Welcome to the Department of Philosophy
PHILOSOPHY
The Department of Philosophy offers a variety of courses in traditional areas of philosophical study, including ethics, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, and the history of philosophy. Through a collaborative study of these topics, our faculty helps students develop the skills that we value as a department - skills like active reading, critical thinking, analytic writing, and effective speaking.
BH 302 Office Hours
Summer: Office Summer Hours will vary. Please call of an appointment.
In person FQ, WQ, SQ: Mon-Fri 9-2 pm
Virtual: Mon-Fri 7:30-4:30 pm philosophy@wwu.edu/Teams (360) 650-3859
Summer hours vary.
Advising
We are here to assist you with all your advising needs, including major/minor declarations and evaluations.
Contact us by email or Teams.
Please visit our Advising page to get started!
Philosophy Course Schedules
In The Spotlight
We want to hear from you! Please email us at philosophy@wwu.edu to share your Philosophy experiences at Western.
Congratulations to Professor Dan Howard-Snyder!
Dan Howard-Snyder, Philosophy
Congratulations to Professor Daniel Howard-Snyder for being honored with the prestigious Paul J. Olscamp Research Award! An internationally acclaimed scholar, Dr. Howard-Snyder has published seven book and over ninety peer-reviewed papers, while sitting on the boards of five journals and working on seven interdisciplinary grants. On Western’s campus, he directed the public-facing Bellingham Lectures in Philosophy and Religion for ten years and has been an integral part of the Philosophy Department where he has contributed to the research projects of both colleagues and students. Congratulations Dan!
Paul J. Olscamp Research Award 2026, College of Humanities and Social SciencesProfessor of Philosophy
Congratulations, Gray Brem! 2024 Outstanding Graduate
Gray completed two degrees in philosophy and psychology at Western and remains committed to the unique and illuminating junction of these two fields. Her inquisitiveness about the human experience has largely motivated her pursuits in these disciplines.
Drawn to involvement in both departments, Gray served as a teaching assistant for PHIL 201: Introduction to Logic and as a research assistant in Dr. Barbara Lehman’s Stress lab in the Psychology Department. In addition, her fervor for learning serves as encouragement for her to continue her studies in graduate school in hopes of contributing to the philosophical literature on psychologically grounded topics such as identity, affectivity, and the relation between mind and body.
"Gray is both an outstanding graduate and a wonderful person," writes Philosophy Chair and Professor Ryan Wasserman, "and her combination of creativity and careful thinking is exactly what we like to see in our students."
Department of Philosophy Outstanding Graduate'2024
Camille Fogel
"I loved majoring in philosophy! I found the community to be really engaging, supportive, and academically challenging. I grew as a writer, thinker, and speaker, and I feel strongly that this degree directly laid the foundation for my success in graduate school. Studying philosophy has given me the tools to continue to learn, explore new ideas, and ask meaningful questions even outside of an academic setting."
Department of Philosophy Outstanding Graduate2022
Anthony Nault with his wife, Michelle
Advice for other students considering philosophy as a field: "...you should be interested in like, what is time? And are there really such things as chairs? Is consciousness physical? There may never be a better time in your life to cultivate these interests. No matter what your day job ends up being, philosophy is sure to have a worthwhile and enduring (perduring?) impact."
Software Engineer'2017
Dee Payton
“Studying philosophy is great because you get to study the structure of reasoning, which is relevant to basically everything… Plus, WWU has one of the best undergrad philosophy programs in the US!”
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Virginia'2017