Philosophy Major (B.A.)

A major in philosophy introduces students to a wide range of substantive and theoretical topics that have been central to the Western intellectual tradition since 585 B.C.E. These topics include such broad and enduring questions as "What is the right way for human beings to live?" "What is the ultimate structure of reality?" "What is the nature of a just society?" "What is human knowledge and how do we come to have it?" "Can other sorts of beings have anything like knowledge in the same sense that we have it?" "Is there a God, and if so, what are the properties that God has?" "What is the nature and structure of scientific inquiry?" "What are the fundamental componemts of rational thought and practical reasoning?" These questions have intrigued generation after generation, and they continue to fascinate the thoughtful and well-educated person.  Undergraduate philosophy majors gain historical and technical knowledge that is central to the discipline of philosophy, including knowledge of core concepts, theories, argumentative techniques, movements, and influential figures, within the subfields of aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, and social & political philosophy. In the course of this inquiry, majors learn to reason clearly and carefully, employing the principles of logic to construct cogent arguments in both speech and writing. Philosophy majors also learn to think creatively and independently, exploring possibilities beyond those entrenched in prevailing opinion and practice.