WELCOME TO WENATCHEE VALLEY COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
WHAT WE DO:
Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Immanuel Kant invoked the Latin phrase “Sapere Aude” – dare to think – to capture the essence of that age of Reason, the Enlightenment, which saw the flowering of science and philosophy as an intellectual power erupted on the horizon of history like never before. The study of philosophy not only includes the history of philosophy, but also an introduction to the Socratic, “examined” way of living a contemplative life that truly embodies what it means to “dare” to think for oneself. At Wenatchee Valley College, philosophy courses are designed to challenge students in the area of critical thinking. Students are exposed to major theories in the areas of ethics, logic, metaphysics, and epistemology
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
Philosophy is a rational inquiry into the most fundamental questions and problems of reality and existence, including being, knowledge, and morality. Philosophy is more than a science. It is also a way of life that practices the never-ending art of thinking deeply about the deepest questions known to humanity.