Return to: Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS

Professor Wallace, Chairperson
Professors Baehr, Dardis, Godlove, Karofsky, McEvoy, Wallace
Associate Professors Acampora, Eliot, Singer

Philosophy is a disciplined form of reflection about ourselves and the world. Philosophy includes the study of reasoning itself, seeking to establish standards for good thinking in every field of human inquiry, as well as the critical examination of our most general beliefs about life, religion, ethics, law, politics, science, and art. Its special concern is with problems for which there are no easy answers. The study of philosophy increases self-understanding, as well as fundamental analytical, critical, and interpretive capacities applicable in any profession, and in any human situation. A major or minor in philosophy is valuable preparation for careers in law, medicine, education, business, government, and computer and information sciences. The department offers both a B.A. and a B.S. in Philosophy. The department also offers a minor in Philosophy and a minor in Ethics, as well as interdisciplinary minors in Philosophy of Law, Scientific Reasoning and Data Analysis, and Philosophy, Society, and Business. The department also houses the minor in Cognitive Science.

Students may major or minor in philosophy or in one of several interdisciplinary areas, or simply take courses in areas of special interest. PHI 010 , 010A , 010B ,010C , 010D ,010E , and 010G  are good general introductory courses that provide students with a broad picture of the subject, together with the tools and intellectual foundations required for further study in philosophy. PHI 014 and 020 also serve as good introductory courses. PHI 150  and 154  focus on the fundamentals of good reasoning; other basic courses provide general perspectives for studies in many other disciplines. Courses in the history of philosophy and in systematic areas of philosophy concentrate on aspects of the history of philosophy, on particular philosophical problems (e.g., the nature of God), and on special fields of philosophical inquiry (e.g., theory of knowledge, philosophy of feminism, philosophy of science, philosophy of literature). Some advanced courses have a prerequisite (typically PHI 010  or PHI 014 ) but most are open to any interested student

Cognitive Science
Professor Dardis, Adviser

Scientific Reasoning and Data Analysis
Associate Professor Eliot, Adviser

Philosophy of Law
Professor Baehr, Adviser

Return to: Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs of HCLAS