Philosophy, B.A.

The B.A. program centers on the principles of knowledge, responsibility and society. It provides students with opportunities to investigate the connections between intellectual pursuits and moral and public virtue. Questions to be investigated in courses include:

What are the marks of an intellectually virtuous person?
What are the qualities of wisdom and good judgment conducive to a successful life?
Which character traits are conducive to finding truth?
How are we responsible for the process and products of our investigations?
What are the connections between knowledge and power?
What is the relationship between intellectual responsibility, emotional responsiveness and social responsibility?
How do academic pursuits prepare us for public citizenry?
What is the relationship between theory and practice?

Grappling with such questions is of the utmost importance in a world too often characterized by interpersonal violence, cross-cultural misunderstandings, rapid technological development, and environmental crises. Indeed, these are arguably among the most pressing questions of the new millennium. The Philosophy program aims to provide students with the theoretical skills and knowledge to engage with the complex issues of our time. As Lorraine Code said:

Epistemic responsibility... is to be found in intellectual virtue and in... a certain orientation to the world and one's knowledge-seeking self as part of the world. An intellectually virtuous person would value knowing and understanding how things 'really' are, to the extent this is possible, renouncing both the temptation to live with partial explanations when fuller ones are attainable, and the temptation to live in fantasy or illusion. Such a person would consider it better to know, despite the comfortable complacency that a life indiscriminately governed by fantasy, and illusion, might offer.

Honors in the Major

Students considering graduate school are strongly encouraged to apply for Honors in the Major. Requirements are outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog Requirements. Additional information and requirements, can be found through the The Burnett Honors College Web site.

More Information

Related Faculty

Bruce B. Janz
Department Chair
Research Interests: Research on Place and Space; Contemporary African Philosophy; Cultural Philosophy; Contemporary European Philosophy; Aesthetics and Visual Culture; History of Mysticism; Interdisciplinarity

Nancy A. Stanlick
Assistant Department Chair
Research Interests: Ethics; Social Philosophy; Academic Ethics; History of Modern and American Philosophy

Jennifer Mundale
Associate Professor

Claudia Schippert
Associate Professor
Research Interests: The central focus of Schippert's research in queer theory and religion is the body: how bodies are discursively constructed in religious traditions as well as in American culture; how popular culture and various media affect representations and practices of bodies; and how these questions can be pursued in ways that call attention to the role of gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary society.

Mason Cash
Assistant Professor