Program Information

With 46 faculty members, it is one of the largest philosophy Ph.D. programs in the United States. Fifteen of these hold positions at The Graduate Center itself. The rest also teach in CUNY’s undergraduate colleges. Thirteen of the faculty hold the position of Distinguished or Presidential Professor: Sergei Artemov, Noel Carroll, Michael Devitt, Carol Gould, Stephen Neale, David Papineau, Rohit Parikh, Graham Priest, and Jesse Prinz. For a full faculty list, visit the directory of Philosophy faculty.

The size and breadth of the faculty enables it to cover all areas of philosophy, including logic, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, history of philosophy (ancient, medieval, modern), philosophy of biology, ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics, philosophy of race and gender, contemporary European philosophy, and Eastern philosophy.

There are three research centers connected with the Program:

• The Saul Kripke Center works to preserve and prepare for publication Distinguished Professor Saul Kripke’s manuscripts and lectures.
• The Center for Interdisciplinary Science Studies, directed by Distinguished Professor Jesse Prinz, is supports research by faculty and advanced graduate students that brings humanities research into dialogue with the sciences. The associated Philosophy Lab, led by Jesse Prinz, trains philosophy students to design and run psychological experiments that bear on philosophical debates.
• The Center for Global Ethics and Politics, run by Distinguished Professor Carol Gould, is dedicated to exploring contemporary issues in justice, democracy, and related areas.

The associated centers run regular seminars, host visiting speakers, and organize conferences. In addition, there are weekly meetings of other research groups:

• Professor David Rosenthal organizes a series on the philosophy of mind and cognitive science.
• Distinguished Professor Graham Priest runs a series on logic and metaphysics.
• Assistant Professor Daniel Harris (Hunter College) coordinates a series on the philosophy of language (jointly with NYU and Columbia).

The Program also supports the most active colloquium series of any philosophy program in NYC, with speakers every week that classes are in session. Each presentation is followed by a wine and cheese reception, which affords students the opportunity to engage with speakers, as well as professors and their fellow students. This weekly series adds to the sense of cohesion and camaraderie in the program.

The Program also hosts an annual CUNY Graduate Philosophy Conference organized by doctoral students. 

Faculty-run organizations and events are supplemented by a number of student-run organizations that focus on various groups historically underrepresented in philosophy:

• SWIP-Analytic is a group dedicated to promoting and providing a space for women working in analytic philosophy, jointly organized at CUNY and NYU. 
• SWIPshop focuses on feminist philosophy and holds talks at The Graduate Center. 
• MAP, or Minorities and Philosophy, is a branch of a national organization with the aim to serve people under-represented in philosophy.
• The Student Steering Committee helps address student concerns and bring proposals to the program. 

The GC Philosophy Program is geographically located in the heart of a major focus of world philosophy. NYU and the New School are a short walk down 5^th Avenue; Columbia and Fordham are a convenient train ride uptown; and Rutgers, Princeton, Yale, and a number of other schools are all within an easy train ride from Penn Station. In addition, the Program is part of a consortium with most of these universities, which allows students to take courses for credit at them.