Welcome to Philosophy
About the Department
The Department of Philosophy was established in 1983. It offers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, and participates in two interdisciplinary doctoral programs, the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT) and Science and Technology Studies (STS).
It has nine regular faculty members working in a variety of philosophical fields, particularly the philosophy of science, the history of philosophy, and moral and political philosophy. It also has five visiting faculty members, working in epistemology, philosophy of language, continental philosophy, and moral and political philosophy. The department chair is James Klagge. The director of graduate studies is Walter Ott. The director of undergraduate studies is Joseph Pitt.
Please use the links to the left to explore information about the members of the philosophy community at Virginia Tech, the degrees and courses we offer, and past and future events in the department.
For more information about studying philosophy at Virginia Tech, see our video, "Philosophy at Virginia Tech: Unravel Your World," in either Windows Media, Quicktime, or RealMedia formats.
New Faculty
The Department of Philosophy welcomes two new faculty members in 2011:
- Benjamin C. Jantzen, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University, 2010. Website.
Research Areas: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy of Biology. - Tristram McPherson, Ph.D. Princeton University, 2008. Website.
Research Areas: Ethics (especially metaethics and normative ethics), epistemology.
Assistant Professor in Moral and Political Philosophy
The Department of Philosophy and the interdisciplinary program, the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT), invite applications for a tenure track position in the Philosophy Department, to begin August 10, 2012.
Rank: Assistant Professor
AOS: Moral or Political Philosophy
AOC: Moral and Political Philosophy
The department is a major component of the ASPECT interdisciplinary PhD program. Since this position is part of an ASPECT cluster hire, the successful candidate will have a special interest in and a commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research connected with the ASPECT program.
The teaching load is four courses per year, including one graduate seminar. Evidence of excellence in research and teaching required. Salary: competitive. Ph.D. completed by August, 2012. Virginia Tech is an EO/AA employer and particularly encourages applications from women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and minorities.
Interested candidates are REQUIRED to complete a brief on-line application at www.jobs.vt.edu (under Current Job Openings, posting #0110928) and send dossier (cover letter with statement of interest, CV, 3 letters of recommendation, graduate transcripts, a writing sample, and evidence of teaching excellence) to ASPECT Search Committee, Department of Philosophy (0126), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061. We will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received, until the position is filled. Applications should be received by November 14, 2011, for full consideration.
Recent Books
Members of the department have recent or forthcoming books:
| Deborah Mayo and Aris Spanos, eds., Error and Inference: Recent Exchanges on Experimental Reasoning, Reliability, and the Objectivity and Rationality of Science, Cambridge University Press, 2009. | |
 | Walter Ott, Causation and Laws of Nature in Early Modern Philosophy, Oxford University Press, 2009. | |
 | James Klagge, Wittgenstein in Exile, MIT Press, 2010. |
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| Joseph C. Pitt, Doing Philosophy of Technology: Essays in a Pragmatist Spirit, Springer Verlag, 2011. |
Facebook users can join the Philosophy Department facebook group. We'll use the group to post event notices and philosophy-related links.
Contact
The department is located on the second floor of Major Williams Hall on the Upper Quad of Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus (building 7 on the campus map).
For general correspondence and inquiries, please use the following address:
Philosophy Department
229 Major Williams Hall (0126)
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061 U.S.A.
Phone: (540) 231-4564
Fax: (540) 231-6367
Email: phildept (at) vt.edu