Philosophy
Majors & Minors
Our coursework focuses on the empathetic ability to understand, the precise writing skills to articulate, and the critical-thinking power to examine the historical institutions, doctrines, and practices of different religious and philosophical traditions.
The curriculum is very flexible, and is often pursued in conjunction with other majors and minors. We also participate in the 3 + 1 + 1 master's degree program with the University of Glasgow.
Sample Courses
From Machiavelli’s leadership egoism to Enron’s accounting scandal, this course examines the moral questions of the business world. In particular, the course emphasizes the development and application of critical thinking skills (e.g., fallacies, informal arguments, validity) for moral evaluation. Satisfies the logical reasoning foundation requirement.
This course explores the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on its societal, legal, and philosophical implications. Students will gain an introductory understanding of how AI works, including machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and generative AI. Through case studies, readings, and discussions, students will develop a framework for evaluating the ethical impact of AI systems and consider responsible approaches to AI development and deployment.
Environmental concerns have become extremely important. Underlying the contemporary discussion of environmental responsibility are some basic religious questions: What is the place of human beings in the natural world? Are there limits to the responsibility that humans have toward other species? Answers to these questions are informed by answers to more obvious religious questions: What is the meaning of life? What is our purpose, if any, in the cosmos? These questions will be explored by looking at religious traditions, both ancient and contemporary, east and west. Finally, the course will explore a rising concept, ecological spirituality.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail can be understood as a kind of modern spiritual journey. This course is an experiential exploration of the Appalachian Trail, comparing and contrasting the experience of walking through the wilderness with traditional pilgrimages, and learning about others’ experience and reasons for hiking the trail. Class members will learn through reading, journal writing, interpersonal communication and hiking how pilgrim backpackers experience communitas in relation to both persons and their environment.