Major Requirements

Philosophy explores and critically examines the deeper meanings of human life and the world in which we live. It studies the foundations of all forms of knowledge and human activity and the interconnections among them. Its studies include the nature of existence, knowledge, and value; human reasoning and its limits; art, science, literature, and the human condition; and justice and the nature of the good. It unifies these diverse topics by concentrating on the fundamental nature of human experience and cognition as well as the conceptual foundations of the sciences.

A major in philosophy gives students access to the fruits of 2,500 years of thought on matters of ultimate concern. It encourages and provides the means of thinking effectively about timeless questions through a study of important writings on these topics. A successful student of philosophy is equipped to engage in intellectual conversation on a range of topics of both classical and contemporary concern. The study of philosophy encourages breadth and depth of understanding and promotes the ability to think cogently and rigorously. Philosophy majors prepare themselves for a wide range of professional and business occupations that value highly developed skills of analysis, comprehensive thinking, and communication. Students majoring in Philosophy commonly pursue careers in law, medicine, business, technology, public service, teaching, and editing and publishing. In addition to its focus on the broader intellectual aspects of liberal studies, the Department of Philosophy stresses interdisciplinary studies in emerging fields such as feminism, computation and consciousness, environmentalism, philosophy of technology, and cross-cultural philosophies from a global perspective.

Requirements for the Major in Philosophy (PHI)

The major in Philosophy leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Philosophy courses are distributed among three categories indicated, in parentheses after the title of the course. Courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. No more than two 100-levelphilosophy courses may be used to satisfy major requirements.

Completion of the major requires 36 credits.

1. PHI 300 Ancient Philosophy and PHI 306 Modern Philosophy

2. PHI 400 Individual Systems of the Great Philosophers or PHI 401 Individual Systems of the Great Philosophers or PHI 402 Analysis of Philosophic Texts

3. Two courses in Category I, Styles and Systems of Philosophy in Historical Perspective, excluding those in Requirements 1 and 2 above.

4. Three courses in Category II, Basic Skills and Problem Areas of Philosophy

5. Three courses in Category III, Philosophy in Relation to Other Arts and Sciences. Two upper-division courses in another discipline, if appropriately related to a student's program, may be substituted for one Category III course. Approval for such a substitution must be obtained from the undergraduate director prior to course election.

6. PHI 435 Senior Seminar

7. Upper-Division Writing Requirement

Philosophy majors must achieve an evaluation of S (Satisfactory) on the written work for either PHI 300 or PHI 306, which, for this purpose must be taken before the end of the junior year. With advance permission from the Undergraduate Director, an evaluation of S (Satisfactory) on written work for another 300-level philosophy course which calls for intensive writing may be substituted. Students who wish to satisfy this requirement must inform the instructor of their intention to do so no later than the third week of the semester, so that the student's essays for the course may be given special appraisal for advanced writing skills appropriate to Philosophy majors, in addition to their appraisal for the course. A student must achieve an appraisal of S in advanced writing skills in order to register for PHI 435 Senior Seminar.

Notes:

1. Students who expect to pursue graduate study should include PHI 220 in their programs.

2. No more than 6 philosophy courses may be used to satisfy D.E.C. requirements.

Philosophy majors and other interested students who would like to spend a semester or a year studying in France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, or other countries, should consult the Department's director of undergraduate studies. With the permission of the Department, Philosophy majors may also use credits from other study abroad programs to satisfy major requirements.

Below is a Sample Sequence for the PHI Major :