Thought And Knowledge

What do we think? How do we think? How can we use the powers of the human mind to understand what constitutes us as individuals and as groups of people?

All branches of knowledge, from the sciences to morality and justice, were once understood broadly as the province of philosophy, with the centrally important thinkers of the world, from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to Bacon, Descartes, and Newton labeled with the honorific term "philosopher."  Contemporary philosophers address science, culture, ethics and the law, the powers (and limitations) of the human mind, and other questions with the tools of thought created, or discovered, over thousands of years. All of our humanities' areas address central problems about our place in the world and how we create meaning. 

Arizona State University is home to a distinguished philosophy program in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, and it is also home to a number of philosophers in different units. The History and Philosophy of Science Program lives in the School of Life Sciences, and the Lincoln Center of Applied Ethics takes what's best in philosophy to answer questions of practical urgency.