Philosophy lies at the core of the liberal arts education. Philosophy asks fundamental questions about the world we live in: about the meaning of human life, the nature, purpose and limit of human knowledge, the character and contents of our moral experiences, and the fundamental features of human societies. Philosophy covers a range of related inquires such as ethics, social and political philosophy, the philosophy of law, feminist philosophy, logic and critical reasoning, metaphysics and epistemology, and the history of philosophy. Philosophy courses challenge students to think deeply and to reflect on their own commitments and opinions, to learn about the variety of ways that the human experience has been described and interpreted, and to come to a fuller understanding of themselves and their society.
The study of philosophy also trains students in a range of skills that are fundamental to education in its widest sense. Philosophy courses teach students how to read with attention and sensitivity to language, concepts and meaning, how to analyze and construct arguments, and how to speak and write clearly and effectively. The philosophy major is valuable not only for students planning to continue the study of philosophy at the post-graduate level, but also for anyone considering a career in law, business, politics and diplomacy, the nonprofit world and any other career emphasizing analytical, linguistic, writing and logical skills.
Harpur College Requirements
Harpur College students must complete the following requirements in addition to those listed for the major:
- 126 credits
- 94 liberal arts and sciences credits
- Minimum of 46 upper-level credits
- Completion of the Harpur College writing requirement (four to five courses, as described in the All-College Writing section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin. Maximum of one C/J course and two W courses, may be transferred).
- Minimum of 44 credits in residence in Harpur College
- 2.0 or higher GPA
Harpur College requirements are described in detail in the Requirements for Graduation section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin.
Philosophy Undergraduate Program
The philosophy major’s requirements call for the completion of 10 courses in philosophy. Of these:
- One Introductory course
- PHIL 101 (Introduction to Philosophy) or
- PHIL 105 (Introduction to Asian Philosophy) or
- PHIL 107 (Existence and Freedom)
- One course in Logic
- PHIL 121 (Methods of Reasoning) or
- PHIL 122 (Elementary Logic)
- Two courses in the History of Philosophy
- PHIL 201 (Plato and Aristotle) and
- PHIL 202 (Descartes, Hume and Kant)
- Six philosophy courses at the advanced level (300-400). Of these, at least one must
be selected from group A and one from group B
- Group A (metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind): PHIL 335 (Philosophy of Psychology), PHIL 431 (Metaphysics), PHIL 433 (Epistemology), PHIL 436 (Philosophy of Mind), PHIL 444 (Philosophy of Social Science), PHIL 445 (Buddhist Metaphysics)
- Group B (value theory): PHIL 340 (Ethical Theory), PHIL 342 (History of Social and Political Philosophy), PHIL 344 (Buddhist Ethics), PHIL 345 (Philosophy of Law), PHIL 455 (Advanced Philosophy of Law), PHIL 456 (Advanced Topics in Law and Political Theory, PHIL 457 [Advanced Topics in Law and Morality], PHIL 458 (Advanced Topics in Law and History), PHIL 486 (Advanced Topics in Ethics), PHIL 488 (Advanced Topics in Social and Political Philosophy)
- At least one advanced-level course should have the General Education C designation
Students may petition to have up to two courses from a related discipline count as fulfilling the advanced-level requirement.
When appropriate, students can petition to have a different course count as fulfilling requirements for courses in Group A or B.
Honors Program
Honors work in philosophy is usually pursued in the Pell Honors Program. This demanding program, normally open to students with a GPA of at least 3.5, involves writing an article-length thesis under the supervision of an expert advisor, revising that thesis in dialogue with fellow students and the honors program director, and presenting the result to be evaluated by a faculty jury at a conference in December. But honors work can be pursued individually as well. Students interested in honors work should consult the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) in the Department of Philosophy or the director of the Pell Honors Program.
No courses fulfilling major requirements may be taken Pass/Fail. All courses fulfilling major requirements must be passed with at least a C-.