Program Purpose

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Full program information, including detailed descriptions of measures of student learning and current data generated by those measures is available on the College of Humanities assessment summary

Philosophy is in a real sense the original intellectual discipline and the fountain of almost all other academic subjects. The first philosophers were pre-Socratic Greek thinkers like Thales, who rejected mythology and set out to understand the world in a critical and scientific way. Socrates "brought philosophy down to earth" by focusing on virtuous behavior, using a question and answer approach to test the truth and consistency of people's personal opinions about important questions. His student Plato illustrated and defended Socrates's approach in artful written dialogues; he also developed a comprehensive explanation of the world which gave primacy to moral and aesthetic values. Plato's student Aristotle developed a systematic philosophy and a compartmentalized way of studying everything that gave rise to academic disciplines such as physics, biology, psychology, political science, and literary studies. Early Christian thinkers found in Greek philosophy, especially Platonism, high moral ideals that seemed to agree with their own revealed teachings. During the Middle Ages philosophy became a handmaid to theology, and most Medieval philosophers concerned themselves with defending and articulating Christian doctrine. In the Modern (pre-20th century) era philosophers stressed questions about knowledge and perception: how do we know anything? What are the sources of knowledge? How do our bodily and mental faculties structure our perception of reality?  As natural science became autonomous and progressive, philosophers tended to see their task more in critical terms and they devoted increasingly more attention to questions that science is ill-equipped to answer--like metaphysical questions, aesthetic questions, and ethical questions. Contemporary 20th and 21st century philosophy still wrestles with those issues, but in the wake of two world wars, quantum theory, and social upheavals has also returned to some of the same fundamental concerns with which it began.

The philosophy program at BYU aims to provide a broad background in the history and practice of philosophy, within the framework of a liberal education. Students learn to read philosophical texts, analyze and formulate arguments, raise and explore fundamental questions, and develop and test answers to those questions. Philosophy involves a good deal of class discussion in the tradition of Socrates. Logic is a vital tool for the analysis of arguments and the development of logical (including scientific) systems, so classes in logic are a central part of philosophical education. The BYU philosophy department places a strong emphasis on cogent communication both oral and written. Writing is an important part of most courses, and the department offers special courses in writing at the beginning and advanced levels, as well as a capstone experience in writing and preparing for the job market or advanced studies. The skills learned in philosophy classes have application to many areas of academic and professional inquiry, and philosophy students not only score at the very top of virtually all standardized exams, they have high rates of success in all career paths.

Curricular Structure

Because many students come to major in philosophy after a year or two of university study, we provide a fairly straightforward program with only a few prerequisites for advanced classes.

1. Majors need to complete a series of courses on sources and methods as follows. PHIL 200 introduces students to philosophical research methods and to the Program's ePortfolio system. PHIL 201-202 is a historical survey of philosophy from the time of the Greeks up to the twentieth century; most major figures are covered, but not in great depth because of the broad scope of the course. The department offers three writing courses: PHIL 150 (recommended but not required), a basic (Freshman) writing course emphasizing argument and analysis as well as clarity of expression; PHIL 300 (required), an advanced course, which would be most helpful taken early in the major; and PHIL 490 (see item 5, below). Logic is an important tool of philosophical analysis. Three logic courses are offered at different levels: PHIL 205 (introductory, deductive logic), 305 (intermediate, predicate logic), and 405 (advanced, metalogic); the first two are required courses for majors.
2. The department offers four general courses covering historical periods and figures: PHIL 320R (ancient), 330R (medieval), 340R (early modern), 350R (contemporary), and 360R (non-Western). PHIL 201 is a prerequisite for the first two, PHIL 202 for the second two. In these courses a figure or topic from the historical period is studied in depth. These courses with an R-suffix can be repeated for additional credit; different sections of the same R-course (with variable "flex" titles following the suffix) usually study different figures and topics; for instance, one section of 350R might study Wittgenstein and another Heidegger. The major requires an ancient, a modern, and at least one medieval or contemporary (additional period courses can count as upper-division electives, but do fulfill area requirement).
3. Students must take two courses in the area of values and conduct, from the following courses: Phil. 213 (introductory ethics), 214 (introductory philosophy of art), 215 (introductory philosophy of religion), 218 (science and religion), 413R (ethics), 414 (philosophy of art), and 416 (philosophy of religion).
4. Students must take two courses in the area of knowledge and reality from the following courses: Phil. 405 (metalogic), 415 (philosophy of religion), 420 (philosophy of language), 421 (metaphysics), 422 (epistemology), and 423 (history and philosophy of science).
5. A one-hour capstone course (490) is required of seniors. This course will offer a review of the major and an opportunity to prepare one previously-written paper for publication. (This requirement is new in 2007.)
6. In addition to requirements, students need to complete 12 hours of philosophy electives, including no more than 3 hours of Phil. 449R (Philosophical Lecture Series). Majors must complete at least 27 hours at a level of 300 or above.

The department offers the Philosophy Lecture Series at 11:00 on Thursdays. Students can hear lectures from different department members and visiting lecturers on varying topics designed to give students a sample of different philosophical approaches and topics. This course is open to all students and can be taken for 1-hour of credit each semester (Phil. 449R).

The Philosophy Club allows students to participate in social and learning activities including the Yarn Essay Contest. It meets in conjunction with the Philosophy Lecture Series

Catalog Information
Department Information
Major Academic Plan

Learning Outcomes

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History and Value of Philosophy

Students will be able to identify major philosophical figures, texts, and movements, and understand their historical context, their philosophical interrelations, and their importance.

Critical and Effective Reading, Writing, and Communicating

Students will be able to read and think critically about philosophical texts; write clear, logically sound, and well-researched essays; and effectively discuss and present philosophical topics.

Logic and Metalogic

Students will be able to construct, symbolize, and evaluate proofs in syllogistic logic, truth-functional logic, first-order (quantificational) logic, set-theory and Peano arithmetic; and understand relevant metalogical results.

Philosophical and Ethical Applications

Students will be able to use philosophical knowledge and skills to solve theoretical, practical, and ethical problems, and to integrate philosophical principles with religious and moral convictions.

Career Preparation

Students will be prepared for further education and employment using their philosophical skills and knowledge.

Evidence of Learning

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Direct Measures

- Short papers for all non-logic courses (2, 3, 5)

- Major papers for 200/300/400 level courses (2, 3, 5)

- Assignments and examinations for 100/200/300/400 level courses (1, 2, 3)

- Exercises and examinations for Phil. 205, 305, 405 (4)

- Capstone paper revision and career / graduate school preparation assignments (2, 3)

- Exit examination (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Indirect Measures

- Exit surveys of graduating seniors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

- Alumni survey of recent graduates (1, 3, 5)

- Focus group discussions in capstone course (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement

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At least annually the Committee on Teaching and Curriculum meets with the Committee on Assessment and Communication to review information from the various direct and indirect measures of the program. Recommendations are prepared for the department, which reviews the information and makes plans for improvements to curriculum and teaching based on the findings.