Undergraduate Studies Information

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:

1. The History of Philosophy
2. Ethics and Moral Theory
3. Metaphysics and The Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology)
4. 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. Ben Bradley in 532 HL (Tel: 315-443-5827, E-mail: wbradley@syr.edu ).

Major Requirements:

The following requirements are effective as of Fall 2009. Students who were enrolled at SU prior to Fall 2009 may elect to satisfy the old requirements instead; click here to see the old requirements.

Students seeking a BA in philosophy are required to complete at least 33 credit hours in philosophy, at least 24 credits of which are numbered 300 or above. In order for a course to count towards a student's major program, the student must receive a grade of C or better in the course. Each student must fulfill the following requirements:

1. PHI 251 Introduction to Logic
2. PHI 401 Philosophy Majors' Seminar
3. PHI 307 or PHI 510.
4. PHI 311 or PHI 313.
5. At least one course from each of the three areas listed below:

1. 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
2. Value Theory
• 317 Social Contract Theory
• 391 History of Ethics
• 393 Contemporary Ethics
• 394 Environmental 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
3. Logic, Language and Philosophy of Science
• 365 Language and Mind
• 373 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
• 375 Philosophy of Biology: What Can Evolution Explain?
• 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

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. Only courses in which the student received a grade of C or higher will count towards the minor requirements. 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.

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