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Philosophy

Philosophy is the love of wisdom. Just as there are a variety of approaches to wisdom, there are a variety of ways to major in Philosophy. The Philosophy Department offers the student a choice between four tracks or ways to complete a major in Philosophy: the Double Major Track, the Foundations of a Good Life Track, the Graduate School in Philosophy Track, and the Pre-Law Track.

Faculty and Professional Interests

Raymond Langley — Nineteenth century philosophy, existentialism, contemporary post-structuralism

Billy Joe Lucas — Recent developments in logic and applications of logic to philosophy, ethics and moral philosophy, philosophy of religion

Siobhan Nash-Marshall – Metaphysics, medieval philosophy, Thomism, neoplatonism, philosophy of religion

Philosophy Major Requirements

Each student must satisfy the requirements for one of the four Philosophy tracks listed below. The requirements refer to courses within the concentrations, which follow.

Pre-Law Track. This approach to majoring in Philosophy is intended for students who wish to concentrate both on the study of the philosophical foundations of judgments concerning values and on the study of the principles that distinguish good from bad reasoning. This track is recommended for Philosophy majors who plan to attend law school. Requires ten philosophy courses including three courses from the Logic Concentration (of which Introduction to Symbolic Logic and Introduction to Modal Logic are required), three courses from the Moral Philosophy Concentration (of which Moral Reasoning and Ethics are required), two courses from the Major Figures Concentration, and a Senior Thesis.

Foundations of a Good Life Track. This track is recommended for students whose concerns are less with job training and more with developing and implementing a life-long plan of study aimed at increasing their understanding of people, of historical and social structures, and of the arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities and world literature. Students who choose this track are typically also concerned with learning how to translate what one learns into the reality of a better life in the larger contexts of family and society. Requires ten philosophy courses, including four courses from the Major Figures Concentration, and a Senior Thesis.

Graduate School in Philosophy Track. This way of obtaining a major in Philosophy is intended for those who plan to engage in philosophical research while teaching Philosophy or while pursuing a career either in public service or the private sector. Requires twelve courses in philosophy, including five courses from the Major Figures Concentration, Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Modal Logic, Theory of Knowledge, Ethics and a Senior Thesis.

Double Major Track. This approach to a major in Philosophy is designed primarily for students who wish to enrich their study of Philosophy with a major in a second subject (or visa-versa).] Requires ten philosophy courses, including four courses from the Major Figures Concentration, and certification of having met the requirements for a major in another department.

Concentrations within the Philosophy major include the following:

Moral Philosophy Concentration

Moral Reasoning (PHL 1016), Ethics (PHL 2026), Human Values (PHL 1003), Plato and Ethics (PHL 3000), and Topics in the Philosophy of Law (PHL 3050), Nietzsche and Kierkegaard (PHL3032).

Logic Concentration

Truth-functional Logics (PHL 1010), Introduction to Symbolic Logic (PHL 1029), Moral Reasoning (PHL 1016), Introduction to Modal Logic (PHL 2019), Logic in the 20th Century (PHL 2020), The Logic of Time (PHL 2028), Gödel (PHL 3031), and Honors Logic Seminar (PHL 4020).

Existentialism Concentration

Philosophy and Literature (PHL 2021), Existentialism (PHL 2023), Modern and Post Modern Philosophy (PHL 2055), Nietzsche and Kierkegaard (PHL 3032), Boredom (PHL 3007) and Heidegger and Sartre (PHL 3029).

German Philosophy Concentration

Kant (PHL 3012), Hegel (PHL 3006), Freud and Marx (PHL 3013), Heidegger and Sartre (PHL 3029), and Gödel (PHL 3031).

19th Century Philosophy Concentration

19th Century Philosophy (PHL 2066), Hegel (PHL 3006), Freud and Marx (PHL 3013), and Bentham and Mill (PHL 3026).

20th Century Philosophy Concentration

Logic in the 20th Century (PHL 2020), American Philosophy (PHL 2050), Modern and Post Modern Philosophy (PHL 2055), Aristotle and Aquinas (PHL 3001), Heidegger and Sartre (PHL 3029), Gödel (PHL 3031), Russell (PHL 3020), and Augustine and Aquinas (PHL 3066)

Major Figures Concentration

Plato and Ethics (PHL 3000), Descartes (PHL 3014), Kant (PHL 3012), Hegel (PHL 3006), Bentham and Mill (PHL 3026), Gödel (PHL 3031), Heidegger and Sartre (PHL 3029), Freud and Marx (PHL 3013), and Russell (PHL 3020).

Four Year Study Plan

In order to offer a strong and diverse curriculum with three faculty, most philosophy courses are only taught once every four or five semesters. Modal Logic and Symbolic Logic are typically offered only once every two years. However, Moral Reasoning, Human Values, Theory of Knowledge, Foundations, and Senior Thesis are typically offered every year. If a course is taught in student’s Junior year, odds are it will not be offered again before student graduates.

The department strongly urges majors to acquire a fulltime faculty member in Philosophy as an academic advisor early on in their studies, and to be sure to consult with the department about major and career plans each semester during the last two years at the college.

Note: Independent Study Courses do not count toward any distribution requirements for the major or minor, and should not be assumed to increase one’s chances of pursuing further study upon graduation. When taught or supervised in whole or in part by other than fulltime members of the department, they do not count toward a major or minor in Philosophy.

Senior Evaluation

Seniors pursuing the Pre-Law Track, the Graduate School Track, or the Foundations of a Good Life Track must register for the Senior Evaluation course (PHL 3998) the fall semester of senior year. To complete this course the student must write a Senior Thesis and present and discuss it at a departmental meeting

Philosophy Minor Requirements

The minor in Philosophy requires five courses, at least three of which must be from the same area of concentration and at least one of which must be from the Major Figures Concentration.

Philosophy Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors requires a G.P.A. of 3.5 overall, 3.5 on all philosophy courses, and 3.5 within a concentration, and honors on Senior Thesis (Double Major Track requires either honors on Thesis or 3.75 G.P.A. in your other major). See also "Honors and Awards."

Honors and Awards

Honors Logic Seminar, E. J. Lemmon Prize, Susan Stebbing Prize, Saul Kripke Prize, Ruth Barcan Marcus Prize, Thesis Honors, Departmental Honors.

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