About the Department

The Department of Philosophy has strengths in three main areas: 1) epistemology, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics, pursued with analytic methodologies but open to the influences of the continental tradition; 2) ethics, legal and political philosophy, social and value theory; 3) history of philosophy, including ancient, modern, and contemporary philosophy, both analytic and continental. We have overlapping interests in social philosophy, broadly construed.

Our collaboration with the Research Center in Knowledge, Technology and Society, along with the UCI Social Unity Research Cluster, brings philosophy in conversation with multiple disciplines.

We have recurring colloquia and workshops in several different series: the Medical Humanities Series, the Law, Reason and Value Talks, the Social and Applied Epistemology Series, the Joint Legal Philosophy Colloquium, the Melden Lectures, the California Phenomenology Circle and the meetings of the Southern California Epistemology Network and of the Southern California Metaphysics Network. 

Our traditional Philosophy major can be supplemented with two tracks: Philosophy, Medicine and Well-Being and Philosophy, Law and Society.  We also have an Honors Program in Philosophy.  

We offer two minors, in Medical Humanities and in Humanities and Law, as well a Medical Humanities Emphasis. And we participate in the M.A. in Philosophy Political Science and Economics.

We are also proud of our undergrads, who are going to represent UCI at Ethics Bowl. Thanks to their engagement, we have a lively Philosophy Club, whose journal - Falsafa - enters its sixth year.  

We are grateful for the help of our Alumni.  No matter how big or small the donation, it makes a difference.