Philosophy, B.A.

Objectives

Philosophy is a reflective and critical discipline whose aim is to explore fundamental ideas which underlie and penetrate human existence and constitute the deep background of all human endeavors: ideas such as Meaning and Truth, Knowledge and Being, Objectivity and Bias, Good and Evil, Value and Disvalue. Philosophic inquiry into these and related notions is governed by the complementary ideals of analytic precision and comprehensive synthesis, and so it aims to raise these basic notions from their everyday obscurity, to articulate them with logical precision and rigor, and to bind them together into an overarching vision of the nature and purpose of human life.

Accordingly, the Department of Philosophy offers basic courses in Philosophical Inquiry, Faith and Reason, and Ethics and Justice, (among others) in the core curriculum and a wide variety of courses complementary to studies in a broad range of fields. For convenience, courses are grouped into nine content areas:

1. Logic (PHIL X0XX)
2. Morality, Law, and Politics (PHIL X1XX)
3. Natural and Social Sciences (PHIL X2XX)
4. Arts and Literature (PHIL X3XX)
5. Religion and Theology (PHIL X4XX)
6. History of Philosophy (PHIL X5XX)
7. Contemporary Movements (PHIL X6XX)
8. Major Thinkers (PHIL X7XX)
9. Mind and Reality (PHIL X8XX) 

Philosophy Student Learning Outcomes

Philosophy students will understand:

• The history of philosophy from the pre-Socratics to modern European thinkers
• Contemporary philosophical movements, issues, and techniques
• Central themes in the primary texts of important philosophers;

Philosophy students will be able to:

• Demonstrate written competency in the analysis of philosophical issues
• Apply the tools of logic in the analysis and critical evaluation of philosophical texts
• Synthesize philosophical insights in relation to their own lived experience;

Philosophy students will value:

• The contributions of philosophers to civilization
• An understanding of the relationship of philosophy to a variety of areas of human experience such as faith, morality, and culture
• Rigorous philosophical inquiry and reflection in relation to their own self-development, their interactions with others, and the quest for a better world.

Major Requirements

At entry to the University, students may declare the major or minor through the Office of Admission. LMU students wishing thereafter to declare the major or minor must meet with the chair. The chair will ordinarily sign the student’s Change of Program petition, provided the student meets certain academic standards that include having a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C) and not otherwise being on academic probation.

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Hours
University Core 1		8
PHIL 2010	Logic	4
PHIL 3510	Ancient Philosophy 2	4
PHIL 3520	Medieval Philosophy 2	4
PHIL 3530	Modern Philosophy I 2	4
PHIL 3540	Modern Philosophy II 2	4
Select three Philosophy Electives 3		12
PHIL 4990	Senior Assessment	0
Total Semester Hours		40

¹

Two courses meeting University Core requirements (one meeting the Philosophical Inquiry requirement and the other meeting the Ethics and Justice requirement) must normally be taken through the Department of Philosophy and will be counted toward the major.

Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy the Ethics and Justice requirement by taking PHIL 3102 Ethical Theory Ethical Theory.

²

Students are encouraged to take the History of Philosophy sequence in chronological order.

³

At least two of these electives must be upper-division courses taken at LMU, in addition to the courses that satisfy the University Core Philosophical Inquiry and Ethics and Justice requirements. At least one of these electives must be a 4000-level seminar. At least one elective in the major must focus on Contemporary Philosophy.

Note:

Students are strongly encouraged to study a foreign language to enhance their philosophical studies. Programs should be planned in consultation with their faculty advisors.

An average grade of C+ (2.3) must be maintained in Philosophy courses by majors.

Majors may take up to 13 upper division courses in Philosophy.

Honors in Philosophy

To graduate with honors in Philosophy, a Philosophy major must complete two additional PHIL elective courses, at least one of which must be an upper division course. A minimum GPA in all Philosophy courses of 3.7 is also required.

Philosophy Model Four-Year Plan

The normal course load is 16 semester hours (4 classes). By following the model below, a student will complete all lower division core requirements by the end of the sophomore year as well as a few PHIL major requirements. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Semester Hours
PHIL 1800	Philosophical Inquiry	4
FFYS 1000	First Year Seminar	4
University Core		3-4
University Core		3-4
	Semester Hours	14-16
Spring
RHET 1000	Rhetorical Arts	3-4
University Core		3-4
University Core		3-4
Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	12-16
Sophomore Year
Fall
PHIL 2010	Logic	4
PHIL 3510	Ancient Philosophy	4
University Core		3-4
Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	14-16
Spring
PHIL 3520	Medieval Philosophy	4
University Core		3-4
Elective		3-4
Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	13-16
Junior Year
Fall
PHIL 3100	Ethics	4
PHIL 3530	Modern Philosophy I	4
University Core		3-4
Upper Division Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	14-16
Spring
PHIL 3540	Modern Philosophy II	4
Upper or Lower Division PHIL		4
University Core		3-4
Upper Division Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	14-16
Senior Year
Fall
Upper Division PHIL		4
University Core		3-4
Upper Division Elective		3-4
Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	13-16
Spring
PHIL 4990	Senior Assessment	0
Upper Division PHIL		4
University Core		3-4
Upper Division Elective		3-4
Elective		3-4
	Semester Hours	13-16
	Minimum Semester Hours	107-128