations.

The ideal topic has a compelling question grounded in philosophy, doable scope, available sources, significance beyond the paper, and alignment with your skills/interests. With focus and planning, you can develop these rewarding research experiences.

Philosophy Research Topics

Here’s a list of 200+ philosophy research topics categorized into different areas of philosophy:

Metaphysics

• The nature of existence: substance or process?
• Time: A metaphysical investigation.
• The mind-body problem: dualism vs. materialism.
• Free will and determinism: reconciling opposing views.
• Identity and individuation: What makes an object distinct?
• Causation: Understanding causal relationships.
• Realism vs. anti-realism in metaphysics.
• Essence and existence: Exploring essentialism.
• Universals vs. particulars: Are there abstract entities?
• Space: Investigating its ontological status.

Epistemology

• The nature of knowledge: Defining epistemic justification.
• Empiricism vs. rationalism: Sources of knowledge.
• Skepticism: Challenges to knowledge claims.
• Theories of truth: Correspondence, coherence, pragmatism.
• Reliabilism vs. coherentism in epistemology.
• Epistemic virtues: What makes a belief justified?
• Foundationalism: Justification through fundamental beliefs.
• Testimony and trust: The role of social epistemology.
• Epistemic norms: Standards for rational belief.
• Epistemic closure: Limits of justified belief.
• Moral realism vs. moral anti-realism.
• Ethical relativism: Is morality culturally determined?
• Virtue ethics: The role of character in morality.
• Deontological vs. consequentialist ethics.
• Utilitarianism: Maximizing utility as the basis of morality.
• Moral responsibility: Free will and accountability.
• Meta-ethics: Investigating moral language and concepts.
• Ethical egoism vs. altruism: The nature of self-interest.
• Feminist ethics: Gender, power, and moral theory.
• Animal ethics: Moral consideration for non-human beings.

Political Philosophy

• Social contract theory: Justifying political authority.
• Libertarianism vs. communitarianism in political philosophy.
• Democracy: Theory, practice, and critiques.
• Distributive justice: Fair allocation of resources.
• Global justice: Moral obligations beyond borders.
• Rights theory: The nature and scope of human rights.
• Political obligation: Duty to obey the law.
• Anarchism: Challenges to the legitimacy of the state.
• Environmental political philosophy: Ethics of sustainability.
• Multiculturalism: Balancing diversity and social cohesion.

Philosophy of Mind

• Consciousness: Exploring its nature and origins.
• Mental representation: How do minds represent the world?
• Intentionality: The aboutness of mental states.
• Personal identity: What makes a person the same over time?
• Mental causation: Mind-body interaction.
• Artificial intelligence: Philosophy of AI and machine minds.
• Embodied cognition: The role of the body in cognition.
• Phenomenal consciousness: The “hard problem” of consciousness.
• Dual-process theory: Analyzing intuitive vs. deliberative thinking.
• Explanatory gap: Bridging the gap between mind and body.

Philosophy of Language

• Meaning and reference: How words acquire meaning.
• Semantics vs. pragmatics in language understanding.
• Understanding how words acquire meaning in communication.
• Truth-conditional vs. non-truth-conditional semantics.
• Speech acts The performative nature of language.
• Language and thought: Do language structures shape thought?
• Interpretation and understanding: The hermeneutic circle.
• Contextualism vs. semantic minimalism in semantics.
• Indeterminacy of translation: Quine’s challenge to translation.
• Language acquisition: How do humans learn language?
• Private language argument: Wittgenstein’s critique of private meanings.
• The nature of beauty: Subjective vs. objective aesthetics.
• Art and Interpretation: Understanding artistic meaning.
• Aesthetic experience: The role of emotions in art appreciation.
• Artistic creativity: Exploring the creative process.
• Aesthetic judgment: Criteria for evaluating art.
• Artistic expression: The relationship between art and the artist.
• Art and morality: Can art be morally evaluated?
• Aesthetic realism vs. anti-realism.
• Philosophy of film: Analyzing the nature of cinema.
• Environmental aesthetics: The aesthetics of nature and the environment.

Philosophy of Religion

• The existence of God: Arguments for and against.
• Problem of evil: Theological responses to suffering.
• Religious pluralism: Coexistence of conflicting religious beliefs.
• Faith and reason: Compatibility or conflict?
• Religious experience: Nature and interpretation.
• The afterlife: Conceptualizing life beyond death.
• Divine attributes: Omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence.
• Religious language: Can religious claims be meaningful?
• Theodicy: Justifying the ways of God to humanity.
• Mysticism: Direct experience of the divine.

Philosophy of Science

• Scientific realism vs. anti-realism.
• The demarcation problem: Distinguishing science from pseudoscience.
• Scientific explanation: Understanding the nature of scientific explanations.
• Confirmation theory: Assessing evidence and hypothesis testing.
• Theory change: How scientific theories evolve.
• Reductionism vs. holism in science.
• The scientific method: Evaluating its strengths and limitations.
• Laws of nature: Are they descriptive or prescriptive?
• Scientific progress: Criteria for evaluating scientific advancement.
• Ethics in scientific research: Balancing discovery with ethical concerns.

Philosophy of Mathematics

• Platonism vs. nominalism in the philosophy of mathematics.
• Mathematical realism vs. anti-realism.
• The nature of mathematical objects: Are they abstract entities?
• Foundations of mathematics: Exploring different foundational systems.
• Mathematical explanation: The role of mathematics in explaining natural phenomena.
• Mathematical knowledge: How do we come to know mathematical truths?
• Infinity: Philosophical implications of mathematical infinity.
• Intuitionism: A constructivist approach to mathematics.
• Mathematics and reality: Is mathematics invented or discovered?
• Gödel’s incompleteness theorems: Implications for mathematical knowledge.

Continental Philosophy

• Phenomenology: Husserl’s method of philosophical inquiry.
• Existentialism: The individual’s struggle for meaning and authenticity.
• Hermeneutics: Interpretive approaches to understanding texts and cultures.
• Critical theory: The Frankfurt School’s critique of society and culture.
• Poststructuralism: Derrida’s deconstruction of binary oppositions.
• Psychoanalysis: Freudian and post-Freudian perspectives on the psyche.
• Continental vs. analytic philosophy: Contrasting traditions and methodologies.
• Marxism: Materialist analysis of society and history.
• Postmodernism: Challenges to modernist conceptions of truth and knowledge.
• Feminist continental philosophy: Gender, power, and identity in continental thought.

Philosophy of History

• Historiography: The study of historical writing and methodology.
• Historical explanation: Understanding the causes of historical events.
• Exploring whether historical truths are relative to their context.
• Teleology in history: Is history driven by a purpose or goal?
• Historical materialism: Marxian analysis of historical development.
• Historical relativism: Are historical truths relative to context?
• Memory and history: The role of collective memory in shaping the past.
• The philosophy of historical progress: Evaluating historical optimism.
• Postcolonial philosophy of history: Decolonizing historical narratives.
• History and identity: How historical narratives shape individual and collective identities.
• History and ethics: Moral implications of historical interpretation.

Philosophy of Education

• The aims of education: What is the purpose of schooling?
• Curriculum design: Balancing breadth and depth in education.
• Pedagogical methods: Evaluating different approaches to teaching and learning.
• Investigating how different teaching methods impact student learning.
• Philosophy in education: The role of philosophy in the curriculum.
• Critical thinking: Fostering intellectual autonomy in education.
• Education and democracy: The relationship between education and citizenship.
• Multicultural education: Promoting diversity and inclusivity in schools.
• Philosophy of childhood: Understanding the nature of childhood and its implications for education.
• Educational equity: Addressing disparities in educational opportunities.
• Philosophy of higher education: The purpose and value of university education.

Philosophy of Technology

• Technological determinism vs. social construction of technology.
• Ethics of emerging technologies: AI, biotechnology, nanotechnology, etc.
• Examining ethical concerns in the development of artificial intelligence.
• Human enhancement: Ethical implications of technological augmentation.
• Technological unemployment: The impact of automation on employment.
• Information ethics: Privacy, surveillance, and digital rights.
• Technological singularity: Speculations on the future of artificial intelligence.
• Philosophy of the Internet: The implications of online communication and connectivity.
• Environmental philosophy of technology: Sustainable technology and ecological concerns.
• Philosophy of design: Ethical considerations in design processes.
• Techno-optimism vs. techno-pessimism: Attitudes toward technological progress.

Philosophy of Law

• Legal positivism vs. natural law theory.
• Legal realism: The role of judges in interpreting the law.
• Rights theory in law: The nature and scope of legal rights.
• Punishment and retribution: Justifying legal sanctions.
• Analyzing the role of judges in interpreting and applying the law.
• Jurisprudence of human rights: Philosophical foundations of human rights law.
• Legal responsibility: Moral and legal dimensions of accountability.
• Philosophy of criminal law: Justifying punishment and rehabilitation.
• Legal pluralism: Coexistence of multiple legal systems within a society.
• Feminist philosophy of law: Gender, power, and legal theory.
• Legal interpretation: The nature of legal reasoning and interpretation.

Philosophy of Emotion

• The nature of emotions: Cognitive vs. non-cognitive theories.
• Emotion and reason: Interactions between emotions and rationality.
• Emotional expression: How do we communicate emotions?
• Moral emotions: The role of emotions in moral judgment and behavior.
• Investigating the influence of culture on emotional expression.
• Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing emotions.
• Aesthetic emotions: The emotional experience of art and beauty.
• Emotion and identity: How do emotions shape our sense of self?
• Emotional development: Theories of emotional growth and maturation.
• Emotion and culture: Cultural variations in emotional expression and understanding.
• Emotion and health: The impact of emotions on physical and mental well-being.

Philosophy of Literature

• The nature of literary interpretation: Hermeneutics and literary criticism.
• Fictional truth: How do fictional narratives convey truth?
• Literary realism vs. metafiction.
• Ethics in literature: Moral dimensions of literary works.
• Narrative identity: How do narratives shape personal identity?
• Literary genres: Exploring the boundaries and conventions of literary forms.
• Authorship and intention: The role of authorial intent in interpreting texts.
• The philosophy of the novel: Understanding the novel as a literary form.
• Literary value: Criteria for evaluating literary excellence.
• Literature and empathy: The role of literature in fostering empathy and understanding.

Philosophy of Mindfulness

• The nature of mindfulness: Definitions and conceptualizations.
• Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness: Origins and principles.
• Mindfulness and meditation: Practices and techniques.
• Mindfulness-based interventions: Applications in psychology and therapy.
• Mindfulness and well-being: The effects of mindfulness on mental health.
• Mindfulness in education: Incorporating mindfulness practices into schools.
• Mindfulness and ethics: Ethical dimensions of mindfulness practice.
• Mindfulness and neuroscience: The neurological basis of mindfulness.
• Mindfulness and self-awareness: Cultivating awareness of thoughts and emotions.
• Mindfulness in everyday life: Integrating mindfulness into daily routines.

Philosophy of Happiness

• The nature of happiness: Defining and conceptualizing happiness.
• Hedonism vs. eudaimonism: Theories of happiness and well-being.
• The pursuit of happiness: Strategies for achieving happiness.
• Happiness and virtue: The role of character in leading a happy life.
• Subjective vs. objective happiness: Is happiness a subjective experience or an objective state?
• Happiness and meaning: The connection between happiness and meaningfulness.
• Cultural variations in conceptions of happiness.
• The measurement of happiness: Challenges in assessing subjective well-being.
• Happiness and social justice: Distributive implications of happiness research.
• The philosophy of positive psychology: Philosophical foundations of the science of happiness.

Philosophy of Love

• The nature of love: Defining and understanding love.
• Theories of love: Eros, agape, philia, and other conceptions of love.
• Romantic love vs. platonic love.
• Love and attachment: The psychological and emotional dynamics of love relationships.
• Love and ethics: The moral dimensions of love and romantic relationships.
• Love and identity: How does love shape our sense of self?
• Unrequited love: Philosophical reflections on unreciprocated affection.
• Love and freedom: The tension between love and individual autonomy.
• Love and vulnerability: The risks and rewards of opening oneself to love.
• Love and mortality: The existential significance of love in the face of death.

These philosophy research topics cover a wide range of areas, offering excellent opportunities for research and exploration. Whether you’re interested in metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy, or any other branch of philosophy, there are numerous intriguing questions to investigate and discuss.

Tips for Conducting Successful Philosophy Research

Here are some tips for conducting successful philosophical research:

• Read philosophically – Don’t just read for content, but read actively. Highlight essential claims, arguments, and assumptions. Think critically about what you read.
• Understand the context – Research the historical and intellectual context around texts/topics. This background is crucial for insightful analysis.
• Take clear notes – Maintain organized notes of significant ideas, debates, author positions, arguments, and your thoughts. Cite sources.
• Engage with the literature – Let texts dialogue with each other through your analysis. Compare and contrast perspectives thoughtfully.
• Develop analytical skills – Think logically, spot fallacies, scrutinize reasoning, and identify implicit premises and weaknesses in arguments.
• Construct sound arguments – Build layered arguments with coherent logic, reasonable premises, and persuasive writing. Support claims thoroughly.
• Consider objections – Anticipate critiques or counterarguments to your position and develop your responses.
• Apply philosophical concepts – Use philosophical frameworks and questions to illuminate your topic and write insightfully. Tie ideas to ethical systems, epistemology, metaphysics, etc.
• Craft a unique thesis – Stake out your own position within existing debates. Offer a novel argument or approach using evidence.
• Explain complex ideas clearly – Use concise, precise, and plain language when appropriate without oversimplifying concepts. Define terms.
• Connect ideas across texts – Synthesize different theories and perspectives into broader commentary. Show philosophical links.

You can produce impactful philosophical research with close reading, context, concise notes, analytical rigor, clear writing, and creative connections.

Final Remarks

Exploring philosophy research topics opens doors to understanding life’s big mysteries. Through these inquiries, we engage with core questions about life, right and wrong, society, and the human experience.

Philosophy research improves intellectual pursuits and sharpens critical thinking skills for complex issues. By exploring diverse areas of philosophy, we widen our perspectives and add to ongoing philosophical discussions.

Remember, philosophy is for everyone, no matter your background or expertise. It’s about curiosity, open-mindedness, and willingness to ponder life’s big questions. So, let’s keep thinking deeply, exploring fascinating topics, and welcome the adventure of philosophical inquiry together.

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130 Powerful Philosophy Research Topics to Get Started

Table of Contents

If you are a philosophy student who needs a good topic to prepare your research paper, then have a look at this blog post. Here, to make your topic selection process easier, we have presented a list of the best 100+ philosophy research topics and ideas. In addition to that, we have also shared some key tips on how to identify one ideal philosophy research topic out of many. Just explore and get interesting ideas for your philosophy research paper writing.

What is a Philosophy?

Philosophy is an interesting subject that deals with the study of fundamental and general questions about knowledge, existence, reason, language, values, and the mind. It is a vast discipline that revolves around reality, truth, and goodness. Some popular areas of philosophy include Metaphysics, Logic, Epistemology, and Political Philosophy .

Philosophy Research Paper Topic Selection Tips

In order to write a powerful philosophy research paper, instead of just focusing on the facts, you need to critically analyze, identify hidden arguments, build logical arguments, and should also persuade your readers that your argument is reliable. Most importantly, for writing a good philosophy research paper, you must have an impressive philosophy research topic.

If you have no idea how to identify the right topic for your philosophy research paper, then simply follow the below-mentioned tips.

• Select a topic that pleases you.
• Pick a topic that allows you to identify and fill the areas that are lacking.
• Always go with a topic that has ample references or resources to make your thesis writing process easier.
• The ultimate goal of your research paper should be to attract the readers and hence choose a philosophy research topic that is impressive and informative to your readers.
• Select a topic that has a wide scope of presenting your ideas and arguments with relevant examples or a piece of evidence.

List of Philosophy Research Paper Topics

Till now, we saw the tips for selecting the best philosophy research topics. Next, let us move on to the philosophy research paper topic ideas.

To make your search process easier, here we have shared a list of top philosophy research topics for you to consider.

Simple Philosophy Research Topics

• What is loneliness?
• Dog and cat: Which is superior?
• What are utopia and anti-utopia?
• Should abortion be legalized?
• What are the pros and cons of capital punishment?
• Why is cloning banned in many countries?
• Can belief in God change human nature?
• What is eternity?
• What is harmony?
• What is power?
• How achieving harmony helps to increase empathy?
• Inner harmony and peace are the key factors of psychological well-being: Explain
• Impact of good and evil on the society
• How do virtue and integrity play a pivotal role in the formation of good character?
• Is happiness a chemical flowing through the brain or something else?
• What in life is not subjective but instead truly objective and why?
• Analyze the civilizational approach in understanding the development of human society
• Critically analyze the African traditional philosophies
• Comparative analysis between epistemology and psychology
• Describe the opportunities and challenges for understanding phenomenology
• Analyze the philosophy of phenomenology
• Discuss the direct and indirect realism in philosophy
• Analyze the philosophy of transcendentalism in New England in the early 1830s
• Critically analyze the  political philosophy behind transcendentalism in Britain

Interesting Philosophy Research Paper Topics

• Can a person be happy without a family?
• What is the Supernatural? Is there any proof of its existence?
• Is it possible to be rich without having a lot of money?
• Should people always obey the rules?
• What is the value of truth?
• What makes people kill in the name of religion?
• Can we connect traditions supported by science and force people to follow them as customs?
• Is it possible to change the main characters that define a person?
• Discuss crucial modern-life values.
• What is your definition of happiness?
• Monistic, pluralistic, and dualistic understanding of the substance of thinking
• Discuss French philosophy of the XIX-XX centuries
• Discuss the philosophical anthropology about the essence of man and how it was reflected in ancient philosophy
• Compare and contrast the philosophical ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
• African philosophy echoes the deep-seated subjectivity of the African as an African: Explain
• Analyze the philosophy of Anselm’s ontological argument for God’s existence

Philosophy Research Topics on Human Life

• Why is it complicated to live a happy life?
• What things make human life senseless?
• Is there life after death?
• What is the perfect life?
• What makes human life meaningful?
• Should death be treated as the final point in human life or as the beginning of something new?
• Would you like to live your life more than once?
• Evaluating life’s existence: Are humans the only living organisms?
• Human life and culture
• How to lead a happy life?

Read more: Best Humanities Research Topics To Explore and Write About

Impressive Philosophy Research Ideas

• What makes people commit crimes even when they know that they will face capital punishment?
• What makes women physically less strong as compared to men?
• To love or to be loved: Which is more important?
• Is it possible to always think positively?
• Can torture be justified?
• A vacation or well-paid job: What would you take?
• Why is religion important above anything else for a lot of people around the globe?
• Can we declare humanity as a supreme religion?
• How can the custom of dowry be eliminated from people’s minds?
• Is it possible for parents to be the best friends of their children in a real sense?
• How is the age of maturity and the age of marriage defined by society?
• What is the best way to boost a person’s creativity?
• Why can’t social behavior and ethics be separated?
• Are animals different from people?
• Why do some people live without feeling alive?

Captivating Philosophy Research Topics

• Is it possible to create an ideal society?
• What are the best ways to reach peace in the world?
• Should the church be involved in politics?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified objects?
• Is euthanasia ethical?
• Evaluate the relationship between war and peace.
• How has social media affected people’s moral behavior?
• Analyze the impact of beauty on human development.
• Should parents be held responsible for the actions of their children?
• Can animal experiments be justified?
• What are the pros and cons of committing suicide?
• Can we justify the experiments on human beings?
• What is the ethics behind Bitcoin or other cyber-currency applications?
• How to increase the level of IQ?
• What are the pros and cons of utilitarianism?

Excellent Philosophy Research Questions

• Is there a moral obligation to be honest?
• Should we allow incarcerated criminals to have children?
• What are the pros and cons of marriage?
• Should human beings claim a stake in other planets such as the moon and Mars?
• What are the pros and cons of childless families?
• Is it ethical to use steroids to enhance results in athletics?
• What are the pros and cons of communism?
• Positive and Negative features of Machiavelli’s ideas
• Are humans really the kings of the universe?
• What are the pros and cons of total control?
• Is it really true that early to bed, early to rise can make a person stay healthy forever?
• Should modern celebrities be considered positive models for contemporary youth?
• Does genetics contribute to human behavior?
• Evaluate the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.
• What does the term ‘to cross the border of ethical conduct’ mean?
• Ethical ideas concerning abortions.
• Video games and their effects on the moral behavior of people.
• Is morality objective or subjective?
• What are the roles of Good and Evil?
• What is the effect of binary opposition on the development of humankind?

Read also: Leadership Research Topics and Ideas To Deal With

Amazing Philosophy Research Topics

• What is your attitude to “artificially designed babies”?
• What is the future of humankind and humans?
• Is 1 + 1 really equal to 2?
• What is the sense of your existence?
• Is there a possibility of working out a universal language?
• The postmodernism ideas in philosophy.
• What ideas or principles should an ideal family possess?
• Should patriotism be regarded as a virtue?
• What are the pros and cons of organ transplantation?
• Is it ethical to have circuses?
• Is it reasonable to tell a white lie?
• Can murder be justified?
• How to solve an issue between parents and children?
• Why are humans cruel and evil?
• Should religion be banned by law?
• Are morals related to culture?
• Do human beings deserve to have children?
• Reasons and solutions for mass panic and hysteria
• Is it worth sacrificing health in order to become more beautiful?
• Is science compatible with religion in the contemporary world?

Informative Philosophy Research Topics

• A critical analysis of the phenomenon of values through Axiology.
• Write about Contextualism in Epistemology.
• Conduct a detailed analysis of idealism and realism.
• Explain the theory of modern liberalism.
• Examine the influence of Greek philosophers on human sciences.
• Conduct a critical analysis of the literary movements of transcendentalism.
• A theoretical framework for the teacher’s philosophy of education
• Philosophy and religion in Buddhism.
• Conduct a comparative analysis of feminism and pragmatism.
• Discuss the philosophy of stoicism.

Philosophy Research Paper Writing Tips

Choosing a perfect topic for philosophy research is a difficult task. Once you have selected a topic for your philosophy research, follow the below-mentioned writing tips to make your philosophy research paper stand unique in the crowd.

• Structure the essay or research paper by including the following elements- Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
• Write a strong thesis statement in the introduction paragraph suitable to the philosophy research paper topic that you have selected.
• Explain your points or arguments on the topic with supporting evidence and other credible information in the body section of the research paper.
• Present your ideas in a logical order to avoid confusion.
• The sentence flow should be natural throughout the essay or research paper.
• Present your arguments or points in a way to persuade your readers.
• Do a complete revision so as to make your final draft free from grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Final Words

Out of the different ideas recommended in this blog post, choose any topic of your choice and craft an excellent philosophy research paper as per your university guidelines. In case, you need an expert to offer you help with philosophy research paper topic selection, writing, and editing, feel free to approach us.

Based on your requirements, the subject professionals on our platform will offer high-quality philosophy assignment help online. Most importantly, the philosophy research papers that our scholarly writers create and deliver would be flawless and plagiarism-free. Also, with the support of our specialists, you can complete your work in advance of the deadline and score top grades.

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Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University grants B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees to a broad range of students with diverse and varied interests. Committed to a pluralist treatment of philosophical issues, the department encourages interdisciplinary study as well as more traditional approaches to philosophy. Convinced that a knowledge of the  history of philosophy  is essential to the philosophical enterprise, the department offers intensive courses in ancient, medieval, and modern thought. Other courses address specific philosophical problems in ethics, political theory, epistemology, aesthetics, environmental philosophy, feminism, critical race theory, and philosophy of technology. 

The department at Stony Brook is internationally renowned for its concentration in  Continental philosophy , with particular emphasis on contemporary French and German thought. Courses in phenomenology, psychoanalysis, structuralism, postructuralism and postmodernism, and critical theory are held regularly, focusing on such figures as Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Kristeva, Freud, Lacan, Irigaray, Levinas, and Habermas. Crucial nineteenth century philosophers such as Hegel and Nietzsche are also treated in depth.  As well, the department offers many international research opportunities to graduate students who wish to pursue the study of Continental philosophy in Europe.

Stony Brook maintains a lively dialogue with  Anglo-American philosophy , which is also strongly represented among faculty.  A comparative seminar in a topic of common concern to continental and analytic philosophy is given each year.  Other analytic courses cover computational theory, questions of meaning and metaphor, issues in philosophical psychology, and special problems in philosophical logic. 

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Philosophy of Religion Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive list of philosophy of religion research paper topics , delving into the nuanced relationship between philosophical inquiry and religious beliefs. Students and researchers will find insights into the profound connections and debates that have shaped both religious and philosophical traditions throughout history. Additionally, with the guidance and expertise of iResearchNet, learners can embark on a detailed exploration of these themes, promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of the myriad ways in which philosophy and religion intersect and influence each other.

100 Philosophy of Religion Research Paper Topics

In the vast panorama of human inquiry, the philosophy of religion holds a unique and seminal place. It sits at the crossroads of existential questioning and spiritual exploration, offering a deep reservoir of topics for those seeking to delve into the nature of divinity, humanity, and the universe. Choosing the right philosophy of religion research paper topics is essential, not only for academic achievements but also for personal growth, critical understanding, and fostering inter-religious dialogue in a globalized world.

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• Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and their philosophical underpinnings.
• Greek philosophy: From polytheism to monotheism.
• The merging of Roman political ideology with Christianity.
• Medieval scholasticism and the fusion of reason with faith.
• The Enlightenment and the challenge to religious orthodoxy.
• Romanticism’s spiritual revival against materialism.
• Eastern philosophy: From Vedanta to Zen Buddhism.
• Abrahamic faiths: Philosophical interpretations of monotheism.
• Indigenous religious beliefs and their philosophical depth.
• The modern-day revival of ancient pagan philosophies.
• The monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
• Dharmic paths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
• Philosophical Taoism versus religious Taoism.
• Confucianism’s moral ethics and its societal impact.
• Shamanism and animism: Connecting with the natural world.
• Zoroastrianism and its influence on Western monotheism.
• The Baha’i faith and its universalist approach.
• The indigenous spiritual traditions of Africa.
• Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime philosophy.
• The Raelian movement and other modern religious philosophies.
• Cosmology: Creation myths versus the Big Bang theory.
• Evolutionary theory and religious interpretations of human origin.
• Quantum mechanics: Where science meets mysticism.
• Neuroscience, consciousness, and the soul.
• Artificial intelligence, robotics, and theological implications.
• Environmentalism as a religious and scientific imperative.
• The moral considerations of genetic engineering.
• Medical ethics: Euthanasia, abortion, and religious perspectives.
• Extraterrestrial life: Religious implications of discovering “others”.
• The fine-tuning argument and the existence of a Creator.
• Kierkegaard’s leap of faith and existential Christianity.
• Nietzsche’s proclamation: “God is dead.”
• Camus, the Absurd, and the quest for meaning without divinity.
• Sartre’s atheistic existentialism and the essence of humanity.
• Heidegger’s “Being” and religious interpretations.
• Dostoevsky’s exploration of faith in The Brothers Karamazov .
• Kafka and the religious undertones of alienation.
• Religious overtones in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot .
• The existential search for authenticity and religious identity.
• Tillich’s concept of the “God above God.”
• The religious roots of morality: Is God necessary for ethics?
• Comparing the moral codes of world religions.
• Just war theory in Christianity and Islam.
• Buddhist ethics: The Middle Path and compassion.
• The challenge of religious extremism and its ethical ramifications.
• Religious perspectives on capital punishment.
• Vegetarianism and non-violence in Jainism and Hinduism.
• Charity, almsgiving, and social justice in religious traditions.
• The problem of evil: Theodicy across religions.
• Asceticism and its ethical implications in different religious paths.
• Revisiting Eve: Feminist readings of religious origin stories.
• Goddess worship and matriarchal traditions.
• The role of women in organized religious hierarchies.
• Mary Daly and the concept of a post-Christian feminism.
• Islamic feminism: Reinterpreting the Quran.
• Feminist critiques of Buddhist monasticism.
• Ecofeminism and the sacred feminine.
• Women mystics in the Christian tradition.
• Feminine symbolism in Kabbalistic teachings.
• Liberation theology’s focus on women’s rights.
• Theocracy versus secularism: Philosophical implications.
• Render unto Caesar: Christianity’s evolving stance on state power.
• Islamic governance: From Caliphates to modern nation-states.
• Confucianism and its influence on Chinese statecraft.
• Religion’s role in the American political landscape.
• Hindu nationalism in contemporary India.
• The Dalai Lama and Tibetan theocratic governance.
• Secularism, laïcité, and European politics.
• Liberation theology and Marxist movements in Latin America.
• The rise and impact of political Zionism.
• The nature and experience of mystical states across religions.
• Sufism: The mystical heart of Islam.
• Christian mystics: From St. John of the Cross to Meister Eckhart.
• Kabbalah: Jewish esoteric traditions and their universal messages.
• Advaita Vedanta and the non-dual reality.
• Zen Buddhism: Satori and sudden enlightenment.
• Gnostic traditions and the search for hidden knowledge.
• Native American vision quests and transcendental experiences.
• The role of psychedelics in religious and mystical experiences.
• Modern scientific interpretations of mystical experiences.
• The cross in Christianity: Interpretations and symbolism.
• The significance of the Kaaba in Islam.
• Sacred geometry and religious symbolism.
• Myths of creation and apocalypse across traditions.
• Rituals of passage: Birth, adulthood, marriage, and death.
• The ritual use of music and dance in spiritual practices.
• Sacred texts: Their role and interpretation in religious traditions.
• Pilgrimage: Seeking the divine in sacred spaces.
• Religious festivals and their philosophical meanings.
• Carl Jung’s interpretation of religious symbols.
• The Future of Religion: Postmodern and Contemporary Views
• The rise of secularism and the “nones.”
• Interfaith dialogue in a globalized world.
• Postmodern critiques of organized religion.
• Spirituality versus organized religion in the modern age.
• Neo-paganism and the revival of ancient religious practices.
• The intersection of technology and spirituality.
• Transhumanism and its challenge to traditional religious beliefs.
• New religious movements in the digital age.
• The role of meditation and mindfulness in contemporary spirituality.
• The prospects of universalist religious philosophies.

The tapestry of philosophy of religion research paper topics is both diverse and profound, offering myriad avenues for exploration. It represents an ever-evolving dialogue between human beings and the mysteries of existence, pushing us to question, reflect, and understand more deeply. We encourage scholars, students, and curious minds to immerse themselves in these topics, fostering both academic excellence and a richer understanding of the multifaceted nature of human belief.

The Range of Philosophy of Religion Research Paper Topics

Introduction

Religion has always played a pivotal role in the lives of humans, influencing cultures, politics, and personal choices. However, it is the philosophy of religion that critically assesses and shapes religious thought and practices. Like a mirror, it allows adherents and scholars to reflect upon the core tenets, beliefs, and implications of religious traditions.

Expansive Nature of Topics in Philosophy of Religion

The philosophy of religion offers a vast expanse of topics, each probing deep into the questions of existence, deity, morality, and human purpose. From the age-old debate on the existence of God and the problem of evil to the ethical implications of religious doctrines and the feminist interpretations in religious philosophies, the terrain is broad and deep. It’s not just about understanding individual religions, but about grappling with questions that transcend individual beliefs: How does religion intersect with science or politics? What is the nature of the divine? How do symbols, myths, and rituals anchor the human understanding of the cosmos?

Evolution of Religious Philosophies Through Time

Historically, religious philosophies have evolved in tandem with the socio-cultural and scientific developments of their times. Ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle laid the groundwork for many discussions about the divine, ethics, and the nature of the good life. Their dialogues and debates shaped much of early Christian philosophy and continue to be pivotal in theological seminaries and philosophy departments.

Centuries later, during the medieval period, scholars like Thomas Aquinas and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) would further refine and challenge classical views, synthesizing them with the revelations of the Abrahamic faiths. The Renaissance and Enlightenment periods ushered in a new wave of skepticism and humanism, leading to modern and postmodern critiques and defenses of religious beliefs.

Each era has brought with it fresh perspectives, challenges, and revisions to religious philosophies, demonstrating the dynamic nature of this field.

How Global Religious Systems Have Been Shaped by Philosophical Ideas

The global religious landscape has been immensely influenced by philosophical postulations. Take, for instance, the Buddhist doctrine of anatta or non-self, a profound philosophical stance that challenges the very notion of persistent identity. This idea shapes not just individual meditation practices but also how societies understand the self and its relationship to the world.

Similarly, the Islamic concept of Tawhid, the oneness of God, is not just a theological assertion but a philosophical stance on the nature of reality, affecting everything from art (like the avoidance of depicting living beings in many Islamic art forms) to ethics and law.

In the West, Christian notions of love, redemption, and Trinity have been the subject of philosophical scrutiny and interpretation, influencing everything from art and literature to politics and social structures.

Even secularism, often seen in opposition to religious belief, has its roots in philosophical discussions about the nature of belief, the state, and individual rights.

Importance of Philosophy of Religion Research Paper Topics

Diving into philosophy of religion research paper topics is more than just an academic exercise; it’s a journey into the deepest questions of human existence. For students and scholars, these topics offer a chance to engage with these questions in a structured, critical manner.

Such research fosters critical thinking, a deeper appreciation for the diversity and richness of global religious traditions, and an understanding of the profound ways in which religious beliefs shape, and are shaped by, the broader cultural and philosophical milieu. Furthermore, by engaging deeply with these topics, students can also explore their beliefs, confront doubts, and refine their understanding of their religious traditions or the traditions of others.

The philosophy of religion research paper topics remains as relevant today as they were in the times of ancient philosophers. In an increasingly globalized world, where religious beliefs often intersect, clash, and coalesce, understanding the philosophy of religion becomes paramount. Whether one is a believer, agnostic, or atheist, delving into these topics offers a richer understanding of the human quest for meaning, purpose, and connection. Through these explorations, we not only understand religions better but also the very essence of humanity’s perennial questions about existence, morality, and the divine.

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Department of philosophy.

PHIL 327: Topics in Political Philosophy

The Generic Catalog Description

This course will concentrate on a specific issue in political philosophy. Typical topics include civil disobedience, war and peace, theories of political revolution, theories of utopia, and punishment and criminal justice.

PHIL 327: Topics in Political Philosophy: Liberalism and Feminism (class is linked with Dr. Ingram's PHIL 480)

This course will examine the liberal and feminist traditions in contemporary social and political philosophy.  We will begin by considering the foundational liberal social contract theory of John Rawls.  We will then address the ways that feminists have incorporated and rejected liberal thought within their theories of justice and care.  The course will also address radical feminist approaches that question the dominant liberal rights-based framework.  We will consider issues such as distributive justice and the family, the gendered basis for care and caregiving, multiculturalism and feminism, and liberal versus radical feminist positions on pornography.  Readings for the course will draw from the Anglo-American tradition in philosophy, possibly including works by authors such as John Rawls, Susan Moller Okin, Martha Nussbaum, Eva Kittay, Catharine MacKinnon, and Shulamith Firestone.

PHIL 327: Topics in Political Philosophy: Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

How should we, as social beings, live together?  This is the fundamental question of political philosophy.  This course will address this question directly.  Following the example of Plato, we will think about an Ideal Society.  Specifically, we will ask, given the knowledge and resources that we possess, what is the best form of society that we, in the United States today, might construct? 

Virtually everyone would agree as to the basic political structure of our ideal society.  It should be a democracy.  Democracy has proven itself to be a durable and contagious ideal.  The history of the past several centuries has witnessed a steady deepening of democracy to include all citizens of a society and a steady spread of democracy--at least as an ideal--throughout the world.

There may be agreement about political structure, at least in broad outline, but there is no agreement about that other fundamental feature of a society--its economic structure.  It is this disagreement that will be the focus of this course.  Should our economic structure remain capitalist?  If so, to what sort of capitalism should we aspire, a conservative free-market economy that gives keeps governmental intervention to a minimum, or a more liberal version that would, among other things, allow the government to regulate the economy more and significantly redistribute income and wealth.  Or should we aim for something more drastic.  Should we aim for a "green" economy that incorporates both capitalist and socialist structures.  Or should we try to move beyond capitalism altogether?  Does there exist an economically viable socialist alternative to capitalism, or has the socialist project been wholly discredited?  If an economically viable alternative to capitalism does exist, is it worth fighting for?

To clarify the issues, we will read three books and a set of articles, each representing a contending view: conservative, liberal, green and socialist.  The conservative position is represented by the most influential economist of the post-World-War-Two period, Milton Friedman. We will read his classic statement, which is still, as you will see, highly relevant. The liberal position is represented by several figures, the philosopher John Rawls, the British philosopher/political scientist, Brian Barry and the economist James Galbraith.  The green position will be represented by another classic text, E. F. Schumacher's Small is Beautiful.  The socialist position will be set out in David Schweickart’s After Capitalism. 

These readings will comprise the first two-thirds of the course.  During the last third the class will divide into four groups, each of which will draw up a blueprint for its own Ideal Society, based (at least loosely) on one of the above perspectives.  The course will culminate in a Great Debate, in which each group attempts to defend its vision against the alternatives.

PHIL 327: Topics in Political Philosophy: Globalization Ethics

Thomas Wren

In this course we will explore economic and cultural issues of globalization, with particular attention to their normative dimensions of economic and cultural issues such as nationalism, colonialism, immigration,  cultural identity, group rights, and related topics such as global ecology.

We will draw on a variety of sources, including videos as well as books and articles. We will begin the course with excerpts from classic works such as Aristotle's Politics , Rousseau's Social Contract , Immanuel Kant's Perpetual Pea ce, and perhaps Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's Communist Manifesto .    We will then look at texts from contemporary authors such as John Rawls. Jurgen Habermas, Thomas Pogge, Iris young, and  Seyla Benhabib.  The readings will be supplemented with several videos about some of the disturbing by-products of globalization.

This class will meet with Dr. Ingram's graduate seminar (PHIL 480) for lectures and video presentations, though not for the scheduled discussion sessions. 

Philosophy 327: Critical Theory: Classical and Contemporary Readings

David Ingrim

The course will survey some of the major themes and thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School of critical social theory. Besides examining issues  - most notably the dialectic of enlightenment, the authoritarian personality, and the problem of technology - that preoccupied first-generation critical theorists  Herbert Marcuse, Theodor Adorno, and Max Horkheimer, we will also discuss problems of communicative intersubjectivity, moral development, and self-identity that have dominated the thought of second-generation critical theorist Jürgen Habermas. We will then examine a major contemporary work on globalization and global solidarity by one of Habermas’s former students, Hauke Brunkhorst.

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Philosophy + CS undergraduate Max Fan awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Max Fan, a junior Philosophy + CS major, has recently been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship   which will provide three years of financial support for his graduate studies. Fan will graduate this May and begin his PhD at Cornell University in the fall.  

While at the University of Illinois, and during a summer internship at NASA in 2023, Fan proposed and developed a new temporal logic semantics, a topic he first encountered in a class taught by philosophy professor Kohei Kishida.  

Temporal logic is a system of rules for representing and reasoning about propositions that change over time. In computer science, and at NASA, it’s used to specify when safety conditions should be triggered and to determine when a system is behaving nominally.  

“They don’t like bugs, and they don’t like things going wrong,” Fan said. “And so, the idea is you have all these requirements for how your rocket or how your satellite ought to behave. So, if your satellite does this, it should then do this, and these logics have a temporal nature.”  

For example, a temporal property might say “after the parachute deploys then the machine should decelerate.” Once the temporal property is specified, it is important to monitor the system to verify if it is behaving as expected. When a property is violated, the error should be handled as quickly as possible. 

Fan soon recognized that the standard temporal logic semantics that most people in computer science work with were not sufficient for NASA’s purposes. His coursework in philosophy helped him realize he could develop his own semantics that better captured the problem he was trying to solve.  

“My philosophical training allowed me to think outside the box and develop a different way that didn’t rely on the standard approaches,” he said. “I think there’s a reason why no one else thought of this before because people generally take the standard temporal logic semantics and do other things with it. But they don’t think about changing the actual ground rules.” 

He proposed a non-standard temporal logic semantics that will work better to solve NASA’s and other computer science problems. He has a paper in progress that he is hoping to submit to a conference soon.  

Fan also regularly seeks out perspectives on logic from researchers working in fields outside his major. He organizes a weekly lunch for those working on logic in computer science that also attracts professors and students in philosophy, electrical and computer engineering, and math. 

“The idea is that people who are interested in logic or logic adjacent come and talk about research and what people are working on,” he said. “It’s quite nice to see everyone and to hear about a different perspective. The math department has a certain kind of flavor of the research, which is a little different than the philosophy department, which is different than the flavor in the CS department.” 

Fan’s research interests include the intersection of computer science and philosophy, epistemology, and logic and truth, which is why he decided to major in philosophy + CS . In addition to professor Kishida, he also cites philosophy professor Jonathan Livengood, and computer science professor Talia Ringer as mentors during his time at the university.  

The NSF fellowship is not the first accolade he has received for his work. In his sophomore year, he received a Barry M. Goldwater scholarship for his potential to contribute to the advancement of research in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. A fellow philosophy junior, Sylvia E, was also recently honored with a Goldwater Scholarship.   

His favorite courses have been the graduate seminars he has participated in, including the philosophy of logic graduate seminar, which he took twice, and the conceptual engineering seminar taught by philosophy professor Kevin Scharp. 

“I think all the courses [in philosophy] are actually very well taught. Like some departments are hit and miss. But every course here has been a hit. …The quality of instruction is quite high,” he said.  

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Lessons Learned on the Methodological Challenges in Studying Rare Violent Incidents

To increase knowledge and aid prevention efforts, the research community must develop a strategy to source, code, check, and analyze the data surrounding rare violent incidents.

Violent incidents such as public mass shootings and terrorist events are rare but have widespread, catastrophic impacts on society. These devastating and often high-profile events raise questions about their causes and how best to prevent them. Yet their infrequent occurrences make them hard to predict.

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Feature Article: Digital Mapping Helps First Responders Better Navigate Inside Buildings

Agencies are using S&T-funded Mappedin to find their way quickly during critical incidents in schools and public buildings.

GPS systems may get first responders to incident scenes fast, but navigating buildings’ complex mazes of hallways and corridors in potentially chaotic or low-visibility situations can be tricky. Relying on hard copy or digital building blueprints can be cumbersome or even outdated, adding precious seconds when time is of the essence.

A solution, brought to you by the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and digital indoor map navigator Mappedin, was completed in 2022 and has since flourished. The online Mappedin mapmaking subscription, which can transform floor plans into interactive and easily maintainable digitized maps, was recently launched and is currently being used by both response agencies and corporate clients. With easy-to-use mapping tools and data, Mappedin provides high-quality 3D map creation, data maintenance, and map sharing to city executives, building owner operators and first responders to make and deliver maps for a variety of safety-related situations—from advance preparation and planning to assistance during emergency incidents.

“With Mappedin, first responders can quickly determine the interior layout of structures before entering a building to make informed decisions,” said Anthony Caracciolo, the S&T program manager who led this effort. “Mappedin assists them with identifying where interior rooms, doors, stairs, key equipment and hazardous materials are located and enables them to possess indoor awareness of a facility before entering.”

Mappedin provides intelligent digitization of floor plans from various sources (e.g., computer-aided design drawings, PDF documents, photographs) and maintains a digital reserve of 3D interactive maps accessible on tablets and cell phones. These maps can be marked up and shared via a private link accessible only to authorized personnel.

To save time in mapmaking, Mappedin leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to create high-quality 3D interactive indoor maps from uploaded floor plan images in 0.5 minutes to 3 minutes. The tool also uses LiDAR, a remote sensing method, to create floor plans from scratch. With an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro and the Mappedin iOS app, users can scan their indoor environment and turn the data into a digital map, which they can further edit and customize by labeling specific rooms and areas and adding attributes such as descriptions, photographs and links.

S&T initially funded Mappedin Inc. in 2019 to develop the indoor mapping tool (then called Response) after S&T's First Responder Resource Group indicated this type of technology was a top need. S&T’s goal was to help responders quickly navigate indoor floor plans in real-time when responding to incidents. Mappedin enables point-to-point wayfinding, like an indoor GPS, and is available to first responders and local governments as a licensed cloud-based service. S&T and Mappedin demonstrated the software in 2022 , when first responders assessed the prototype’s efficiency and recommended improvements before commercialization. First responders found it better than existing technologies and liked its compatibility with many existing software platforms. Then, S&T and Mappedin further improved the software based on feedback from U.S. and Canadian first responders and local governments.

Public schools and fire departments are among users

Mappedin is already in use successfully. Since its official launch in September 2023, more than 4,000 user accounts have been created.  

Many of Mappedin’s new customers are public schools and fire departments for whom mapping services are free. To provide life-saving technology to schools and first responders, two former firefighters have integrated Mappedin maps into their school safety product, AIKI ClassroomSAFE. The app provides situational awareness and a comprehensive view of other responding agencies, students, and the real-time status of classrooms. According to experienced firefighter and AIKI co-founder, Damian McKeon, Mappedin has taken a multi-hour mapping process down to a couple of minutes.

Some forward-thinking schools in the U.S. and Canada are also looking to use Mappedin. Three pilot Canadian cities–Orangeville, Kitchener and Waterloo–have already adopted the tool to digitize paper floor plans for a variety of building types for pre-planning and educational purposes.

Also, first responders in 911 incident dispatch will be able to access Mappedin-created maps within their safety platform for precise geolocation. By providing Mappedin’s accurate geo-located annotations of key safety equipment before the trucks arrive on scene, the 911 dispatch can be prioritized as the first point of contact. According to Dain Bolling, Founder of Pure Wireless LLC, Mappedin easily creates spatially accurate maps suitable for first responders during critical incidents.

Moreover, efforts are underway to map an entire Florida county. Mappedin is accelerating its Maps for Good initiative to address the needs of schools and first responders. Eligible participants will receive no- to low-cost indoor mapping. “Indoor maps are crucial for situational awareness in built environments, and Mappedin is proud to be part of the solution,” said Hongwei Liu, co-founder and CEO at Mappedin. “With Maps for Good, we’re putting AI-powered indoor mapping directly into the hands of front-line professionals, giving them purpose-built tools to do their jobs and keep people safe.”

Mappedin could be integrated with other tools

The Mappedin free subscription is available for schools and responders, where anyone is encouraged to create their own maps. The paid Plus subscription, released in February 2024, and the Pro subscription, coming later this year, add advanced capabilities, including integration with other tools.

“One such possible integration is with the S&T-developed gunshot detection system that detects and alerts police of gunshots,” said Caracciolo. “If integrated with Mappedin, police would not only be alerted of the gunshots, but they could also receive an interior map of a building depicting where the gunshots are occurring, thus enabling police officers to engage the shooter and locate and start treating victims as soon as possible.”

Additionally, corporate customers, such as airports, stadiums, and office buildings are also using Mappedin for things like complex mapping, wayfinding, and custom integrations.

“Ultimately,” Caracciolo added, “S&T invested in Mappedin to equip first responders with the best tool to pre-plan and navigate building interiors in emergencies.”  

Learn more about S&T’s innovative industry partnerships and support for the nation’s first responders . For related media inquiries, contact [email protected] .

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Fostering research, careers, and community in materials science

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Gabrielle Wood, a junior at Howard University majoring in chemical engineering, is on a mission to improve the sustainability and life cycles of natural resources and materials. Her work in the Materials Initiative for Comprehensive Research Opportunity (MICRO) program has given her hands-on experience with many different aspects of research, including MATLAB programming, experimental design, data analysis, figure-making, and scientific writing.

Wood is also one of 10 undergraduates from 10 universities around the United States to participate in the first MICRO Summit earlier this year. The internship program, developed by the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE), first launched in fall 2021. Now in its third year, the program continues to grow, providing even more opportunities for non-MIT undergraduate students — including the MICRO Summit and the program’s expansion to include Northwestern University.

“I think one of the most valuable aspects of the MICRO program is the ability to do research long term with an experienced professor in materials science and engineering,” says Wood. “My school has limited opportunities for undergraduate research in sustainable polymers, so the MICRO program allowed me to gain valuable experience in this field, which I would not otherwise have.”

Like Wood, Griheydi Garcia, a senior chemistry major at Manhattan College, values the exposure to materials science, especially since she is not able to learn as much about it at her home institution.

“I learned a lot about crystallography and defects in materials through the MICRO curriculum, especially through videos,” says Garcia. “The research itself is very valuable, as well, because we get to apply what we’ve learned through the videos in the research we do remotely.” Expanding research opportunities

From the beginning, the MICRO program was designed as a fully remote, rigorous education and mentoring program targeted toward students from underserved backgrounds interested in pursuing graduate school in materials science or related fields. Interns are matched with faculty to work on their specific research interests.

Jessica Sandland ’99, PhD ’05, principal lecturer in DMSE and co-founder of MICRO, says that research projects for the interns are designed to be work that they can do remotely, such as developing a machine-learning algorithm or a data analysis approach.

“It’s important to note that it’s not just about what the program and faculty are bringing to the student interns,” says Sandland, a member of the MIT Digital Learning Lab , a joint program between MIT Open Learning and the Institute’s academic departments. “The students are doing real research and work, and creating things of real value. It’s very much an exchange.” Cécile Chazot PhD ’22, now an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, had helped to establish MICRO at MIT from the very beginning. Once at Northwestern, she quickly realized that expanding MICRO to Northwestern would offer even more research opportunities to interns than by relying on MIT alone — leveraging the university’s strong materials science and engineering department, as well as offering resources for biomaterials research through Northwestern’s medical school. The program received funding from 3M and officially launched at Northwestern in fall 2023. Approximately half of the MICRO interns are now in the program with MIT and half are with Northwestern. Wood and Garcia both participate in the program via Northwestern. “By expanding to another school, we’ve been able to have interns work with a much broader range of research projects,” says Chazot. “It has become easier for us to place students with faculty and research that match their interests.”

Building community

The MICRO program received a Higher Education Innovation grant from the Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab , part of MIT Open Learning, to develop an in-person summit. In January 2024, interns visited MIT for three days of presentations, workshops, and campus tours — including a tour of the MIT.nano building — as well as various community-building activities.

“A big part of MICRO is the community,” says Chazot. “A highlight of the summit was just seeing the students come together.”

The summit also included panel discussions that allowed interns to gain insights and advice from graduate students and professionals. The graduate panel discussion included MIT graduate students Sam Figueroa (mechanical engineering), Isabella Caruso (DMSE), and Eliana Feygin (DMSE). The career panel was led by Chazot and included Jatin Patil PhD ’23, head of product at SiTration; Maureen Reitman ’90, ScD ’93, group vice president and principal engineer at Exponent; Lucas Caretta PhD ’19, assistant professor of engineering at Brown University; Raquel D’Oyen ’90, who holds a PhD from Northwestern University and is a senior engineer at Raytheon; and Ashley Kaiser MS ’19, PhD ’21, senior process engineer at 6K.

Students also had an opportunity to share their work with each other through research presentations. Their presentations covered a wide range of topics, including: developing a computer program to calculate solubility parameters for polymers used in textile manufacturing; performing a life-cycle analysis of a photonic chip and evaluating its environmental impact in comparison to a standard silicon microchip; and applying machine learning algorithms to scanning transmission electron microscopy images of CrSBr, a two-dimensional magnetic material. 

“The summit was wonderful and the best academic experience I have had as a first-year college student,” says MICRO intern Gabriella La Cour, who is pursuing a major in chemistry and dual degree biomedical engineering at Spelman College and participates in MICRO through MIT. “I got to meet so many students who were all in grades above me … and I learned a little about how to navigate college as an upperclassman.” 

“I actually have an extremely close friendship with one of the students, and we keep in touch regularly,” adds La Cour. “Professor Chazot gave valuable advice about applications and recommendation letters that will be useful when I apply to REUs [Research Experiences for Undergraduates] and graduate schools.”

Looking to the future, MICRO organizers hope to continue to grow the program’s reach.

“We would love to see other schools taking on this model,” says Sandland. “There are a lot of opportunities out there. The more departments, research groups, and mentors that get involved with this program, the more impact it can have.”

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• MICRO Mentoring Resources And Materials Science Curriculum

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Excellence in Graduate Research Awards 2023-24

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce the following prizes for outstanding work by graduate students. These awards, announced each spring, recognize outstanding contributions to research by doctoral students and carry a $1,000 prize. The awards were restructured in Academic Year 2022-23 after a few years hiatus and are funded by endowments made possible through philanthropic support of faculty, friends, and alumni. All UW Chemistry Ph.D. students that have completed their General Examination, are in Good Academic Standing, and have not yet received a merit award are eligible to apply.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Physical Chemistry

Funded by the Kwiram/CCR Fellowship

Kent Wilson is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor Sarah Keller. He synthesizes lipid bilayer membranes to determine which molecules are necessary for phase separation. Kent grew up in Batesville, Indiana and attended Benedictine College where he majored in physics and mathematics. When he's not making lipid vesicles, he enjoys reading, writing, and playing guitar.

Garrett Santis is a PhD candidate in chemistry. Under the guidance of Affiliate Professor Sotiris Xantheas, Garrett has studied the intricacies of intermolecular interactions, specifically hydrogen bonding interactions. Using computation and theory, he has probed the influence structure has on the thermodynamics of hydrogen bonds and the kinetics of proton transfer. Outside of Bagley Hall, Garrett is a member of Frontrunners and an avid trivia buff at the College Inn Pub.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Analytical Chemistry

Lindsey Ulmer is a PhD candidate in the group of Associate Professor Matthew Bush. She develops novel crosslinking mass spectrometry methods to study small heat shock proteins in collaboration with Professor Rachel Klevit (Biochemistry). She grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia and completed her BS in chemistry at Georgia Tech, where she did undergraduate research in glycoproteomics with Dr. Ronghu Wu. Outside of her research, she likes to cuddle with her dogs, watch reality television, and take ballet classes.

Jiahao Wan is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor František Tureček. He studies gas-phase biomolecular ion structures using tandem mass spectrometry and theory. Jiahao grew up in Chengdu, China and received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and playing soccer with friends.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Inorganic Chemistry

Funded by the Ritter Endowed Scholarship Fund Hao Nguyen is a PhD candidate in Professor Brandi Cossairt’s lab. He was born and raised in Vietnam. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2020. His Ph.D. research focuses on the synthesis and integration of quantum dots for quantum photonic applications. Hao is also the founder of SCROCCS, a program that brings local community college students to experience summer research at the UW. Outside of the lab, Hao enjoys cooking, 3D modeling, gaming, and playing with his two cats.

Funded by the Mary K. Simeon and Goldie Simeon Read Chemistry Research Endowment Kathleen Snook is a PhD candidate in the research group of Assistant Professor Dianne Xiao. She studies the use of redox–active supramolecular cages as electrocatalysts for the synthesis of organic molecules. Kathleen grew up in Snohomish, Washington and received her B.A. in chemistry with honors from Boston University. Outside of lab, she enjoys reading books, writing, and spending time with her cat, Sylvie.

Excellence in Graduate Research Award, Organic Chemistry

Funded by the Irving and Mildred Shain Endowed Fund in Chemistry

Elizabeth Momoh is a PhD candidate in the research group of Professor Pradip Rathod. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Elizabeth has been drawn to malaria research due to the high prevalence of malaria in Nigeria. Her research focuses on developing novel chemical tools for multiplex analysis of antibody responses to malaria antigens and she hopes to make significant strides in advancing malaria vaccine research. Elizabeth graduated with a B.S in chemistry from Cameron University. Outside of the lab, she spends time with friends playing board games or trying new restaurants.

Cem Millik earned a BS in biochemistry from the University of Washington and is pursuing a PhD in chemistry in the group of Professor Alshakim Nelson. Cem’s research interests center on interfaces between life sciences and synthetic materials. Cem’s research in the Nelson Laboratory focuses on the exploration of stimuli-responsive hydrogels and their applications in drug delivery, 3D printing, 3D cell culture, and as soft biomaterials.

Congratulations to these PhD candidates for this excellent research accomplishments!

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