Behavioral sciences study human beings through examination of their behavior in a broad sense, putting emphasis on the process of behavior rather than its products. Students can survey behavioral sciences from a wide variety of perspectives, select a specialization to study it in depth, and obtain practical knowledge and skills. The Division of Behavioral Sciences now has five departments with 30 faculty members. It accepts approximately 80 new students each year.
The primary task of philosophy is to open a new field for each science to explore by discerning structures in the unmapped areas of our thinking. The Department of Philosophy is unique in that it combines the traditional concerns of philosophy with various issues raised by the rapid progress of modern technology. Among the subjects studied in the department are (1) formal semantics of Japanese language and its implications for philosophy of language, (2) ethical problems raised by recently developed technologies, such as organ transplants and brain death, and (3) ancient philosophy and science, including the study of Greek and Chinese classical texts.
Members of the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences study the mechanisms that underlie our cognition and behavior—ranging across disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, information science, and statistics, and transcending traditional academic boundaries.
Why do we find certain paintings captivating or difficult to interpret? What makes conversations with friends sometimes awkward, and at other times joyful? Why do vivid memories suddenly resurface like scenes from a movie? How is it that our thinking and resulting conclusions are often prone to error or illogical? Why do we sometimes fail to see what is in front of us, and at other times perceive things that are not actually there? By exploring such questions, we seek to uncover the principles of the human mind. Furthermore, comparative studies with nonhuman animals deepen our understanding of the uniqueness and evolution of human cognition and behavior.
Psychology is a field of study that explores how the human mind works. Specifically, it investigates a wide range of mechanisms, from perceptual processing of the external world to higher-level cognitive functions such as memory and thinking, as well as personality, individual differences, and social behavior. While there are many Japanese universities where students can major in psychology, the program in the Department of Psychology places particular emphasis on empirical and scientific approaches to the field. We aim to cultivate individuals who are capable of uncovering new insights through their own experiments and research.
Sociology is a study of the whole and parts of society, mainly through the conduct of individuals. We are almost invariably obliged to live and take part in various groups and organizations in our lives. Sociology aims to theoretically and empirically define and explicate the problems and meanings of such phenomena. Specific themes of research at the Department of Sociology range from theoretical studies concerning behavior, value, social system, communication, culture and social consciousness, to more empirical studies dealing with family, community, industry, consumption, environment, leisure, and social problems.
The Department of Cultural Anthropology explores humans as cultural beings through comprehensive, empirically grounded, and comparative research. Students are encouraged to learn the everyday lives of people in diverse regions of the world—including Japan—through the lens of local perspectives. The curriculum covers a broad range of anthropological subfields, including ecological, medical, economic, and developmental anthropology, as well as the anthropology of religion and the arts. Through training in fieldwork methods and exposure to key theoretical insights, students develop the skills necessary to pursue careers in international cooperation, development assistance, and other globally engaged fields.