Philosophy is not limited to the seminar room, and it has a long history of engagement with public issues and life as most of us live it. Loyola's Philosophy Department is no exception to this tradition.

Our Philosopher Kids project was founded by Dr. Jon Altschul and is inspired by Dr. Thomas E. Wartenberg’s book, Big Idea as for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy through Children's Literature. Once a week, Loyola students in the Philosopher Kids project visit the Good Shepherd Nativity School, which serves at-risk children, to work with their class of third-graders.

Some of our classes also have a service learning component, which allows students both to reflect on their classroom learning in real-world environments and to put philosophy to work in the cause of social justice. For example, in Dr. Leonard Kahn's course Philosophy and Feminism (PHIL U222), Loyola undergraduates work through the Office of Community Engaged Learning and Scholarship to collaborate with New Orleans partners such as the Harry Thompson Center, the APEX Youth Center, and the Uptown Shepard's Center.