Before You Declare Philosophy
There are no pre-declaration requirements for a major in philosophy. However, if you are interested in majoring, it is a good idea to take a l00 or 200-level course as early as possible to get a feeling for philosophy as an academic discipline. Most of the l00- and 200-level courses provide a good introduction to the subject matter of philosophy. The PHIL 2ll- 2l2 sequence should be of special interest to the potential major. It provides a rather detailed survey of the history of philosophy from ancient to modern.
If you are thinking about declaring a major you are encouraged to speak to the undergraduate advisor, who can answer questions not answered here. (Contact the department office to find out who is advisor this year.) He or she can also put you in touch with current philosophy majors who can tell you more about the major from a student's point of view.
Declaring a Major
To declare a major in philosophy simply pick up a "Declaration of Major" form from the Office of the Dean of the College (Garrett Hall) or from the Philosophy Department Office in 512 Cabell Hall. Next, make an appointment to see the undergraduate advisor in the Philosophy Department in order to complete the declaration form. When you declare you will be assigned an advisor within the Philosophy Department. You should meet with your advisor during preregistration week of each semester to plan your schedule for the coming semester.
Requirements
The major in philosophy is designed to sharpen the student's analytical and creative skills, and to enhance clarity of exposition. It also acquaints the student with some of the most important themes in the history of Western thought. In order to fulfill the requirements for a major in philosophy, a student must complete at least three credits of course work in each of the three areas of metaphysics and epistemology, logic, ethics, and at least six credits of course work in the history of philosophy, with the courses to be selected from among those listed below.
| A. | Metaphysics and Epistemology PHIL 331 (Metaphysics), PHIL 334 (Philosophy of Mind), PHIL 332 (Epistemology) |
| B. | Logic PHIL 242 (Symbolic Logic), PHIL 542 (Symbolic Logic), PHIL 141 (Forms of Reasoning), PHIL 142 (Basic Logic) |
| C. | Ethics PHIL 351 (Ethics), PHIL 352 (Contemporary Ethics), PHIL 356 (Classics in Political Philosophy), PHIL 257 (Political Philosophy) |
| D. | History All majors must take either PHIL 211(History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval) or PHIL 212 (History of Philosophy: Modern). Those who take PHIL 211 must also take at least one of the following: PHIL 315 (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz), PHIL 316 (Locke, Berkeley, Hume), or PHIL 317 (Kant). Those who take PHIL 212 must also take at least one of the following: PHIL 311 (Plato), PHIL 312 (Artistotle), PHIL 314 (History of Medieval Philosophy), PHIL 513 (Topics in Medieval Philosophy). |
A philosophy major requires a total of 30 credits of courses numbered 200 or higher. Students who double-major may, in consultation with their major advisor or the director of undergraduate studies, count up to six credits from their second major towards their philosophy major. If a student elects to satisfy the logic requirement by taking PHIL 141 or 142, those credits do not count towards the 30 credit requirement.
Academic Standards
Summer School
The Philosophy Department ordinarily offers three or four courses each summer. Because these summer courses are usually at the 100-level, students should not expect to take summer courses to work towards completion of the requirements for the philosophy major.
Double Majors
A number of philosophy majors are double majors, and we encourage students who are interested in doing this to try it. Students who double-major may, in consultation with their major advisor or the director of undergraduate studies, count up to six credits from their second major towards their philosophy major. Majors with which the philosophy major is often combined include: English, mathematics, economics, government, biology, anthropology, and history. Many students also combine a philosophy major with a pre-med curriculum.
Academic Standards
Majors must maintain an average GPA of at least 2.0 in all their philosophy courses. Failure to do so will result in the students being placed on probation for the following semester. At the end of a probationary semester, if the student's average is still below 2.0, the student may be asked to declare a different major. Majors are expected to obtain grades of C- or better on all their philosophy courses. If majors receive a grade below C- in two philosophy courses they are placed on probation. If students receive a grade under C- in a third course they may be asked to declare a different major
Seminar for Majors
Seminars for Majors
The seminars for majors are small seminars in which a specific philosophical problem is studied intensively. Recent seminars have been on the problem of universals, utilitarianism, skepticism, perception and selected topics in Plato and Aristotle. The majors participating in this Seminar help choose the seminar topic and are expected to present at least one seminar paper during the semester. These seminars can be extremely rewarding, offering the student an opportunity to investigate and grapple with a philosophical problem in the context of a group of equally interested inquirers.
Independent Study and the Senior Thesis
Majors who wish to do independent work with a specific instructor should either speak to the instructor or their major advisor. If the instructor agrees, the student should register for either PHIL 493 or 494. Both of these are 3 credit courses and count towards the major. A Senior Thesis is not required for the major. However, students who plan to go on in philosophy are strongly encouraged to consider a project of this kind. Ideally a student should begin research on the thesis topic in the sixth or seventh semester. This initial preparation should be done under the supervision of a faculty member as a 3 credit Independent Study. The actual writing of the thesis should be done during the following semester as another 3 credit course (PHIL 498 Senior Thesis).
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