New Concentration Areas: I) World Philosophical Traditions and II) Ethics & the Public Life

The default requirements for the Philosophy Major are any three courses in the history of philosophy, 4 additional 3000 level elective courses in philosophy, and a capstone.

As of academic year 2023-2024 students may choose to Major in one of the following two new, optional concentration areas. Concentrations have their own requirements that supersede the requirements for the Philosophy Major. Details below.

I. World Philosophical Traditions

In order to have our course offerings reflect and expand the diversity of our student body and contribute to the College’s goal of increasing the cultural competency of our students, we have developed several courses in traditionally underrepresented areas of philosophy.

This new Major concentration area will require students to take *at least two* courses in non-Western philosophy (Group I), and at least two courses in the history of Western philosophy (Group II).

Group 1—Non-Western Philosophy

PHI 3155 – Philosophies from India
PHI 3165 – Classical Buddhism
PHI 3170 – Classical Chinese Philosophy
PHI 3180 – Japanese Philosophy
BLS 3018 – African Philosophy and Religion

Group 2—Western Philosophy

PHI 3000 – Existentialism in Philosophy and Literature
PHI 3120 – Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHI 3130 – Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages
PHI 3140 – Modern European Philosophy
PHI 3145 – Nineteenth Century Philosophy
PHI 3150 – Philosophy in the Twentieth-Century

II - Ethics & the Public Life

It is part of the Mission Statement of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences to offer students “a well-rounded education in the arts and sciences that will encourage the growth of our students as active citizens, as future professionals, and as engaged and ethical human beings”. Our second new concentration area will foster and enhance this mission.

Students will be required to take at least two courses from each of the following groups, along with a capstone seminar in value theory:

Group 1—Social and Political Philosophy