PHILOSOPHY MAJOR

Philosophy Department courses are designed to enable the student to understand the philosophic tradition and to cultivate critical thinking. The program serves the needs of those interested in philosophy as part of a liberal education, and prepares philosophy majors for work in graduate programs.

The Philosophy major requires a minimum of nine courses including — see table at right — Philosophy 31 (History of Ethics), 32 (Ethical Theory), or Philosophy 35 (Normative Ethics); Philosophy 30 (Knowledge, Mind and Existence); Philosophy 60 (Logic); two of the three courses from our core history sequence, Ancient (Philosophy 40), Modern (Philosophy 42) and Continental Thought (Philosophy 43); at least one course from the Philosophy 185 and 186 series; and Philosophy 191 (Senior Project, taken over both semester of the senior year).

It is recommended that Philosophy majors complete Philosophy 30, 31 or 32, 60, and two of the three courses in our core history sequence (Philosophy 40, 42, 43) before the senior year. The senior exercise in Philosophy is completed by writing a senior project (Philosophy 191).

These requirements are effective 2005–06.