哲学试图阐明世界的基本方面，我们与世界的关系和知识以及我们作为理性的，有目的的和社会存在的本性。对哲学的研究旨在了解该企业过去，现在和将来可能采用的方式。它还为反思其他学科（例如科学，艺术和人文学科）的性质和成就提供了有利的参考。哲学主题可以大致分为实践（伦理，政治，美学）和理论（认识论，形而上学，思想和逻辑）。该专业提供的四个集中课程使学生能够强调不同的问题。<br> <br>在宾夕法尼亚大学学习哲学的本科生会接触到哲学的这些广泛方面。在此过程中，他们还发展了许多普遍适用的智力技能和习惯。哲学的研究包括
Philosophy seeks to illuminate fundamental aspects of the world, of our relation to and knowledge of the world, and of our own nature as rational, purposive, and social beings. The study of philosophy aims at an appreciation of the ways this enterprise has been, is, and might be approached. It also provides a vantage point for reflecting on the nature and achievement of other disciplines, such as science, the arts, and the humanities. Philosophical topics can be divided roughly into value theory (ethics, politics, aesthetics) and theoretical philosophy (epistemology, metaphysics, mind, and logic). The four concentrations available within the major allow students to emphasize different sets of questions.