“How do I know if what I see is real?” “What makes an action good?” Big questions like these inspired new Department of Philosophy Assistant Professor Tamara Fakhoury to pursue a career in philosophy from her home in Lebanon to classrooms at the University of Minnesota. Fakhoury discusses how she came into philosophy, the nature of her research, and how philosophy fits into all aspects of her life.

When you find yourself wondering, for instance, how best to respond to a friend’s need for guidance, you might refer to Valerie Tiberius’s recent book, Well-Being as Value Fulfillment: How We Can Help Each Other to Live Well, which presents her value-fulfillment theory.

Women have historically and systematically been excluded from the philosophical canon. Where modern survey courses exalt a handful of kingpin thinkers, academics are now faced with the task of correcting the discipline by including the influential women philosophers and emphasizing their contributions.

People sometimes think that philosophy is opposed to science. But scrutinizing scientific methodology and investigating what it takes for an idea to become scientific fact are important topics for the contemporary philosopher. And this philosophical interrogation can have an unexpected outcome—helping to advance science.