All students majoring in philosophy and not writing an honors thesis must complete a total of nine courses (27 credits) in philosophy. All students majoring in philosophy and writing an honors thesis must complete ten courses (31 credits). In this case, honors thesis work in H4990 and H5000 counts for two courses and seven credits. (One of these seven credits is a writing requirement credit.) In addition to the standard major, the department offers two more specialized tracks within the major: Law, Morality, and Society; and Language, Mind, and Knowledge.

Honors Thesis

• PHIL H4990 - Honors Thesis
• PHIL H5000 - Honors Thesis

Standard Major

For the standard major in philosophy the specific course requirements are:

The two course sequence in the history of philosophy

• PHIL 2010 - History of Ancient Philosophy
• PHIL 2020 - History of Modern Philosophy

One course in logic

• PHIL 1060 - Critical Thinking
• PHIL 1210 - Elementary Symbolic Logic
• PHIL 3040

One course in ethics

• PHIL 1030 - Ethics
• PHIL 1050
• PHIL 3510 - History of Ethics
• PHIL 3550 - Medical Ethics
• PHIL 3560 - Social and Political Ethics
• PHIL 3570
• PHIL 3580 - Ethical Theory

Additional Information

At least two of the remaining courses must be at the 6000-level. No more than three of the required nine courses can be at the 1000-level.

Concentration in Law, Morality, and Society

For the concentration in Law, Morality, and Society the specific course requirements are:

The two course sequence in classics of political philosophy

• PHIL 2110 - Classics of Ancient Political Philosophy I
• PHIL 2120 - Classics of Ancient Political Philosophy II

One course in critical thinking or logic

• PHIL 1060 - Critical Thinking
• PHIL 1210 - Elementary Symbolic Logic

Four other courses in ethics, political philosophy or the philosophy of law

• PHIL 1030 - Ethics
• PHIL 1050
• PHIL 3340 - Humanity's Place in Nature
• PHIL 3510 - History of Ethics
• PHIL 3550 - Medical Ethics
• PHIL 3560 - Social and Political Ethics
• PHIL 3580 - Ethical Theory
• PHIL 3650 - Crime and Punishment
• PHIL 3640 - Philosophy of Law
• PHIL H4990 - Honors Thesis
• PHIL H5000 - Honors Thesis
• PHIL 6130 Moral Psychology and Meta-Ethics
• PHIL 6510 - Theories of Economic Justice
• PHIL 6520
• PHIL 6720
• PHIL 6740 - Contemporary Political Philosophy
• PHIL 6750 - Utilitarianism

Additional Information

One course outside these areas at the 3000-level or above. At least two courses must be at the 6000-level.

Concentration in Language, Mind, and Knowledge

For the concentration in Language, Mind, and Knowledge the specific course requirements are:

The two course sequence in the history of philosophy

• PHIL 2010 - History of Ancient Philosophy
• PHIL 2020 - History of Modern Philosophy

One course in logic

• PHIL 1210 - Elementary Symbolic Logic

Four other courses in philosophy of language, mind, or knowledge

• PHIL 1040 - Beginning with Minds
• PHIL 2200 - Matter and Consciousness
• PHIL 3120 - Analytic Philosophy
• PHIL 3410 - Theory of Knowledge
• PHIL 3420 - Metaphysics
• PHIL 3740 - Consciousness
• PHIL 3750 - Mind and Knowledge
• PHIL 3800 - Language and Thought
• PHIL H4990 - Honors Thesis
• PHIL H5000 - Honors Thesis
• PHIL 6090
• PHIL 6120 - Metaphysics
• PHIL 6170 - Philosophy of Perception
• PHIL 6180 - Mental Representation
• PHIL 6190
• PHIL 6620 - Philosophical Logic

Additional Information

One course outside of these areas at the 3000-level or above. At least two of these courses must be at the 6000-level.

Courses Eligible for the Capstone

• PHIL 6040 Philosophy of Law. Prerequisite: at least one previous course in ethics or political philosophy.
• PHIL 6050 Moral Philosophy. Prerequisite: at least one previous course in ethics.
• PHIL 6100 Skepticism. Prerequisite:
• PHIL 1210 and 2020 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6120 Metaphysics. Prerequisite: PHIL 2010 and PHIL 2020 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6150 Freedom and the Self. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6180 Mental Representation.
• PHIL 6190 Philosophy of Mind. Prerequisite: at least one previous course in philosophy of mind or metaphysics.
• PHIL 6200 Plato. Prerequisite: PHIL 2010, PHIL 2110 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6210 Aristotle. Prerequisite: PHIL 2010, PHIL 2110 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6260 Rationalism. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6270 Empiricism. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020 or equivalent. PHIL 6280 Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6290 Kant's Ethics. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020, PHIL 2120 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6330 Nietzsche. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020, PHIL 2120 or equivalent.
•  PHIL 6340 Heidegger. Prerequisite: PHIL 2020, PHIL 2120 or equivalent.
• PHIL 6540 Global Justice. Prerequisite: one course in ethics or political philosophy.
• PHIL 6740 Political Philosophy: one course in ethics or political philosophy.