Welcome
The Department of Philosophy at Memorial University is a small but vibrant community of scholars actively researching and teaching in a variety of areas of philosophy in the heritage city of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Department offers a variety of undergraduate programs and directs graduate research in the history of philosophy, continental philosophy, and political philosophy, as well as other areas. Students of all levels are invited to come with us and explore the nature and problems of existence, being and thought.
News
When we think of university campuses, we picture lecture halls and labs. But what about a space for that time between classes? It is equally essential to have a comfortable space to study or kick back and relax between lectures. The newly refurbished Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Commons, in SN-1107, offers HSS students such a space. Check out this Gazette article on why interim Dean, Dr. Craig, wanted to rejuvenate this space for students.
In the last academic year, graduate students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Memorial University won more than 40 awards, 40 grants, and 140 fellowships & scholarships. Additionally, they produced more than 40 publications and creative endeavours. Watch the video celebration of all this success.
Congratulations to Dr. Kyla Bruff!
On the 7th of March, 2022, Kyla successfully defended the first PhD in Philosophy in the history of Memorial University! Kyla's thesis, "Schelling's Political Philosophy," reconstructs the social and political thinking of the German Idealist, F.W.J. Schelling (1775-1854). Kyla's dissertation is the product of many years of research at Memorial and at various universities in Europe. The PhD was completed as a Cotutelle with the prestigious University of Freiburg in Germany. Dr. Bruff's two German examiners, Dr. Philipp Schwab and Dr. Lore Hühn, awarded her the highest grade possible in the German University System, Summa Cum Laude. The external examiner, Dr. Paul Franks from Yale University concurred. Dr. Bruff is in her first year of a tenure track position in philosophy at Carleton University. For more details on Dr. Bruff at Carleton see the following press release https://carleton.ca/philosophy/2022/kyla-spotlight/