Welcome to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Philosophy homepage.
Mindy Lawson was accepted into the Ph.D. program at the University of Oregon in Philosophy and awarded a graduate teaching fellowship and a summer stipend. She presented her paper, "A Nietzschean Response to the Demands of Beauty in Contemporary Western Society," at the 13th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference at Pacific University in Oregon, April 13-15, 2009, with support from the Undergraduate Research Academy and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Congratulations to Professor Peg Simons on the publication of the book Simone de Beauvoir, Wartime Diary, which she co-edited!
"[T]he Wartime Diary provides an exciting account of Beauvoir’s philosophical transformation from the prewar solipsism of She Came to Stay to the postwar political engagement of The Second Sex. Cast in the crucible of the Nazi Occupation, Beauvoir’s existentialist ethics reflects dramatic collective experiences, such as joining the tide of refugees fleeing the German invasion in June 1940, as well as the courageous reaffirmation of her individuality in constructing a humanist ethics of freedom and solidarity in January 1941." - University of Illinois Press
Review:
“There is nothing to compete with Beauvoir’s Wartime Diary; the translation is clear, jargon-free, and engaging. Not only is the diary a very significant contribution to Beauvoir scholarship, but it is also an amazing eyewitness testimonial of what daily life in and near Paris was like for civilians under the German occupation. Once I started reading it, I literally couldn’t put it down.”--Claudia Card, author of The Cambridge Companion to Simone de Beauvoir
The principal mission of the Philosophy Department is to foster humane learning in a free, pluralistic democratic society, which entails an effort to discern and to give expression to the highest and deepest of human values and skills. The Department will achieve excellence in its three-fold task of providing: 1) innovative, high quality degree programs for its majors and minors; 2) outstanding general education courses, including Critical Thinking, for SIUE students; and 3) excellent courses in applied ethics for students in SIUE professional programs and schools.
The Philosophy Department will be recognized nationally for the excellence of its graduates, programs, and faculty. Our graduates will demonstrate excellence in their philosophical work, which will be characterized by: Cogency of Argument, Clarity of expression, Knowledge of issues and alternatives, Accuracy of interpretation, Creativity or originality of expression. Our diverse faculty will be exemplary teacher-scholars dedicated to helping students become lifelong learners and effective leaders in their professions and communities.