UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
B.A. in Philosophy
Program Major and Minor
Philosophy Major
A broad education in philosophy, including ancient and modern Western philosophy, ethics, metaphysics and epistemology, and courses in diverse philosophical traditions.
Philosophy Minor
A minor in philosophy is intended to broaden students' education and to complement and encourage critical and constructive reflection in other courses.
Undergraduate Philosophy Certificates and focused areas of study
Certificate in Ethics & Society
Understand both the theoretical foundations and the practical application of ethics, and gain experience making value judgments on a variety of social issues.
Certificate in World Philosophies and Religions
An engagement with philosophical traditions from around the world, including Western, South and East Asian traditions, and Islamic traditions, plus courses on the philosophy and practice of religion.
Philosophy of Science focused area of study
Understand the philosophical underpinnings of science and its engagement with the humanities, enabling you to communicate and reason effectively about changes and innovations in the methods, values, and foundational assumption of science and its relationship with contemporary society.
**Reach out to Director of Undergraduate Studies, Collin Rice, for more information.
Upcoming Undergraduate Courses
*subject to change based on faculty availability and enrollment numbers
Spring 2026
PHIL 103: Moral and Social Problems (multiple sections)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
PHIL 110: Logic & Critical Thinking (multiple sections)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
PHIL 120: History & Philosophy of Scientific Thought (Rice; MWF 10-10:50)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
PHIL 170: World Philosophies—AUCC 1C
Section 2: Harris (TR 9:30-10:45) This course explores questions about the good life. In doing so, it introduces and critically evaluates a range of philosophical traditions from India, China, Meso-America, and Europe that have attempted to provide answers to just what constitutes a good life. Is it a life of pleasure? Is it one in which we cultivate new desires? Is it one in which we eliminate desires? Is it one in which we transcend the human realm? Is it one in which we gain equanimity and acceptance? These and other possibilities may be contemplated.
PHIL 172: Religions of the East (Noblitt; online)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
PHIL 174: World Religions (DiRado; MWF 2:00-2:50)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
PHIL 206: Knowledge & Existence (Tropman; MWF 11-11:50)
PHIL 210: Introduction to Formal Logic (Huff; MW 4-5:15)
PHIL 318: Aesthetics—Visual Art (Brady; TR 2-3:15)
PHIL 325: Philosophy of Natural Science (Rice; MWF 1-1:50)
PHIL 345: Environmental Ethics (multiple sections)
Easley (TR 9:30-10:45; TR 2-3:15)In this class, we will analyze and apply philosophical perspectives on the value of the natural world and what obligations we might have to the natural world. Topics will include theories of the moral worth of persons, animals, plants, and other natural objects; historical, religious, and cultural influences on conceptions of nature; alternative accounts of human relationships and responsibilities to nature; and the connection between moral and political values and economic policies.
PHIL 350: Social & Political Philosophy (Archie; TR 11-12:15)
PHIL 353: Feminist Philosophies (Butnor; TR 12:30-1:45 pm)
This course explores central questions in feminist philosophy through a rich selection of classic and contemporary writings. Together, these works trace the development and diversity of feminist thought and its ongoing influence on philosophy and social theory. Topics include oppression and the body, gender and intersectionality, and epistemic injustice. Through critical reading, discussion, and reflection, students will examine how feminist philosophy reimagines concepts of gender, knowledge, power, and justice.
PHIL 355: Philosophy of Religion (Kasser; MWF 2:00-2:50 pm)
This course will examine many of the philosophical problems that arise within or about major world religions. The following topics will be covered: traditional arguments for God’s existence, the evidential value of religious experience and of miracles and revelation, the problem of evil, issues concerning some of the divine attributes (eternity, omniscience, and omnipotence), secular versus religious foundations for ethics, religious pluralism versus religious exclusivism, and the relations of faith to reason.
LB 393 002 – Demystifying AI (Tucker; TR 12:30–1:45)
Seminar in Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences: Designed for students both with and without any technical background, this course covers how current AI models are trained and how they make decisions and generate responses. Technical concepts are presented in non-technical ways that make them accessible to everyone, providing enough detail and context to enable students to
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understand and critically evaluate the benefits, risks, and trustworthiness of AI;
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analyze and engage with public discourse about AI, distinguishing between correct and incorrect assertions and arguments; and
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bridge the communication gap between technical AI experts and non-technical AI users, both individual and commercial.
PHIL 425: Epistemology (Kasser; MWF 11:00-11:50)
PHIL 438: Philosophy of Mind (MacKenzie; MWF 10:00-10:50)
PHIL 462: Capstone Seminar (MacKenzie; MWF 1:00-1:50)
Fall 2026
PHIL 100: Appreciation of Philosophy (multiple sections)—AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
This course introduces students to philosophy and philosophical thinking. It explores some enduring questions, such as the nature of knowledge, reality, free will, the mind and body, and artificial intelligence.
PHIL 103: Moral and Social Problems (multiple sections)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
This is an introductory course in applied ethics. The course typically begins with an overview of central ethical theories and then practices applying these ways of thinking to a variety of moral and social problems of our day, such as abortion, world hunger and poverty, immigration, animal welfare, assistance in reproduction and death, and climate change.
PHIL 110: Logic & Critical Thinking (multiple sections)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
This course explores the fundamentals of good reasoning. It will empower you to know when we are reasoning well and when we are reasoning poorly, by objectively examining arguments of various kinds.
PHIL 120: History & Philosophy of Scientific Thought (TBD)— AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
What does the history of science tell us about scientific objectivity, rationality, and progress? We examine (aspects of) the Copernican revolution, the rise of Newtonian mechanics, relativity, quantum theory, and evolutionary biology.
PHIL 170: World Philosophies (TBD)—AUCC 1C
This course offers an introduction to and critical engagement with several philosophical traditions from around the world, including works from ancient Greece, Rome, India, and China. We’ll explore each tradition’s theory of reality, account of human personhood, and ethics, as well as its understanding of the good life. You are expected to reflect critically on the similarities and differences between these traditions, and on your own worldview.
PHIL 173: Philosophy of Traditional Judaism (Gorelik; Tues 3:30-6:20)
This course presents the fascinating foundations and essentials of Judaism from history, lifecycle, law, and traditions to ethics, philosophy, and Kabbalah (mysticism). With a philosophical focus of life's big questions including happiness, purpose, meaning, we also explore the purpose of creation, the objective of human life, the source and nature of the soul and the cosmic effect of one’s actions. Students will gain an informed knowledge of Judaism and Jewish philosophy.
Additional Courses TBD
PHIL 201: Ethical Computing Systems (TBD)- AUCC Arts & Humanities 3B
This course will explore current topics at the intersection of ethics and technology such as autonomous cars, bias in algorithms, artificial intelligence, the attention economy, killer robots, Big Data and privacy, and the use of technologies to enhance human beings. We will use multiple moral theories in philosophical ethics, current news reports, and professional ethics codes as grounding for our discussions.
PHIL 205: Introduction to Ethics (TBD)
This course explores philosophical questions about the nature of morality and how we ought to live our lives. Along the way, we will critically examine several theories in ethics, including relativism, Divine Command Theory, utilitarianism, hedonism, pluralism, intuitionism, Kant’s ethics, and virtue ethics.
Additional Courses TBD
PHIL 210: Introduction to Formal Logic (TBD)
This course is an introduction to logic, which is the study of reasoning using formal tools. More specifically, it is an introduction to first-order logic, which focuses on the concepts of 'and', 'or', 'not', 'if', 'all,' 'some', and 'equals'. Skills covered include translation from English into the formal language of logic, differentiation between valid and invalid patterns of reasoning, demonstration of validity via formal proof, and production of formal models.
PHIL 300: Ancient Greek Philosophy (DiRado TBD)
This course explores the roots of the Western philosophical tradition. We trace some major lines of philosophical reflection in the early, middle, and later stages of antiquity and assess various philosophical schools and methods practiced in the ancient Greek philosophical tradition.
PHIL 310: Writing and Reasoning (Easley TBD)
In this class, we will learn writing, reasoning, and research strategies for success in undergraduate philosophy courses. This will include logical representation and analysis of philosophical arguments, responding to philosophical arguments, and constructing philosophical arguments. Heavy emphasis will be placed on skill building, practice writing, workshop, and revision. This course is designed for undergraduate majors and minors in philosophy, but all majors are welcome.
PHIL 312: Philosophy of Law (McShane TBD)
This course covers central issues in the philosophy of law: the nature of law and its relation to morality, the justification of legal authority, theories of legal interpretation, and theories of punishment. Readings will include both historical and contemporary texts.
PHIL 345: Environmental Ethics (multiple sections)
McShane TDB
In this class, we will discuss debates about the moral status of the natural world. This includes questions about what moral obligations we have to people in other parts of the world, whether nonhuman animals have rights, whether we have any moral obligations to animals, plants, species, or ecosystems, what environmental justice consists in, and what sorts of policy implications our answers to these questions might have.
Lopez TBD
In this class, we will analyze and apply philosophical perspectives on the value of the natural world and what obligations we might have to the natural world. Topics will include theories of the moral worth of persons, animals, plants, and other natural objects; historical, religious, and cultural influences on conceptions of nature; alternative accounts of human relationships and responsibilities to nature; and the connection between moral and political values and economic policies.
PHIL 349: Philosophies of East Asia (Harris TBD)
This course explores the beginnings of philosophy in China (ca. 500-100 BCE) and the contemporary influence of these ideas in a variety of East Asian regions. We will focus on coming to a deeper understanding of the ethical and political ideas of early Confucian, Daoism, and Legalism, as well as the variety of ways that scholars attempted to integrate these disparate philosophies. We will then turn to the ways that these texts and ideas have been applied in the political and ethical theorizing of contemporary East Asian philosophers and political theorists.
Additional Courses TBD
PHIL 462: Capstone Seminar (TBD)
Additional Courses TBD
