Philosophy and Religious Studies
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
– Soren Kierkegaard
Philosophy
Philosophy examines and critically evaluates theories about reality, knowledge, truth, ethics, values, God, the afterlife, etc. It aids in the development of reasoning skills needed for doing this. It also helps uncover the assumptions underlying our understanding of the world and subjects these assumptions to careful scrutiny using the tools of logic.
Questions philosophers consider include: Who are we? Is there a God? How can we know anything? Do we have a “free will”? What is consciousness? How should we act? What is the meaning of life? Why is there something rather than nothing?
Religious Studies
Our Religious Studies courses will allow you to:
- Examine trends of religion in the 19th and 20th Century
- Explore the Eastern contributions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism
- Review the “religions of the book,” especially Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the forces that shaped them
- Make an objective, scholarly reading of the Judeo-Christian scriptures
What You’ll Study
- Philosophy
- Social and Political Philosophy
- History of Ancient Philosophy
- History of Modern Philosophy
- Philosophy of Religion
- Religious Studies
- Religions of the East
- Religions of the West
- Jesus and His Interpreters
- Ethics
- Business Ethics
- Symbolic Logic
- Logic and Critical Thinking
- Critical Thinking and Writing
- World Religions
Catalog
Visit our catalog for more information about the degrees and certificates, courses, and program learning outcomes for students majoring in Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Careers & Salary
Careers
- Philosophy Teacher
- Religion Teacher
Salary
- Low: $43k
- Average: $80k
- High: $157k
Program Mapper
Faculty
- Will Heusser
- Myev Rees
- Jason Thibodeau
Adjunct Faculty
- Mary (Carol) Dingman
- Brian Kobayashi
- Nhat-Long (Johnny) Vu
- Jim Watkins
- Martin Young
Philosophy and Religious Studies Department
Location: Humanities Building, Room 238
T: (714) 484-7185
Department Chair: Will Heusser, wheusser@cypresscollege.edu