Philosophy

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Professors: Goldstein, Stell
Associate Professor: Robb (Chair)
Assistant Professors: Griffith, McKeever (On leave), Studtmann

Distribution Requirements

Any philosophy course other than 101W counts toward fulfillment of the distribution requirement in Philosophy and Religion.

Major Requirements

Ten courses in philosophy, including:

History of Philosophy (105 and 106);
Reasoning (102 or 200);
Ethics (215);
Senior thesis and colloquium (450 and 451);
and four additional courses numbered 102 or above

(Note: Reason and Argument taken under the old number of PHI 101 will be counted as PHI 102.)

Minor Requirements

Five courses in philosophy, including 105, 106, and three additional courses numbered 102 or above, at least one of which is numbered 200 or above.

(Note: Reason and Argument taken under the old number of PHI 101 will be counted as PHI 102.)

Senior Thesis

To be certified for graduation, each major must complete a thesis of acceptable quality on an approved topic. Completion of the thesis is a requirement for Philosophy 450.

Honors

Majors who maintain through the end of the senior year at least a 3.2 overall average and at least a 3.5 average in philosophy, and who receive at least an A- in PHI 495 are awarded “Honors in Philosophy”.

Majors who maintain through the end of the senior year at least a 3.5 overall average and at least a 3.75 average in philosophy, and who receive an A in PHI 495 are awarded “High Honors in Philosophy”.

Rationale for Course Numbering

100-level courses serve as entries into the discipline. They tend to cover a broad range of topics and are less technical than the upper- level courses. 110 is a survey of philosophical problems, but any 100- level course can serve as an introduction to philosophy. 105, 106, and 107 focus on a major period of philosophy’s history. 101, 120, and 130 analyze applied topics. 160 introduces philosophy through the work of a single philosopher.

200-level courses are also appropriate as entries into philosophy, but they tend to be more narrowly focused than 100-level courses. And with a few exceptions, 200-level courses are primarily concerned with contemporary philosophy rather than philosophy’s history.

Most 300-level courses are seminars, usually on a single topic, text, or figure. Students should check with the professor to see if a given seminar is appropriate for those without prior experience in philosophy. 325, 365, and 399 are not seminars, but they are numbered in this range because their topics and readings are more specialized and difficult than those in the typical 200-level course.

400-level courses are limited to senior philosophy majors. 450 and 451 form the capstone of the major. 495 is for seniors writing an honors thesis.