Philosophy Major

Major Advising Form

The philosophy major is designed to provide students with a breadth of knowledge and a depth of engagement with the history and current practice of philosophy. The requirements for the major build on the study of the history of philosophy and branch out to explore an array of contemporary philosophical problems, as well as areas of specialty that students may wish to explore in greater detail. To help plan your class schedule, consult the Course Rotation Guidelines. Be sure to consult an advisor early in your major program (visit the Advising pages for more information).

Note: Philosophy majors may "double count" an unrestricted number of philosophy courses for fulfillment of both the major and GE requirements.

Students are required to complete 39 units for the major. The course requirements for the major are:

Category 1 - Core Classes

Category 1 - Core Classes (12 units required)

A. Argumentation and Writing

PHIL 315: Philosophical Argument and Writing

B. History of Philosophy (Before 1900)

PHIL 290: Greek Philosophy
PHIL 300: Rationalism and Empiricism

Category 2 - Additional History of Philosophy

Category 2 - Additional History of Philosophy (6 units required)

PHIL 291: Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 301: Kant & the 19th Century
PHIL 323: Existentialism
PHIL 350: Asian Philosophy
PHIL 379: American Philosophy
PHIL 380: Analytic Philosophy 1900-1950
PHIL 382: Marx and Marxism
PHIL 383: Postmodernism

Category 3 - Contemporary Philosophy

Category 3 - Contemporary Philosophy (9 units required: 3 minimum from each A & B)

A. ETHICS & SOCIETY

PHIL 343: Philosophy of Feminism (WMST 343)
PHIL 345: Social & Political Philosophy
PHIL 377: Philosophical Approaches to Race, Class and Gender
PHIL 410: Ethical Theory

B. METAPHYSICS & EPISTEMOLOGY

PHIL 420: Metaphysics
PHIL 425: Phenomenology
PHIL 430: Epistemology
PHIL 435: Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Language
PHIL 440: Philosophy of Mind

C. LOGIC

PHIL 368: Symbolic Logic (MATH 368)

Category 4 - Seminar Requirement

Category 4 - Seminar Requirement (3 units required)

PHIL 455: Seminar in Values
PHIL 480: Seminar in History of Philosophy
PHIL 490: Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy

Category 5 - Electives

Category 5 - Electives (9 units required: 6 maximum from A)

A. LOWER DIVISION

PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 101: Meaning, Purpose & the Good Life
PHIL 105: Critical Thinking
PHIL 106: Introduction to Logic
PHIL 110: Religions of the World (CPRL 110)
PHIL 120: Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 227: Video Games, Arts, and Philosophy

B. UPPER DIVISION

PHIL 303: Introduction to Philosophy of Science
PHIL 304: Philosophy of Social and Behavioral Sciences
PHIL 311: Aesthetics: Philosophy of Art & Beauty
PHIL 312: Business and Professional Ethics
PHIL 313: Environmental Ethics
PHIL 314: Medical Ethics
PHIL 320: Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 322: Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, and Robots
PHIL 325: Philosophy of Sex & Love
PHIL 349: Philosophy, Literature & Cinema
PHIL 355: Philosophy of Law
PHIL 369: Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
PHIL 375: Introduction to Philosophy of Language (LING 375)

OR

Students may count any upper-division PHIL class as an elective, provided it does not already count towards the satisfaction of another requirement. For example, if a student has already satisfied their Additional History requirement (Category 2) by taking PHIL 291 Medieval Philosophy and PHIL 301 Kant and the 19th Century, they may still take another Additional History class (e.g. PHIL 323 Existentialism) and it will automatically count as an elective.

Eligible upper-division classes, other than those listed in 5B above are (titles and pre-requisites are listed under the relevant categories above):

History and Additional History (Categories 1 and 2) - PHIL 300, 301, 323, 343, 350, 379, 380, 382, 383

M&E classes (Category 3) - 368, 377, 410, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440

Seminars (Category 4) - 455, 480, 490

Recommendations for Philosophy Majors Considering Advanced Degree Programs

Students who are planning to attend graduate school in philosophy are urged (a) to consult with faculty early on about their planned program of study, (b) to acquire proficiency in a foreign language, (c) to take a wide variety of upper division courses offered by tenure-track faculty, and (d) to include in their program of study as many as possible of the following:

PHIL 303: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
PHIL 345: Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 368: Symbolic Logic
PHIL 375: Introduction to the Philosophy of Language
PHIL 380: Analytic Philosophy
PHIL 383: Postmodernism
PHIL 410: Ethical Theory
PHIL 420: Metaphysics
PHIL 425: Phenomenology
PHIL 430: Epistemology
PHIL 440: Philosophy of Mind

Students interested in pursuing admission to law school are advised (a) to consider a Major in Philosophy with a Concentration in Moral, Legal, and Social Philosophy for the Professions, (b) contact Professor Patrick Ryan, the advisor to the Concentration, and (c) to include in their major program as many as possible of the following:

PHIL 345: Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 355: Philosophy of Law
PHIL 368: First Course in Symbolic Logic
PHIL 405: Advanced Topics in Applied Legal Reasoning
PHIL 410: Ethical Theory
PHIL 455: Seminar in Values
PHIL 493: Senior Internship in Ethics and Society

Double Major

The Philosophy major complements many others majors, and we encourage our students to seriously consider a double major. Double majoring will greatly enhance your undergraduate learning experience. Like majors, double majors may also "double count" an unrestricted number of philosophy courses for fulfillment of both the major and GE requirements. Please consult a full-time Philosophy faculty member in Humanities 311/313 for further information.

For help planning your courses, check the Course Rotation Guidelines and the Advising pages. Check your catalog year on the Approved GE Courses website for a complete list of Philosophy courses that meet GE requirements.