Department of Philosophy
Paul Muench, Chair
Philosophy is the search for an understanding of how the world as a whole hangs together and of how we are to assume our place in the world. Philosophy pursues its goal first of all historically. It is the trustee of the heritage of great philosophical texts, and it engages those texts in conversation with contemporary problems. Second, philosophy turns to the contemporary world directly and tries to illuminate and advance its concerns with ethics and art, with science and technology, with ecology and feminism, with law and medicine. Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees are offered. More information is available online: www.cas.umt.edu/phil/.
Special Degree Requirements
To obtain the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major or minor in philosophy, students must complete the following requirements:
1. Grade Requirements
Students must earn a C- (1.67) or better in all courses that count toward either the philosophy major or philosophy minor.
2. Credit Requirements
A. Philosophy Major: Students must complete a minimum of 33 credits in philosophy; at least 21 credits must be in courses numbered 300 and higher.
B. Philosophy Minor: Students must complete a minimum of 18 credits in philosophy; at least 6 credits must be in courses numbered 300 and higher.
3. Lower-Division Core Courses
Students who major or minor in philosophy must complete the following lower-division core courses:
PHL 210E (PHIL 300E) Moral Philosophy
PHL 233 (PHIL 210) Introduction to Logic: Deduction
PHL 261Y (PHIL 251) History of Ancient Philosophy
PHL 262Y (PHIL 252) History of Modern Philosophy
4. Foreign Language Requirement
Students who major in philosophy must demonstrate third semester proficiency in a foreign language either (i) by completing three semesters of one foreign language, with grades of C- (1.67) or better, or (ii) by receiving an equivalent score on a competence exam. Recommended languages for philosophy are Ancient Greek, Latin, French, and German.
5. Designated Writing Course Requirement
Students who major or minor in philosophy must satisfy the Designated Writing Course Requirement by successfully completing PHL 210E (PHIL 300E) Moral Philosophy. Students will not be eligible to take upper-division core courses until they have met this requirement.
6. Upper-Division Courses
Students are expected to complete lower-division requirements before beginning upper-division coursework.
A. Philosophy Major: Students must complete at least the following upper-division philosophy courses:
(1) four upper-division core courses (12 credits);
(2) two upper-division electives (6 credits);
(3) capstone course (3 credits).
B. Philosophy Minor: Students must complete at least the following upper-division philosophy courses: two upper-division core courses (6 credits).
7. Upper-Division Core Courses
In order to take upper-division core courses students must have satisfied the Designated Writing Course Requirement by successfully completing PHL 210E (PHIL 300E) Moral Philosophy.
A. Philosophy Major: Students must complete at least one course in each of the four core areas (History, Value Theory, Continental Philosophy, Analytic Philosophy).
B. Philosophy Minor: Students must complete at least one course in two of the four core areas (History, Value Theory, Continental Philosophy, Analytic Philosophy).
I. History
PHL 462 (PHIL 452) Early Modern Philosophy
PHL 464 (PHIL 453) Kant
PHL 465 (PHIL 461) Plato
PHL 466 (PHIL 463) Aristotle
II. Value Theory
PHL 412 (PHIL 443) Ethics and Public Affairs
PHL 422 (PHIL 427E) Environmental Philosophy
PHL 427 (PHIL 444) Topics in Philosophy of Art
PHL 429 (PHIL 441) Philosophy in Literature
PHL 449 History of Moral and Political Philosophy
PHL 450 (PHIL 422E) Contemporary Moral and Political Theory
PHL 455 (PHIL 477) Philosophy of Society and Culture
III. Continental Philosophy
PHL 467 (PHIL 465) 19th Century Continental Philosophy
PHL 468 (PHIL 467) 20th Century Continental Philosophy
IV. Analytic Philosophy
PHL 405 (PHIL 469) 20th Century Analytic Philosophy
PHL 406 (PHIL 471) Contemporary Issues in Analytic Philosophy
PHL 445 (PHIL 411) Central Issues in Philosophy of Science
Special Topics courses taught at the 400-level (PHL 491 [PHIL 495]) may count as upper-division core courses provided that they have a suitable content (consult the department advisor).
8. Upper-Division Electives
In addition to four upper-division core courses, students who major in philosophy must complete at least two upper-division philosophy electives (6 credits). These courses may be either 300- or 400-level.
9. Capstone Course
Students who major in philosophy must complete PHL 499 (PHIL 480) Senior Seminar. This capstone course is normally taken during the spring semester of senior year.
10. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Students who major in philosophy must satisfy the Upper-Division Writing Requirement by successfully completing PHL 499 (PHIL 480) Senior Seminar.
Suggested Course of Study
| First Year |
A |
S |
|
PHL 101 or 102 (PHIL 100, 105) Introduction to Philosophy or Topical Introduction to Philosophy
*Students take one semester in semester they do not take PHL 233
|
3* |
3* |
|
PHL 233 (PHIL 210) Introduction to Logic: Deduction
*Students take one semester in semester they do not take PHL 101 or 102
|
3* |
3* |
| WRIT 101 (ENEX 101) College Writing I |
3 |
- |
| Foreign language |
5 |
5 |
| HSTR 101H and 102H (HIST 104H, 105H) Western Civilization I and II |
4 |
4 |
|
College mathematics course
|
- |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
15 |
| Second Year |
A |
S |
|
PHL 210E (PHIL 300E) Moral Philosophy (offered autumn and spring)
* Students take one semester
|
3* |
3* |
| PHL 261Y (PHIL 251Y) History of Ancient Philosophy |
3 |
- |
| PHL 262Y (PHIL 252Y) History of Modern Philosophy |
- |
3 |
|
Philosophy elective
*Students take elective in semester they do not take PHL 210E
|
3* |
3* |
| Foreign language |
4 |
- |
| LSH 151L and 152L (LS 151L and 152L) Introduction to the Humanities |
4 |
4 |
| Electives and General Education |
- |
6 |
| Total |
14 |
16 |
Courses
R- before the course description indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
Philosophy (PHL) - Course Descriptions
101, 102, 110E, 112E, 114E, 191, 198, 210E, 233, 235, 241H, 261Y, 262Y, 291, 292, 298, 301, 311, 316, 321E, 351, 363, 370, 390, 391, 392, 394, 398, 405, 406, 412, 422, 427, 429, 445, 449, 450, 455, 462, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 490, 491, 492, 494, 498, 499, 501, 502, 504, 505, 510, 521, 530, 581, 590, 591, 593, 594, 598, 599
Faculty
Professors
Albert Borgmann, Ph.D., University of Munich
Christopher Preston, Ph.D., University of Oregon
David Sherman, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin
Deborah Slicer, Ph.D., University of Virginia; M.F.A., University of Virginia (Graduate Advisor)
Associate Professors
Bridget Clarke, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Armond Duwell, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Soazig Le Bihan, Ph.D., University of Nancy and University of Bielefeld (joint program)
Paul Muench, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh (Chair and Undergraduate Advisor)
Assistant Professors
Matthew Strohl, Ph.D., Princeton University
Adjunct Faculty
Patrick Burke, M.A., University of Montana
David Clark, Ph.D., Purdue University
Deni Elliott, Ed.D., Harvard University
Affiliated Faculty
Hayden Ausland, Classics
Ramona Grey, Political Science
Mark Hanson, Liberal Studies
Beth Hubble, Women's and Gender Studies
Sean O'Brien, Film Studies
Emeritus Professors
Thomas Birch, Ph.D., University of Texas
Thomas P. Huff, Ph.D., Rice University
Ray Lanfear, Ph.D., Rice University
Fred McGlynn, M.A., Northwestern University
Burke A. Townsend, Ph.D., University of Hawaii
Richard E. Walton, M.A., Claremont Graduate School
