Best schools for philosophy in America? (MA, PhD)

[Guest]

Hello,

I've read through all the topics pertinent to my question and haven't exactly found a consensus on what schools are the best for philosophy.

I have a BA in Theology and intend to be a Systematic Theologian, but I recognize the value of having a thorough background in philosophy as a part of my study.

I never took a pure philosophy course but have studied philosophers from a theological and historical standpoint so far. My university doesn't have a philosophy program at all.

I'm currently going to get a masters in theology and then plan to get a degree in philosophy. In pursuing my master's degree I hope to obtain a more basic background in philosophy as well, but I want to learn about it from philosophers as well. I'm hoping for a non-terminal MA/MPhil degree, hopefully with excellent funding.

Any guidance you could provide would be fantastic

[magog]

What is called 'philosophy' is so broad in subject and method that I'm confident in saying there is no 'best' place to study it. It all depends on what exactly under the broad umbrella of 'philosophy' you're interested in. Ethics? Metaphysics? Phil of religion? Phenomenology? Ancient Greek? Political? Epistemology? Critical Theory? Cog. Science? Logic? Pragmatism? Etc.

Since you are coming from a theological background you might also consider Religious Studies programs that have heavy philosophy components.

We could give you a better answer if you could tell us what types of philosophical problems/which philosophers interest you, and maybe a bit more on your theological background as well. Protestant? Catholic? Other? Do you ultimately want a PhD in philosophy? Theology? Religious Studies?

As far as funding, that's tricky. There are some MA programs with funding, but I'm not aware of any that I would call 'excellent' (I'm not nearly as familiar with non-continental programs though, so others will have better info on that).

[objectivityofcontradiction]

Stanford's program in Religious Studies is strong and has courses taught by professors of philosophy and religion.

Here's a link to Brian Leiter's (U of Chicago) Philosophical Gourmet--the link is to a breakdown of the best philosophy of religion programs in the US, UK, and Australia. Just remember to take the rankings with a grain of salt.

http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/breakdown/breakdown7.asp

[Guest]

In trying to answer your questions, you will have to forgive my merely basic knowledge of philosophy.

I have dealt primarily with ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology in my theological studies. My biggest felt need is to discover more thoroughly the philosophers that have influenced Christianity including Plato, Socrates, Augustine, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, and even thinkers like Nietzsche. I have also explored Hegelian philosophy, particularly as it pertains to the philosophy of history. I'm still at such an uninformed level that I can't wisely say which part of philosophy I'd like to explore more thoroughly, but with the above in mind and my additional interest in logic and phenomenology, I am certainly still trying to find my place.

I am a Seventh-day Adventist and attended an SDA institution. We are a Protestant church founded in the Anabaptist tradition.

Ultimately I would likely get a PhD in Systematic Theology, but it is possible that I could sway to philosophy depending on how my masters-level studies go. I will first pursue a masters in theology (in the form of an MA, MTS, or MDiv depending on the school) and then hope to have a firmer basis for exploring philosophy so I don't get into a masters program completely unprepared.

[UnbearableNausea]

I have a BA in Theology and intend to be a Systematic Theologian, but I recognize the value of having a thorough background in philosophy as a part of my study.

I never took a pure philosophy course but have studied philosophers from a theological and historical standpoint so far. My university doesn't have a philosophy program at all.

I'm currently going to get a masters in theology and then plan to get a degree in philosophy. In pursuing my master's degree I hope to obtain a more basic background in philosophy as well, but I want to learn about it from philosophers as well. I'm hoping for a non-terminal MA/MPhil degree, hopefully with excellent funding.

No offense intended, but if you have only taken philosophy courses from a theological perspective and your degree-granting institution did not have any full-time Philosophy-oriented faculty, then I think an M.A. in any area of philosophy other than Philosophy of Religion might be a shock to the system. I would say generally that having a degree in Philosophy will certainly help you in theology, but having a degree in theology will likely not help you in focus areas that are not Philosophy of Religion. Just my two cents (my undergrad program was heavily oriented toward philosophy of religion and "postmodern" theological approaches and I found many of the theology students who took philosophy courses to be woefully unprepared for the different approach).

You mention Hegel for history of philosophy and Plato, Socrates, etc. Have you considered a Classics focus or Ancient Philosophy? This might also pair well with language often useful in theology, such as Latin, Greek, or even German.

[UnbearableNausea]

Also, just thought, you should check out the Leiter Report's section on schools focusing on the Continental tradition - those are the places where you will be able to study Kierkegaard, Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche, maybe even Augustine. Schools falling more heavily in the Analytic tradition likely will not focus on these authors in the way it sounds like you would like to.

[magog]

I agree with Nausea. You might check out the MA programs at Texas A&M or LSU - both are 'pluralistic' and have the potential to offer funding.