Department of Philosophy

The Philosophy Department prides itself on an interdisciplinary approach to the fulfillment of its three-part mission: to provide students with a philosophy major that will prepare them to enter a variety of careers or for further graduate study; to serve the College's philosophical needs by providing key philosophical courses for other programs; and to contribute to the College's mission of providing a liberal arts education to all students. Read More.

Faculty Spotlight: Michael Buckley's interests are in the fields of political philosophy and applied ethics. He is currently working on two related projects examining ethical issues in post-conflict societies and emerging democracies, and has recently published works on methodological developments in political philosophy.

Michael has been an Assistant Professor at Lehman since 2007, after having obtained a B.A. in Philosophy from Hunter College and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Emory University.

Recent publications by Michael include “The Structure of Justification in Political Constructivism” (Metaphilosophy), “John Stuart Mill and the Idea of a Stationary State Economy” (in Humanistic Ethics in the Age of Globality), “Constructivism” (in The Encyclopedia of Global Justice), and "Promoting Peace through Dialogue," which he edited for the United Nation's University and Global Majority.

Michael currently serves as a member of the Steering Committee for Lehman College’s Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies, and is a Board Member of Global Majority, a non-profit educational institute promoting non-violent conflict resolution through negotiation and mediation techniques.

New winner of the Phi Sigma Tau / Weinstock Essay

Macaulay Honors student Kazi Sumon has won the 2012 Jerome Weinstock Memorial Essay Competition for his paper "Rich Responsibility." The Weinstock Prize commemorates the life and scholarship of Professor Jerome Weinstock, and is awarded to the student whose submission best embodies his ideals of rigorous philosophical argumentation and insight.

The paper, written originally for Dr. Michael Buckley's Global Justice Course, examines whether wealthier countries have an ethical obligation to provide aid to poorer ones. Engaging the arguments of Garrett Hardin and Peter Singer, Mr. Sumon offers a cosmopolitan utilitarian framework to argue that affluent nations do indeed have a moral obligation to alleviate global poverty.

Mr. Sumon is a junior biology major and philosophy minor. "I chose philosophy because I wanted to learn logic and reason, and the way we formulate ethical decisions. I always had an appreciation for our intellectual capabilities, and philosophy answers questions that biology courses like neurophysiology (which is truly enlightening in its own respect) cannot." Mr. Sumon was president of the Muslim Students Association from 2009-2011, and is a STAR Coach for the chemistry department. He plans to attend medical school after graduation, with the goal of becoming a doctor.

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