Philosophy - Smith College

Philosophy from Smith College is a Campus Bachelor Philosophy degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. An education in philosophy conveys a sense of wonder about ourselves and our world. It achieves this partly through exploration of philosophical texts, which comprise some of the most stimulating creations of the human intellect, and partly through direct and personal engagement with philosophical issues. At the same time, an education in philosophy cultivates a critical stance to this elicited puzzlement, which would otherwise merely bewilder us. image Schopenhauer The central topics of philosophy include the nature of reality (metaphysics); the ways we represent reality to ourselves and to others (philosophy of mind and philosophy of language); the nature and analysis of inference and reasoning (logic); knowledge and the ways we acquire it (epistemology and philosophy of science); and value and morality (aesthetics, ethics, and political philosophy). Students who major in philosophy at Amherst are encouraged to study broadly in all of these areas of philosophy . Students new to philosophy should feel comfortable enrolling in any of the entry-level courses numbered 11 through 29. 30-level courses are somewhat more advanced, typically assuming a previous course in philosophy . Courses numbered 40 through 49 concentrate on philosophical movements or figures. 60-level courses are seminars and have restricted enrollments, a two-course prerequisite, and are more narrowly focused. No course may be used to satisfy more than one requirement. All students are encouraged to participate in the activities of the Philosophy Club. To satisfy the comprehensive requirement for the major, students must pass nine courses, exclusive of Philosophy 77 and 78. Among these nine courses, majors are required to take the following seven: (i) three courses in the History of Philosophy: Philosophy 17 and 18, and a course on a Major Figure or Movement (i.e., a 40-level course); (ii) one course in Logic (Philosophy 13, or Mathematics 34, or the equivalent); (iii) one course in Moral Philosophy (Philosophy 34, or 38); (iv) one course in Theoretical Philosophy (i.e., Philosophy 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 50 or 51); and (v) one Seminar (i.e., a 60-level course). If a student wishes to replace one of these seven required courses by another taken in a different Five-College department, he or she should petition the Amherst Department by sending a letter to its Chair. (Any course taken in a Five-College philosophy department can count as one of the two electives of the Amherst philosophy major; there is no need to petition the Department.) A maximum of three courses counting toward the satisfaction of the major requirements can be taken outside of the Amherst Department (unless an exception is granted by petition to the Department). View more details on Smith College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Philosophy courses.