The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks to initiate students into three fundamental and related human quests: the search for meaning, the search for justice, and the search for the foundations of knowledge. In our courses we offer an introduction to outstanding literature in each field of study and to the skills necessary for their critical appreciation. We also seek to promote awareness of the many voices, heard and unheard, that together inform religious and philosophical traditions. We believe that the distinctiveness, power, and universal features of a tradition can often be best disclosed by a comparative focus. We encourage our students to engage actively in reflection on the personal significance of the questions they have chosen to explore.