9.36. Philosophy

Programs offered:

  • B.A. in Philosophy
  • Minor in Philosophy (TU)

Philosophers study some of the most fundamental questions that can be asked about the world and our place in it. How can I be a good person? Do I have free will? Is there a meaning to life? What is Truth? What is Justice? In Philosophy we ask these questions, examine answers to these questions, and question the answers. The Philosophy Program at Oglethorpe University gives students the opportunity to engage with these questions in courses that not only provide them with an in-depth understanding of their foundations in the history of Analytic and Continental Philosophy but also within the context of their concrete existence in the world. Philosophy courses at Oglethorpe University emphasize Philosophy as a way of being in the world and provide students with knowledge, skills, and space to become aware of and question their own ideas about life, work, value, and relationships.

The Philosophy program believes that graduates should be “humane generalists” with the intellectual adaptability that is needed to function successfully in changing and often unpredictable world, life, and professional situations. The Philosophy program accomplishes this goal by fostering abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, imagination, and intellectual flexibility, which are required in virtually all aspects of our personal, professional, and civic lives. Philosophy students learn how to read, understand, and honestly evaluate arguments. They also learn to think independently, to respectfully consider other points of view, to cultivate their moral imagination, to develop and revise their own views, and to express their insights in clear, articulate spoken and written prose with integrity and courage.

Philosophy is a discipline in conversation with other disciplines and the questions that it engages has conceptual ties to all other disciplines. Philosophy courses ask students to pause and investigate assumptions that underlie approaches to knowledge and value across the disciplines and thereby give students the opportunity to bring intellectual precision and depth to more applied pursuits. Philosophy courses, therefore, have a wide range of connections to other disciplines and can meet the needs and interests of students pursuing a range of degrees and career paths. The Philosophy program is happy to help students plan a sequence of courses that will enrich their major program of study or desired career path.

B.A. in Philosophy (see Sec. 8.5.1. for a complete list of B.A. graduation requirements)

  1. Completion of one course in Formal and Informal Logic from among the following:
    • PHI 201 How to Win an Argument
    • MAT 241 Proof & Logic
    • Other courses may apply. Departmental pre-approval is required.
  2. Completion of one course in the Introduction of Philosophy from among the following:
    • PHI 101 Big Questions
  3. Completion of one course in Ethics from among the following:
    • PHI 102 Ethical Theory
    • PHI 202 Ethics and the Good Life
    • Other Courses may apply. Departmental pre-approval is required.
  4. Completion of two courses in History of Philosophy, one focused on Ancient Philosophy and the other on Modern Philosophy, chosen from the following:
    • PHI 204 What is Justice? Plato and the Philosopher Kings
    • PHI 205 Aristotle
    • PHI 206 The Search for Truth
    • POL 341 Political Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval
    • POL 342 Political Philosophy II: Modern
    • Other courses may apply. Departmental pre-approval is required.
  5. Four Other Philosophy courses, two of which must be at the 300 level.
  6. Please see a complete list of Philosophy course offerings in Section 13 of the Bulletin. The following courses are the most frequently offered:
    • PHI 210 Feminist Philosophy
    • PHI 211 What’s Love Got to Do With It? Philosophy of Love, Sex and Friendship
    • PHI 230 Does Nature Really Matter? An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy
    • *PHI 307 Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
    • PHI 290 Special Topics in Philosophy: Philosophers
    • PHI 213 Manipulation of the American Mind: The Philosophy of Propaganda
    • PHI 306 What is Real? A study of Metaphysics
    • PHI 302 How Do I Know? A study of Epistemology
    • Other courses may apply. Departmental pre-approval is required.
  7. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • A grade of “C-” or better is required in all courses contributing to the major.
    • No course can satisfy more than one of the requirements listed above.
    • Note that PHI 101 is normally the first course majors take, but it is not mandatory to be taken before other courses. The following courses should normally be taken as early as possible:
      • PHI 201 How to Win an Argument
      • PHI 202 Ethics and the Good Life
      • PHI 204 What is Justice? Plato and the Philosopher Kings
      • PHI 206 The Search for Truth

Minor in Philosophy (TU)

  1. Completion of PHI 201 How to Win an Argument
  2. Completion of PHI 101 Big Questions
  3. Completion of two other Philosophy courses, both of which must be at the 200 level or above.
  4. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • A grade of “C-” or better is required in all courses contributing to the minor.
    • No course can satisfy more than one of the requirements listed above.