If you are seeking a place to deepen your critical thinking and building transferable skills, choosing the best country to study philosophy can be crucial. Philosophy is one of the oldest academic disciplines and is often believed to be the “mother” of all other scientific disciplines. It can be traced back to the sixth century B.C.E., when the first scientists of Western history, the Pre-Socratics postulated revolutionary theories concerning the natural world. Philosophy study fundamental questions relating to the nature of knowledge, morality, values, reality, reason, among others.
Studying Philosophy abroad can be an amazing experience, where you can enrich your knowledge. There are different countries that can be consider as best when it comes to the study of philosophy to improve your employability. Which is why it is difficult to consider a country as the best, because there are many great option to select from. Here are some best destinations to consider:
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United States
This is one of the best countries to study philosophy that offers wide rage of philosophy programs with strong analytical traditions. United States has rich history in philosophical inquiry, multicultural environment and there are many top-ranked philosophy departments at universities across the country. These universities include Princeton University, Harvard University, New York University, Stanford University , University of California, Yale University, Duke University, Columbia University, Berkeley, MIT, university of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, university of Pittsburgh, and so on. Some of the most famous American philosophers include John Dewey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and W.V. Quine.
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United Kingdom
This is another country with rich and strong tradition in philosophy. United Kingdom offers a meticulous approach to the discipline, emphasizing clear reasoning and argumentation. UK boast of renowned institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Durham university, University college London(UCL), University of Bristol, King’ College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Southampton, and St Andrews. Some of the most famous British philosophers include Bertrand Russell, Alfred Whitehead, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
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Germany
Most of Germany universities provides low tuition or no tuition fee and highly rank globally. Germany gives unique opportunity to explore the works of existentialists, phenomenologists, dialectical materialists, hermeneutics, logical positivist and critical theorists. Universities like Heidelberg, university of Munich, university of Hamburg, Free university of Berlin, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, University of Munter, university of Freigburg, Humboldt University among others are havens for philosophical discourse. Germany is home to a number of important philosophical movements, including idealism and critical theory. Some of the most famous German philosophers include Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Martin Heidegger, the Vienna Circle and Frankfurt school.
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France
Also, one of the best countries to study philosophy, known for it rich culture, art and quality education in philosophy. Institutions like the Sorbonne or École Normale Supérieure, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Claude Bernard University Lyon, school for Advanced Studies in the Social Science, University of Bordeaux and so on are haven for philosophical discipline. Some of the most famous French philosophers include René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Jean-Paul, Jacque, Michel Foucault and more.
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Australia
Australia is another country to study philosophy with a strong tradition of philosophical study. Australian universities offer a variety of philosophy programs, from undergraduate degrees to doctoral programs. Some of the top philosophy programs in Australia are at the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, University of Sydney, bond university, Western Sydney University, Torrens University Australia, Monash University, Deakin University, University of New South Wales. They focus on excellent analytic and continental philosophical programmes. Some of the most famous Australian philosophers include David Malet Armstrong, John Anderson, Peter Singer, David Chalmers, and Samuel Alexander.
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Canada
Canadian universities have a high standard of teaching and learning, combining affordability with high-quality education. Many universities offer co-op programs and internship opportunities. Canada offers strong philosophy programs at universities like University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, Western University, Queen’s University at Kingston, University of Montreal, University of Calgary, University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University and York University. Canada has a number of strong philosophy programs at universities across the country. Famous philosophers from Canada include Marshall McLuhan, Charles Taylor, Ian Pretyman Stevenson, Herman Northrop Frye and Gerald Allan Cohen.
The best country to study philosophy depends on your specific philosophical interests and learning style. There are more countries which are not listed in this article. So, choosing the right country according to your goal is important to attain appropriate connection and support in fulfilling your goal.