Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy

Program Description The Department of Philosophy serves the needs of the student who seeks an understanding of philosophical issues for personal enrichment, the student who desires a more fundamental appreciation of philosophy in support of law, medicine, business, and various academic disciplines, and the student who wishes to continue the study of philosophy at the graduate level. Through its courses and programs, the department acquaints students with various philosophical systems and with basic problems posed by diverse thinkers. Courses have been designed to highlight both the humanistic and technical features of philosophy. The department also recognizes the important need for skills and training. Its courses in logic and analysis have been designed to help students become more perceptive in their experiences and more critical in their thinking. Further, the department is aware that, in the age of rapid change, society often tends to neglect the meaning and worth of the person. Courses are therefore offered that investigate and emphasize the dignity of the person. By helping students understand the nature and grounds of ethical judgments, these courses aim to promote an appreciation and order of human values. The department has designed all of its course offerings with the aim of both ensuring that the Liberal Studies courses remain responsive to the needs of the student who does not plan to specialize in philosophy and offering the student who chooses to major or minor in philosophy a rich and diverse curriculum. The department is particularly proud of its Philosophy Circle, an undergraduate philosophy club that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas between faculty and students.​ Learning Outcomes Students will be able to: Critically discuss philosophical issues (via well-grounded arguments) and questions from the perspectives of multiple methods, traditions, and historical contexts. Evaluate philosophical issues, questions, and problems critically and analytically. Write an articulate and well-ordered essay presenting philosophical positions in a way that addresses philosophical issues and questions. Formulate and evaluate their own understanding of a diverse range of philosophical problems, in both writing and discussion. Integrate a critical understanding of central philosophical ideas from the history of philosophy, broadly construed to include more than the Western tradition.