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Curriculum in Philosophy
The Greek philosopher Socrates once said
that the unexamined life is not worth living. For more than 2,000
years, philosophy has been the source of the most intensely reflective,
influential and argued versions of that examination. The concerns
of philosophy range from the arts, the methods and foundations
of the sciences, politics, education, and religion to the complex
questions relating to the meaning of reality, truth, values and
the significance of human history. The study of philosophy is
an essential dimension of a well-educated person.
Philosophy seeks to establish standards
of evidence, provide rational methods of resolving conflicts,
and create techniques for evaluating ideas and arguments. Philosophy
develops the capacity to see the world from the perspective of
other individuals and other cultures; it enhances one's ability
to perceive the relationships among the various fields of study;
and it deepens one's sense of the meaning and variety of human
experience.
Toward these ends the program in philosophy
at Texas A&M is structured to provide students with the skills
necessary to appreciate more fully the central concerns of human
existence and develop abilities in problem-solving, communication,
persuasion, writing, and critical thinking.
Students, along with parents and friends,
often assume that the only undergraduates who major in philosophy
are those who intend to pursue graduate degrees in philosophy,
theology and law. The breadth of skills developed, however, makes
the study of philosophy appropriate for students entering professional
fields such as medicine, business and education, and for those
preparing for graduate work in the humanities or the social sciences.
It should be stressed that the non-academic
value of a field of study must not be viewed mainly in terms
of its contribution to obtaining one's first job after graduation.
Students are understandably preoccupied with getting their first
job, but even from a narrow vocational point of view it would
be short-sighted to concentrate on that at the expense of developing
potential for success and advancement once hired. Factors leading
to initial employment are not necessarily those that lead to
promotions or beyond a first position. This is so because the
needs of many employers alter with changes in social and economic
patterns. It is therefore crucial to see beyond the specifics
of a job description.
As this suggests, there are people trained
in philosophy in just about every field. They have gone into
not only such professions as teaching, medicine, and law, but
also into computer science, management, publishing, sales, government
service, criminal justice, public relations, and other fields.
Philosophy. 30 credits minimum; no more
than 33 credits in philosophy can be applied to the degree.
Students
choose at least one course from each category in philosophy.
A grade of C or higher is required for a course to be counted
in the major field.
Credit
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(3)
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PHIL 240 (Introduction to Logic),
341 (Symbolic Logic), or 342 (Symbolic Logic II)
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3
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PHIL 305 (Philosophy of Natural Science),
307 (Philosophy of Social Science), or 351 (Theory
of Knowledge)
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3
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PHIL 320 (Philosophy of Mind), 331
(Philosophy of Religion), or 361 (Metaphysics)
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3
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PHIL 330 (Philosophy of Art), 332
(Social/Political Philosophy), or 381 (Ethical Theory)
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3
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PHIL 410 (Classical Philosophy)
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3
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PHIL 413 (Modern Philosophy)
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3
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PHIL 414 (19th Century Philosophy),
418 (Phenomenology/Existentialism), or 419 (Current
Continental Philosophy)
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3
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PHIL 415 (Classical American Philosophy),
416 (Recent British/American Philosophy), or 424
(Philosophy of Language)
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*6 (9)
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Philosophy Electives: to be selected
from any philosophy courses, including the above.
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College and University Requirements. Other
courses may qualify for the following categories. Students
should consult the approved list of courses
available on BONFIRE. The following lists incorporate University
Core Curriculum requirements. No course can be counted in more
than one category.
Credit
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3
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ENGL 104 Composition and Rhetoric.
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3
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Communication (3 hours): One course
chosen from: ENGL 203, 210, 301, 235, 236 or 341;
COMM 203 or 243.
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6
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Literature in English (6 hours): To
be selected from ENGL 203 (unless 203 is used to
satisfy the communication requirement), 212, 221,
222, 227, 228, 231, 232, or courses for which one
of these listed courses is a prerequisite.
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14
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Foreign Language (14 hours or equivalent):
Four-course sequence in French, German, Russian,
Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Greek, or Latin unless
permission is received from the department head to
substitute work in other language. This will not
satisfy the College humanities and visual and performing
arts requirement.
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6
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Mathematics: At least 3 hours must
be in MATH (excluding 102, 103, 104, 130, 150, 165,
365, 366). Three hours may be in logic.
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8
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Natural Sciences: Two or more courses,
minimum of one course shall include a corresponding
laboratory. One course must come from: BIOL 113/123;
BOTN 101; CHEM 101, 103/113; GEOL 101; PHYS 201,
218; ZOOL 107. The other course must come from these
courses or others approved for the University Core
Curriculum. See the University Core Curriculum section
of this catalog.
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9
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Humanities and Visual and Performing
Arts: Selected from the approved list of courses
in anthropology, architecture, classical studies,
art history, environmental design (architectural
history), English, French, German, history, humanities
(religious studies), history of landscape architecture,
linguistics, modern languages, music, Russian, speech
communication, Spanish, theatre arts. See the University
Core Curriculum section of this catalog.
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6
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Social and Behavioral Sciences: Selected
from the approved list of courses in such areas as
anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography,
journalism, political science, psychology, speech
communication, and sociology. See the University
Core Curriculum section of this catalog.
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6
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Political Science: POLS 206 and 207.
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6
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Two courses in U.S. history.
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(6)
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International and Cultural Diversity:
To be selected from approved list. These courses
may also be used to satisfy any other requirement.
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*2
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Kinesiology: KINE 198 Health and Fitness
Activity and KINE 199 Required Physical Activity).
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29
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Electives (including minor hours;
philosophy courses may not be
used as elective hours.)
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128
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Total hours
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