Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide access to an excellent, comprehensive, and balanced education in philosophy.

Philosophers are dedicated to educating students in logic, critical thinking, argumentation, ethical sensitivity, and creative ways of wondering about the natural and social worlds. We seek to instill in our students a strong grasp of the history of philosophy in a multicultural context, such that they are acquainted with the major figures, traditions, schools of thought, and issues or problems in the main areas of inquiry: logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and social and political theory.

The student who completes our program should not only be a sharper and more informed thinker, but also  inquisitive, open-minded, cosmopolitan, and more fully and critically engaged in the life of their community.

As a department located on the U.S.-Mexico border, the UTEP Philosophy Department also has a specific purpose to address the needs and people in this region and to promote more diversity within the philosophy profession. According to the last available figures, only four Latinos entered the national job market in 2001. In the past few years, the number of Latino Ph.D.s in philosophy barely reaches an average of 2% nationwide (according to the American Philosophical Association).

The under-representation of Latinos in philosophy is a serious problem, and our department is dedicated to helping address this imbalance.