Philosophy
Contact Director of Undergraduate Studies, 541 Hall of Languages, 315-443-2245.
Faculty Kenneth Baynes, Frederick C. Beiser, José A. Benardete, Benjamin Bradley, Mark A. Brown, Kevan Edwards, Andre Gallois, Samuel Gorovitz, Mark Heller, Edward F. McClennen, Kris McDaniel, Thomas McKay, Bence Nanay, Kara Richardson, Emily E. Robertson, John E. Robertson, Joshua Spencer, Michael Stocker, Laurence Thomas, Robert Van Gulick
Using reason and argument, philosophers seek to answer the most fundamental of questions: What am I? What can I know? What must I do? Because the study of philosophy so effectively sharpens and extends the mind, many students find it to be the ideal companion to other courses of study.
The philosophy curriculum has two principal divisions. The first division consists of studies that are central to philosophy proper. There are four core areas: ethics, logic, metaphysics and the theory of knowledge, and the history of philosophy. The second division includes courses devoted to the philosophical examination of other areas of inquiry and culture, such as mathematics, the natural and social sciences, language, politics and the law, the arts, history, education, and religion.
Students particularly interested in political philosophy should see the program description under that heading in this section of the catalog.
Students particularly interested in logic should see the description of the logic concentration, included under “Interdisciplinary Minors” in this section of the catalog.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Students seeking a B.A. in philosophy are required to complete at least 30 credits in philosophy, at least 21 credits of which are numbered 300 or above. Each student fulfills the following requirements:
- At least one course in Logic, either PHI 251 Introduction to Logic, or PHI 171 Critical Thinking
- PHI 401 Seminar for Philosophy majors
- At least one course from three of the four core areas listed below.
I Metaphysics and Epistemology
PHI 321 20th Century Theories of Knowledge, Reality, and Meaning
PHI 341 Philosophy of Religion
PHI 378 Minds and Machines
PHI 487 History of Epistemology
PHI 533 Philosophy of Mind
PHI 535 Philosophical Analysis
PHI 583 Metaphysics
II Value Theory
III History of Philosophy
IV Logic, Language, and Philosophy of Science
With departmental approval, various sections of topics courses (generally
PHI 400 or
PHI 550) can also satisfy core area requirements. Decisions are made on a section-by-section basis and announced at the beginning of each semester.
Minor in Philosophy
To complete a minor in philosophy, students take 18 credits, 12 of which are in philosophy courses numbered above 299. The 12 credits are distributed as follows. Three credits should be devoted to the philosophical examination of another discipline; this may be accomplished by taking any course with a title that begins with “Philosophy of...” Six credits should be taken within one of the four core areas of philosophy. The core areas and courses in these areas are listed as a part of the description of the major in philosophy. The remaining three credits may be chosen from any of the upper-division courses in philosophy. Any 100- or 200-level philosophy course may be used toward satisfaction of the minor requirement, but no more than 6 credits of such coursework may be used for this purpose.