The Earlham College Philosophy Major
Last revised October 27, 2009
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Short
Description of the Major
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Philosophy majors must take a four-course sequence
in the history of philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to the 19th
Century, three electives (two any-level, one upper-level), one senior seminar,
and the two Senior Capstone Experience courses, in which you prepare for the
comprehensive exam and write your senior thesis. That makes ten courses.
Students are also required to take one course that focuses on
Contemporary Philosophy, and one course that focuses on Ethics. These
are
not necessarily additional courses but stipulations for the content of
the
two courses you are required to take.
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Long
Description of the Major
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including a course description, prerequisites, credit hours, offering
frequency, and sample syllabi. |
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History of Philosophy Sequence
Take the following four courses, preferably in this
order:
For suggestions on ways to fit the history sequence into your four-year
plan, see our notes on pace and timing below.
Elective Requirement
Take any two philosophy courses, elementary or
advanced. These include all the philosophy courses except those
required for the major in their own right.
Upper-level Elective Requirement
Take any upper-level philosophy course. This includes all
the philosophy courses numbered 300 or above except those required for the
major in their own right.
Other Requirements
- The seminar requirement is met
by taking one Seminar (PHIL
480).
- The comprehensive exam requirement is
met by taking Senior Capstone Expreience I (PHIL 488). This is a student-led seminar in
which seniors prepare for the comprehensive exam.
- The thesis requirement is met by taking a Senior Capstone Experience II (PHIL 488).
This course is part of our comps.
Only senior
majors who have completed 19th Century Continental
Philosophy may take the Senior Capstone Experience courses.
- The Contemporary Philosophy Requirement: This
is a
content requirement, not a course requirement. Students are
required
to take one course that focuses on contemporary philosophy. Most
of
our seminars and other courses will meet this requirement. Each
semester
the department will decide the specific courses that will do so.
We
no longer require Contemporary Philosophy as a course. After the
nineteenth
century philosophy branches into multiple philosophical schools and
movements. While we acknowledge diversity in every period in the history of
philosophy,
we realize that 20th and 21st century philosophy is historically too
close
to us to definitively establish the most important movements, topics
and
figures to teach. In our 17th, 18th, and 19th Century courses we
cover
the same movements, topics and figures, whereas we approach
contemporary
philosophy from a wide variety of perspectives.
- The Ethics Requirement: This is also a content
requirement, not a course requirement. Students are required to take
one course that focuses on ethics. The department
will decide each semester which specific courses will fulfill this
requirement.
The table below shows the ideal pace for taking our
history of philosophy sequence. Taking the courses in this order in
these years
will prevent you from taking sequenced courses simultaneously, taking
waivers
or substitutions in the major requirements, and graduating late. It
will
also permit you to go on an off-campus study program or take a good
number
of electives in your junior or senior years.
There are two important variations on this pace for students who
don't discover that they love philosophy until their first year is
over:
- The entire history sequence can begin one year later in your
schedule, if need be. However, this will crowd your junior and senior
years, making it more difficult to go on an off-campus study program.
- You may take Rationalism
& Empiricism without Ancient
Greek Philosophy. You
will still have to take Ancient Greek later in your career. This option
spares your junior and senior years as much as the ideal pace in the
table above.
Follow this rule of thumb: For a normal pace through the major, aim to
have finished Kant by the end of
your
sophomore year. You may slow down a bit and take Kant in the Spring semester of your
junior
year, but that will crowd up your upper division years a bit. If you
don't
take Kant until you are a senior,
then
you cannot complete a philosophy major and still graduate with your
class.
There are six courses required for the major not included on the
table above. These additional courses need not be put in particular
spots in the overall "pace" because you have discretion either about
which courses to take
or when to take them. For these reasons, we offer no ideal pace
through
the entire 10-course major, but here is a typical one:
- Students who are undecided about their major and want to
explore philosophy should take any of the introductory courses
which fulfill the any-level elective requirement for the
major. Each of these courses is taught
at an entry level. Every semester we offer at least one of these
courses.
- Majors in other fields who would like to take some
philosophy course should consider the interdisciplinary “Philosophy Of...” course in their field.
Non-majors who lack the prerequisites may occasionally enter our
historical courses or seminars by the consent of the instructor.
- Notice that the prerequisites for the courses in the history
sequence lead one through the courses in chronological order (except
for Ancient Greek Philosophy, which
may be taken after chronologically later courses). We are reluctant to
waive these prerequisites and it is not generally in a student’s
interest that we should do so. Plan to take the history courses in
order.
- Some of our seminars require Kant
as a prerequisite. Even though Kant is only the third of four courses
in our
history of philosophy sequence, it is the gateway to our advanced
offerings. Therefore, we recommend that majors take Kant in their
second year, if possible.
- No “Philosophy Of...” courses are required for the major per
se.
However, they may fulfill elective requirement. See the course descriptions for details regarding the
prerequisites for each of these courses.
Return to the Philosophy Department home page