The
Philosophy Major
Humanities
Major with a concentration in
Philosophy
The
Philosophy Minor
Humanities
Minor with a concentration in
Religous Studies
Elemenatary
Education with a support area
in Philospohy
Elementary
Education with a support area
in Religous Studies
The
Philosophy component of the Honors program
The
Philosophy and Religous studies
components of the LACC
The
philosophy major
The Department of Philosophy
and Religious Studies at WOU offers
a Major in Philosophy, which was
first available in 1999-2000. The mission of the Philosophy
Major is to provide students a
foundational acquaintance with,
and experience of being mentored
in, the tradition of Western philosophy,
classical to contemporary.
The Major covers introductions
to various areas of philosophy,
a required logic course, a sequence
in the history of Western philosophy,
and upper-division electives to
give the student some specialized
study in several areas within
philosophy, such as ethics, social/political
philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy
of mind, philosophy of religion,
philosophy of science, philosophy
of law, and philosophy of art.
We also offer very specialized
courses as Special Topics (PHL
398 and 399). The Major concludes
with a Senior Tutorial course
(PHL 405) which pulls together
all of the training into a unified
picture of the field.
Requirements:
63 hours, 36
hours upper-division, made up
of:
- Phl 101
and 102 (introduction to
philosophy)
|
6 hrs |
- Phl 103
(introduction to logic)
|
3 hrs |
- Phl 251,
or 252, or 255 (ethics)
|
3 hrs |
|
3 hrs |
|
3 hrs |
|
3 hrs |
- Either
R201, or R204, or R460
|
3 hrs |
- Phl 311,
313, 314, and 316 (history
of philosophy)
|
12 hrs |
|
3 hrs |
|
3 hrs |
- Phl 405
(senior tutorial in philosophy)
|
3 hrs |
- Electives
in Philosophy or Religous
Studies
|
18 hrs |
Note: The course that is selected
to meet the LACC requirement in
Philosophy or Religious Studies
may now also be counted in the
27 hours of the Minor. Electives
should be selected to insure that
the expected learning outcomes
below are met.
Phl 405, the Senior tutorial
in philosophy, is intended to
be the culmination of philosophy
students' training, in which they
will write a unique, substantial,
philosophical work, pulling together
all of the skills they have been
building over their previous study
of philosophy. It is usually
taught Spring Term, and is required
for all philosophy majors and
minors.
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have substantial
knowledge of the major figures,
philosophies, and relationships
between them that constitute the
history of Western philosophy,
involving in-depth exposure to
primary sources (in translation).
- The student shall have an
introductory knowledge of the
major subdisciplines of Western
philosophy (epistemology, metaphysics,
ethics, logic, and social philosophy),
the principal questions that constitute
them and the principal philosophical
options that have been developed
in answer to those questions.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to interpret, reconstruct,
and explain accurately a philosophical
position other than her/his own,
even when disagreeing with it.
- The student shall have developed
skill in conceptual analysis--e.g.,
the ability to identify and explain
the underlying assumptions of
an intellectual position and to
reflect critically on them--both
of positions other than her/his
own and of her/his own position.
- The student shall have developed
skill in the analysis and critical
evaluation of arguments, in argument
construction, and in reasoning
with persons of differing assumption
and perspective.
- The student shall have explored
some philosophical issue in depth,
working out a position and set
of arguments of her/his own vis-a-vis
other major positions and arguments
on the issue.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to bring to bear a
philosophical perspective in critically
sorting out a matter of practical
controversy--e.g., in applied
ethics.
- The student shall have acquired
a knowledge of some expressions
of non-Western philosophy.
- The student shall be well-prepared
for graduate study in philosophy,
should that be her or his desire.
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The
philosophy minorThe mission of the Minor in Philosophy
is to provide students an introductory acquaintance with, and experience
of being mentored in, the tradition
of Western philosophy, classical
to contemporary.
Requirements:
27 hours, 15 hours upper-division,
made up of:
|
Phl 101
(introduction to philosophy) |
3 hrs |
|
Phl 102
or 251 (ethics) |
3 hrs |
|
Phl 103
(introduction to logic) |
3 hrs |
|
Phl 311,
or 313, or 314, or 316 (history
of philosophy) |
9 hrs |
|
Phl 405
(senior tutorial in philosophy) |
3 hrs |
|
Electives
in Philosophy, or Religous
Studies |
6 hrs |
The course that is selected to
meet the LACC requirement in Philosophy
or Religious Studies may now be
counted in the 27 hours of the
Minor.
Phl 405, the Senior tutorial
in philosophy, is intended to
be the culmination of philosophy
students' training, in which they
will write a unique, substantial,
philosophical work, pulling together
all of the skills they have been
building over their previous study
of philosophy. It is usually
taught Spring Term, and is required
for all philosophy majors and
minors.
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have an
introductory knowledge of most
of the major figures, philosophies,
and relationships between them
that constitute the history of
Western philosophy, involving
in-depth exposure to primary sources
(in translation).
- The student shall have an
introductory knowledge of at least
two of the major subdisciplines
of Western philosophy (epistemology,
metaphysics, ethics, logic, and
social philosophy), the principal
questions that constitute them
and the principal philosophical
options that have been developed
in answer to those questions.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to interpret, reconstruct,
and explain accurately a philosophical
position other than her/his own,
even when disagreeing with it.
- The student shall have developed
skill in conceptual analysis--e.g.,
the ability to identify and explain
the underlying assumptions of
an intellectual position and to
reflect critically on them--both
of positions other than her/his
own and of her/his own position.
- The student shall have developed
skill in the analysis and critical
evaluation of arguments, in argument
construction, and in reasoning
with persons of differing assumption
and perspective.
- The student shall have explored
some philosophical issue in depth,
working out a position and set
of arguments of her/his own vis-a-vis
other major positions and arguments
on the issue.
- The student will have seriously
begun to acquire competence in
critically exploring the philosophical
issues raised by and in her/his
major.
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The
humanities major
with a concentration in philosophy
The mission of the Humanities Major
with a concentration in Philosophy
(Western's closest equivalent to
a Philosophy Major) is to provide
students a foundational acquaintance
with, and experience of being mentored
in, the tradition of Western philosophy,
classical to contemporary.
Recommended coursework:
63 hours, 36 hours upper-division,
made up of:
|
Phl
101 and 102 (introduction
to philosophy)
|
6 hrs |
|
Phl
103 (Introduction to
Logic)
|
6 hrs |
|
Phl
251, 261, and 282
|
9 hrs |
|
Either
R201 or R460
|
3 hrs |
|
Phl
311, 313, 314, and 316
(history of philosophy)
|
12 hrs |
|
Phl
405 (senior tutorial
in philosophy)
|
3 hrs |
|
Electives
in Philosophy, Religous
Studies, Humanites
|
24hrs |
Insuring that at least 36 hours
in the major are upper division.
The course that is selected to
meet the LACC requirement in Philosophy
or Religious Studies may now be
counted in the 27 hours of the
Minor. Electives should be selected
to insure that the expected learning
outcomes below are met.
Phl 405, the Senior tutorial
in philosophy, is intended to
be the culmination of philosophy
students' training, in which they
will write a unique, substantial,
philosophical work, pulling together
all of the skills they have been
building over their previous study
of philosophy. It is usually
taught Spring Term, and is required
for all philosophy majors and
minors.
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have an
basic knowledge of the major figures,
philosophies, and relationships
between them that constitute the
history of Western philosophy,
involving in-depth exposure to
primary sources (in translation).
- The student shall have an
introductory knowledge of the
major subdisciplines of Western
philosophy (epistemology, metaphysics,
ethics, logic, and social philosophy),
the principal questions that constitute
them and the principal philosophical
options that have been developed
in answer to those questions.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to interpret, reconstruct,
and explain accurately a philosophical
position other than her/his own,
even when disagreeing with it.
- The student shall have developed
skill in conceptual analysis--e.g.,
the ability to identify and explain
the underlying assumptions of
an intellectual position and to
reflect critically on them--both
of positions other than her/his
own and of her/his own position.
- The student shall have developed
skill in the analysis and critical
evaluation of arguments, in argument
construction, and in reasoning
with persons of differing assumption
and perspective.
- The student shall have explored
some philosophical issue in depth,
working out a position and set
of arguments of her/his own vis-a-vis
other major positions and arguments
on the issue.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to bring to bear a
philosophical perspective in critically
sorting out a matter of practical
controversy--e.g., in applied
ethics.
- The student shall have acquired
a knowledge of some expressions
of non-Western philosophy.
- The student shall be well-prepared
for graduate study in philosophy,
should that be her or his desire.
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The
humanities minor
with a concentration in religious
studies
The mission of the Humanities Minor
with a concentration in Religious
Studies is to provide students a
basic acquaintance with, a method
of understanding both empathetically
and objectively, and a soundly informed
basis for critically reflecting
uon the full variety of human religious
experience.
Recommended coursework:
27 hours, 15 hours upper-division,
made up of:
|
R 201
and 204 Introduction
to the World's Religions
|
6 hrs |
|
R 315
Interpreting Religious
Phenomena
|
3 hrs |
|
R 460
Comparative Religion
|
3 hrs |
|
Phl
283 Philosophy of Religion
|
3 hrs |
|
12
hours of electives in
Humanities courses (9
upper-division)
|
12 hrs |
Especially recommended are:
Phl 311 Ancient Philosophy,
Phl 313 Medieval Philosophy,
Eng 387 Studies in Mythology,
and
Eng 318 The Bible as Literature
The course that is selected to meet
the LACC requirement in Philosophy
or Religious Studies may now be
counted in the 27 hours of the Minor.
It is recommended that students
take elective courses in Anthropology
(e.g., Anth 476), Sociology, Geography
(e.g., Geog 318), and History that
specifically bear on understanding
religion from different disciplinary
perspectives.
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have a basic
knowledge and understanding of
the major religious traditions
of the world and of the full variety
of human religious phenomena,
and be able to counteract and
correct distorted preconceptions
about them.
- The student shall have the
ability to carry out empathetically
objective research and interpretation
of religious phenomena, through
both library research and elementary
field research.
- The student shall have the
ability to discriminate among
competing interpretations of religious
phenomena as to their empathetic
objectivity and factual soundness.
- The student shall have the
ability to carry out empathetically
sensitive yet objective studies
involving a comparison in depth
of religious phenomena from very
different traditions.
- The student shall have undertaken
serious study of religion from
a variety of different disciplines,
such as literary studies, anthropology,
sociology, geography, history,
and philosophy, as well as phenomenology
of religion.
- The student shall have participated
in critically examining the presuppositions
of the different disciplinary
approaches to the study of religion.
- The student shall have learned
through practice what is involved
in critically reflecting on the
nature and variety of human religious
experience on the basis of an
informed, empathetically objective
understanding.
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Elementary
education
academic support area in philosophy
The mission of the Elementary Education
Academic Support Area in Philosophy
is to provide elementary education
majors with an introductory acquaintance
with philosophical inquiry and its
relevance to the development of
rationality in children, and practical
training in how to develop reasoning
skills in children through philosophical
inquiry.
Requirements:
12 hours in Philosophy, 6 hours
upper division:
|
Phl
101 or 102 Introduction
to Philosophy
|
3 hrs. |
|
Phl
103 Introduction to
Logic
|
3 hrs. |
|
Phl
433 Philosophy for Children
|
3 hrs. |
|
Approved
upper division elective
in Philosophy
|
3 hrs. |
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have a basic
knowledge of the nature of philosophical
inquiry and to philosophy generally.
- The student shall have developed
skill in the analysis and critical
evaluation of arguments, in argument
construction, and in reasoning
with persons of differing assumption
and perspective.
- The student shall have acquired
competence in conducting philosophical
discussions among children as
an effective context for the development
of reasoning skills.
- The student shall have a comprehension
of the philosophic unsoundness
of naive relativism and a knowledge
of logical strategies for demonstrating
its unsoundness.
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Elementary
education
academic support area in religious
studies
The mission of the Elementary Education
Academic Support Area in Religious
Studies is to provide elementary
education majors with an introductory
acquaintance with the different
religions of the world and the variety
of religious experience, and a method
for handling religion in the classroom
in an empathetic and objective manner
that avoids offense and conforms
to constitutional separation of
church and state.
Requirements:
12 hours, 6 hours upper division:
|
R 201
Introduction to the
World's Religions: Eastern
|
3 hrs. |
|
R 204
Introduction to the
World's Religions: Western
|
3 hrs. |
|
R 315
Interpreting Religious
Phenomena
|
3 hrs. |
One
among the following
:
Eng 387 Studies in
Mythology
Eng 318 The Bible
as Literature
R 460 Comparative
Religion
or some other approved
upper division course. |
3 hrs. |
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have a basic
knowledge and understanding of
the major religious traditions
of the world and of the full variety
of human religious phenomena,
and be able to counteract and
correct distorted preconceptions
about them.
- The student shall have the
ability to carry out empathetically
objective research and interpretation
of religious phenomena, through
both library research and elementary
field research.
- The student shall have the
ability to discriminate among
competing interpretations of religious
phenomena as to their empathetic
objectivity and factual soundness
- The student shall be able
to introduce others to an empathetically
objective understanding of an
expression of a religious tradition
very different (even alien to)
their own and, as well, to an
empathetically objective understanding
of one that is wholly familiar
to them.
- The student shall possess
a sound knowledge and understanding
of the legal parameters governing
public education religion studies
in the United States and be able
to counteract and correct distorted
preconceptions about them.
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The
philosophy component of the honors
program
The mission of the Philosophy component
of the Honors Program is to cultivate
within students a thoughtful, informed,
and critically reflective intellectual
conscience by way of exposure to
the questioning and dialectical
development of ideas that make up
the history of Western philosophy.
Requirements:
the 6 hour
sequence in honors philosophy,
Phl 207H and 208H, with recommended
participation in the Spring term
sequel, Phl 209H.
Expected learning outcomes:
- The student shall have an
introductory knowledge of most
of the major figures, philosophies,
and relationships between them
that constitute the history of
Western philosophy, and of its
interaction with religion in the
West.
- The student shall have experienced
sustained participation in an
ongoing community of philosophical
inquiry, in which s/he learns
by interpersonal practice and
peer reinforcement the skills
and dispositions of critical philosophical
reasoning.
- The student shall know what
philosophical questions are, and
what philosophical inquiry is
and how to pursue it (e.g., in
clarifying ideas) with some effectiveness
when it is called for.
- The student shall have developed
the ability to interpret, reconstruct,
and explain accurately and fairly
a philosophical position other
than her/his own, even when disagreeing
with it.
- The student shall have developed
skill in the analysis and critical
evaluation of arguments, in argument
construction, and in exhibiting
these skills in relation to positions
of differing assumption and perspective.
- The student shall have an
introductory acquaintance with
two or more subdisciplines of
philosophy (epistemology {theory
of knowledge}, metaphysics {theory
of what is}, ethics, logic, or
social philosophy), their basic
questions, and some of the major
alternative positions on those
questions.
- The student shall have a comprehension
of the philosophic unsoundness
of naive relativism and a knowledge
of logical strategies for demonstrating
its unsoundness.
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Requirements:
any 3 hour Philosophy
course or Religious Studies course
(100-300 level only)
Expected learning outcomes: For the LACC course in philosophy
- The student shall exhibit
critical thinking skills and a
thoughtful sensibility when reasoning
with other persons.
- The student shall be able
to discriminate between good reasoning
and poor reasoning, and know what
adequate rational backing for
a claim involves.
- The student shall be able
to recognize and counteract prejudicial
reaction and presumption in herself/himself
and others.
- The student shall be able
to recognize, empathetically comprehend,
and represent accurately the basic
assumptions and world view exhibited
in given intellectual position
in contrast/comparison with her/his
own.
- The student shall know what
philosophical questions are, and
what philosophical inquiry is
and how to pursue it (e.g., in
clarifying ideas) with some effectiveness
when it is called for.
- The student shall have an
introductory acquaintance with
at least one subfield of philosophy,
its basic questions, and some
of the major alternative positions
on those questions.
- The student shall have a comprehension
of the philosophic unsoundness
of naive relativism and a knowledge
of logical strategies for demonstrating
its unsoundness.
For the LACC course in religious
studies
- The student shall have a basic
knowledge and understanding of
several of the major religious
traditions of the world and of
the full variety of human religious
phenomena, and be able to counteract
and correct distorted preconceptions
about them.
- The student shall have the
ability to carry out empathetically
objective research and interpretation
of religious phenomena.
- The student shall have the
ability to discriminate among
competing interpretations of religious
phenomena as to their empathetic
objectivity and factual soundness
- The student shall be able
to recognize and counteract prejudicial
reaction and presumption in herself/himself
and others.
- The student shall be able
to recognize, empathetically comprehend,
and represent accurately the basic
assumptions and world view exhibited
in given religious tradition in
contrast/comparison with her/his
own.
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