Philosophy, Socrates said, begins with the recognition that the unexamined life is not worth living. Thus, philosophy focuses on our understanding of ourselves and our relationships to other persons and society, to nature, to the universe, and, for some, to God.
Philosophy focuses on developing the ability to formulate and to pose questions critical to knowing and ways of knowing, to analysis or synthesis of ideas and claims, and to evaluation, be it of ideas, claims, or actions. It examines both traditional and contemporary efforts with a view to cultivating the habits of sober reflection, careful reasoning, and clear and concrete representation of ideas.
Major and Minor Requirements in Philosophy
The major in philosophy requires a minimum of 32 semester hours and leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. At least 18 hours must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
The minor in philosophy requires a minimum of 25 hours. At least 12 hours must be taken in courses numbered 300 or above.
Major |
Minor |
| For students entering prior to fall 2010, see iCap for requirements | For students entering prior to fall 2010, see iCap for requirements |
| I. Logic, Epistemology, and Metaphysics (6 hours) | I. Logic (3 hours) |
| PHIL 215: Elementary Logic * | PHIL 215: Elementary Logic * |
| PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science | |
| PHIL 331: Analytic Philosophy | |
| PHIL 404: Metaphysics and Epistemology | |
| PHIL 415: Advanced Logic | |
| II. History of Philosophy (9 hours; at least one course from each category) | II. History of Philosophy (9 hours; at least one course from each category) |
| Category A: | Category A: |
| PHIL 341: Plato and Aristotle | PHIL 341: Plato and Aristotle |
| PHIL 342: Skeptics, Stoics, and Epicureans | PHIL 342: Skeptics, Stoics, and Epicureans |
| PHIL 343: Medieval Philosophy | PHIL 343: Medieval Philosophy |
| Category B: | Category B: |
| PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy | PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy |
| PHIL 345: Descartes and Hume | PHIL 345: Descartes and Hume |
| PHIL 346: Kant and Idealism | PHIL 346: Kant and Idealism |
| PHIL 347: Leibniz and Locke |
PHIL 347: Leibniz and Locke |
| PHIL 348: 20th Century Philosophy | PHIL 348: 20th Century Philosophy |
| PHIL 432: Philosophy and Early Modern Science | PHIL 432: Philosophy and Early Modern Science |
| PHIL 433: History of Philosophy of Science | PHIL 433: History of Philosophy of Science |
| III. Ethics and Values (6 hours) |
III. Ethics and Values (6 hours) |
| PHIL 202: Racial Justice | PHIL 202: Racial Justice |
| PHIL 207: Philosophy and Popular Culture | PHIL 207: Philosophy and Popular Culture |
| PHIL 212: Philosophy and Gender Theory | PHIL 212: Philosophy and Gender Theory |
| PHIL 305: Aesthetics |
PHIL 305: Aesthetics |
| PHIL 320: Ethics | PHIL 320: Ethics |
| PHIL 322: Biomedical Ethics | PHIL 322: Biomedical Ethics |
| PHIL 323: Social Ethics | PHIL 323: Social Ethics |
| PHIL 324: War and Peace | PHIL 324: War and Peace |
| PHIL 333: Marx & Critical Theory | PHIL 333: Marx & Critical Theory |
| PHIL 350: Ethical Theory * | PHIL 350: Ethical Theory * |
| PHIL 426: Philosophy and Old Age | PHIL 426: Philosophy and Old Age |
| IV. Philosophical Writing (5 hours) | IV. Philosophical Writing Workshop (1 hour) |
| PHIL 299: Philosophical Writing Workshop | PHIL 299: Philosophical Writing Workshop * |
| (1 hour each, total 2) * | |
| PHIL 496: Senior Seminar (3 hours) * | |
| V. Electives (6 hours) | V. Electives (6 hours) |
| PHIL 101: Enduring Questions: Truth & Relativism | PHIL 101: Enduring Questions: Truth & Relativism |
| PHIL 102: Enduring Questions: The Good & the Beautiful | PHIL 102: Enduring Questions: The Good & the Beautiful |
| PHIL 103: Enduring Questions: The Committed Life | PHIL 103: Enduring Questions: The Committed Life |
| PHIL 401: Readings in Philosophy | PHIL 401: Readings in Philosophy |
| PHIL 499: Research in Philosophy | PHIL 499: Research in Philosophy |
| * Required Course | |
Advisement
Eric Bain-SelboCherry Hall 300
(270) 745-5744
E-Mail: Eric.Bain-Selbo@wku.edu
