Rice University’s Department of Philosophy is a community of clear and creative thinkers—faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates—that work together to address some of the most fundamental questions that arise for us as human beings.
Students of all levels work directly with internationally recognized faculty on questions that are relevant far beyond philosophy: What is the nature of knowledge and truth? How can we distinguish between what really is and what only seems to be? What is consciousness? What is the right thing to do and where do our values come from? How should we live with others in society? Every field of knowledge will eventually lead to philosophical questions.
Support from individuals like you allows us to build on the international reputation of our faculty and to directly invest in the intellectual flourishing and career development of our students. Gifts of any size impact a range of key initiatives within the department. Some of these initiatives are:
- A well-established lecture series that brings between six and eight guest speakers to Rice.
- Fellowships and awards for outstanding undergraduate students.
- Support for the activities of our graduate students (e.g. conference travel).
- An endowed professorship in political philosophy or the philosophy of law.
- The development of a Center for Ethics and Democracy that seeks to address some of the most pertinent moral questions of today’s complex world.
By investing in the Department of Philosophy, you will help us to foster something that is very rare these days: a community of critical and courageous thinkers who ask the really big questions—questions that are at the core of all fields of knowledge and that our society grapples with today more than ever, from bioethics and research into the structure of consciousness to the moral essentials of a thriving and prosperous democracy.
To learn more about making a specific impact, please contact Emily Stein, Senior Director of Development, at ems12@rice.edu or (713) 348-3424.