Philosophy has always been considered the endeavor of the human person to escape from ignorance and to investigate the meaning of nature, of self, and of reality as a whole. Of course, philosophy is not alone in wanting to escape from ignorance; other disciplines, natural, social and literary, share that desire. But philosophy attempts to take a broader view, and for over two millennia philosophers have sought the type of understanding which leads to wisdom. Their ideas have become the very roots of the great social, political, educational, economic, literary, and scientific movements of every age. Thus, philosophy includes as one of its tasks a consideration of the presuppositions of other academic disciplines. This is why it is viewed as an essential component of a truly liberal education. Then, too, in a Christian context, philosophy cannot ignore the perspective it receives from faith, nor the part it can play in understanding of God's revelation.

All students at Saint Michael's College are required to take two basic courses in philosophy to enable them tomeet with these fundamental questions and to see how great thinkers of the past have responded to them. The first course (Philosophy 103) introduces students to some basic philosophical issues with the help of Plato's dialogues and other philosophical texts. After completing Philosophy 103, the student can choose the second course from Philosophy of Human Nature (PH 201), Ethics (PH 203), Philosophy of Society (PH 205), or Philosophy of Religion (PH 207).

For those students who wish to deepen their knowledge of the subject electives are offered to acquaint them with the history, development, methods, and content of nearly the entire range of philosophy.