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Philosophy Major & Minor


Philosophy, thought Socrates, begins with the recognition that an unexamined life is not worth living.  Accordingly, those who study philosophy question how to understand ourselves and our relationships to other persons, to society, to nature, to the universe, and, for some, to God.

Philosophy develops our ability to challenge the obvious, trains us to analyze and synthesize ideas, and shows us both how to defend and how to criticize normative claims about actions, policies, and ways of life.  By carefully examining and discussing both traditional and contemporary works, it cultivates habits of honest reflection, careful reasoning, and clear thinking.

 

  • PHIL 214: Logic, Argument, & Practical Reasoning
  • PHIL 215: Symbolic Logic
  • PHIL 315: Philosophy of Religion
  • PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 332: Philosophy of Mind: Minds & Machines
  • PHIL 334: Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 404: Metaphysics & Epistemology
  • PHIL 415: Advanced Logic
  • PHIL 331: Early Analytic Philosophy
  • PHIL 341: Plato and Aristotle
  • PHIL 342: Skeptics, Stoics, & Epicureans
  • PHIL 343: Medieval Philosophy
  • PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy
  • PHIL 345: Descartes & Hume
  • PHIL 346: Kant & Idealism
  • PHIL 347: Leibniz & Locke
  • PHIL 348: 20th Century Philosophy
  • PHIL 406: Existentialism 
  • PHIL 440: Readings in Ancient / Medieval Philosophy 
  • PHIL 450: Readings in Modern / Contemporary Philosophy
  • PHIL 202: Racial Justice
  • PHIL 207: Philosophy and Popular Culture
  • PHIL 208: Philosophy of Public Space
  • PHIL 211: Why Are Bad People Bad?
  • PHIL 212: Philosophy & Gender Theory
  • PHIL 305: Aesthetics
  • PHIL 322: Biomedical Ethics
  • PHIL 323: Social Ethics
  • PHIL 324: War and Peace
  • PHIL 333: Marx & Critical Theory 
  •  PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy
  • PHIL 350: Ethical Theory
  • PHIL 406: Existentialism 
  • PHIL 426: Philosophy & Old Age
  • PHIL 427: Philosophy of Law

 PHIL 496: Senior Seminar (1 hr) *

*Note: Senior Seminar may be taken independently, or it may 'piggy-back' on top ofanother PHIL course in which students are concurrently enrolled. In both cases, students must specifically enroll for it. 

Any philosophy course (see above and in Catalog) including the following:

  • PHIL 101: Enduring Questions: Truth & Relativism
  • PHIL 102: Enduring Questions: the Good & the Beautiful
  • PHIL 103: Enduring Questions: the Committed Life
  • PHIL 499: Independent Research in Philosophy

 

 Any/all of the following RELS courses: 

  • RELS 242: Meaning of Life: Atheism to Zen
  • RELS 317: Confucianism
  • RELS 318: Daoism

 

At least 16 hrs must be taken in courses numbered 300 or above. 

  • PHIL 214: Logic, Argument, & PracticalReasoning
  • PHIL 215: Symbolic Logic
  • PHIL 315: Philosophy of Religion
  • PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 332: Philosophy of Mind: Minds & Machines 
  • PHIL 334: Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 404: Metaphysics & Epistemology
  • PHIL 415: Advanced Logic
  • PHIL 331: Early Analytic Philosophy
  • PHIL 341: Plato and Aristotle
  • PHIL 342: Skeptics, Stoics, & Epicureans
  • PHIL 343: Medieval Philosophy
  • PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy
  • PHIL 345: Descartes & Hume
  • PHIL 346: Kant & Idealism
  • PHIL 347: Leibniz & Locke
  • PHIL 348: 20th Century Philosophy
  • PHIL 406: Existentialism
  • PHIL 440: Readings in Ancient / Medieval Philosophy
  • PHIL 450: Readings in Modern / Contemporary Philosophy
  • PHIL 202: Racial Justice
  • PHIL 207: Philosophy and Popular Culture
  • PHIL 208: Philosophy of Public Space
  • PHIL 211: Why Are Bad People Bad?
  • PHIL 212: Philosophy & Gender Theory
  • PHIL 305: Aesthetics
  • PHIL 322: Biomedical Ethics
  • PHIL 323: Social Ethics
  • PHIL 324: War and Peace
  • PHIL 333: Marx & Critical Theory
  • PHIL 344: Early Modern Moral Philosophy
  • PHIL 350: Ethical Theory
  • PHIL 406: Existentialism
  • PHIL 426: Philosophy & Old Age
  • PHIL 427: Philosophy of Law

Any philosophy course (see above and in Catalog) including the following:

  • PHIL 101: Enduring Questions: Truth & Relativism
  • PHIL 102: Enduring Questions: the Good & the Beautiful
  • PHIL 103: Enduring Questions: the Committed Life
  • PHIL 499: Independent Research in Philosophy

Any two of the following RELS courses: 

  • RELS 242: Meaning of Life: Atheism to Zen
  • RELS 317: Confucianism
  • RELS 318: Daoism

 

At least 12 hrs must be taken in courses numbered 300 or above.

Students entering prior to Fall 2018: see iCap for requirements.

 
 
Program Advisor: Michael J. Seidler
Cherry Hall 322 | (270) 745-5756 | e-mail: michael.seidler@wku.edu 

Two student working on a symbolic logic problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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 Last Modified 12/1/23