Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

About

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.

Course Requirements

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

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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 213. MORAL ISSUES IN AMERICA. 5 Credits.

Satisfies: a BACR for humanities and arts.
An introduction to normative moral issues in current thought and life. Typical problems concern social justice, the relation of work to a person’s concept of himself, manipulation and indoctrination in a technological society and relationships between social success and human flourishing.

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PHIL 320. HISTORY OF ANCIENT WESTERN PHILOSOPHY. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: HONS 320.
Pre-requisites: successful completion of ENGL 101.
The history of Greek philosophy from the first theories about the causes of the universe to the Socratic inquiry about how to live and to Plotinus’ theory of the soul.

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