Undergraduate Studies Information

Director:

Mark Heller
533 Hall of Languages
Phone: 315-443-5818
E-mail: heller@syr.edu

Description:

Philosophy is a field of learning with a tradition reaching back many thousands of years, and it is an area of current, very active research. The study of philosophy at Syracuse University covers both its historical and contemporary aspects. Majors are encouraged to take at least one course in each of the four core areas of philosophy:

The History of Philosophy
Ethics and Moral Theory
Metaphysics and The Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology)
Logic

Majors also typically take one or more "Philosophy of" courses; these focus on the philosophical examination of some other area of knowledge (the philosophy of science, the philosophy of psychology) or some other area of human culture (the philosophy of art, the philosophy of religion).

The study of philosophy is perhaps the most liberal of the liberal arts, an ideal way to participate in the life of the mind. It expands one's imagination and deepens one's understanding of our culture and its history. It also develops skills for many careers and professions: the careful analytical reading of texts, the construction and evaluation of logical arguments, and the writing of clear, effective prose. Aside from preparing students for graduate study, an undergraduate philosophy major is an excellent preparation for law school, for government service or for a career in publishing. Philosophy majors at Syracuse University frequently combine their study with a major or minor in another discipline; combined majors with Political Science, English and Textual Studies, or with one or another major in Public Communications (Newhouse) are especially common, but a 30 credit major in philosophy can be usefully combined with any major within or outside the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Philosophy Department has an active program of visiting speakers throughout the year open to all members of the University community, and majors are more than welcome to attend. The Philosophy Seminar Room and Library is located in 538 Hall of Languages next to the Philosophy Department Office (541 HL) and is available to Philosophy students for quiet study when not in use for a scheduled seminar or meeting. The common room, HL 539, is open for all who are interested in informal philosophical discussion.

Students wishing to discuss majoring or minoring in Philosophy should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Mark Heller in 533 HL (Tel: 315-443-2245, E-mail: heller@syr.edu ).

Major Requirements:

Students seeking a BA in philosophy are required to complete at least 30 credit hours in philosophy, at least 21 credits of which are numbered 300 or above. Each student must fulfill the following requirements:

At least one course in Logic either
PHI 251 Introduction to Logic or
PHI 171 Critical Thinking
PHI 401 Philosophy Majors' Seminar
At least one course from three of the four core areas listed below:

Metaphysics and Epistemology

321 20th Century Theories of Knowledge, Reality and Meaning
341 Philosophy of Religion
378 Minds and Machines
487 History of Epistemology
531 Philosophy of Mind
535 Philosophical Analysis
583 Metaphysics
Other appropriate courses as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

Value Theory

391 History of Ethics
393 Contemporary Ethics
395 Philosophy of Art
417 Contemporary Political Philosophy
493 Contemporary Ethical Issues
596 Selected Problems in Aesthetics
331 American Slavery and the Holocaust
Other appropriate courses as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

History of Philosophy

307 Ancient Philosophy
311 The Rationalists
313 The Empiricists
317 Social Contract Tradition
325 Existentialism
418 Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche
422 Twentieth Century French and German Philosophy
510 Selected Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Other appropriate courses as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

Logic, Language and Philosophy of Science

365 Language and Mind
373 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
377 Philosophy of Psychology
460 Topics in Logic and the Foundations of Mathematics
551 Symbolic Logic
552 Modal Logic
555 Philosophy of Mathematics
565 Philosophy of Language
573 Philosophy of Physical Science
575 Philosophy of Social Science
Other appropriate courses as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

For further information on Core Areas, Click Here.

Philosophy majors at Syracuse University often combine their study with a major or minor in another discipline; combined majors with Political Science, English and Textual Studies, or with one or another major in Public Communications (Newhouse) are especially common, but a 30 credit major in philosophy can be usefully combined with any major within or outside the College of Arts and Sciences.

Minor Requirements:

To complete a minor in philosophy, students must take 18 credits, 12 of which must be in philosophy courses numbered above 299. The 12 credits should be distributed as follows. Three credits should be devoted to the philosophical examination of another discipline; this may be accomplished by taking any course with a title that begins with "Philosophy of..." Six credits should be taken within one of the four core areas of philosophy. The core areas and courses in these areas are listed as a part of the description of the major in philosophy. The remaining three credits may be chosen from any of the upper-division courses in philosophy. Any 100- or 200-level philosophy course may be used toward satisfaction of the minor requirement, but no more than 6 credits of such coursework may be used for this purpose.