Columbia University Department of Philosophy
Encyclopedia
The Columbia University
Department of Philosophy
is ranked 13th in the US and 14th in the English-speaking world, in the 2009 ranking of philosophy departments by The Philosophical Gourmet Report (whereas it was ranked 9th and 10th in the previous 2006–2008 ranking). This fall is explained as follows by Brian Leiter: "Columbia lost the political philosopher Thomas Pogge
to Yale, and also saw a number of regular and cognate faculty enter the "over 70" category as of 2009 (including Haim Gaifman and Joseph Raz
). Still, I'm inclined to think Columbia's slip is a bit of a statistical blip, rather than a fundamental change in the department." It still has particular strength in philosophy of mind, political philosophy, philosophy of law, philosophy of biology, general philosophy of science, philosophy of social sciences, 17th-century early modern philosophy, and 20th-century continental philosophy.
The department is distinguished by its being prone to promote philosophical domains not considered as "mainstream" in other philosophy departments. Not only does it offer advanced research in the wide range of subjects in analytical philosophy but it also has particular strengths in the history of Western philosophy. It also benefits from the presence or activity nearby of other departments' faculty such as Souleymane Bachir Diagne
from French and Romance Philology, Joseph Raz
and R. Kent Greenawalt from Law School or Jon Elster
from Political Science. Many cross-registered courses allow students to enlarge their scopes in other departments.
The philosophy departments of City University of New York
, which is a few blocks away, and New York University
have close relations with the faculty. Enrolled graduate students are able to take courses offered at these universities. The Graduate School is also a member of the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) which provides for cross-registration among member institutions. Participating schools are CUNY Graduate Center, Fordham University
, New School for Social Research, New York University (including the Institute of Fine Arts), Princeton University
, Rutgers University
, and Stony Brook University.
Every year Columbia University and NYU philosophy graduate students organize the Annual NYU/Columbia Graduate Student Philosophy Conference.
Columbia University is also the home publisher of the Journal of Philosophy
.
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Department of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
is ranked 13th in the US and 14th in the English-speaking world, in the 2009 ranking of philosophy departments by The Philosophical Gourmet Report (whereas it was ranked 9th and 10th in the previous 2006–2008 ranking). This fall is explained as follows by Brian Leiter: "Columbia lost the political philosopher Thomas Pogge
Thomas Pogge
Thomas Winfried Menko Pogge is a German philosopher and is currently the Director of the Global Justice Program and Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs at Yale University...
to Yale, and also saw a number of regular and cognate faculty enter the "over 70" category as of 2009 (including Haim Gaifman and Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz is a legal, moral and political philosopher. He is one of the most prominent advocates of legal positivism. He has spent most of his career as professor of philosophy of law and a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and simultaneously as professor of law at Columbia University Law...
). Still, I'm inclined to think Columbia's slip is a bit of a statistical blip, rather than a fundamental change in the department." It still has particular strength in philosophy of mind, political philosophy, philosophy of law, philosophy of biology, general philosophy of science, philosophy of social sciences, 17th-century early modern philosophy, and 20th-century continental philosophy.
The department is distinguished by its being prone to promote philosophical domains not considered as "mainstream" in other philosophy departments. Not only does it offer advanced research in the wide range of subjects in analytical philosophy but it also has particular strengths in the history of Western philosophy. It also benefits from the presence or activity nearby of other departments' faculty such as Souleymane Bachir Diagne
Souleymane Bachir Diagne
Souleymane Bachir Diagne is a Senegalese philosopher, born in 1955 in Saint-Louis . His work is focused on the history of logic and mathematics, epistemology, the tradition of philosophy in the Islamic world, identity formation, and African literatures and philosophies.After passing his...
from French and Romance Philology, Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz
Joseph Raz is a legal, moral and political philosopher. He is one of the most prominent advocates of legal positivism. He has spent most of his career as professor of philosophy of law and a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and simultaneously as professor of law at Columbia University Law...
and R. Kent Greenawalt from Law School or Jon Elster
Jon Elster
Jon Elster is a Norwegian social and political theorist who has authored works in the philosophy of social science and rational choice theory...
from Political Science. Many cross-registered courses allow students to enlarge their scopes in other departments.
The philosophy departments of City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, which is a few blocks away, and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
have close relations with the faculty. Enrolled graduate students are able to take courses offered at these universities. The Graduate School is also a member of the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) which provides for cross-registration among member institutions. Participating schools are CUNY Graduate Center, Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, New School for Social Research, New York University (including the Institute of Fine Arts), Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and Stony Brook University.
Every year Columbia University and NYU philosophy graduate students organize the Annual NYU/Columbia Graduate Student Philosophy Conference.
Columbia University is also the home publisher of the Journal of Philosophy
Journal of Philosophy
The Journal of Philosophy is a monthly peer-reviewed academic journal on philosophy. Its stated purpose is "To publish philosophical articles of current interest and encourage the interchange of ideas, especially the exploration of the borderline between philosophy and other disciplines." The...
.
Faculty
A short list of department faculty:- David AlbertDavid AlbertDavid Z Albert, Ph.D., is Frederick E. Woodbridge Professor of Philosophy and Director of the M.A. Program in The Philosophical Foundations of Physics at Columbia University in New York. He received his B.S. in physics from Columbia College and his doctorate in theoretical physics from The...
, specializing in philosophy of physics and philosophy of science. - Akeel BilgramiAkeel BilgramiAkeel Bilgrami is an Indian-born philosopher of language and of mind, and the author of Belief and Meaning, Self-Knowledge and Resentment, and Politics and the Moral Psychology of Identity , as well as various articles in Philosophy of Mind as well as in Political and Moral Psychology...
, specializing in philosophy of Mind, philosophy of Language, political philosophy and moral philosophy. - Taylor Carman, specializing in 19th and 20th century European philosophy, especially Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty.
- John D. Collins, specializing in metaphysics, epistemology, and decision theory.
- Haim Gaifman, specializing in probability theory, logic, philosophy of languagePhilosophy of languagePhilosophy of language is the reasoned inquiry into the nature, origins, and usage of language. As a topic, the philosophy of language for analytic philosophers is concerned with four central problems: the nature of meaning, language use, language cognition, and the relationship between language...
, and early 20th Century Analytic Philosophy. He has worked personally with Rudolf CarnapRudolf CarnapRudolf Carnap was an influential German-born philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism....
and earned his Ph.D. under Alfred TarskiAlfred TarskiAlfred Tarski was a Polish logician and mathematician. Educated at the University of Warsaw and a member of the Lwow-Warsaw School of Logic and the Warsaw School of Mathematics and philosophy, he emigrated to the USA in 1939, and taught and carried out research in mathematics at the University of...
. - Lydia Goehr, specializing in philosophy of music, aesthetics, critical theory, philosophy of history, and 19th and 20th Century Philosophy.
- Jeffrey N. Helzner, specializing in decision theory and logic.
- Patricia Kitcher, specializing in Kant, philosophy of psychology and Freud.
- Philip Kitcher, specializing in philosophy of science, biology, and mathematics.
- Wolfgang Mann, specialization in ancient philosophy.
- Christia Mercer, specializing in early modern philosophy with special focus on sixteenth century platonism and humanism, history of science, metaphysics.
- John Morrison, specializing in early modern philosophy and philosophy of mind.
- Frederick NeuhouserFrederick NeuhouserFrederick Neuhouser is the Viola Manderfeld Professor of German and a Professor of Philosophy at Barnard College, Columbia University.Before joining Columbia as a faculty member, Neuhouser taught at Harvard University, University of California, San Diego, Cornell University and Johann Wolfgang...
, specializing in modern European philosophy, especially Rousseau. - Christopher PeacockeChristopher PeacockeChristopher Arthur Bruce Peacocke is a philosopher especially known for his work in philosophy of mind and epistemology...
, specializing in philosophy of mind, biology, and mathematics. - Carol Rovane, specializing in metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind. In history of philosophy: Descartes, Kant, the pragmatists.
- David Sidorsky, specializing in political philosophy and ethical theory.
- Achille VarziAchille Varzi (philosopher)Achille C. Varzi is a professor of philosophy at Columbia University. He specializes in metaphysics and logic.Along with Roberto Casati, he authored "Holes and Other Superficialities", an exploration into the ontology of holes, as well as "Parts and Places: The Structures of Spatial...
, specializing in logic and metaphysics. - Katja Vogt, specializing in ancient philosophy and ethics.