UST Department of Philosophy

Welcome to the UST Department of Philosophy!

Philosophy in the University of Santo Tomas emanates from the Medieval emphasis on studia humanitatis, a humanistic education rooted in the great intellectual traditions-the formation of human beings according to cultural, moral, and aesthetic ideals derived from a diversity of cultures and civilizations. Humanistic disciplines encompass philosophy, literature, history, archeology, religions, languages, arts and music, and cultural studies; moreover, the humanistic spirit is also shared by various social sciences, such as, political science, sociology, and economics-discourses which tackle the social life-world of men.

The Department of Philosophy oversees the administration of the civil Philosophy programs of UST, separate, but an offshoot, from the University's Ecclesiastical Faculty of Philosophy which administers the Ecclesiastical degrees.

The civil Department of Philosophy services both the Bachelor of Arts Major in Philosophy Program (A.B.) of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the General Education Philosophy Courses offered in the different academic units of the University. The Department of Philosophy is also in coordination with the UST Graduate School for the University's Master of Arts Major in Philosophy (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy Major in Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs.

The teaching and research strengths of the Department's faculty members, both in the undergraduate and graduate levels, are:

• Eastern Philosophy (Chinese, Indian, Filipino)
• East-West Comparative Philosophy
• Thomism and Scholasticism
• European Philosophy

These teaching and research strengths are further enhanced through continuous faculty development activities, research, and publication. The Department is in partnership with the Research Cluster for Culture, Education, and Social Issues (RCCESI) and monitors the individual research projects of Research Associates in Philosophy.

The Department of Philosophy is Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Center of Excellence in Philosophy.

The Department of Philosophy is a member of the Conference Mondiale des Insitituions Universitaires Catholiques de Philosophie (COMIUCAP).

Vision

The Department of Philosophy envisions a vibrant community of faculty and students, a community impassioned by curiosity, learning, compassion, and spirituality.

The Department of Philosophy envisions a comprehensive civil program via administration of the A.B. Major in Philosophy Program of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the General Education Philosophy Courses offered in the different academic units of the University. The Department continues to coordinate with the UST Graduate School in the administration of the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Philosophy.

The Department of Philosophy will make it a point to monitor and support the development of its faculty members in terms of their graduate degree (M.A. and Ph.D.) completions, participation in public forums, and the activation of their individual research projects--for the proper teaching of courses and wielding of the key areas of strength, as well as the establishment of new courses and strengths, profoundly rely on the development of faculty members.

The Department of Philosophy further envisions the establishment of a research cluster for philosophy within the Department which will institutionalize the exploration and advancement of the assertions of the discipline. This research cluster will be committed to the assignment of research units (in lieu of or in addition to teaching units) to faculty members and the publication of research outputs in the form of monographs, occasional papers, textbooks, and scholarly journal publications.

All these will hopefully contribute to the Department's continuing status as Commission on Higher Education Center of Excellence in Philosophy.

Contact Us

Dr. Paolo A. Bolanos
Chairperson

Department of Philosophy
Rm. 109, Main Building
University of Santo Tomas
Espana, Manila 1015
Philippines

Tel no: (63-2) 406-1611 loc. 8236, 8342, 8428
Fax no: (63-2) 749-9779
Email: ustphilodept@gmail.com
Website: philosophy.ust.edu.ph

Mission

The Department of Philosophy of the University of Santo Tomas welcomes the various disciplines that cross the boundaries between humanistic disciplines and other programs that explore the inextricable connection between the humanities and other areas of scholarship.

Philosophy in UST stems from the tradition of the human search for truth, grounded in the various Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary traditions. Philosophy in UST attempts to be comprehensive enough to address the rational, intuitive, humanistic, scientific, technological, and biological intellection of both the East and the West.

Informed by the above plantilla, it is the mission of the Department of Philosophy to explore and foster the assertions of the discipline of philosophy, to develop scholars of repute, and to nurture the philosophical sensibilities of students. Such commitment is realized through the following: excellence in teaching service courses and a comprehensive undergraduate program that emphasizes key areas of strength, such as, Eastern Philosophy, East-West Comparative Philosophy, Thomism and Scholasticism, and European Philosophy; through the production and transmission of high quality research and publication in the form of monographs, occasional papers, textbooks, and scholarly journal publications; and through various activities, such as, public symposia and collaboration with the different national, regional, and international philosophical societies.