Philosophy Major
Vance A. Ricks, Associate Professor, Chair
Jonathan W. Malino, John A. Weissenfluh Professor of Ethics and Religion
Nancy V. Daukas, Professor
Lisa J. McLeod, Associate Professor
Joe Cole, Visiting Assistant Professor
Philosophy strives to deepen our understanding of ourselves, others, and the world around us. It aims to articulate and examine our most fundamental assumptions, raising questions and encouraging reflection about generally unnoticed aspects of our everyday lives. Philosophical inquiry involves interpretation and analysis of a rich tradition of powerful philosophical texts; intensive discussion and analysis of problems, questions and theories that emerge from those texts; and probing reflection on everyday experience, human practices, and the entire range of human knowledge and study.
Philosophical inquiry requires, and enables students to develop, a wide range of skills, including reasoning, interpretative and critical reading, clarity in written and spoken expression, synthesis and analysis of information, problem solving, and appreciation of different perspectives. These skills, along with the enhanced awareness that philosophy enables us to develop, are foundational to most forms of intellectual endeavor, practical decision-making, and moral questioning. Thus philosophical training and reflection lay groundwork for any path one may choose in life.
Given the nature of philosophy, combining a Philosophy major with a second major in the humanities, the natural or social sciences, the arts, or business and policy, is an exciting and natural option, with benefit to both the breadth and the depth of a student’s studies.
Degrees Offered
The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in Philosophy.
Major Requirements
The major requires a minimum of 32 credit hours (eight courses).
- PHIL 111 Ethics – 4 credits
- PHIL 200 Informal Logic or 292 Formal Logic – 4 credits
- PHIL 310 Ancient Western Philosophy – 4 credits
- PHIL 320 Modern Western Philosophy – 4 credits
- PHIL 401 Topics in Contemporary Analytic Philosophy – 4 credits
- Three additional PHIL courses, at least one of which is a 300-level course – 12 credits
Total credit hours required for A.B. degree in Philosophy – 32 credits
