Return to Table of Contents
Go to Course Listings
Go to bottom of document
Go to: Program Requirements
Go to: Summary of Requirements
Go to: Faculty
Philosophy
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Ted Cohen, HM W502, 702-8506
Secretary for Undergraduate Philosophy: Evada L. Waller, Cl 17, 702-8513
Program of Study
Philosophy covers a wide range of historical periods and fields. The Bachelor
of Arts program with concentration in philosophy is intended to acquaint
students with some of the classic texts of the discipline and with the different
areas of inquiry, and to train them in rigorous methods of argument. In
addition to its standard concentration program, the department offers two
sub-concentration options. The intensive concentration option is for qualified
students interested in small group discussions of major philosophical problems
and texts. The option in philosophy and allied fields is designed for students
who wish to pursue an interdisciplinary program involving philosophy and
some other field. All three options are described in the next section.
The course offerings described include both 200-level courses, normally
restricted to College students, and 300-level courses, open to graduate
students and advanced College students. There is room for a good deal of
flexibility in individual planning of programs: most of the requirements
allow some choice among options, course prerequisites may be relaxed with
the consent of the instructor, and under special circumstances College students
may take 400- and 500-level courses, normally restricted to graduate students.
(These courses are listed in the quarterly Time Schedules.) Students
should work out their programs under the guidance of the director of undergraduate
studies.
Program Requirements
The Standard Concentration. There are four basic requirements for
the standard concentration in philosophy. They are intended to constitute
a core philosophy curriculum and to provide some structure within an extremely
varied collection of course offerings that changes from year to year.
1. Introduction: The History of Philosophy. The Department of Philosophy
offers a three-quarter sequence in the history of philosophy (Philosophy
250, 260, and 270), which begins in the first quarter with ancient Greek
philosophy and ends in the third quarter with nineteenth-century philosophy.
Students concentrating in philosophy must take two courses from this sequence
(any two are acceptable) and are encouraged to take all three. Students
are also encouraged to do so early in the program, since these courses make
an appropriate introduction to more advanced courses.
2. Elementary Logic (Philosophy 300). Students may elect to bypass
this for a more advanced course if they can satisfy the instructor that
they are qualified to begin at a higher level.
3. Field Distribution. At least one course in each of the three following
fields: (I) value theory (including ethics, social and political philosophy,
and aesthetics); (II) philosophy of science and mathematics; and (III) metaphysics
and epistemology. Courses that may be counted toward these requirements
are marked by the appropriate numerals in the course descriptions. Other
courses may not be used to satisfy field distribution requirements.
4. Ten Graded Courses. Philosophy concentrators must take ten graded
courses within the department, distributed so as to meet the preceding three
requirements.
Summary of Requirements:
Standard Concentration
2 from Philos 250, 260, and 270
1 Philos 300 or approved alternative course
in logic
3 one each from fields I, II, and III
4 additional courses in philosophy
10
The Intensive Concentration. The intensive concentration is designed
to acquaint students with the problems and methods of philosophy in more
depth than is possible for students in the standard concentration. It differs
from the standard program mainly by offering students the opportunity to
meet in very small discussion groups open only to students in the intensive
concentration program. These discussion groups are as follows:
a junior seminar in the autumn quarter of the junior year
(Philosophy 295),
a junior tutorial (Philosophy 292), and
a senior tutorial (Philosophy 293).
In addition, students in the intensive track must write a senior essay.
The junior seminar and two tutorials replace two of the four additional
courses in philosophy mentioned in the summary of requirements for the standard
concentration. The requirements for the intensive concentration are:
Summary of Requirements:
Intensive Concentration
2 from Philos 250, 260, and 270
1 Philos 300 or approved alternative
course in logic
3 one each from fields I, II, and III
1 Philos 295 (junior seminar)
1 Philos 292 (junior tutorial)
1 Philos 293 (senior tutorial)
2 Philos 297 and Philos 298 (preparation for senior essay)
2 additional courses in philosophy
13
Admission to the intensive track requires an application to the undergraduate
program committee, which should be made by the middle of the spring quarter
of a student's sophomore year. Students interested in the program should
consult with the director of undergraduate studies before applying.
Philosophy and Allied Fields. This variant of the concentration is intended
for students who wish to create a coherent interdisciplinary program involving
philosophy and some other field of study. Students in this program must
satisfy the first three of the basic requirements for the standard concentration
(a total of six courses) and take six additional courses that together constitute
a coherent program; at least one of these six additional courses must be
in the Department of Philosophy. Students must receive approval for the
specific courses they choose to be used as the allied fields courses. Admission
to philosophy and allied fields requires an application to the undergraduate
program committee, which should be made by the middle of the spring quarter
of a student's sophomore year. To apply, students must submit both a statement
of purpose that explains why they want to enter and a sample program of
courses, and they must have the agreement of a member of the Department
of Philosophy to serve as their sponsor in the program. Students interested
in this program should consult with the director of undergraduate studies
before applying.
The Senior Essay. This essay is written by all students in the intensive
concentration, and by other students whose application to write the essay
is approved by the undergraduate program committee. The senior essay is
one of the requirements for students who have been admitted to the intensive
concentration. Students who are not in the intensive concentration but who
wish to write a senior essay, should apply to do so by early in the third
quarter of their junior year. Application forms are available in the departmental
office; completed forms should be submitted to the director of undergraduate
studies. Students are advised to formulate plans for their essays in consultation
with a faculty adviser and the director of undergraduate studies.
After a proposal is approved, a student should preregister for Philosophy
297 in the autumn quarter and for Philosophy 298 in the spring quarter of
his or her senior year. (These courses count as one course toward
the concentration requirement in any of the three tracks.)
Honors. The main requirement for honors is a senior essay of distinction;
a grade point average of 3.0 or better is also usually required. General
philosophy course work, including performance in the Senior Seminar, is
also taken into consideration.
Transfer Students. Requirements for students transferring to the University
of Chicago are the same as for other students, with the stipulation that
at least seven of the ten courses required for the concentration must be
taken in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Chicago.
Advising. Questions concerning program plans, honors, or any other matters
should be directed to the director of undergraduate studies. All students
planning to graduate in spring quarter 1997 must have their programs approved
by the director of undergraduate studies at the beginning of autumn quarter
1996.
Faculty
MURAT AYDEDE, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
DANIEL BRUDNEY, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
TED COHEN, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committees on Art &
Design and General Studies in the Humanities, and the College; Director
of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Philosophy
ARNOLD I. DAVIDSON, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Divinity School,
Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College
MICHAEL FORSTER, Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College; Chairman,
Department of Philosophy
DANIEL GARBER, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on the Conceptual
Foundations of Science, and the College
DAVID MALAMENT, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor, Department of Philosophy,
Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College; Chairman,
Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science
IAN MUELLER, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on the Conceptual
Foundations of Science, and the College
MARTHA C. NUSSBAUM, Professor, Law School, Divinity School, and the College;[
]Associate Member, Department of Philosophy[]
ROBERT B. PIPPIN, Professor, Committee on Social Thought and the College;
Associate Member, Department of Philosophy
ROBERT J. RICHARDS, Professor, Departments of History, Philosophy, and Psychology,
Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College; Director,
Program in History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine
(HiPSS)
HOWARD STEIN, Professor, Department of Philosophy and Committee on the Conceptual
Foundations of Science
JOSEF STERN, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, and the College
CANDACE VOGLER, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee
on General Studies in the Humanities, and the College
WILLIAM WIMSATT, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committees on the
Conceptual Foundations of Science and Evolutionary Biology, Morris Fishbein
Center for the History of Science and Medicine, and the College
Go to top of document