Objectives

Philosophy is a reflective and critical discipline whose aim is to explore fundamental ideas which underlie and penetrate human existence and constitute the deep background of all human endeavors: ideas such as Meaning and Truth, Knowledge and Being, Objectivity and Bias, Good and Evil, Value and Disvalue. Philosophic inquiry into these and related notions is governed by the complementary ideals of analytic precision and comprehensive synthesis, and so it aims to raise these basic notions from their everyday obscurity, to articulate them with logical precision and rigor, and to bind them together into an overarching vision of the nature and purpose of human life.

Accordingly, the Department of Philosophy offers basic courses in Critical Thinking, Human Nature, Ethics, and Contemporary Moral Problems in the core curriculum and a wide variety of courses complementary to studies in a broad range of fields. For convenience, courses are grouped into eight content areas:

1. Morality, Law, and Politics (320 through 334)
2. Natural and Social Sciences (341, 342, 343)
3. Arts and Literature (254, 351, 352, 353, 354)
4. Religion and Theology (361 through 368)
5. History of Philosophy (381, 382, 383, 385, 387)
6. Contemporary Movements (421 through 426)
7. Major Thinkers (451)
8. Mind and Reality (461 through 464)

Philosophy Student Learning Outcomes

Philosophy students will understand:

• The history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to modern European thinkers
• Contemporary philosophical movements, issues, and techniques
• Central themes in the primary texts of important philosophers

Philosophy students will be able to:

• Demonstrate written competency in the analysis of philosophical issues
• Apply the tools of logic in the analysis and critical evaluation of philosophical texts
• Synthesize philosophical insights in relation to their own lived experience

Philosophy students will value:

• The contributions of philosophers to civilization
• An understanding of the relationship of philosophy to a variety of areas of human experience such as faith, morality, and culture
• Rigorous philosophical inquiry and reflection in relation to their own self-development, their interactions with others, and the quest for a better world.

Major Requirements

At entry to the University, students may declare the major or minor through the Office of Admission. LMU students wishing thereafter to declare the major or minor must meet with the chair. The chair will ordinarily sign the student’s Change of Program petition, provided the student meets certain academic standards that include having a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C), not otherwise being on academic probation, and (for majors) upon completion of an entrance questionnaire.

Honors in Philosophy

To graduate with honors in Philosophy, a Philosophy major must have a minimum GPA in Philosophy of 3.3, enroll in the PHIL 500 Senior Project  in place of one of the upper division electives, and receive at least a grade of B+ (3.3) on the project.

Philosophy Model Four-Year Plan

The normal course load is 15 semester hours (5 classes). By following the model below, a student will complete all lower division core requirements by the end of the sophomore year as well as PHIL major prerequisites. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.