Advisory
Board: Dr. Amy McLaughlin,
Dr. Mark Tunick, Dr. Dan White
Description: Philosophy,
quite generally, is critical thinking.
It requires deep consideration,
reflection and evaluation, be it of ideas,
principles, approaches, or even of the very
tools or processes of understanding, reflection
and evaluation. The essence of philosophy
is formulating and asking questions. How
one asks a question can determine the likelihood
of success in finding an appropriate answer.
Philosophy teaches students not what is true,
but rather how to think. It is exercising ‘mental
muscles'; and engaging in philosophy means
improving clarity of expression, honing analytical
skills, and gaining appropriate tools for
logical and critical evaluation. Being skilled
in thinking about things philosophically
makes one good at going beyond narrow views
about nearly any issue. It makes one adept
at drawing out the implications of an approach
and thereby providing a sound basis for formulating
alternatives and evaluating competing claims.
Philosophy is not for everyone. It is not
for persons who are content to rest with
unquestioned assumptions, or who are unprepared
to delve into deeper questions. It is for
those of us who want to understand; who want
not just to live, but to live responsibly
and to live a ‘good life'; who cannot
imagine living their lives without pondering
the deeper questions and without asking why.
Philosophy courses can generally be grouped
into 5 areas, though several may fall into
more than one area:
history
of philosophy (designated
'H')
theory of
value: ethics,
environmental philosophy, aesthetics, critical
theory, social and political philosophy,
philosophy of law (designated "V")
speculative
philosophy: epistemology,
metaphysics, philosophy of mind, phenomenology,
philosophy of the natural and social sciences,
philosophy of religion, environmental philosophy
(designated "S")
diversity
studies: non-Western
philosophy, feminist philosophy, philosophy
of gender and sexuality (designated "D")
There are two tracks in philosophy. Students
choosing a philosophy concentration will
take 30 credit hours in philosophy, with
some distribution among the 5 areas.
Students may also choose an interdisciplinary
philosophy concentration, in which they
take 15 credits in philosophy and 15 in
other disciplines or interdisciplinary
area: e.g. physics, psychology, literature,
fine art, women’s studies, political
science; and they will write a thesis combining
philosophy and the selected area. Students
selecting this track must consult with
both their philosophy advisor and an advisor
from the area selected.
2 primary courses
in 'history of philosophy' ("H")
1 primary course in 'logic/language'
("L")
1 primary course in 'values' ("V")
18 credits of philosophy electives
Honors Thesis Research and Thesis
6
3
3
18
6
Total credits
36
Interdisciplinary Concentration in Philosophy
and another discipline
Course Name
Credits
1 primary course in 'history of philosophy' ("H")
1 primary course in 'logic/language' ("L")
1 primary course in 'values' ("V")
6 credits of philosophy electives
Credits in another discipline
Honors thesis
3
3
3
6
15
6
Total credits
36
Primary Courses:
Course
Number
Course
Name
Area
Credits
PHH
3100
Honors
Ancient Greek Philosophy
H
3
PHH 3400
Honors
History of Modern Philosophy
1
H
3
PHH 3442
Honors
History of Modern Philosophy
2
H
3
PHI
3682
Honors
Environmental Philosophy
V,S,D
3
PHI
3644
Honors
Obligations (Ethics)
V
3
PHI 3701
Honors Philosophy of Religion
S, V
3
IDS 3932
Honors
Ethics in Business, Government
and Society
V
3
IDS 4933
Honors Phenomenology and Existentialism
V, S
3
POS
2692
Honors
Punishment
V
3
POT
2022
Honors
History of Political Thought
I
V
3
POT
2023
Honors
History of Political Thought
II
V
3
PHI
2101
Honors
Intro to Logic
L
3
PHI
4134
Honors
Logic and Formal Systems
L
3
Philosophy Electives: The electives may
be selected from the list of Primary Courses
above that are not used to satisfy 'primary
course' requirements, or from the list
below. Other FAU courses may be selected
only with the prior approval of the Concentration
Advisor. Students are reminded they need
45 upper-level (3000 or 4000-level) credits
to graduate.
Senior
Thesis: The
thesis
or
project
will
integrate
the
student's
studies
and
demonstrate
her/his
understanding
of
key
areas
of
philosophical
inquiry
and
its
application
in
selected
areas
of
study,
as
well
as
his/her
readiness
to
pursue
graduate
study.
The
thesis
will
be
written
under
the
direction
of
a
thesis
advisor
and
committee
and
defended
orally.
Traditional
textual
formats
as
well
as
digital
media
may
be
employed.
Restrictions: Students
are
expected
to
maintain
an
overall
GPA
of
3.0
in
the
concentration.
Courses
receiving
a
grade
lower
than
C
may
not
be
included
for
credit
in
the
concentration.
Courses
applied
to
the
Honors
Core
may
not
be
applied
to
the
concentration.
Minor
concentration in
Philosophy
(15
Credit
Hours):
The
Philosophy
Minor Concentration
is
designed
to
offer
students
significant
coursework
in
the
history
of
philosophy
and
in
other
key
areas
of
philosophical
inquiry.
It
is
further
designed
to
provide
a
course
of
study
that
complements
an
individual's
concentration.
Students
are
to
select
the
appropriate
combination
of
courses
with
the
help
of
an
advisor.
At
least
9
hours
of
coursework
must
be
at
the
3000
or
4000
level;
6
hours
may
be
at
the
2000
level, for a total of 15 credit hours. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in courses taken for the minor concentration. Requirements:
•
At
least
3
credit
hours
of
primary
courses
in
the
history
of
philosophy
("H")
• 12
additional
credit
hours
selected
from
the
Primary
Courses
designated
as
H,
V,
L,
S,
or
D;
or
philosophy
electives
with
a
prefix
of
PHI,
PHP,
PHH.
