Mission/Vision Statement

When Socrates exclaimed to his incredulous accusers, “I know you won’t believe me, but I truly believe the highest human excellence is to question oneself and others,” he captured the spirit of all philosophical effort. Although philosophy has undergone profound changes since his time, it still seeks to come to terms with the questions and issues provoked by every phase of life, and it produces arguments and accounts bearing on every subject worthy of disciplined reflection. Majoring in philosophy offers a student the opportunity to gain skills in critical thinking, writing, and reading not afforded by many other disciplines. These are vital skills if one is to succeed in a rapidly changing work world. For those students who intend to pursue an advanced professional degree (for example, in medicine or law), the philosophy major provides the analytic training and intellectual studies that make for a well-rounded, qualified, and attractive candidate. Further, the B.A. with a major in philosophy (or a double major including philosophy) is an excellent degree for those who intend to study for an advanced degree, even if the advanced degree will not be in philosophy. Finally, those whose main goal in pursuing an undergraduate degree is to gain a deeper understanding of the world in which we live would do well to consider a major in philosophy. For more information, see our web site at ius.edu/philosophy/.

Degree Requirements

See “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IU Southeast” and “General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.”

General Education Component

Note: This is not a re-statement of the University’s General Education Requirement but a list of specific General Education courses which are also requirements or pre-requisites for course work in the school/major.

• PHIL-P 100 Introduction to Philosophy
• PHIL-P 140 Introduction to Ethics
• PHIL-P 170 Introduction to Asian Philosophy

Traditional Track

Major Specific Requirements 

The traditional track of the philosophy major requires a minimum of 31 credit hours in philosophy. Two courses at the 100-level may be included in the 31 credit hours. (The BA degree requires students to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in courses at the 200-400 level.)

The following requirements must be satisfied:

Logic Requirement: Students must take either PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic or PHIL-P 250 Introductory Symbolic Logic.

Upper-Level Course Requirements: Philosophy majors must complete the IU Southeast research writing or argumentative writing requirement before taking a third upper-level course in philosophy.

History of Philosophy Requirement: Philosophy majors must take one course chosen from: PHIL- P 302 Medieval Philosophy, PHIL-P 304 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy, PHIL-P 314 Modern Philosophy, or PHIL-P 410 Ancient Greek Philosophy.

Diversity Requirement: Students must take either PHIL-P 170 introduction to Asian Philosophy, PHIL-P 334 Buddhist Philosophy, PHIL-P 374 Early Chinese Philosophy, or PHIL-P 394 Feminist Philosophy.

Social and Political Philosophy and Ethics Requirement: Philosophy majors must take one course in social and political philosophy or ethics at the 200 level or above (e.g., PHIL-P 237 Environmental Philosophy, PHIL-P 240 Business and Morality, PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics, PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics, PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy, or PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy).

Metaphysics and Epistemology Requirement: Students must take PHIL-P 310 Topics in Metaphysics, PHIL-P 313 Theories of Knowledge, PHIL-P 320 Philosophy and Language, PHIL-P 360 Philosophy of Mind, or PHIL-X 303 Introduction to Philosophy of Science.

Senior Proseminar Requirement: Philosophy majors must take at least one credit (up to four) in PHIL-P 495 Senior Proseminar in Philosophy during their senior year.

  Student must take one of the following:    

• PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic
• PHIL-P 250 Introductory Symbolic Logic

  Student must take one of the following:    

• PHIL-P 302 Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL-P 304 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
• PHIL-P 314 Modern Philosophy
• PHIL-P 410 Ancient Greek Philosophy

  Students must take one of the following:    

• PHIL-P 170 Introduction to Asian Philosophy
• PHIL-P 334 Buddhist Philosophy
• PHIL-P 374 Early Chinese Philosophy
• PHIL-P 394 Feminist Philosophy

  Students must take one of the following:    

• PHIL-P 237 Environmental Ethics
• PHIL-P 240 Business and Morality
• PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
• PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
• PHIL-P 343 Classics in Social and Political Philosophy
• PHIL-P 345 Problems in Social and Political Philosophy

  Or other course as approved by philosophy advisor    

  Students must take one of the following:    

• PHIL-P 310 Topics in Metaphysics
• PHIL-P 313 Theories of Knowledge
• PHIL-P 320 Philosophy and Language
• PHIL-P 360 Philosophy of Mind
• PHIL-X 303 Introduction to Philosophy of Science

  Students must take the following:    

• PHIL-P 495 Senior Pro-Seminar in Philosophy

Philosophy Electives

• PHIL-P 200 Problems of Philosophy
• PHIL-P 320 Philosophy and Language
• PHIL-P 330 Marxist Philosophy
• PHIL-P 338 Technology and Human Values
• PHIL-P 346 Classics in Philosophy of Art
• PHIL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion
• PHIL-P 401 History of Philosophy: Special Topics
• PHIL-P 490 Readings in Philosophy
• PHIL-X 303 Introduction to Philosophy of Science

Capstone

• PHIL-P 495 Senior Proseminar

Religious Studies Track

The religious studies concentration of the philosophy major requires a minimum of 31 credit hours in philosophy and religious studies.  The following requirements must be satisfied:

Lower-level philosophy requirements:  PHIL-P 140 Introduction to Ethics and PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic.

Upper-level philosophy requirements:  REL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion and PHIL-P 495  Senior Pro-seminar in Philosophy.

One course in the History of Philosophy selected from: PHIL-P 302, Medieval Philosophy, PHIL-P 304 Nineteenth Century Philosophy, PHIL-P 314 Modern Philosophy, or PHIL-P 410 Ancient Greek Philosophy.

Lower-level religious studies requirements:  Students must take both REL-R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims and REL-R 153 Religions of Asia.

Upper-level religious studies requirements:  Two courses at the 200 level or above.  (The BA degree requires students to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in courses at the 300-400 level.)

Students must take all of the following:

• PHIL-P 140 Introduction to Ethics
• PHIL-P 150 Elementary Logic
• PHIL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion
• PHIL-P 495 Senior Proseminar

  Students must take both of the following:

• REL-R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims
• REL-R 153 Religions of Asia

  Students must take one of the following:

• PHIL-P 302 Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL-P 304 Nineteenth Century Philosophy
• PHIL-P 314 Modern Philosophy
• PHIL-P 410 Ancient Greek Philosophy

  Students must take two of the following:

• REL-R 200 Studies in Religion
• REL-R 210 Introduction to Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
• REL-R 220 Introduction to New Testament
• REL-R 245 Introduction to Judaism
• REL-R 257 Introduction to Islam
• REL-R 280 Speaking of God
• REL-R 327 Christianity 50-450
• REL-R 331 Christianity 1500-2000
• REL-R 335 Religion in the United States, 1600-1850
• REL-R 336 Religion in the United States, 1850-Present
• REL-R 345 Religious Issues in Contemporary Judaism
• REL-R 362 Religion in Literature
• REL-R 364 Topics in Gender and Western Religion
• REL-R 371 Religion, Ethics, and the Environment

Religious Studies Electives

• REL-R 160 Religion and American Culture
• REL-R 170 Religion, Ethics, and Public Life
• REL-R 180 Introduction to Christianity