Philosophy

Welcome to the Department of Philosophy

Click HERE for a list of our Fall 2025 courses!

Philosophy lies at the heart of a liberal arts education. Philosophy at Elon marries an exploration of enduring human concerns with a practical purpose to enhance our lives, our communities and our care for the earth.

Philosophical study at Elon focuses on three sets of skills:

critical and constructive thinking: aiding students in identifying, analyzing and offering solutions to problems;

ethical practice: exploring ways to act wisely and effectively in our own lives and with others; and

interpretive understanding: allowing students to bridge the meaning and value systems of diverse individuals, cultures and epochs.

Such skills are valuable for law and leadership, ministry and the helping professions, citizenship and service, and for deepening the quality of our lives. At 40 semester hours, the philosophy major is designed to allow room for a double major or a minor.

Department News

After medical challenges, Robby Van Riet ’25 proves ‘anything is possible’
Robby Van Riet started his college experience like any other student, but when a medical challenge changed his course, his determination and Elon helped him ‘surf the waves,’ rather than ‘change the current.’
‘Film and Philosophy’ course pushes students to make a film (with and without a camera)
Elon’s “Film and Philosophy” course, funded through the Fund for Excellence in the Arts and Sciences and a Center for the Advancement in Teaching and Learning Mini-Grant, allows students to use older film technology and gain hands-on experience.
Fourteen Elon seniors, alumni named semifinalists for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities to recent graduates in more than 140 countries, with approximately 2,200 grants awarded annually in all fields of study.
Elon philosophy professor unearths roots of American philosophy in new book
Ryan Johnson, associate professor of philosophy, traces the influence of German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel in the work of American philosophers in “Three American Hegels."