Study Philosophy at St. Mary’s University
Students in the Department of Philosophy at St. Mary’s University combine the study of philosophy as an academic discipline with the practice of philosophy as a way of life.
Guided by logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics from philosophical traditions around the world, from antiquity to the present, philosophy students ask “the big questions” about what’s true, real, good and beautiful. Through personal reflection and critical thinking, they apply the lessons of their coursework and the results of their research to the world and their own lives.
The St. Mary’s University Department of Philosophy teaches and guides students in philosophical inquiry, helping them to integrate the study of philosophy as an academic discipline with the practice of philosophy as a way of life.
As integral to our mission, we as a faculty attempt to embody the meaning of philosophy through the pursuit of critical inquiry in the classroom, and in our professional and social lives. Through teaching courses in the Core Curriculum, we also bring philosophical inquiry as a way of life to all students at St. Mary’s, where philosophy sits alongside theology at the authentic core of a Marianist education.
Department Commitment
Ethics Bowl
The Texas Regional Ethics Bowl (TREB) is an annual event at which teams from different universities present and defend positions on ethically provocative cases.
The competition style is rather like a formal debate except that teams may end up arguing for the same position.
The winning side is the one that presents the clearest, most thoughtful treatment of the ethical dimensions of the cases.
The top-placing teams will earn a trophy, and their schools will qualify for the national competition (the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl), sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. Only one team per qualifying school will receive an invitation to the national competition.
The St. Mary’s ethics bowl team will begin preparing early in the Fall semester, and cases will be available in September. The TREB competition takes place in mid-November of the Fall semester.
For more information, contact Andrew Brei, Ph.D., Director of the Texas Regional Ethics Bowl and the Center for Professional Ethics at abrei@stmarytx.edu.
