Department of Philosophy
Why study Philosophy?
Learn how to think, discuss and write about abstract ideas. Discover how philosophy contributes to disciplines as diverse as sociology and computer science. You'll develop skills that lead to success in a wide range of graduate studies, and beyond.
Why Gender and Sexuality Studies?
The interdisciplinary Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSXS) program (formerly Women’s Studies WMST) focuses on issues of gender and sexuality, as well as race, class, disability, citizenship/documentation, age, and environmental issues. The program is defined by intersectional feminism and is global in scope. Issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion feature in all GSXS courses. GSXS instructors are committed to collaborative and participatory classrooms, decolonial learning, and a human rights agenda.
The supportive and welcoming attitudes of the members of the Philosophy Department at the University of Calgary fostered a collaborative environment that allowed me to thrive personally and academically.
Makmiller Pedroso
PhD'12, Assistant Professor, Towson University
Philosophy
Philosophy is the systematic and critical study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and how we should live. Students use critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis to understand the world and our place within it. An education rooted in philosophy has been linked to higher overall performance in admission tests for graduate programs in law, medicine, business, journalism, government and the arts. Discover how philosophy contributes to disciplines as diverse as sociology and computer science.
Religious studies
Religious Studies is the academic, non-confessional study of the world’s religions and the people who practice them. Students seek to understand religions and their practitioners in their own historical and cultural contexts and in comparative perspective with other traditions, as well as how to analyze the history, nature, and role of religion in society.
Gender and Sexuality Studies
The interdisciplinary Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSXS) focuses on issues of gender and sexuality, as well as race, class, disability, citizenship/documentation, age, and environmental issues. The program is defined by intersectional feminism and is global in scope. Issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion feature in all GSXS courses. GSXS instructors are committed to collaborative and participatory classrooms, decolonial learning, and a human rights agenda.
The supportive and welcoming attitudes of the members of the Philosophy Department at the University of Calgary fostered a collaborative environment that allowed me to thrive personally and academically.
Makmiller Pedroso - PhD'12, Assistant Professor, Towson University
Department of Philosophy news and announcements
Does the empirical evidence support that perception has singular content?
Evan Robichaud's thesis investigates whether perceptual experiences that draw attention to particular objects have singular or general contents
New faculty for fall 2026
The Faculty of Arts welcomes 12 new members this semester
June 2026 Transdisciplinary Connector Grants Awarded
Researchers from the Faculty of Arts play central leadership and collaboration roles in transdisciplinary projects
Monetary Justice in the Era of Central Bank Independence
Andrew Allison’s dissertation offers a neo-republican analysis of central bank independence
Reframing Expertise in Psychiatric Classification: Values, Objectivity, and Institutional Reform
Christina Leach Allan’s thesis examines how mental disorders are classified and why diagnostic revision is important in clinical practice
Introducing the Faculty of Arts newest leadership
Celebrating four new leadership appointments alongside two renewed terms.
In the media
In the News Cathy Billington in Calgary Herald
Gala aims to expand Sikh Studies program at University of Calgary
In the News Safaneh Mohaghegh Neyshabouri, Philosophy/School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures, in CBC News
Calgary's Iranian community looks to the future as military action unfolds in Iran
In the News Harjeet Singh Grewal, Classics and Religion, in CTV News
New exhibit celebrates legacy of Sikh soldiers in Canadian military
In the News Andrew Allison, Philosophy, The Conversation
What the looming federal election could mean for the Bank of Canada’s independence
In the News Andrew Allison writing in The Conversation Canada
What the looming federal election could mean for the Bank of Canada’s independence
In the News Safaneh Neyshabouri, Philosophy/School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures, in The Globe and Mail, in
Alberta tables legislation regulating pronouns in school, gender in sports, limiting access to health care
The Trouble of the Token Fish
UCalgary philosophy alumnus Dr. Aadil Kurji examines how artificial intelligence understands language and the challenges large language models face when words and concepts evolve over time.
Oct. 23 | 3 – 5 p.m.
Social Sciences 1253