PPE Undergraduate Degree Program
10/12/23
The Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) degree program gives students a set of interdisciplinary tools to think rigorously about solving social problems. Learn more.
UB is a world center of research in applied ontology, opening the doors for our graduate students to successful careers in informatics and data science in fields such as biomedicine, finance, defense and security.
10/12/23

We have built the world’s only philosophy PhD program with a focus on ontology. The annual starting salaries for our graduates can reach to $175,000. Learn more.

previous next

About Us

A broad range of expertise with cross-disciplinary ties

Graduate Program

Research-driven mentoring and instruction

Undergraduate Program

Prepare for career pathways in Philosophy

Applied Ontology

Earn a master's degree in a cutting edge research area

PPE Program

Blending philosophy, politics, and economics
FACULTY PUBLICATIONS listed on PhilPapers
WHY STUDY PHILOSOPHY: Individuals with degrees in philosophy have higher life-time earnings than other humanities students.
APPLY TO OUR GRADUATE PROGRAM
APPLY TO OUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

EVENTS

  • Bioethics Workshop
    8/27/24
    Join us Saturday, September 28, 2024  for the Romanell Bioethics Workshop featuring presentations and discussions by guest speakers and RC fellows. The keynote will be delivered by Nicole Hassoun (SUNY Binghamton) on “Philosophical Issues: The Nature of Health and its Connection to Welfare - What Really Matters?”
  • PPE Speaker, Friday, October 4: Rosa Terlazzo (Rochester), Why Talking to Our Children About Injustice Cannot Wait
    5/23/24

    Many of today’s most pressing problems – climate change, political polarization, equal access to education – are complex in nature, giving rise to both practical and ethical concerns. The burgeoning field of Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) harnesses the expertise and methods from both the social sciences and philosophy to make meaningful progress on these multifaceted issues. This speaker series serves as a collaborative nexus, bringing together social scientists and philosophers to discuss and disseminate cutting-edge research at the heart of PPE. Learn more about the speakers, here.

  • Departmental Colloquium
    5/23/24

    FALL 2024
    Fridays (selected), 4:00 p.m.
    Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

    Schedule forthcoming.

    See past colloquium listing, here.

RELATED EVENTS

GPA Research Forum

UB Events Calendar

Academic Calendar

New and Noteworthy

  • Community Leadership Micro-Credential
    8/30/24
    Community Leadership is a three-course micro-credential that provides undergraduate students with an integrated set of skills and experiences from Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) that will enable them to create positive social change through social innovation within their communities.
  • Templeton Foundation $2.5 million grant supercharges PPE research capacities
    7/22/24
    The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $2.5 million research grant to support the work of faculty in UB’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program. The innovative research project will demonstrate how diversity, disagreement and dynamism are crucial resources for fueling an open society, not problems to be managed. Professor Ryan Muldoon, who directs the PPE program, is the grant’s principal investigator. Co-principal investigators include fellow UB faculty members Justin Bruner, associate professor of philosophy; David Emmanuel Gray, associate teaching professor of philosophy; Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science; Alexandra Oprea, assistant professor of philosophy; Alexander Schaefer, assistant professor of philosophy; and Erik Kimbrough, Chapman University professor of political economy and philosophy.
  • Multimedia featuring Buffalo philosophers
    7/1/24

    Video: Dr. David Hershenov, Animalism and its Bioethical Implications in Philosophy of Personal Identity.

    Podcast: Dr. David Gray, Experiential Learning and the Art of Working Together.

  • Alexandra Oprea's research on compulsory voting published by Cambridge UP
    3/8/24
    Alexandria Oprea's research, published online by Cambridge University Press, strengthens the normative case for compulsory voting by arguing that it could improve democracy by reducing polarization, which existing work suggests can lead to democratic backsliding. Read the news story by Bert Gambini.

Faculty Research

Sample Areas of Research
See a more comprehensive list of our faculty research areas>

Student and Alumni Spotlight

  • Katie Johnson and Vi Vonderhaar have been awarded the Adam Smith Fellowship by Mercatus, a highly competitive fellowship in which graduate students gather to discuss classic works in political economy.
    Philosophy graduate students win Mercatus' Adam Smith Fellowships
    6/18/24

    Philosophy graduate students Katie Johnson and Vi Vonderhaar have each been awarded Adam Smith Fellowships by Mercatus, a highly competitive fellowship in which graduate students gather to discuss classic works in political economy.

  • Oxford publishes Jake Monaghan's book: Just Policing
    4/24/23
    Oxford University Press has announced the publication of Just Policing, a new book by Jake Monaghan, PhD, UB Philosophy Alum. He was recently appointed assistant professor, tenure track, at the University of Southern California (USC). Monaghan states, "My research is concerned with realized, as opposed to abstract, institutions. I am interested in whether and how we can justify the actual institutions we live in on grounds we can all accept. Further, I explore the moral obligations that arise out of, or in response to, the imperfections of realized institutions."  Monaghan's  dissertation, Theory of Consent, was completed in 2019. Professor Ryan Muldoon served as advisor.
  • PPE student initiative helps make BUFFALO SOUP a recurring event
    2/5/24
    PHI 485, Integrating PPE, is a course that challenges students to find a way to concretely make a social improvement, and then do it. One team accomplished that with BUFFALO SOUP. Their professor, Dr. David Gray, designed the philosophy course. He states, “I am really proud of our PPE students who continue working on their capstone project from Spring 2023, transforming Buffalo Soup into a regular Buffalo institution that is now bringing in partners from other colleges at UB.” BUFFALO SOUP is now apart of a micro-funding group. Read news story by David J. Hill.
  • UB Philosophy PhD Leo Zaibert appointed to Hirsch Professorship in Cambridge University
    7/11/22
    The UB Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce that Leo Zaibert, one of our most successful PhD students, has been elected to the Hirsch Professorship of Penal Theory and Ethics in Cambridge University, effective September 1 2022. Zaibert’s dissertation, which he completed in 1997 under the joint supervision of UB professors James B. Brady and Barry Smith, is on the topic of “Intentionality and blame: A study on the foundations of culpability” and won the UB Philosophy Department Perry Prize. Zaibert is the author of over 100 publications, including books, edited books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles.
  • William Duncan, PhD, named UFCD's first Artificial Intelligence-focused hire
    3/21/22
    The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy congratulates our alumnus, William Duncan, PhD, on being named by the University of Florida, College of Dentistry as the college’s first artificial intelligence-focused hire. “I am thrilled to have Dr. Duncan on board to help guide and support UFCD in the development of our vision for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-related research initiatives and goals,” said Dean A. Isabel Garcia. 
  • Alumnus Profile: Patrick Ray, PhD, Ontologist
    5/10/24
    The Department of Philosophy is pleased to present an alumnus profile featuring Patrick Ray, PhD. He provides insight about his time at UB, and offers perpective on his personal life, academic path, and professional career as an ontologist for the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
  • J.J. Sanford named 10th president of University of Dallas
    10/10/23
    The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy congratulates our alumnus, Jonathan J. Sanford, PhD (Buffalo), on being named by the University of Dallas Board of Trustees as the insitution's 10th president. Sanford's areas of expertise include Ethics, Higher Education, Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Metaphysics, Virtue Theory, Social and Political Philosophy, and Early Phenomenology. Learn more.
  • Alumnus Profile: William S. Mandrick PhD, Ontologist
    2/13/24
    The Department of Philosophy is pleased to present an alumnus profile featuring William Mandrick, PhD. He graciously agreed to answer our inquiries about his experience with our faculty, and perspectives on his personal life, academic path, and professional career as an ontologist for the United States Army.

PHILOSOPHY NEWS SPOTLIGHT

  • Templeton Foundation $2.5 million grant supercharges PPE research capacities
    7/22/24
    The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $2.5 million research grant to support the work of faculty in UB’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program. The innovative research project will demonstrate how diversity, disagreement and dynamism are crucial resources for fueling an open society, not problems to be managed. Professor Ryan Muldoon, who directs the PPE program, is the grant’s principal investigator. Co-principal investigators include fellow UB faculty members Justin Bruner, associate professor of philosophy; David Emmanuel Gray, associate teaching professor of philosophy; Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science; Alexandra Oprea, assistant professor of philosophy; Alexander Schaefer, assistant professor of philosophy; and Erik Kimbrough, Chapman University professor of political economy and philosophy.
  • Cosmos+Taxis publishes symposium on the work of Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith
    5/29/24
    The journal Cosmos+Taxis, 12 (5+6), has published a symposium on Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, Why Machines Will Never Rule the World: Artificial Intelligence without Fear. The issue includes papers and reviews by more than eighteen authors.
  • Barry Smith: "Human creativity will never be replaced by artificial intelligence."
    5/9/24
    The Bruno Leoni Institute featured Barry Smith talking with his avatar. His digital alter ego asks questions and he answers them. The physical resemblance to Smith is impressive, but the way the avatar speaks is a little less so. It was one of the most awaited moments of the meeting organized at the Ogr in Turin by the Crt foundation and the Bruno Leoni institute.
  • BFO and CCO adopted as 'baseline standards' by federal agencies
    3/4/24
    Under the leadership of Barry Smith, on-going research by UB ontologists has resulted in the development of Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), an international standard top-level ontology that provides the common starting point for 100s of ontology initiatives throughout the world. Here in Buffalo, BFO has been extended to form the Common Core Ontologies (CCO), which is a family of mid-level ontologies used especially in military and security domains. BFO and CCO allow information to be effectively combined, retrieved and analyzed. In January of this year, the Chief Data Officers in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the DOD, and, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office defined BFO and CCO as the baseline standards for ontology work in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.
  • Alexandra Oprea's research on compulsory voting published by Cambridge UP
    3/8/24
    Alexandria Oprea's research, published online by Cambridge University Press, strengthens the normative case for compulsory voting by arguing that it could improve democracy by reducing polarization, which existing work suggests can lead to democratic backsliding. Read the news story by Bert Gambini.
  • PPE student initiative helps make BUFFALO SOUP a recurring event
    2/5/24
    PHI 485, Integrating PPE, is a course that challenges students to find a way to concretely make a social improvement, and then do it. One team accomplished that with BUFFALO SOUP. Their professor, Dr. David Gray, designed the philosophy course. He states, “I am really proud of our PPE students who continue working on their capstone project from Spring 2023, transforming Buffalo Soup into a regular Buffalo institution that is now bringing in partners from other colleges at UB.” BUFFALO SOUP is now apart of a micro-funding group. Read news story by David J. Hill.
  • Jiyuan Yu's philosophical legacy is examined in two new books
    11/1/23
    The philosophical legacy of Jiyuan Yu is examined in two new books. Published in 2023, both books are written in Chinese. The first, Between Ancient and Modern China and the West: Academic Anthology of Jiyuan Yu, is a collection of his important articles and of responses by other scholars. The second, Lecture on Aristotle's Metaphysics, contains a series of lectures delivered in 2011 by Professor Yu at Shandong University that were later compiled by Professor Yu’s doctoral students.
  • PHI 485 students deliver new areas for reading at Buffalo City Mission
    7/10/23
    When the student team in the PPE course, PHI 485, identified a need for places to read inside the Buffalo City Mission, they proceeded to develop three areas, and built bookshelves for over 1,000 donated books for the residents. Their capstone project is the subject of an article by Charles Anzalone, UB News.
  • Philosophy graduate students selected as Social Impact Fellows
    5/16/23
    The Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce that three graduate students have been selected as Social Impact Fellows for Summer 2023. Botan Dolun, Katrina Johnson, and Noah Kim are among ten graduate students selected for this program. They’ll each receive a $5,000 stipend and spend the summer interning with a local, Buffalo non-profit organization. Learn more about the program.
  • David Emmanuel Gray recognized for promoting academic integrity
    5/3/23
    In conjunction with National Honesty Day, UB's Office of Academic Integrity recognized David E. Gray as one of five individuals who promoted a culture of integrity at UB during the 2022-2023 academic year. The award cites Dr. Gray's proactive approach to ensuring academic integrity in his classes through clear communication of expectations, Honor Agreements, and the use of “philosopher’s stones” when students need coursework extensions. He approaches policy violations in a compassionate and educational manner, always with an eye on character development for the student. Dr. Gray’s PHI 485 course challenges students to “make the world a better place”. Read more.
  • PHI 485 students aim to make the world a better place, Spring 23 Edition
    4/27/23
    David Gray's course, PHI 485 Integrating PPE, challenges students to find a way to concretely make a social improvement, and then do it. For the Spring 2023 Edition, students organized into three teams: Team Traffic Cones is collecting items that will populate a reading room in the women’s shelter at the Buffalo City Mission; Team Gift of Thrift is collecting lightly used items from students’ dorms as the inventory for pop-up sales, with proceeds going to charity; and, Team Buffalo Soup is orchestrating a crowdfunding event to raise support for local non-profit organizations. Read news story by Bert Gambini.
  • Oxford publishes Jake Monaghan's book: Just Policing
    4/24/23
    Oxford University Press has announced the publication of Just Policing, a new book by Jake Monaghan, PhD, UB Philosophy Alum. He was recently appointed assistant professor, tenure track, at the University of Southern California (USC). Monaghan states, "My research is concerned with realized, as opposed to abstract, institutions. I am interested in whether and how we can justify the actual institutions we live in on grounds we can all accept. Further, I explore the moral obligations that arise out of, or in response to, the imperfections of realized institutions."  Monaghan's  dissertation, Theory of Consent, was completed in 2019. Professor Ryan Muldoon served as advisor.