Department of Philosophy
Attention MA and prospective MA students.
If you wish be considered for departmental money, apply for admission to the program by January 15, 2010. Also, please send an email by this date indicating that you intend to apply to Rhonda Martens at
Application for UMGF 2010 -2011
*International Students need to apply at least 9 months prior to their antcipated start date*
Friday Colloquia Series (Philosophical Fridays)
September 18, 2009: Neil McArthur (University of Manitoba)
October 2, 2009: Dwayne Raymond (University of Regina)
October 16, 2009: Joyce Jenkins (University of Manitoba)
October 30, 2009: Michael Hickson (University of Winnipeg)
November 13, 2009: Rob Shaver (University of Manitoba)
November 27, 2009: Esa Diaz Leon (University of Manitoba)
January 15, 2010: Gillian Russell (Washington University, Saint Louis)
January 29, 2010: Joshua Spencer (Syracuse University)
February 5, 2010: Carl Matheson (University of Manitoba)
February 12, 2010: Nicole Hassoun (Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh)
March 12, 2010: Cody Gilmore (University of California Davis)
March 19, 2010: Dan Lopez de Sa (University of Barcelona)
March 26, 2010: Gideon Yaffe (USC, Los Angeles)
For more information on locations and times, please check the Events Calendar.
What Is Philosophy
Philosophy is at once the most useful, and the most useless, of all academic disciplines. It teaches students skills of critical reasoning and textual analysis that are essential to excel at nearly any university course, and that are guaranteed to be of use in a wide variety of professions, and especially at the highest levels of business and government. However, it also demands that students turn their attention to problems that are abstract and often far removed from their daily lives. The true purpose of such abstract thinking is not to find a solution to these problems (they do not lend themselves to definitive solution) but instead to pursue a kind of self-exploration, one that only comes when the mind is forced to apply itself to some of the most fundamental, and most vexing, questions of human existence. This process can be harrowing. Not all philosophers wear black and sit in cafes looking depressed. But many do, and there are good reasons why this is so.
Who We Are
The University of Manitoba Philosophy Department pursues three main objectives:
To teach undergraduate courses in philosophy that give students a knowledge and love of the discipline and its distinctive techniques of critical analysis and argument
To supervise and train Philosophy M.A. students in such a way as to equip them to pursue PhDs in philosophy or careers in teaching, government and other fields;
To undertake high-quality, original research in a variety of sub-fields of philosophy.
A less formal, but equally important, objective is to create an atmosphere where important questions are discussed in a spirit of openness and sympathy. We sponsor talks and other events that allow students and professors to meet and talk about philosophical issues they care about, and that expose them to the latest thinking in the discipline. Check the “Events” section in the right-hand column of this page for more information.
Though small, we are a broad-ranging department, with expertise in most major areas of philosophy, including metaphysics, philosophy of science, the history of philosophy, moral philosophy and applied ethics. We are affiliated with the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics. The department is considered by the Philosophical Gourmet Report to have one of the strongest faculties of terminal M.A. degree-offering institutions in Canada. Our placement record for students who pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy compares favorably with departments ranked by the Report as top 10 M.A. programs in philosophy in the U.S.
We invite anyone who is interested to join our Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=62836398669
We don't twitter.
453 University College
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada