The site not only compares programs overall, but also in two broad categories which Leiter calls "Philosophical Problem-Solving" (defined as "depth and . . . breadth of strength in contemporary philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, moral and political philosophy, philosophy of science, and logic") and "Philosophically Informed History of Ideas" (designated as covering "the ancient period through post-Kantian Continental, with an emphasis on Western traditions, though credit is given for coverage of non-Western traditions").
Of departments in the former category, Leiter states that they "view their task as solving certain philosophical problems, either perennial or current: What is the relationship between mind and body, or between thought and reality? Is there a defensible version of the causal theory of content? Is truth a substantive property? Is morality relative or objective? and the like." Such departments, he says, "sometimes neglect the history of philosophy, or tend to view the history of philosophy as relevant only to the extent it helps solve the problems."
On the other hand, says Leiter, departments which stress the history of ideas "tend to lay more emphasis on understanding how the great figures of the past thought about philosophical problems, perhaps as a way of understanding how we arrived at our philosophical problems, or perhaps simply for the intrinsic pleasure of understanding the ideas of brilliant and interesting individuals."
Leiter points out that "the rankings are primarily measures of faculty quality and reputation," arguing that "faculty quality and reputation correlates quite well with job placement." Concerning the success of departments in placing their graduates, Leiter is careful to add, "students are well-advised to make inquiries with individual departments for complete information on this score." Excellent advice.
In addition to graduate school rankings, the site offers sound advice for those considering undergraduate philosophy programs: "High school students interested in philosophy would do best to identify schools that have strong reputations for undergraduate education first. Only then, should they look in to the quality of the philosophy department."
