Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

Philosophy
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In the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy Program, you’ll get a strong foundation in general philosophy. You’ll study ethics and the history of philosophy. You’ll also choose from a variety of interdisciplinary philosophy and ethics courses that cover topics such as women and philosophy, environmental ethics and Chinese philosophy.

  • If you’d like to combine your philosophy major with another major or minor, consider the 49-50 credit option.
  • If you are interested in concentrating on philosophy, consider the 60-credit option.

Curriculum & Requirements

Curriculum Map

Curriculum & Requirements

Philosophy Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The 60-credit major does not require completion of a minor.
Note: two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single foreign language at college-level is required for this major.

Required Courses
PHIL 215INTRODUCTION TO FORMAL LOGIC5
PHIL/HONS 320HISTORY OF ANCIENT WESTERN PHILOSOPHY5
PHIL/HONS 321HISTORY OF MODERN WESTERN PHILOSOPHY5
PHIL/HONS 322HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY WESTERN PHILOSOPHY5
Electives–choose 40 credits in philosophy in consultation with a departmental advisor.40
Note: no more than 15 credits may be taken in 200-level philosophy courses.
Capstone Requirement–choose one of the following or any Senior Capstone with your advisor's approval.4-5
Note: for students who select PHIL as a second major, the capstone requirement will be met by the completion of the primary major capstone.
PHILOSOPHY SENIOR CAPSTONE
INTERDISCIPLINARY SR CAPSTONE
Total Credits64-65

Catalog Listing

General Education

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB

General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences

University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
Foreign Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List

Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

Degree Works calculates based on these two catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully earn a BA in Philosophy from EWU should be able to do the following:

  • apply methods for philosophical problem solving by (a) relating theory to practice, (b) evaluating ideas in terms of both generic or universal humanity and perspectival pluralism, and (c) applying normative standards of truth, value and beauty;
  • apply philosophical writing styles in writing assignments and research projects that are aimed at extending philosophical inquiry through argumentation and/or comparative studies;
  • critically analyze, using logic and other tools, the consistency and verifiability of their own beliefs and the beliefs of others, as well as engage in reasoned public deliberation challenging those beliefs;
  • offer interpretations of the ideas of major philosophers by showing how they relate to perennial philosophical themes such as: visions of the good life, reality versus appearance, the roles of reason and experience, freedom and morality, etc;
  • understand the main doctrines and evaluate the arguments that underpin the ancient, modern, and contemporary periods of thought.

Sample Courses

PHIL 214. PHILOSOPHICAL VOICES AND POP CULTURE. 5 Credits.

Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
This course is a thematic survey of several areas of basic philosophical problems. It will combine an examination of philosophical themes in media and popular culture—including fiction, television and cinema—with retrieval of under-represented, diverse voices addressing each thematic area. Themes may include, but are not restricted to: metaphysics, theory of mind and knowledge, aesthetics, ethics and social and political theory.

Catalog Listing

PHIL 311. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: HONS 311.
Pre-requisites: successful completion of ENGL 101.
Major political theories and analysis of arguments that attempt to justify actual or proposed political and social institutions.

Catalog Listing

PHIL 332. LATIN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERATION. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: HONS 332.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 101 or equivalent.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
A research seminar focused on justice and liberation in the context of Latin America. Surveys a wide range of Philosophies including Indigenous, Colonial, Scholastic, Positivist, Feminist, Vitalist, and Pragmatist philosophies. Topics include the deleterious effect of ideas and practices from Europe and the US within the region, liberatory praxis against oppression, the continued effects of US colonialism on Puerto Rico and how Latin American philosophy fosters political liberation.

Catalog Listing

PHIL 440. WOMEN AND PHILOSOPHY. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: GWSS 440.
Pre-requisites: at least 4 credits in WMST and/or PHIL.
The course offers an examination of the treatment of concepts relating to women and femininity, both by traditional philosophers and by more recent feminist philosophers. The course will address key issues within philosophy while simultaneously exploring the role of gender in the production of philosophical knowledge.

Catalog Listing

Philosophy Electives

For a full list of the Philosophy elective courses offered, head over to the catalog.

Philosophy Course Catalog