What Is Philosophy?
The twentieth-century philosopher, Martin Heidegger, defined philosophy as an inquiry into the most fundamental questions human beings can ask. Questions such as ‘What is real?’, ‘Is there a God?’, ‘Is there anything about which we can be certain?’ and ‘Is there a right way to live?’ are some of the questions that have captivated human beings for thousands of years, and which are as relevant today as they were for the ancients.
Our Courses
This course introduces philosophical ideas and methods concern- ing knowledge, reality, and values. Expected topics will include the sources and limits of knowledge, and the nature of reality. Other topics that may be examined from a philosophical perspective include the nature of the self, truth, religion, science, language, beauty and art, and political theory.
Students develop critical thinking skills necessary for evaluating and formulating argumentative/persuasive essays. Instruction in writing is a central focus of this course.
Students learn how to understand, evaluate, and distinguish argu- ments and explanations by applying accepted standards of good reasoning. Students will learn techniques to recognize deductively valid arguments and avoid fallacies. They will also consider what is required for inductively strong arguments in order to avoid informal fallacies. This may include examples from advertising and political rhetoric.
This course introduces some principles of valid reasoning with emphasis on deductive logic, and includes a study of formal tech- niques of propositional logic. The course may also include a treat- ment of inductive reasoning, language, or fallacies.
Students learn to translate, analyze, and evaluate arguments in modern symbolic logic by employing the principles and methods of propositional and predicate logic.
This course addresses 16th through 18th century philosophy with emphasis on broad epistemological and/or metaphysical developments of empiricism and rationalism in philosophical thought from Descartes to Kant and may include approximate precursors and successors.
This course examines the concept of morality and values, representative historical and contemporary ethical theories, and their applications to moral problems.
Students distinguish between the major philosophies of India, China, and Japan, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Consideration is given to the differences between Eastern and Western thought.
The student learns the significant historical and contemporary philosophical concepts found in religions. The course emphasizes the exposition, discussion, and analysis of the rationality of religious beliefs.
Students are introduced to the meaning of art, the meaning of beauty, truth in art, creativity, and various philosophical theories regarding the nature of art.
COMING SOON
Value of Philosophy
Valuable Skills
Leave your preconceptions at the door! Philosophy delivers highly marketable, highly transferable skills. If your ideal career requires thinking, talking, or writing, we'll help you prepare. Bertrand Russell: "The Value of Philosophy"
Be Employable: Study Philosophy
The discipline teaches you how to think clearly, a gift that can be applied to any line of work.
The Power of the Liberal Arts Major
If you're getting a liberal arts degree, here's a piece of welcome news: you're actually in more demand than those who are getting finance and accounting degrees.
Your parents might have worried when you chose philosophy as a major. But a year-long survey of 1.2 million people shows that graduates in philosophy (Wall Street Journal) earned 103.5% more about 10 years post-commencement.
The Rise in Stock of Philosophy Graduates
Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show philosophy graduates are in growing demand from employers.
Most of management theory is inane, writes the founder of a consulting firm. If you want to succeed in business, don’t get an M.B.A. Study philosophy instead.
Why Some M.B.A.s are Reading Philosophy
Courses like "Why Capitalism?" push students to ponder business in a broader context, and address a common complaint of employers, who say recent graduates are trained to solve single problems but miss the big picture.
Study of Philosophy Makes Gains Despite Economy
In an era in which chronic unemployment seems to demand hard skills, some students are turning to an ancient study that they say prepares them not for a job, but for the multiple jobs they expect to hold during their lifetimes.
Thinking about graduate school? Add up the three sections: Philosophy majors have the highest overall score on the GRE.
How about business school? Philosophy majors outperform majors in economics, statistics, finance, accounting, etc.
Need that J.D.? Philosophy is a better bet than political science, pre-law, and anything starting with "business."
Philosophy Gets You into Med School
Philosophers enjoy the best chance of admission to medical school of any major.
Ever wondered if God exists? If you have free will? If life has a meaning? Whether abortion/same-sex marriage/capitalism is right or wrong? What it means to be a person? If you should fear death? Consider this question: "What Do I Desire?"
So have we! Believe it or not, we've made progress and we have answers—lots of them—backed up with reasons. Come join humanity's conversation before life gets in the way and you die wondering.
From the website Why Study Philosophy.com