Overview
The philosophy major (33 credits) and minor (15 credits) offer Iowa State University students the opportunity to explore fundamental human questions through reflection and argumentation. Do we have free will? Can machines think? What makes actions right or wrong? What is the nature of knowledge and what can we hope to know? What does justice require, politically and economically? Philosophy classes explore answers to deep questions such as these, encouraging each student to develop and rationally defend their own views.
Philosophy offers a structured but flexible program to help students graduate on time while pursuing their interests. 2000-level courses introduce students to essential questions and methods of philosophical thought. In 3000-level courses, students engage in close examination of central topics in both contemporary thought and the history of philosophy. Seminars at the 4000-level offer the opportunity to study topics in-depth alongside a committed team of faculty and students.
Philosophy fosters skills of communication and critical thinking that are valuable across work, family, and civic life. The program equips students to logically analyze and develop new responses to the challenges faced by humanity. It also emphasizes clarity of thought and communication as part of rigorous engagement with both abstract and applied areas of thought. These skills of logical analysis, careful reading, original thought, and clear communication are in high demand across different fields of work and post-graduate study. Philosophy majors typically achieve some of the highest scores on standardized tests such as the LSAT and GRE and have mid-career salaries higher than many other majors.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, students should be able to:
1. Explain central problems in key areas of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, political philosophy, philosophy of language, and the philosophy of science.
2. Explain the views of historically important philosophers and place them in the context of significant philosophical movements.
3. Identify and critically evaluate arguments by developing objections and replies.
4. Communicate ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing, with clarity and precision.
5. Engage with different points of view with open-mindedness, intellectual curiosity, and a willingness to learn from the ideas and arguments of others.
Philosophy Degree Requirements
As majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Philosophy students must meet College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and university-wide requirements for graduation in addition to those stated below for the major.
The degree program in philosophy requires a minimum of 33 credits, plus the zero credit PHIL 4920 course. The following courses compose the core program of the major from which 15 credits shall be chosen. Additionally, two courses at the 4000 level or above (other than PHIL 4900 and PHIL 4920) are required.
Ethical theory: One course required.
| PHIL 3300 | Ethical Theory | 3 |
| PHIL 3350 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 5350 | Contemporary Political Philosophy | 3 |
History: Two courses required.
| PHIL 3100 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3140 | 17th Century Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 3150 | 18th Century Philosophy | |
Metaphysics and Epistemology: One course required.
| PHIL 3640 | Metaphysics: God, Minds, and Matter | 3 |
| PHIL 3660 | Truth, Belief, and Reason | 3 |
| PHIL 3800 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
Logic: One course required.
| PHIL 2070 | Introduction to Symbolic Logic | 3 |
Students in all ISU majors must complete a three-credit course in U.S. cultures and communities (formerly U.S. diversity) and a three-credit course in international perspectives. Check http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/courses/div-ip-guide.html for a list of approved courses. Discuss with your advisor how the two courses that you select can be applied to your graduation plan.
LAS majors require a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 45 credits at the 3000/4000 level. Three of the required 45 3000+ level credits must be earned in a general education group outside the group of the major. You must also complete the LAS world language requirement and LAS career proficiency requirement.
According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 2500.
Philosophy, B.A.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHIL 2010 | 3 | Philosophy Choice | 3 |
| ENGL 1500 | 3 | Social Science Choice | 3 |
| LIB 1600 | 1 | Humanities Choice | 3 |
| Humanities Choice | 3 | Math Choice | 3 |
| Social Science Choice | 3 | World Language/Elective | 4 |
| World Language/Elective | 4 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHIL 3100 | 3 | PHIL 2070 | 3 |
| ENGL 2500 | 3 | PHIL 3140 or 3150 | 3 |
| Philosophy Choice | 3 | Natural Science Choice | 4 |
| Humanities Choice | 3 | Social Science Choice | 3 |
| Natural Science Choice | 4 | Elective | 2-3 |
| LAS 2030 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 16-17 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHIL 3300 | 3 | Philosophy Choice - 3000/4000 Level | 3 |
| PHIL 3640 or 3800 | 3 | Electives | 12 |
| Philosophy Choice | 3 | ||
| Electives | 6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Philosophy Choice - 4000 Level | 3 | PHIL 4920 | R |
| Philosophy Choice - 3000/4000 Level | 3 | Philosophy Choice - 4000 Level | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | Electives | 10 |
| 12 | 13 | ||
Minor in Philosophy
The department offers a minor in philosophy which may be earned by completing a total of 15 credits in philosophy. At least 9 credits must be in courses numbered 3000 or above (only 3 credits of which may be in PHIL 4900). The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college or university requirement.
MINOR IN ETHICS
The Department Philosophy and Religious Studies offers a minor in ethics. Ethics is the branch of human thought that addresses questions of human morality. It seeks to define right and wrong at the theoretical level and to guide action across diverse fields of practice. An ethics minor provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of both the theoretical foundations and the practical applications of ethics. It serves students who wish to understand how ethical thought complements their chosen majors, but also students who have an interest in learning about ethics more generally.
The minor in ethics requires 15 credits; at least 6 credits must be in courses numbered 3000 or above. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college or university requirement.
All students pursuing the minor in ethics must complete either PHIL 2300 Moral Theory and Practice or PHIL 3300 Ethical Theory. In addition, students must complete 6 credits of courses chosen from a list of core ethics courses (Table A below), as well as 6 credits of courses chosen from a broader list of courses with a significant ethics focus (Table A and Table B combined).
CORE ETHICS COURSES (TABLE A)
| PHIL 2300 | Moral Theory and Practice | 3 |
| PHIL 2350 | Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society | 3 |
| PHIL 3200 | Existentialism | 3 |
| PHIL 3300 | Ethical Theory | 3 |
| PHIL 3310 | Moral Problems in Medicine | 3 |
| PHIL 3320 | Philosophy of Law | 3 |
| PHIL 3340 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 3350 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 5350 | Contemporary Political Philosophy | |
| PHIL 3360 | Bioethics and Biotechnology | 3 |
| PHIL 3430 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| PHIL 4300 | Value Theory | 3 |
| PHIL 4500 | Agency and Free Will | 3 |
ADDITIONAL ETHICS COURSES (TABLE B)
| ACCT 4890 | Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting | 3 |
| EE 3880 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| ANTHR 2200 | Globalization and Sustainability | 3 |
| ANTHR 2300 | Globalization and the Human Condition | 3 |
| CPRE 2340 | Legal, Professional, and Ethical Issues in Cyber Systems | 3 |
| ECON 3210 | Economics of Discrimination | 3 |
| EDUC 2050 | Social Foundations of Education in the United States: Early Childhood and Elementary Education | 3 |
| EDUC 4050 | Social Justice Education and Teaching: Early Childhood and Elementary | 3 |
| EDUC 4810 | Philosophy of Education | 3 |
| or EDUC 5810 | Philosophy of Education | |
| ENGR 3270 | Voices of Public Policy | 3 |
| ENTSP 4100 | Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| GLOBE 2200 | Globalization and Sustainability | 3 |
| JLMC 4620 | Media Ethics, Freedom, Responsibility | 3 |
| MGMT 3720 | Ethical and Responsible Management | 3 |
| NREM 4600 | Controversies in Natural Resource Management | 3 |
| NS 4120 | Leadership and Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 3380 | Feminist Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3390 | Liberty and Law in America | 3 |
| POLS 2350 | Introduction to Ethics and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 4800 | Ethics and Public Policy | 3 |
| RELIG 3600 | Religion and Ethics | 3 |
| RELIG 3700 | Religion and Politics | 3 |
| RELIG 3800 | Catholic Social Thought | 3 |
| SOC 3340 | Politics and Society | 3 |
| SOC 3620 | Applied Ethics in Agricultural and Rural Development | 3 |
| WGS 1600 | Gender Justice | 1 |
Philosophy - Graduate Study
The department offers work for a graduate minor in philosophy. For those taking the M.A. or M.S., the minor requirement is two courses above 3000 (but not PHIL 4900), each taken in conjunction with PHIL 5900. For those taking the Ph.D., the requirement is four courses above 3000, at least one of which is above 4000 (but not PHIL 4900), each taken in conjunction with PHIL 5900. Interested students should ask the chair to assign a minor advisor.
The department participates in the interdepartmental program in general graduate studies.