Courses You May Take
Through our core required courses and elective areas, you’ll develop skills of textual interpretation and analysis, learn to navigate conceptual systems, explore foundational theories and ideas from the history of philosophy, and think philosophically about contemporary issues.
You don’t need to be a philosophy major or minor to take philosophy classes! In addition to offering courses that serve the philosophy major and minors, the department offers courses that serve the GE curriculum areas, as well as courses that may satisfy requirements in other departments.
To find out which classes are available during a specific semester, please visit the class schedule webpage.
Phil 2200: Ancient Philosophy
Ancient Philosophy introduces students to the origins of Western philosophical thought, from the pre-Socratic thinkers who first raised questions about the nature of reality and knowledge, to Plato, Aristotle and the Hellenistic philosophers, whose writings on ethics, politics, metaphysics and the good life remain among the most important and widely studied texts in the history of philosophy. Through close readings of primary texts, students will engage directly with the foundational questions and arguments that shaped millennia of philosophical inquiry and continue to inform contemporary debates.
Phil 3000: Philosophical Reading and Analysis
Reading and Analysis introduces students to the art of philosophical reading and interpretation. You'll work directly with primary sources with different styles of writing and argumentation to learn how to identify central claims, reconstruct reasoning and perform textual exegesis. This course emphasizes close reading and interpretive methods. Course readings address a common theme that varies by instructor, reflecting the diverse research interests and expertise of our faculty.
Phil 3050: Existentialism
Existentialism takes up some of the most urgent and enduring questions about human existence: What does it mean to be free? To be responsible? What is the relationship between self and other, and what does it mean to live authentically? How do we face anxiety, guilt, and the fact of our mortality? What meaning does life have, if any, and why do we experience alienation? What is the cultural problem of nihilism, and what is the relationship between technology and human existence? Readings draw from primary sources and will include philosophers like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and others.
Phil 3400: Ethics
Ethics examines the fundamental questions of moral philosophy: What is right and wrong? What makes an action good or bad? What do we owe one another, and what does it mean to be responsible for our choices? This course covers major theories and traditions in the history of moral philosophy, from classical sources to contemporary debates, examining concepts of utility, duty, freedom and obligation. Students will read both canonical and contemporary texts and develop the analytical and interpretive skills to think rigorously about ethical questions in their own lives and in the broader social and political world.
Phil 4300: Philosophy of Language
Philosophy of Language offers an intensive study of recent theories of meaning and of the relationship between thought and language. Course themes include meaning and reference, language games, speech acts, and language as the communication of thoughts, feelings, and information. The course also examines the application of language theory to problems in artificial intelligence, making it especially relevant for students interested in the philosophical dimensions of AI and the nature of machine communication.
Phil 4450: Eastern Philosophy
Eastern Philosophy explores the diverse ideas and problems at the roots of philosophical traditions of Asia, with a focus on classical India and China. What is the nature of reality and the self? Why do we experience suffering and what does it mean to be free? What is the relationship between individual and societal flourishing? You'll read and discuss original source materials, from Hindu and Buddhist philosophies of India to Confucian, Mohist and Daoist philosophies of Ancient China, and explore the relationship between theory and practice by focusing on how these philosophies were meant to inform arts of living.
Updated: June 10, 2026