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Prall
House, home of the Philosophy Department
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The study of philosophy is central to a liberal arts education. First
of all, philosophy is concerned with some of the deepest and most difficult
questions we can ask: questions about human nature and the meaning of
life, about the nature of reality, about the possibility and extent of
knowledge, about the existence of God, and about morality and how we should
live. Students of philosophy come to know how some of the greatest thinkers
in history have answered such questions and how they are addressed by
contemporary philosophers. In addition, understanding the arguments of
philosophers in response to these questions requires careful analysis
and close study. Students of philosophy acquire the ability to discern
the most important features of complex material, learn to assess elaborate
arguments, and come to form their own conclusions on difficult and important
questions. In general, philosophers develop sophisticated skills of critical
analysis and evaluation. Philosophy thus provides knowledge of matters
of enduring human concern, as well as reasoning skills of general value,
and so provides benefits that extend throughout life.
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