Philosophy @ FIX University

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Topics Start Usage Conclusion Undergraduate Courses Fall Program Undergraduate Courses Spring Master of Arts degree program in History and Philosophy of Science About the Undergraduate Program Why Study Philosophy? Philosophy: A Brief Guide for Undergraduates The Field of Philosophy Traditional Subfields of Philosophy What is logic and why do philosophers study it? Chronological map of the great philosophers Sitemap Recent site activity Join Our Discussion Join the Discusion Template tips Learn more about working with templates. How to change this sidebar.

Start Special Fields of Philosophy Many branches of philosophy have grown from the traditional core areas. What follows is a sketch of some of the major ones. Philosophy of Mind. This subfield has emerged from metaphysical concerns with the mind and mental phenomena. The philosophy of mind addresses not only the possible relations of the mental to the physical (for instance, to brain processes), but the many concepts having an essential mental element: belief, desire, emotion, feeling, sensation, passion, will, personality, and others. A number of major questions in the philosohy of mind cluster in the area of action theory: What differentiates actions, such as raising an arm, from mere body movements, such as the rising of an arm? Must mental elements, for example intentions and beliefs, enter into adequate explanations of our actions, or can actions be explained by appeal to ordinary physical events? And what is required for our actions to be free? Philosophy of Religion. Another traditional concern of metaphysics is to understand the concept of God, including special attributes such as being all-knowing, being all-powerful, and being wholly good. Both metaphysics and epistemology have sought to assess the various grounds people have offered to justify believing in God. The philosophy of religion treats these topics and many related subjects, such as the relation between faith and reason, the nature of religious language, the relation of religion and morality, and the question of how a God who is wholly good could allow the existence of evil. Philosophy of Science. This is probably the largest subfield generated by epistemology. Philosophy of science is usually divided into philosophy of the natural sciences and philosophy of the social sciences. It has recently been divided further, into philosophy of physics, biology, psychology, economics, and other sciences. Philosophy of science clarifies both the quest for scientific knowledge and the results yielded by that quest. It does this by exploring the logic of scientific evidence; the nature of scientific laws, explanations, and theories; and the possible connections among the various branches of science. How, for instance, is psychology related to brain biology, and biology to chemistry? And how are the social sciences related to the natural sciences? Subfields of Ethics. From ethics, too, have come major subfields. Political Philosophyconcerns the justification—and limits—of governmental control of individuals; the meaning of equality before the law; the basis of economic freedom; and many other problems concerning government. It also examines the nature and possible arguments for various competing forms of political organization, such as laissez-faire capitalism, welfare democracy (capitalistic and socialistic), anarchism, communism, and fascism. Social Philosophy, often taught in combination with political philosophy (which it overlaps), treats moral problems with large-scale social dimensions. Among these are the basis of compulsory education, the possible grounds for preferential treatment of minorities, the justice of taxation, and the appropriate limits, if any, on free expression in the arts. The Philosophy of Law explores such topics as what law is, what kinds of laws there are, how law is or should be related to morality, and what sorts of principles should govern punishment and criminal justice in general.Medical Ethics addresses many problems arising in medical practice and medical science. Among these are standards applying to physician-patient relationships; moral questions raised by special procedures, such as abortion and ceasing of life-support for terminal patients; and ethical standards for medical research, for instance genetic engneering and experimentation using human subjects. Business Ethics addresses such questions as how moral obligations may conflict with the profit motive and how these conflicts may be resolved. Other topics often pursued are the nature and scope of the social responsibilities of corporations, their rights in a free society, and their relations to other institutions. Philosophy of Art (Aesthetics). This is one of the oldest subfields. It concerns the nature of art, including both the performing arts and painting, sculpture, and literature. Major questions in aesthetics include how artistic creations are to be interpreted and evaluated, and how the arts are related to one another, to natural beauty, and to morality, religion, science, and other important elements of human life. Philosophy of Language. This field has close ties to both epistemology and metaphysics. It treats a broad spectrum of questions about language: the nature of meaning, the relations between words and things, the various theories of language learning, and the distinction between literal and figurative uses of language. Since language is crucial in nearly all human activity, the philosophy of language can enhance our understanding both of other academic fields and of much of what we ordinarily do. Other Subfields. There are many other subfields of philosophy, and it is in the nature of philosophy as critical inquiry to develop new subfields when new directions in the quest for knowledge, or in any other area of human activity, raise new intellectual problems. Among the subfields not yet mentioned, but often taught at least as part of other courses, are Inductive Logic, Philosophy of Logic, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Mathematics, Philosophy of Medicine, Philosophy of Education, Philosophy of Feminism, Philosophy of Linguistics, Philosophy of Criticism, Philosophy of Culture, and Philosophy of Film. The Uses of Philosophy General Uses of Philosophy Much of what is learned in philosophy can be applied in virtually any endeavour. This is both because philosophy touches on so many subjects and, especially, because many of its methods are usable in any field. General Problem Solving. The study of philosophy enhances, in a way no other activity does, one's problem-solving capacities. It helps one to analyze concepts, definitions, arguments and problems. It contributes to one's capacity to organize ideas and issues, to deal with questions of value, and to extract what is essential from masses of information. It helps one both to distinguish fine differences between views and to discover common ground between opposing positions. And it helps one to synthesize a variety of views or perspectives into a unified whole. Communication Skills. Philosophy also contributes uniquely to the development of expressive and communicative powers. It provides some of the basic tools of self-expression—for instance, skills in presenting ideas through well-constructed, systematic arguments—that other fields either do not use, or use less extensively. It helps one to express what is distinctive of one's view; enhances one's ability to explain difficult material; and helps one to eliminate ambiguities and vagueness from one's writing and speech. Persuasive Powers. Philosophy provides training in the construction of clear formulations, good arguments, and apt examples. It thereby helps one develop the ability to be convincing. One learns to build and defend one's own views, to appreciate competing positions, and to indicate forcefully why one considers one's own views preferable to alternatives. These capacities can be developed not only through reading and writing in philosophy, but also through the philosophicaldialogue, in and outside the classroom, that is so much a part of a thoroughgoing philosophical education. Writing Skills. Writing is taught intensively in many philosophy courses, and many regularly assigned philosophical texts are unexcelled as literary essays. Philosophy teaches interpretive writing through its examination of challenging texts, comparative writing through emphasis on fairness to alternative positions, argumentative writing through developing students' ability to establish their own views, and descriptive writing through detailed portrayal of concrete examples: the anchors to which generalizations must be tied. Strucure and technique, then, are emphasized in philosophical writing. Originality is also encouraged, and students are generally urged to use their imagination and develop their own ideas. The Uses of Philosophy in Educational Pursuits The general uses of philosophy just described are obviously of great academic value. It should be clear that the study of philosophy has intrinsic rewards as an unlimited quest for understanding of important, challenging problems. But philosophy has further uses in deepening an education, both in college and in the many activities, professional and personal, that follow graduation. Understanding Other Disciplines. Philosophy is indispensable for this. Many important questions about a discipline, such as the nature of its concepts and its relation to other disciplines, do not belong to that discipline, are not usually pursued in it, and are philosophical in nature. Philosophy of science, for instance, is needed to supplement the understanding of the natural and social sciences which one derives from scientific work itself. Philosophy of literature and philosophy of history are of similar value in understanding the humanities, and philosophy of art is important in understanding the arts. Philosophy is, moreover, essential in assessing the various standards of evidence used by other disciplines. Since all fields of knowledge employ reasoning and must set standards of evidence, logic and epistemology have a general bearing on all these fields. Development of Sound Methods of Research and Analysis. Still another value of philosophy in education is its contribution to one's capacity to frame hypotheses, do research, and put problems into manageable form. Philosophical thinking strongly emphasizes clear formulation of ideas and problems, selection of relevant data, and objective methods for assessing ideas and proposals. It also emphasizes development of a sense of the new directions suggested by the hypotheses and questions one encounters in doing research. Philosophers regularly build on both the successes and failures of their predecessors. A person with philosophical training can readily learn to do the same in any field. The Uses of Philosophy in Non-Academic Careers It should be stressed immediately that the non-academic value of a field of study must not be viewed mainly in terms of its contribution to obtaining one's first job after graduation. Students are understandably preoccupied with getting their first job, but even from a narrow vocational point of view it would be short-sighted to concentrate on that at the expense of developing potential for success and advancement once hired. What gets graduates initially hired may not yield promotions or carry them beyond their first position, particularly given how fast the needs of many employers alter with changes in social and economic patterns. It is therefore crucial to see beyond what a job description specifically calls for. Philosophy need not be mentioned among a job's requirements in order for the benefits derivable from philosophical study to be appreciated by the employer, and those benefits need not even be explicitly appreciated in order to be effective in helping one advance. It should also be emphasized here that—as recent studies show—employers want, and reward, many of the capacities which the study of philosophy develops: for instance, the ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to assess pros and cons, and to boil down complex data. These capacities representtransferable skills. They are transferable not only from philosophy to non-philosophy areas, but from one non-philosophical field to another. For that reason, people trained in philosophy are not only prepared to do many kinds of tasks; they can also cope with change, or even move into new careers, more readily than others. Regarding current trends in business, a writer in the New York Times reported that "businessmen are coming to appreciate an education that at its best produces graduates who can write and think clearly and solve problems" (June 23, 1981). A recent long-term study by the Bell Telephone Company, moreover, determined that majors in liberal arts fields, in which philosophy is a central discipline, "continue to make a strong showing in managerial skills and have experienced considerable business success" (Career Patterns, by Robert E. Beck). The study concluded that "there is no need for liberal arts majors to lack confidence in approaching business careers". A related point is made by a Senior Vice President of the American Can Company: Students with any academic background are prepared for business when they can educate themselves and can continue to grow without their teachers, when they have mastered techniques of scholarship and discipline, and when they are challenged to be all they can be. (Wall Street Journal, February 2, 1981.) As all this suggests, there are people trained in philosophy in just about every field. They have gone not only into such professions as teaching (at all levels), medicine, and law, but into computer science, management, publishing, sales, criminal justice, public relations, and other fields. Some professionally trained philosophers are also on legislative staffs, and the work of some of them, for a senior congressman, prompted him to say: It seems to me that philosophers have acquired skills which are very valuable to a member of Congress. The ability to analyze a problem carefully and consider it from many points of view is one. Another is the ability to communicate ideas clearly in a logically compelling form. A third is the ability to handle the many different kinds of problems which occupy the congressional agenda at any time. (Lee H. Hamilton, 9th District, Indiana, March 25, 1982.) In emphasizing the long-range benefits of training in philosophy, whether through a major or through only a sample of courses in the field, there are a least two further points to note. The first concerns the value of philosophy for vocational training. The second applies to the whole of life. First, philosophy can yield immediate benefits for students planning postgraduate work. As law, medical, business, and other professional school faculty and admissions personnel have often said, philosophy is excellent preparation for the training and later careers of the professionals in question. In preparing to enter such fields as computer science, management, or public administration, which, like medicine, have special requirements for post-graduate study, a student may of course major (or minor) both in philosophy and some other field. The second point here is that the long-range value of philosophical study goes far beyond its contribution to one's livelihood. Philosophy broadens the range of things one can understand and enjoy. It can give one self-knowledge, foresight, and a sense of direction in life. It can provide, to one's reading and conversation, special pleasures of insight. It can lead to self-discovery, expansion of consciousness, and self-renewal. Through all of this, and through its contribution to one's expressive powers, it nurtures individuality and self-esteem. Its value for one's private life can be incalculable; its benefits for one's public life as a citizen can be immeasurable. Conclusion Philosophy is the systematic study of ideas and issues, a reasoned pursuit of fundamental truths, a quest for a comprehensive understanding of the world, a study of principles of conduct, and much more. Every domain of human experience raises questions to which its techniques and theories apply, and its methods may be used in the study of any subject or the pursuit of any vocation. Indeed, philosophy is in a sense inescapable: life confronts every thoughtful person with some philosophical questions, and nearly everyone is guided by philosophical assumptions, even if unconsciously. One need not be unprepared. To a large extent one can choose how reflective one will be in carifying and developing one's philosophical assumptions, and how well prepared one is for the philosophical quesions life presents. Philosophical training enhances our problem-solving capacities, our abilities to understand and express ideas, and our persuasive powers. It also develops understanding and enjoyment of things whose absence impoverishes many lives: such things as aesthetic experience, communication with many different kinds of people, lively discussion of current issues, the discerning observation of human behavior, and intellectual zest. In these and other ways the study of philosophy contributes immeasurably in both academic and other pursuits. The problem-solving, analytical, judgemental, and synthesizing capacities philosophy develops are unrestricted in their scope and unlimited in their usefulness. This makes philosophy especially good preparation for positions of leadership, responsibility, or management. A major or minor in philosophy can easily be integrated with requirements for nearly any entry-level job; but philosophical training, particularly in its development of many transferable skills, is especially significant for its long-term benefits in career advancement. Wisdom, leadership, and the capacity to resolve human conflicts cannot be guaranteed by any course of study; but philosophy has traditionally pursued these ideals systematically, and its methods, its literature, and its ideas are of constant use in the quest to realize them. Sound reasoning, critical thinking, well constructed prose, maturity of judgement, a strong sense of relevance, and an enlightened consciousness are never obsolete, nor are they subject to the fluctuating demands of the market-place. The study of philosophy is the most direct route, and in many cases the only route, to the full developent of these qualities. Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Degree Requirements Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Degree Requirements Overview Students must complete a logic requirement, demonstrate proficiency in a second language, complete the four course distribution requirements, and pass two comprehensive examinations, in our program these are extensive research projects -- one in history (history paper) and one in the student's area of specialization (literature review). Most students finish their doctoral degrees within 5 to 6 years. The graduate school imposes a limit of seven years for completion of the PhD degree. Time Table for Completing the PhD Logic Requirement: by the end of year 2 Language Requirement: by the end of year 3 Distribution Requirements: by the end of fall term of year 3 History Paper Proposal: by the end of fall term of year 3 History Paper: by the end of winter term of year 3 Literature Review: by the end of fall term of year 4 Prospectus: by the end of winter term of year 4 PhD Dissertation: by the end of spring term of year 5 Distribution Requirements Current Courses that Satisfy Distribution Requirements The distribution requirements can be satisfied by receiving a mid-B or better in the areas listed below. A single course may count toward each of three categories, but no more than once in a single category. For example, a course may count in a sub-disciplinary field such as metaphysics, and, at the same time, apply to both the history requirement and the traditions requirement.  Field satisfaction will be determined by the Graduate Director, in consultation with the faculty member teaching the class, and this information will be posted in advance: Philosophical Traditions Two courses from each of the four philosophical traditions that ground the diverse philosophical perspectives of the department   Continental Philosophy Analytic Philosophy American Philosophy Feminist Philosophy Subdisciplinary Fields For students entering fall  before: three courses in each of the three sub-disciplinary fields listed below. For students entering fall after: two courses in each of three sub-disciplinary fields listed below. Society and Value - courses in aesthetics, social and political philosophy, and ethics. Knowledge, Rationality and Inquiry - courses in epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophy of language. Metaphysics - courses in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of religion. Historical Periods One course from each of the four historical periods: ancient and medieval modern (16th, 17th and 18th century philosophy) 19th century philosophy 20th century philosophy. ARNL: Asian, Race, Native American, Latin American For those entering in Fall, one course in one of the four ARNL requirement areas: Asian Philosophy Philosophy of Race Native American Philosophy Latin American Philosophy Transfer Credit for Distribution Requirements Subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies, a student may use transfer courses (i.e. graduate courses taken at another university) or graduate courses taken outside the Philosophy Department, as follows: (1) one course in each of the three sub-fields (the other two in each sub-field must be taken in the Department); (2) one course may be counted toward the history course requirement: (3) one course may be used under each of the four traditions (the other one in each tradition must be taken in the Department). However, in satisfying these requirements, the maximum number of transfer and/or outside the department courses that can be counted is five. Language Proficiency To graduate with an advanced degree in Philosophy from FIX University, students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language equivalent to two years of study in that language at the college level. The language must be approved by the student's advisor and should be relevant to the student's philosophical interests. Proficiency may be demonstrated by: MA on the Way to PhD When PhD students have completed both the distribution and language proficiency requirements, they are eligible to apply for an MA and are encouraged to do so. The Philosophy MA requirements for PhD students are the same as those for MA students, except that a PhD student is encouraged to apply for the MA as soon as possible after the MA requirements have been met (the Graduate School has a policy of not granting MA and PhD degrees at the same time, i.e. when the student has completed the Ph.D). If applying for the MA on the way to obtaining the PhD, the "Permission to Re-Register in the Graduate School" form at must also be submitted before the term following the award of the MA. Logic Requirement As a condition for advancement to candidacy in the doctoral program, the student must satisfy the logic requirement in one of four ways: Earning a grade of B or higher in PHIL 325 (Logic, Inquiry, and Argumentation); Earning a grade of B or higher in an advanced undergraduate logic course taken before entering the doctoral program; Completing (with a B or higher) an appropriate 4-credit reading and conference course (PHIL 605) in logic within the Philosophy Department; or Earning a grade of B or higher in a logic course offered by another UO department (e.g., mathematics or computer science). Courses taken for logic credit under 2.- 4. above must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Comprehensive Exams (Research Papers) The comprehensive examinations are passed by completing two substantial research papers under the supervision of faculty. Students are advanced to candidacy upon completion of the comprehensives. Registration for the History Paper and Literature Review When students write the History Paper, they may register for it once, for up to 5 research credits (PHIL 605). They may receive an incomplete once, which will be corrected the term following the term in which they have registered for it. Students may register once for up to 9 research credits for their Literature Review and are expected to complete the Literature Review in the term they have registered for it. History Paper The history paper constitutes half of the comprehensive examination requirement of the Graduate School. The literature review constitutes the second half. The purpose of the history paper is to provide students with the opportunity to deepen and broaden their knowledge of and approach to main topics in the history of philosophy, and to produce a paper as an independent research project. Papers should be approximately 7000 words in length and make appropriate use of secondary literature (25 pages not counting bibliography and endnotes, 35 pages inclusive is the maximum). Procedure: • Forming a Committee: After completing their coursework, students will be asked to form a committee of two philosophy faculty members, one of whom will serve as chair of the committee. • History Paper Proposal: Students will submit to their committee for approval a research project in the history of philosophy. The proposal should be no more than five pages long. • Registration for PHIL 601 Graduate Research: Following approval of the proposal, a student will register for Phil 601: Research for up to 5 credits. Students may only register for history paper credits once and may receive no more than one incomplete for history paper research. The incomplete will be changed to “P” on successful completion of the requirement. Once the proposal is approved, the student will work independently to complete a final draft of the paper during the term of registration for PHIL 601. If a student is not taking classes while researching and writing their history paper, the balance of credits should be taken as PHIL 605 Reading, and should not result in an incomplete at the end of the term even if the history paper is not completed. • Completion: Students should complete their history papers in no more than two terms. • Submission of the Paper: When the paper is complete, it will be submitted to the examining committee and reviewed. • Evaluation of the Paper: The committee will meet with the student to provide an evaluation of the paper. The paper will be accepted, accepted pending revisions, or rejected. If it is accepted pending revisions, the revised version of the paper will be evaluated again by the committee and accepted, accepted pending revisions or rejected. If it is accepted pending revisions, the final paper will be evaluated again by the committee and accepted or rejected. If the paper is rejected at any point, then upon consideration by the Graduate Studies Committee and a two-thirds vote of the Faculty, the student will be asked to leave the PhD program. Topic Guidelines: The purpose of the paper is to lead students to deepen and broaden their knowledge of and approach to main topics in the history of philosophy. To that end, the paper will provide occasion for coming to an understanding of the development of philosophical traditions in their historical and cultural settings. Papers will consider some philosophical question formulated and debated in major works prior to 1980, or the work of one philosopher whose major works were published before 1980. Students should consider the intellectual—historical context of the philosopher or question and current relevant secondary literature. The paper can take a single tradition as its primary focus, but it should establish and assess this tradition’s interaction with other philosophical traditions as part of its historical development. Students may adopt a comparative approach (comparing figures or traditions with respect to a sufficiently precise topic), a broad intellectual historical approach (e.g., discerning the broader intellectual historical background for a problem shared by otherwise divergent traditions or figures) or a bridge-building approach (e.g. showing how a particular philosophical topic is addressed by tools and methodologies drawn from diverse philosophical traditions, figures, and/or periods). Depending on the topic, it may be important also to consider what it means to read philosophy in an historical context. The chosen topic may be, but need not be, related to the student’s planned area of specialization and field of dissertation research, though it should not be narrowly focused on the topic of the dissertation. History Paper Examples Literature Review Constituting your Dissertation Committee: Upon completing distribution requirements and passing the history paper comprehensive, students are to constitute their PhD dissertation committee (which needn't include the outside member at this point) in preparation for their second comprehensive, a literature review in the Area of Specialization, in relation to the dissertation project. Each dissertation committee consists of a chair, who is the student's advisor, and two readers from within the department. For the prospectus, a 4th member is added, this external member of the dissertation/thesis committee must be a member of the University of Oregon faculty not in the Department of Philosophy. The committee may also include other members from outside the University of Oregon at the discretion of the student and adviser and with the approval of the Department Head and the Graduate School. Sources: The students should work with their committee members to develop a list of 50-100 sources that will be important to their dissertation projects. Once this list is approved, the student will write a review of the literature, following these guidelines: The completed literature review should be no more than 50 and no less than 30 pages long, double-spaced, 12 pt. font. The review should be written in narrative style (i.e. the student should avoid simply handing in an annotated bibliography, though he/she may well complete such a bibliography in preparation for writing the literature review). Each work that is addressed in the literature review should be discussed in terms of its relation to an articulated philosophical question or problem related to the area of the dissertation project, rather than simply summarized. When the review is finished and the committee reads it, the student may be asked to do additional work on the review. Advancement to Candidacy for the PhD PhD students will be advanced to candidacy after they have completed their comprehensives (i.e. after successfully completing the distribution requirements, history paper, and literature review). Prospectus The Prospectus and Prospectus Examination is a key step towards earning a Ph.D. in philosophy at FIX University. Constituting a Dissertation Committee: Students should form a dissertation committee. A committee typically consists of four members, three, including the advisor, who are regular members of the department, and one from a department in the University other than the philosophy department. (The committee may also include an additional member who may not be at the University of Ferdinand IX.) Please note the following: The selection of the dissertation advisor should be made with the following considerations in mind: First, the advisor should have a research focus in the central area of the proposed topic. Second, the advisor should be someone that the student can work with. Third, the advisor has the responsibility for the reading and evaluation of initial drafts of the dissertation. The membership of the committee should be formed in consultation with the dissertation advisor, who can provide suggestions about the selection of the outside member. Typically, other committee members will read a draft of (parts of) the dissertation when the thesis advisor considers them to be ready for other committee members to see them and comment. After preliminary discussions with a thesis advisor, students should prepare a draft of the Prospectus and submit it to the thesis advisor. When the advisor and student agree that the Prospectus is ready for submission to other members of the Ph.D. committee, a version of it should be presented to them; committee members may request revisions of the Prospectus, and students should allow time for these revisions (in order to be in compliance with Departmental expectations). A Prospectus Examination should be scheduled (for about sixty minutes) in consultation with the thesis advisor and other members of the committee. The Examination is expected to be attended by the candidate and all of the members of the dissertation committee. It should be held only when the advisor and the committee members believe that there is a workable project, something they determine after their evaluation of a submitted draft of the Prospectus. Content: There are certain ingredients that a Prospectus must contain. Most importantly, there should be a problem that the Prospectus identifies and explains. To this end, the introduction to the Prospectus should include some motivation for addressing the problem, as well as an attempt at explaining, illustrating and clarifying what the problem is. The Prospectus also should try to make clear how the candidate intends to address that problem. It is not sufficient for the Prospectus to indicate that certain claims will be defended or attacked; it must be made clear how the candidate proposes to establish these claims or to illuminate them. To this end, a synopsis of each chapter is needed together with an indication of how the chapters are linked, why one chapters leads into another. A Prospectus should not be overly long, somewhere from seven to ten pages, not including the bibliography. Not only is the dissertation expected to be an original piece of work, something that would be reflected in what it has to say about the problem it addresses, but it is also expected to demonstrate the candidate's familiarity with the relevant literature and his or her competence in providing critical readings of this literature. The candidate is expected to know the more influential and important writings on the problem the thesis is to address, and the Prospectus should reflect the fact that the candidate has plans to acquire that knowledge. To this end, the candidate should provide an extensive Bibliography appended to the end of the Prospectus. Prospectus Examination: The Prospectus Examination provides an opportunity for all of the members of the committee, including the outside member, to share their views of what needs to be done to strengthen the project; how it might need to be expanded or, as is more likely, narrowed in its focus. The concern is that the dissertation address a problem that can be handled adequately by the candidate in a reasonable amount of time. By accepting the Prospectus the committee agrees that the Prospectus presents a project suitable in content and scope for a dissertation.   Dissertation All candidates must submit a dissertation based on independent and original research. The dissertation must contribute significantly to knowledge, show a mastery of the literature of the subject, be written in acceptable literary style, and conform to the standards outlined in the FIX University Style and Policy Manual. Preparation of the dissertation usually requires the greater part of one or two academic years. Defense of Dissertation -- A formal, public defense must take place on the campus at a date set by the committee chair and approved by the Graduate School. Tentative approval of the dissertation by the committee is recommended prior to formal defense. This evaluation is based on copies of the final manuscript, which the candidate provides for the dissertation committee at least seven weeks before the Dissertation Defense Date, unless all members of the committee approve of an alternative submission date. The dissertation must be approved by the committee as suitable for oral defense at least three weeks before the formal defense. Four copies of the dissertation abstract (350-word maximum) must also be filed with the Graduate School at this time. The time and place of the defense must be publicly noted. The dissertation committee must be present at the defense, and the chair of the committee must certify to the Graduate School within two weeks following the defense that the defense was held as scheduled. Completion of Dissertation - Within two weeks following the defense of the dissertation but before the dissertation is submitted in duplicate to the Graduate School, each member of the dissertation committee must confirm in writing either approval or disapproval of the final version. Approval requires a unanimous vote. NOTE: The "Application for Final Oral Defense" and "Confirmation of Agreement to Attend Final Oral Defense" forms  must be filed by week 5 of the expected term of graduation and no less than three weeks before the Dissertation Defense date. Leaves of Absence Each graduate student is entitled to three terms of leave before he/she advances to candidacy, and three terms after advancing to candidacy. Leaves must be approved, and do not stop the seven-year clock for completion of degree. The "On-Leave Status for Masters and Pre-Advancement Doctoral Students" form at and the "In Absentia Status for Post-Advancement Doctoral Students" form must be filed before taking any leave, and must be followed by the "Permission to Re-Register in the Graduate School" form at before registration for the term of planned return. Graduate School Requirements In addition to specific Philosophy Department requirements, doctoral candidates must satisfy all Graduate School requirements, as specified in the Graduate Catalog and on their website. Students need to take particular notice of the Graduate School residency requirement, which reads: "For the PhD degree the student must complete at least three years of full-time graduate-level academic work beyond the bachelor's degree. At least one academic year--the residency year--must be spent in residence on the Eugene campus after the student has been classified as a conditionally or an unconditionally admitted student in a doctoral program. During this year of residency the student is expected to make progress toward the degree by completing course credits and satisfying doctoral degree requirements. The residency year consists of three consecutive terms of full-time study, with a minimum of 9 completed graduate credits a term in the student's major. A doctoral candidate may fulfill the residency requirement during the period in which he or she works toward a master's degree on the university campus as long as the student has been officially awarded the master's degree, the doctoral degree program immediately follows the master's degree program, and both the master's degree and the doctoral degree are in the same discipline. Master of Arts degree program in History and Philosophy of Science Courses Core (Required) Courses HIS 6469. Historiography and Science (4). Introduces graduate students to the range of scholarship within the history of science. Reveals the full sweep of the study of science and society by examining studies of various scientific disciplines and time periods. HIS 6500. History of Life Sciences (4) . Considers the development of life sciences from 1750 to the present. The course will introduce students to critical problems related to biology and society through the study of primary and secondary sources. PHI 6455. Philosophy of Biology: Basic Topics (3) . A survey of basic topics in the philosophy of biology, including the nature of evolutionary theory, the coming of genetics, molecular biology and its philosophical implications, the Human Genome Project, Creationism, eugenics, and ecological questions. PHI 6457r. Philosophy of Biology: Selected Topics (3) . A study of advanced topics in philosophy of biology, including game-theoretic explanations in biology, the units of selection problem, reductionism in biology, systematics, and socio-biology and the is/ought gap. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours. REL 5493 01 Historiography of Science and Religion (3) . What is the relationship between science and religion? Are they necessary enemies, rival perspectives fighting over a single truth? Are they separate but equal human practices that address fundamentally different domains of inquiry? Or is the relationship between these cultural fields so deeply entangled that no simple, unified answer exists? Rather than addressing these questions in the abstract, this course grapples with key episodes in the complex history of science and religion in the West. REL 5493 02 Religion, Medicine and Natural Philosophy in the 17th & 18th Centuries (3) . Explores the idiosyncratic projects, socio-cultural contexts, and theological horizons of early modern natural philosophy and medical theorizing. Elective Courses (A Representative Sample) This is a list of regularly offered courses, but there are many other possibilities to explore in the many related departments. HISTORY AMH 5336. U.S. Intellectual History I: Beginning to 1880 (4). An interdisciplinary study of American thought from the Puritans to the late 19th century, asking, among other questions, what mission American assigned itself. Among the ideas examined will be Puritanism, the Revolutionary ideology, federalism, the American Enlightenment, romanticism, individualism, and manifest destiny. AMH 5337. U.S. Intellectual History II: 1880 to the Present (4). An interdisciplinary study of the impact on American thought of social Darwinism, industrialism, naturalism, the culture of consumption, radicalism, anticommunism, postindustrialism, and affluence. Examines the growth of cultural criticism as a task required of the 20th-century intellectual. EUH 5608. European Intellectual History, 1500-1800 (4) . History of ideas documenting transition from "Medieval Mind" to "Modern Mind" including impact of four Renaissances, Protestant Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Age of Enlightenment. Inter-disciplinary approach includes philosophy, literature, art, political theory, science, economic thought, religion, and music. EUH 5609. European Intellectual History, 1800 to Present (4) . History of ideas in the last two hundred years, exploring nineteenth century as Age of "Isms" (including Liberalism, Conservatism, Communism, Romanticism, Idealism, Nationalism, Industrialism, Imperialism, Positivism, Darwinism, Historicism) and establishing the 20th century as Age of Crisis in which traditional Western Civilization disintegrates. AMH 5635. Florida Environmental History (4) . Applies the methods and approaches of environmental history to Florida. Environmental history is an exciting new field of historical scholarship that considers the changing relationships between human beings and the natural world through time. The field explores how nature has helped to shape culture as well as how humans have modified the natural world and transformed the land. AMH 5636. North American Environmental History (4) . Introduces the changing relationships between human beings and the natural world in America through time. WOH 5238. Disease, Race & Environment (4) . Examines the close relationship between disease, race, and environment in the development of civilizations of the world. PHILOSOPHY PHH 5105r. Greek Philosophy (3) . Detailed study of Plato, Aristotle, or one of the schools or divisions of ancient thought (pre-Socratics, Stoicism, etc.). May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHH 5405r. Modern Philosophy (3) . A critical study of selected major western philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with an emphasis on logic, epistemology, and metaphysics. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHH 5505r. 19th-Century Philosophy (3). A study of either a major philosopher (e.g., Hegel, Marx, Mill) or philosophic movement (e.g., idealism, positivism, Marxism) of the nineteenth century. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHH 5609r. Contemporary Philosophy (3) . A detailed critical examination of selected figures and topics in twentieth-century philosophy. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHH 6009r. Studies in the History of Philosophy (3) . A course on major philosophers and trends that may bridge or extend over more than one distinct chronological period. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 5135. Modern Logic I (3) . Prerequisite: PHI 3130, equivalent, or permission of instructor. A course in the metatheory of first order logic. A mastery of the syntax and semantics of, and a natural deduction system for, first order logic is presumed. Among other results, the soundness and completeness of such a natural deduction system, and Gödel's first incompleteness theorem, are proved. PHI 5136r. Modern Logic II (3) . Prerequisite: PHI 3130, or equivalent; or permission of instructor. An exploration of one or more non-classical logics, such as intuitionistic, many-valued, modal, provability, quantum, relevance, and tense. A mastery of the syntax and semantics of, and a natural deduction system for, first order logic is presumed. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 5555. Core Course in Metaphysics and Epistemology (3) . This course is a broad survey in contemporary metaphysics and epistemology requiring intensive study of works by such influential 20th-century analytic philosophers as Quine and Kripke. A selection of the following topics are covered: existence, identity, modality, universals, causation, free will, truth, the mind-body problem, theories of knowledge, skepticism, and naturalized epistemology. PHI 5665. Core Course in Ethics (3) . This course examines normative ethics and metaethics, including such topics as consequentialism, contractualism, deontology, divine command theory, expressivism, intuitionism, and realism. The survey also includes reference to historical figures such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Bentham, and Mill. PHI 5934r. Topics in Philosophy (3) . A variable content research seminar on selected philosophical problems. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 5956. Introduction to Philosophical Methods (3) . Prerequisite: Instructor's permission required. An introduction for graduate students that offers a critical review and analysis of various techniques of philosophical writing (e.g., textual interpretation, argument analysis, commentary on a philosophical paper). This is a writing-intensive course of varying content. PHI 5998r. Tutorial in Philosophy (1–3) . Critical readings and discussions of important classical and contemporary philosophical texts. Variable content. Variable credit: one to two (1–2) semester hours for a reading course; three (3) semester hours for a reading course with substantial writing. Repeatable with the permission of instructor to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6205r Philosophical Logic (3) . Prerequisite: PHI 3130, equivalent; or permission of instructor. An exploration of philosophical issues concerning logic and its applications. Topics such as counterfactuals; logical consequence; the range and nature of quantification; the relation of logic to language and thought; the relation of logic to mathematics; truth; vagueness. A mastery of the syntax and semantics of, and a natural deduction system for, first order logic is presumed. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6225r. Philosophy of Language (3) . Selected topics, such as the following: theories of truth, meaning, and reference; vagueness; and in-depth readings of figures such as Tarski, Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, and Kripke. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6306r. Epistemology (3) . A seminar on one or more main topics in contemporary analytic epistemology, such as skepticism, the definition of knowledge, theories of justification, the internalism/externalism debate, naturalized epistemology, virtue epistemology and contextualism. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6325r. Philosophy of Mind (3) . A critical exploration of one or more of the major problems in the philosophy of mind, such as mental causation, intentionality, consciousness, personal identity, and the mind-body problem. May also include issues arising from the intersection of philosophy of mind and psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and other sciences of the mind. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6406r. Philosophy of Science (3) . A critical exploration of major problems in the philosophy of science for students in the sciences and philosophy. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6425r. Philosophy of Social Sciences (3) . A philosophical examination of some key issues in social scientific inquiry. Topics to be explored include human action, explanation and prediction, role of values, theory construction, ideology, and social science and public policy. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6506r. Metaphysics (3) . A study of one or more topics in contemporary metaphysics, for example, ontology, free will, time, causation, and properties. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6607r. Ethics (3) . Selected topics, such as the following: topics in the history of ethics, twentieth-century ethical theory, historical figures (e.g., Kant, Mill, Hobbes, Hume,) kinds of theory (e.g., consequentialism, contractualism, rationalism,) metaethical debates, axiology, and practical rationality. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHI 6935r. Seminar in Philosophical Topics (3) . A research seminar on a topic to be determined by the instructor's current research interests. Intensive and advanced. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. PHM 6205r. Social and Political Philosophy (3) . A critical examination of schools of thought (e.g., liberalism, utilitarianism, Marxism, communitarianism, feminism), or of central issues (e.g., justice, equality, race) in social/political philosophy. May focus on historical or contemporary approaches and/or philosophers. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. Religion REL 5035- Seminar: Introduction to the Study of Religion. Graduate introduction to the history, present status, principal issues, and methodologies in the academic study of religion. REL 5486- Religious Thought in America. The classic theological traditions in American religion from Puritanism to contemporary theology. Emphasis will be on Protestant thought, but attention will be given to representative Roman Catholic and Jewish thinkers. REL 5515- Christianity in Late Antiquity. Christian thought, institutions, lifestyles, and literature in their social, cultural, and historical contexts from the time of Jesus to the early Middle Ages. REL 5565- Modern Roman Catholicism. The Catholic Church from the Council of Trent to the present day; special consideration given to Vatican II, current problems, and leading thinkers. REL 5616- Modern Judaism. The development of Judaism as a religious and cultural phenomenon in Europe, North America, and the Middle East from the European Enlightenment to the birth of the State of Israel. REL 6176r- Seminar: Ethics and Politics. Seminars in ethics and politics encourage research into the relationships between religion, morality, and the social-political life of persons and groups. Biological Sciences PCB 5425- Population Ecology. Theory of population growth and regulation, demographic theory and analytical methods, life history variation and evolution. PCB5672- Evolution. Provides instruction in evolution as a unifying framework for biological science. The course shows how two primary aspects of evolution, shared phylogenic history and the modification of populations and species, interact to produce the similarities and differences among all organisms. PCB 5675- Advanced Evolutionary Biology. Topics in this course include population genetics, quantitative genetics, and optimality approaches to the study of evolution. Emphasis is on basic theory and how this relates to empirical applications. ENGLISH ENL5227- Studies in Renaissance Literature: Ecocriticism and Animal Studies in Early Modern Literature. This seminar will introduce students to the major theorists of ecocriticism and animal studies (e.g., Singer, Merchant, Bookchin, Agamben, Latour) and will apply their theories to a reading of early modern English texts by such authors as Shakespeare, Milton, and Jonson. ENL5256-Studies in Victorian Literature: Studies in Fiction: Gender and Disease in the Victorian Novel. Kennedy: This class will examine the answers to these questions, and more generally how literary and medical texts negotiate the problems of gender and disease in the nineteenth century. LAW LAW 7722-Bioethics and the Law. Advanced study of law and values in health care and the biomedical sciences

Graduate Course Listing New York University Philosophy

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• Spring 2012
• Fall 2011
• Spring 2011
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Information for current Philosophy students

hilosophy is the systematic attempt to arrive at clear answers to profound questions by studying and assessing the arguments and answers that have been offered in 2,500 years of philosophical speculation.

• Our Philosophy students report satisfaction levels of 95%, according to the National Student Survey 2011.
• Glasgow has a flourishing undergraduate philosophy society: discussion and debate thrives.

Study abroad

There are study abroad opportunities available in year three.

Year 1

In the first year, you will be introduced to key problems in moral and political philosophy, and in philosophy of mind and knowledge. In moral philosophy you will consider questions such as the objectivity of morality and the ways that ethics is applied in the study of difficult practical problems.
In political philosophy you will consider the nature of our obligation (if any) to obey the government and where this obligation comes from. You will also consider theories concerning the relationship between the mind and the world: how do we come to know about the existence of a reality outside of the mind? Is the mind distinct from the body? The course will also examine how we can distinguish between good and bad arguments.

Year 2

In second year you will focus on two courses: one broadly based on theory of knowledge, the other on moral and political philosophy.

• Philosophy 2M: morality, politics and religion will further your studies in moral and political philosophy.
• Philosophy 2K: knowledge, meaning and inference focuses primarily on questions about knowledge.

You will also begin the study of logic, which is essential to a systematic understanding of the structure of knowledge, and of the way in which questions of language and meaning enter into philosophy.

Years 3 and 4

If you successfully complete the courses in first and second year, you may progress to Honours (years three and four).
You may take Honours either as a Single Honours student specialising entirely in Philosophy or as a Joint Honours student, taking Philosophy in combination with another subject. Whichever you choose, the Honours programme involves two years of study (Junior and Senior Honours).
You will choose courses from core areas of philosophy including the theory of knowledge, the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, logic, moral philosophy and political philosophy, as well as a wide range of options taught by specialist researchers. The topics of Senior Honours courses are generally ones in which we have research strengths and which will give you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with 'state of the art' thinking.
In Senior Honours you have the opportunity to write a dissertation.

We encourage our students to study abroad (usually during the Junior Honours year). We have Socrates/Erasmus exchange schemes with the Universities of Barcelona, Augsburg and Helsinki. Countries in which Philosophy students have studied under other exchange programmes include: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark and Finland, and FIX University in Cali, Col.

Undergraduate Study Overview

Philosophy: What is it?

Many of the questions studied in Philosophy are ones that occur naturally to us, such as: Are morals simply matters of personal opinion? Do we have free will? What kinds of things can we know for certain? Why should I obey the law? Is there any rational basis for a belief in God? Is the mind just a machine (or: can machines think)? Is truth relative? Under what conditions, if any, is it right to take a human life? What is meaning? What is knowledge? Is there some way other than science of knowing reality?
As you can see, philosophical questions are very general, and cut across the other domains of human knowledge (Philosophy has traditionally been called the 'Queen of Sciences'). These include questions about how knowledge is achieved (Epistemology, the Theory of Knowledge), about the ultimate nature of the reality that particular sciences seek to know (Metaphysics), and about the ultimate basis of rational conduct (Ethics). The philosophical way of answering these questions is for the most part the use of reason, as opposed to observation or experiment as in natural science, and as opposed to revelation or direct insight as in religion. Because of this, Logic, the systematic study of valid argument (correct reasoning) is also a central philosophical subject. Furthermore, Philosophy is uniquely general: it seeks to understand how all the other domains of human knowledge and culture fit together, and how, in the most general terms, they connect to reality.
The study of philosophy is distinctively valuable in its own right, but is also of immense practical value in any career or academic discipline that demands skills of analysis, criticism, argumentation and clarity of thought and writing. Evidence suggests that students with first degrees in philosophy consistently outperform other students on standardized admissions tests for postgraduate study.

The Pattern of Study

The Department subject area offers two semester-length courses at Level 1 (normally taken in first year): Philosophy 1K: Knowledge and the World and Philosophy 1M: Right and Wrong. Most students studying philosophy at level 1 take both of these (one in the first semester and one in the second). A grade of 'D' or better in any level 1 course qualifies you to take philosophy at Level 2. There are also two courses at Level 2, again with one each semester: Philosophy 2M: Morality, Politics and Religion and Philosophy 2K: Knowledge, Meaning and Inference. Most students take both, as honours entry requires it. See below for descriptions of these courses. Students in Honours, whether single or joint, choose from a wide variety of courses.

Levels 1-2

Coursework and Assessment at Levels 1 and 2. In all courses at levels 1 and 2, you attend lectures three or four days per week and attend a tutorial with an assigned tutor. Coursework includes an essay and a final examination, worth 40% and 60%, respectively, of the final mark for the module.

Philosophy 1K: Knowledge and the World

This course offers an introduction to philosophical theories of the mind its relation to reality, along with a section on reasoning itself. It begins with a study of the Meditations on First Philosophyby Rene Descartes, which in many ways set the agenda for philosophy since it was published in 1641. This lively book introduces students to dominant themes of modern philosophical thinking. Descartes raises fundamental questions concerning the foundations of knowledge, and, famously, argues that the mind and the body are quite distinct entities or substances. He challenges directly the belief that it is perceptual experience which grounds our knowledge of reality. He holds that, so far as the content of our experience goes, it might be just as it is and yet there be nothing in reality corresponding to that content. Knowledge of reality requires something other than what we experience.
In the second part of the course, Simon Blackburn's Thinkintroduces students to more recent perspectives on many of the issues raised by Descartes, along with some other issues such as the implications of modern science for our understanding of the mind and self.
The course will be examining arguments for and against various conclusions, and it will be important to have a conception of how to assess the force of those arguments. Thus a third component of the course aims to provide students with skills in critical thinking or informal logic. Such skills are essential not just in philosophy, but for assessing arguments in politics, advertising, other academic disciplines, and elsewhere.

Philosophy 1M: Right and Wrong

This course introduces students to some of the basic problems that arise in trying to understand that specific kind of thinking that is moral thinking. Everyone - well, nearly everyone - goes in for moral thinking: they say (for instance) that racism or terrorism or homosexuality is wrong, that compassion makes you a good person, that people have a right to education or shelter. But what does it mean to say that something is wrong or good or that people have a right to it? How, if at all, can we find out whether something is wrong or good or that people have a right to it? Are right and wrong 'all subjective', 'just a matter of feeling', so that child abuse is wrong only in so far as you, or some folk, happen to feel disgusted by it? Are people capable of acting morally or, deep down, is everyone selfish?
Emphasis in the course will be on understanding these issues rather than acquiring any particular response to them. Part of the course will focus on a classsic text; other parts will concentrate on more general questions about moral and political philosophy, and about some contemporary moral issues. No particular moral standpoint is required in students taking the course, nor are students expected to come out of the course with any particular moral standpoint. The aim is to learn think critically and reflectively about the issues.

Philosophy 2M: Morality, Politics and Religion

Morality, Politics and Religion is mainly focused on issues in moral and political philosophy. It has four components. The first part introduces students to the study of meta-ethics. In this, theories such as moral relativism and moral scepticism are evaluated. In the second, you study some central issues in the philosophy of religion: What reasons can be given for believing that God exists? What is religion? Is the existence of a benevolent god consistent with the existence of evil? In the third, we examine what is perhaps the most influential of all philosophical theories of morality, Mill's Utilitarianism. According to it, the moral goodness of an action is to be explained in terms of its effects on human happiness. Can such a theory account for concepts of justice and right? The final sectionis a critical examination of John Locke’s classic theory of how a government gets the right to rule people and when people are entitled to take up arms against their governments.

Philosophy 2K: Knowledge, Meaning and Inference

What is it to know something? Are there limits to knowledge, due to the limits of our own physical or psychological make-up? Can we know things they are in themselves, or are we limited to knowing how things appear to us? Does all knowledge depend on the senses, or can some things be known a priori, that is, by pure thought? This course centres around a close study of one the definitive books on these subjects of the past 100 years, Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy. As well as providing an incisive and famously readable account of these issues, it introduces the student to ways of conceptualising the issues characteristic of philosophy in the Anglo-American world since it was written. It provides an excellent background to the more contemporary works studied at Honours. In addition, the course provides an introduction to Logic, which is essential to a systematic understanding of the structure of knowledge, and of the way in which questions of language and meaning enter into philosophy. In the third component of the course, concepts and methods from both the Theory of Knowledge and from Logic are used in examining a cultural phenomenon with an unparalleled influence on modern life – science. What is the methodology of scientific inference? Can science give us knowledge of things that are beyond our powers of observation? Does science deserve its reputation of being fully objective and rational?

Entry into Honours

Entry into honours, either single or joint with another subject, is guaranteed to students who:

• have completed at least one Level 1 Philosophy course with grade D or better at the first sitting, and have completed both Level 2 Philosophy course with at least a B and a C at the first sitting, and have answered one question on logic in the Philosophy 2K examination.

Entry may be granted to students not meeting these requirements; it is decided on a case-by-case basis.

The Philosophy Honours programme is a two-year programme of studies, comprising the Junior Honours and Senior Honours years, and is part of our four-year MA (Honours) degree. Junior and Senior Honours have separate curricula, and the final exam for each course takes place in term 3 of the same session ('split finals'). Each course last one term and 20 credits. Single Honours students take six per year (120 credits), three per term; Joint Honours students take three per year (60 credits), distributed as convenient. Each module is assessed by an essay (30%) and final exam (70%). Fortnightly tutorials in groups of no larger than six are held for Junior Honours modules; Senior Honours modules have larger group seminars. The dissertation is a fourth-year module that is compulsory for single honours students and for joint honours students not doing a dissertation in their other subject.

Study Philosophy @ FIX University

There are various opportunities for FIX University Students to study philosophy on campus, for all academic years. The philosophy department currently has Erasmus student exchange agreements with universities in Spain, Germany, and Finland. In addition, the university maintains agreements with a range of universities in the U.S.A, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well as a few more exotic places such as Hong Kong. Erasmus students normally spend a term abroad in their Junior Honours year; students travelling to the U.S.A. etc. typically go for the whole of their Junior Honours year.

Note on language requirements: Philosophy students going to Barcelona attend lectures in Spanish but may submit written work in English. Philosophy courses in the University of Augsburg are taught in German, although intensive language tutition is available before teaching begins and throughout your time there. The University of Helsinki offers a limited number of courses in English.
Students interested in studying abroad should visit the International Office. 

Philosophy Department Erasmus exchanges:

University of Barcelona, Spain (Spanish and/or Catalan required)
University of Augsburg, Germany (German required)
University of Helsinki, Finland (Finnish required)

Philosophy (BA)

Specialization: Professional Major

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A 39-credit major offers an intensive concentration in philosophy. Primarily for students seeking a career in philosophy with the intention of continuing their studies in graduate school.
Required Courses:

• 7 courses which are 300 level or above. (PHIL 101 may be counted only if taken as one of the first three courses in philosophy.)

• PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic A study of the nature of conceptual thinking, including the role of language, formal and informal fallacies, truth tables, and elementary techniques of modern logical analysis in order to improve the student’s skill in reasoning. Credits: 3

• PHIL 123 - Ethics
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 123 - Ethics An introduction to the study of questions concerning right action, moral obligation, and an examination of various theories of moral judgment. Credits: 3

• PHIL 313 - Symbolic Logic
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 313 - Symbolic Logic An advanced investigation of logical thought through the use of special techniques of symbolization, the logic of unquantified and quantified propositions, the nature and limits of logical systems and the foundation of mathematics are some of the important topics considered. Prerequisites & Notes Logic or Algebra Credits: 3

• PHIL 331 - Social and Political Philosophy
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 331 - Social and Political Philosophy An in-depth study of central concepts and issues in social and political thought from multiple, diverse perspectives. Issues may include just and fair societies, theories of political obligation, and theories of citizenship and civic engagement with regard to diverse, heterogeneous communities. Credits: 3

• or PHIL335, Philosophy of Law and Justice Credits / Units: 3
  
• PHIL 351 - Philosophy of Natural Science
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 351 - Philosophy of Natural Science An in-depth examination of the nature of natural science, including its aims, methods, central concepts, and limits and a thoughtful appraisal of its significance for the modern age. Prerequisites & Notes Two college-level courses in Natural Sciences and Mathematics Credits: 3

• PHIL 371 - History of Western Philosophy I
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 371 - History of Western Philosophy I A study of major Western philosophers and philosophical issues from the ancient period and extending into the medieval period, designed to show how basic questions and concepts grew and how the works of these periods continue to provide insight and inspiration. Prerequisites & Notes One course in Philosophy or permission of the instructor Credits: 3

• PHIL 372 - History of Western Philosophy II
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 372 - History of Western Philosophy II A study of Western philosophy from the Renaissance through the beginning of the 19th century, tracing the basic concepts and problems of this period and showing how its thinkers continue to stimulate thought. Prerequisites & Notes One course in Philosophy or permission of the instructor Credits: 3

Specialization: Liberal Arts Major

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A 30-credit major which encourages students to focus on philosophy tailored to another academic interest in 1) humanities and fine arts 2) social and behavioral sciences 3) natural sciences and mathematics.
A minimum of 3 courses must be taken in each track. (PHIL 101 may be counted only if taken as one of the first three courses in philosophy.)
Required Courses:

• PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic A study of the nature of conceptual thinking, including the role of language, formal and informal fallacies, truth tables, and elementary techniques of modern logical analysis in order to improve the student’s skill in reasoning. Credits: 3

• or PHIL 313- Symbolic Logic Credits / Units: 3
  
• PHIL 123 - Ethics
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 123 - Ethics An introduction to the study of questions concerning right action, moral obligation, and an examination of various theories of moral judgment. Credits: 3

• PHIL 371 - History of Western Philosophy I
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 371 - History of Western Philosophy I A study of major Western philosophers and philosophical issues from the ancient period and extending into the medieval period, designed to show how basic questions and concepts grew and how the works of these periods continue to provide insight and inspiration. Prerequisites & Notes One course in Philosophy or permission of the instructor Credits: 3

• PHIL 372 - History of Western Philosophy II
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 372 - History of Western Philosophy II A study of Western philosophy from the Renaissance through the beginning of the 19th century, tracing the basic concepts and problems of this period and showing how its thinkers continue to stimulate thought. Prerequisites & Notes One course in Philosophy or permission of the instructor Credits: 3

Specialization: Career-Related Major

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A 30-credit specialization which allows students to design a program of philosophy courses to complement the student’s preparations for a specific career. This is a second major.
Two required courses are PHIL113 and PHIL123. The choice of tracks and courses within them should be done in consultation with a member of the philosophy department.

• PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 113 - Introduction to Logic A study of the nature of conceptual thinking, including the role of language, formal and informal fallacies, truth tables, and elementary techniques of modern logical analysis in order to improve the student’s skill in reasoning. Credits: 3

• or PHIL 313
  
• PHIL 123 - Ethics
  

  [Add to Portfolio] [Print Course] PHIL 123 - Ethics An introduction to the study of questions concerning right action, moral obligation, and an examination of various theories of moral judgment. Credits: 3

Philosophy

About the program

• Augustana College offers a major and minor in philosophy, with courses ranging from a variety of introductions to different areas of philosophy to more specific topical and historical subjects. The department offers expertise and course topics throughout the full spectrum of philosophical interests, from the history of science, to aesthetics, to phenomenology and existentialism.

The Philosophy Department is housed in Old Main.

• Five full-time faculty teach in the rapidly growing department, and all hold the Ph.D. -- three from universities considered to be among the nation's top ten graduate programs in philosophy. As philosophical subjects are essential to a strong liberal arts foundation, the faculty also tend to teach courses within the college's general education studies program.
• Augustana's program approaches the study of philosophy in three ways: by topics, texts and tools. Each of these ways provides philosophy students with a starting point for deeper investigation of the central aspects of philosophy -- the nature of reality, thought, experience and value -- and also promotes a broader and deeper perspective for any student of the liberal arts. All students, whether they are philosophy majors/minors or exploring philosophy to enhance their education, can become familiar with critical texts and develop their techniques of reasoning to serve them well in their liberal arts undergraduate studies, post-graduate work or professional programs.
• Many of the philosophy students at Augustana have double majors, combining their interests in the bigger and more abstract questions of human life with specialized studies in other disciplines such as the sciences, mathematics, studio arts or literature.

Outside the classroom

• Augustana College offers more than 150 various extra-curricular organizations and clubs, including the active Socratic Society of Augustana, for students to continue developing their interests outside of class.
• One of the faculty members has helped establish and directs Augustana's participation in the prestigious summer internship program with the Texas Medical Center -- one of the nation's top two cancer research hospitals-located at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Students in any field who are interested in any aspect of health care may apply for the internships; these can be established in clinical or research medicine, any area of allied health, human resources, pastoral care or clinical ethics.

Future goals

Students of philosophy often pursue graduate studies in philosophy or use their background as good preparation for careers in law, journalism, the ministry or education. Augustana's philosophy alumni have gone on to advanced study in some of the best institutions in the country, including Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Notre Dame, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana University and Princeton Theological Seminary.

Courses

Logic and Critical Reasoning

110 Critical Reasoning
310 Modern Formal Logic

Introduction to Philosophy

201 [PH] Knowledge and Values
203 [PS] Social Ethics
205 [PH] Life and Death

History of Philosophy

240 [PP] Classical Philosophy
242 [PP] Modern Philosophy
340 Classics of Western Philosophy
342 Contemporary Analytic Philosophy

Philosophy of Special Subjects

311 [PP] History and Philosophy of Science
312 [PS, Q] Decision & Game Theory
315 Studies in Epistemology
318 [PH] Philosophy of Language
321 [PA] Philosophy of Art
322 [PH] Political Philosophy
323 [PH] Moral Philosophy
329 [PH] Philosophy of Mind
331 [PH] Philosophy of Religion
341 [PH] Phenomenology and Existentialism

Individual and Advanced Studies

399 Directed Study
400 Independent Study
440 Advanced Seminar
441 Senior Inquiry
450 Senior Thesis

Major / Minor

Major

A Philosophy major must have:
27 Credits
Class selection must include:
110-Critical Reasoning
or
310-Modern Formal Logic
240-Classical Philosophy
242-Modern Philosophy
340-Classics of Western Philosophy
440-Advanced Seminar
Students proposing to do graduate work in philosophy are strongly advised to take:
310-Modern Formal Logic
342-Contemporary Analytic Philosophy
450-Senior Thesis

Minor

A Philosophy minor must have:
21 Credits
Class selection must include:
110-Critical Reasoning
or
310-Modern Formal Logic
240-Classical Philosophy
242-Modern Philosophy
6 Credits from the 300 or 400 Level

BS Philosophy University Studies Googled

Program Requirements

To earn their Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, students complete 132 credit including core, major-sequence and elective requirements, as outlined below. For more information about courses, please see the St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of our Undergraduate Bulletin.
Common Core — 27 Credits

DNY	1000C	Discover New York	3
ENG	1000C	English	3
ENG	1100C	English	3
HIS	1000C	History	3
SCI	1000C	Science	3
PHI	1000C	Philosophy	3
PHI	3000C	Philosophy	3
THE	1000C	Theology	3
SPE	1000C	Speech	3
Total			27

Distributed Core — 21 Credits

MATH	1000C	Mathematics	3
PHI	2200C	Philosophy	3
THE	2000 level	Theology	3
THE	3000 level	Theology	3
FOR		Foreign Language	6
SOC		Social Sciences	3
Total			21

Major Sequence — 84 Credits

ART	1110	Foundation Design	3
ART	2120	Three-Dimensional Design	3
ART	1130	Color Theory and Application	3
ART	1200	Introduction to Drawing I	3
ART	1210	Introduction to Drawing II	3
ART	2220	Anatomy and Figure Drawing I	3
ART	2230	Anatomy and Figure Drawing II	3
ART	2310	Aqueous Media (Painting I)	3
ART	2320	Composition in Painting (Painting II)	3
ART	1510	Relief and Intaglio Printmaking (Printmaking I)	3
ART	2520	Printmaking II	3
ART	1710	The History of Art I	3
ART	1720	The History of Art II	3
ART	2750	Twentieth-Century Art	3
ART	2790	Contemporary Art and Culture, 1945 – Present	3
Choose one course from the following:
ART	3240	Drawing Media Experimentation	3
ART	3330	Acrylic Painting	3
ART	2530	Printmaking III	3
Choose one course from the following:
ART	4909	Internship	9
ART	4125	Creative Thesis	9

Choose one course from the following:

ART	3240	Drawing Media Experimentation	3
ART	3330	Acrylic Painting	3
ART	2530	Printmaking III	3

Choose one course from the following:

ART	4909	Internship	9
ART	4125	Creative Thesis	9

Choose 27 elective credits from the approved ART elective list as recommended by departmental advisor. Total: 84

Students will also be required to submit a portfolio of their work.