Concentration in Philosophy
Students must earn a "C" or better in each course taken to fulfill a concentration requirement.
Advisory Board:
Dr. Benjamin Keoseyan
Dr. Ashley Kennedy
Dr. Mark Tunick
The study of philosophy does not teach us what to think, but rather how to think in ways that are conducive to discovering truth. Philosophy, more than any other discipline, teaches us how to think critically. It requires deep consideration and reflection. In philosophy, we evaluate differing views about some of most foundational concepts of the modern world—such as free will, right and wrong, the existence of God, beauty, justice, liberty, and human happiness—with an eye towards what assumptions they rely on, where they came from, and above all, whether they are true. Ìý
The study of philosophy has been shown to improve clarity of thought and develop good habits of mind. It also improves one’s ability to perform on standardized tests and thus serves as an excellent stepping-stone to careers in law, business, government, and even medicine. (See: https://theconversation.com/studying-philosophy-does-make-people-better-thinkers-according-to-new-research-on-more-than-600-000-college-grads-262681)Ìý
All philosophy students at the Wilkes Honors College are required to take Introduction to Philosophy, plus Logic—where they learn how to reason well, and to prove when someone is reasoning poorly—a history of philosophy class, and a class in ethics or political philosophy. Beyond that, the student is free to pursue their own philosophical interests, in such courses as biomedical ethics, the philosophy of science, the philosophy of law, environmental philosophy, the theory of knowledge, AI ethics, and more. Ìý
Student choosing a philosophy concentration will take 36 credit hours in philosophy, which includes 12 required credits, 18 elective credits, and a 6 credit thesis.
Available Options:
Philosophy concentration;
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ìý | 2 Introductory Courses: | Ìý |
| PHI 2010;Ìýand | Honors Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 2101 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| Ìý | 1 History Course: | 3 |
| PHH 3100; or | Honors Ancient Greek Philosophy | Ìý |
| PHH 3150; or | Honors Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy | Ìý |
| PHH 3400; or | Honors Modern Philosophy 1 | Ìý |
| PHI 4930 | Philosophy Special Topics course with a historical focus | Ìý |
| Ìý | 1 Values course (Ethics, Political, Philosophy): | 3 |
| PHI 3670;Ìýor | Honors Ethical Theory | Ìý |
| Either POS 2692 OR CCJ 2002;Ìýor | Either Honors Punishment OR Honors Crime and the Criminal Justice System | Ìý |
| PHI 3682;Ìýor | Honors Environmental Philosophy | Ìý |
| PHI 2642;Ìýor | Honors Ethics of Social Diversity | Ìý |
| PHI 3633;Ìýor | Honors Biomedical Ethics | Ìý |
| PHI 3456;Ìýor | Honors Philosophy of Medicine | Ìý |
| PHI 3653; or | Honors Ethics in Bus/Govt/Soc | Ìý |
| PHI 3692 | Honors AI Ethics | Ìý |
| Ìý | 18 credits of philosophy electives (see list below) — see note on students planning to apply to graduate school in philosophy | 18-27 |
| Ìý | Honors Thesis (IDS 4970) | 6 |
| Ìý | Total | 36-45 |
Ìý
Ìý
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHH 3100Ìý | Honors Ancient Greek Philosophy | 3 |
|
PHH 3150 |
Honors Greek and Roman Philosophy | 3 |
| PHH 3400 | Honors Modern Philosophy 1 | 3 |
| PHH 3930 | Honors Special Topics in the History of PhilosophyÌý | 3 |
| PHIÌý2642 | Honors Ethics of Social Diversity | 3 |
| PHIÌý2361 | Honors Ways of Knowing | 3 |
| PHI 1933 | Honors Freshman Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 3653 | Honors Ethics in Business, Government and Society | 3 |
| PHI 3300 | Honors Theory of Knowledge | 3 |
| PHI 3320 | Honors Philosophy of Mind | 3 |
| PHI 3670 | Honors Ethical Theory | 3 |
| PHI 3682 | Honors Environmental Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 3692 | Honors Artificial Intelligence Ethics | 3 |
| PHI 3633 | Honors Biomedical Ethics | 3 |
| PHI 3456 | Honors Philosophy of Medicine | 3 |
| PHI 3682 | Honors Environmental Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 3704 | Honors Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
| PHI 4400 | Honors Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| PHI 4906 | Honors Directed Independent Study | 1-4 |
| PHI 4915 | Honors Directed Independent Research in PhilosophyÌý | 1-3 |
| PHI 4930 | Honors Special Topics in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 4959 | Honors Study Abroad in Philosophy | 3 |
|
POT 3021 OR POT 2002 |
Honors History of Political Theory Honors Introduction to Political Theory |
3 |
Senior Thesis: The thesis or project will integrate the student's studies and demonstrate her/his understanding of key areas of philosophical inquiry and its application in selected areas of study, as well as his/her readiness to pursue graduate study. The thesis will be written under the direction of a thesis advisor and a second reader.
Students planning to apply to graduate programs in Philosophy: Students should ensure they take the following courses: 2 history of philosophy courses (one early, one modern); either PHI 3320 or PHI 3300; and are strongly encouraged to take additional philosophy credits beyond the 36.Ìý
Restrictions: Students are expected to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in the concentration. Courses receiving a grade lower than C may not be included for credit in the concentration. Students are reminded they need at least 42 3000 or 4000-level credits to graduate.Ìý
The Philosophy Minor Concentration is designed to offer students significant coursework involving philosophical inquiry. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in courses taken for the minor concentration.
PHI 2010 Honors Introduction to Philosophy (3)