Undergraduate

Overview

The undergraduate program in philosophy is designed to serve as an integrating core of general liberal studies; as preparation for professional training in other fields, such as law, education, politics, or theology; or as preparation for future professional training in philosophy. The department offers a bachelor’s degree, as well as an accelerated combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program.

In addition to the major in philosophy, the department offers minors in philosophy, law and philosophy, philosophy of science, and political philosophy. The department participates in the interdisciplinary minor in philosophy, politics, and economics and in the major in human rights and social justice.

The department participates in the honors program and the honors in the major program, the FIGs program, the Bryan Hall program, as well as the undergraduate programs in the following departments or programs: African American Studies, Asian Studies, humanities, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, political science, international affairs and religion. In addition, it offers several courses in CoreFSU.

Plan Your Major

Students have considerable latitude to design the content of a major that meets their needs and interests. For example, a student might focus primarily on ethics, social and political philosophy, logic, the philosophy of science, the history of philosophy, epistemology, cognitive studies, or some distinct period such as ancient, modern, or contemporary. Other majors may want to focus their course work in several different areas of philosophy. Many students find it possible to combine a major in philosophy with a major in another discipline. The department welcomes such arrangements.

In addition to gaining an understanding of the substantive issues philosophers have struggled with through the ages, students majoring in philosophy can expect to develop their abilities to engage in critical examination and evaluation. Such skills have proven to be of great value in almost any type of human endeavor.

Distinguished Faculty

The department’s distinguished faculty are actively engaged in teaching, research, writing, publishing and editing. Students majoring in philosophy can be assured that not only will they acquire a strong background in the history of philosophy but also they will have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the latest developments in the discipline. 

Visiting Speakers and Colloquia

The department offers regular colloquia in which faculty from other universities present papers and lead discussions on philosophical topics. In addition, the department regularly sponsors conferences; recent topics have included free will, self-knowledge, skepticism, and naturalism and perfectionism in Kant’s philosophy.

Beyond the Classroom

Each semester the department organizes several “Brain Freeze” talks, held at a local ice cream parlor, and presented by graduate students or faculty. The department is also home to the undergraduate Philosophy Club, which meets regularly for discussion of philosophical issues.

Why study philosophy?

Since studying philosophy will not directly result in an ability to program a computer, manage a company, or diagnose and treat a disease, perhaps one might wonder why it is worth studying at all? The answer is simple. While the study of philosophy does not provide one with a particular set of "skills for a trade," the lifelong benefits it inculcates are virtually limitless. Here are just a few. The study of philosophy enhances one's ability:

  • To think, speak, and write clearly and critically,
  • To communicate effectively,
  • To form original, creative solutions to problems,
  • To develop reasoned arguments for one's views,
  • To appreciate views different from one's own,
  • To analyze complex material, and
  • To investigate difficult questions in a systematic fashion.

What should be clear, even from this brief list, is that studying philosophy not only develops abilities that are essential to almost any vocation, but also instills qualities vital to one's growth as a person. Moreover, for many students such qualities quite often produce practical benefits as well. For example, because studying philosophy improves one's analytical skills, it affords a greater probability of success on standardized tests such as the GRE, LSAT, and GMAT.

Finally, studying philosophy is not merely useful for the benefits it bestows. It is also intrinsically worthwhile, since many of the issues with which philosophers grapple are fundamental to human existence. Is there a God? What is truth? What can we know? What is beauty? Wrestling with questions such as these and learning the history of responses to them enriches one's life in way that no other discipline can.

What is philosophy?

Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom." In a broad sense, philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other. As an academic discipline philosophy is much the same. Those who study philosophy are perpetually engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life's most basic questions. To make such a pursuit more systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided into major areas of study.

Metaphysics

At its core the study of metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of what exists in the world, what it is like, and how it is ordered. In metaphysics philosophers wrestle with such questions as:

  • Is there a God?
  • What is truth?
  • What is a person? What makes a person the same through time?
  • Is the world strictly composed of matter?
  • How is the mind related to the body?
  • Do people have free will?
  • What is it for one event to cause another?
Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned with what we can know about the world and how we can know it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:

  • What is knowledge?
  • Do we know anything at all?
  • How do we know what we know?
  • Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?
Ethics

The study of ethics often concerns what we ought to do and what it would be best to do. In struggling with this issue, larger questions about what is good and right arise. So, the ethicist attempts to answer such questions as:

  • What is good? What makes actions or people good?
  • What is right? What makes actions right?
  • Is morality objective or subjective?
  • How should I treat others?
Logic

Another important aspect of the study of philosophy is the arguments or reasons given for people's answers to these questions. To this end philosophers employ logic to study the nature and structure of arguments. Logicians ask such questions as:

  • What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?
  • How do we determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good or bad?
History of Philosophy

The study of philosophy involves not only forming one's own answers to such questions, but also seeking to understand the way in which people have answered such questions in the past. So, a significant part of philosophy is its history, a history of answers and arguments about these very questions. In studying the history of philosophy one explores the ideas of such historical figures as:

  • Plato
  • Locke
  • Marx
  • Aristotle
  • Hume
  • Mill
  • Aquinas
  • Kant
  • Wittgenstein
  • Descartes
  • Nietzsche
  • Sartre

What often motivates the study of philosophy is not merely the answers or arguments themselves but whether or not the arguments are good and the answers are true. Moreover, many of the questions and issues in the various areas of philosophy overlap and in some cases even converge. Thus, philosophical questions arise in almost every discipline. This is why philosophy also encompasses such areas as:

  • Philosophy of Law
  • Philosophy of Feminism
  • Philosophy of Religion
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Philosophy of Literature
  • Political Philosophy
  • Philosophy of the Arts
  • Philosophy of History
  • Philosophy of Language

What can be done with philosophy?

"If you want to succeed in business, don't get an M.B.A. Study philosophy instead."

-Matthew Stewart, "The Management Myth" (The Atlantic Monthly, June 2006)

Philosophy Can Prepare You for the Future

It is sometimes said, "Philosophy bakes no bread." After all, how many Fortune 500 companies are advertising for philosophers? So, naturally one might wonder, what are my career options if I study philosophy? The answer here is simple: almost anything.

Many students of philosophy go on to pursue advanced degrees. A major or minor in philosophy serves as excellent preparation for pursuing advanced degrees in law, theology, business, and of course, the humanities.

Careers

In addition, studying philosophy is arguably essential for continued success in a career. This is because the study of philosophy develops two general skills that are vital for success in virtually any career field:

  • the ability to think through a problem clearly, and
  • the ability to communicate a solution effectively.

Whether one manages a small business, sets up computer networks, serves in law enforcement, or cares for terminally ill patients, these skills are crucial. Yet studying philosophy not only provides general career preparation, but in many cases specific preparation as well. Here are just a few examples:

  • the student pursuing medicine will benefit from studying bioethics,
  • the student pursuing art, film, or music will benefit from studying aesthetics or the philosophy of music,
  • the student pursuing literature will benefit from studying the philosophy of literature,
  • the student pursuing law or political science will benefit from studying the philosophy of law or political philosophy,
  • the student pursuing business will benefit from studying business ethics,
  • the student pursuing theology or religion will benefit from studying the philosophy of religion,
  • the student pursuing some arena of science will benefit from studying philosophy of science,
  • the student pursuing computer science or engineering will benefit from studying logic, and
  • the student pursuing psychology will benefit from studying the philosophy of mind.

In many ways, what you can do with philosophy is merely a matter of what you can do. A major or minor in philosophy is an ideal complement to almost any academic or career pursuit. Nevertheless, whatever career pursuit one chooses it is important to insure that one is making the right preparations. For more information on career preparation contact the FSU Career Center.

In the meantime, consider the possibility of studying philosophy and see what you can do with it! For more information contact the Undergraduate Advisor.

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