The great philosophers seek to answer the most basic questions about the world and our place in it. Can we distinguish between what is real and what is unreal? What is knowledge? What are the roles of reason, perception, and feeling in shaping our relations with the world and with each other? What does it mean to be a person? What is the value of art? What are we to think about religion?

Many philosophical questions are inescapable. How is one to live one's life? What are good and bad, right and wrong? How do we acquire obligations? How are we to make moral decisions? In every life, such questions arise, and everyone assumes one answer or another. To attempt to articulate your answer and to search for better answers is to become a philosopher.

Original works of the great classical and contemporary philosophers are used in all courses. Texts are analyzed critically in order to understand what is being said and judge their merit. In class discussion and in written work, we raise questions, develop additional ideas, and construct new arguments. Classes in philosophy are generally small and usually emphasize discussion and dialogue. Students are encouraged to engage in critical thought and to come to their own conclusions.

The Philosophy Curriculum

Nearly all courses are designed to be of interest and accessible to both majors and non-majors. Regardless of background, students should normally take the introductory course, PHIL 100, before they take any other philosophy course at Kenyon. Each member of the philosophy faculty offers a section of the introductory course. This course serves as an introduction to the subject through the reading of original works by major philosophers. Although many of our texts derive from earlier centuries and from classical Greece, we are concerned with what is of timeless and present importance in them. We emphasize classroom discussion, focusing on interpretation of the texts and consideration of the philosophical issues raised by them. We assign several short papers and we give a final examination. Other courses especially recommended for first-year students are PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic and PHIL 115 Practical Issues in Ethics.

Courses that may be taken without prerequisites are: PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic; PHIL 110 Introduction to Ethics; PHIL 115 Practical Issues in Ethics; PHIL 200 Ancient Philosophy; PHIL 208 Contemporary Political Philosophy; PHIL 210 Modern Philosophy; PHIL 225 Existentialism; PHIL 235 Philosophy of Law; PHIL 240 Philosophy of Religion; PHIL 270 Political Philosophy.

Intermediate-level courses include such courses as PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic; PHIL 215 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy; PHIL 245 Philosophy of Science; and PHIL 270 Political Philosophy. PHIL 310 Heidegger's Ontology; PHIL 335 Wittgenstein; PHIL 340 Sartre and Merleau-Ponty; and PHIL 345 Kant are among the more advanced courses. Although the seminars--PHIL 400 Ethics; PHIL 405 Epistemology; and PHIL 410 Metaphysics--are primarily for majors, they may be of interest to other advanced students as well.

Requirements for the Major

1. Course Requirements for Majors

• 4.5 units of philosophy (9 courses), including the following courses:

PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic or PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic
PHIL 200 Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 210 Modern Philosophy

• Three electives of the student's choice
• Three core-area courses (one course from each of the three core areas--ethics, epistemology, metaphysics--one of which must be chosen from the group of advanced seminars):

PHIL 400 Ethics Seminar
PHIL 405 Epistemology Seminar
PHIL 410 Metaphysics Seminar

2. Senior Exercise

 The Senior Exercise consists of a comprehensive essay examination with questions drawn from ancient philosophy, modern philosophy, and one of the core-area advanced seminars of the student's choice.

3. Friendly Advice

Here are some tips on course planning:

PHIL 100 is normally the first course majors take, but it is not mandatory.

PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic or PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic, PHIL 110 Introduction to Ethics, PHIL 200 Ancient Philosophy, and PHIL 210 Modern Philosophy should normally be taken as early as possible. The advanced seminars, PHIL 400 Ethics, PHIL 405 Epistemology, and PHIL 410 Metaphysics should normally begin no earlier than the second semester of the junior year.

Students who expect to do graduate work in philosophy are strongly encouraged to take PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic.

Honors

Central to the Honors Program is a series of two related courses culminating in a thesis at the end of the senior year. The first, PHIL 497, enables the student to pursue the search for and development of a suitable topic. By the second semester of the senior year, the student should have the background necessary for writing an honors thesis in PHIL 498. Students interested in the Honors Program should submit a written request to the chair of the department before the second semester of their junior year.

In the spring semester of their junior year, honors candidates submit a thesis proposal for approval. Upon departmental approval, honors candidates will register for two .25-unit courses to be taken senior year, PHIL 497 (fall semester) and PHIL 498 (spring semester). Honors candidates write complete drafts of their theses in PHIL 497 and refine and defend their theses in PHIL 498.

1. Course Requirements for Honors

• 5 units of philosophy, including the following courses:

PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic
PHIL 200 Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 210 Modern Philosophy

• Four electives of student's choice, of which two must be 200 level course or higher
• All three core-area course seminars:

PHIL 400 Ethics Seminar
PHIL 405 Epistemology Seminar
PHIL 410 Metaphysics Seminar

• PHIL 497 and 498 Senior honors thesis independent studies

For normal sequence of courses, see "Friendly Advice," above.

2. Senior Exercise

The Senior Exercise consists of a comprehensive essay examination with questions drawn from ancient philosophy, modern philosophy, and one of the core-area advanced seminars of the student's choice.

3. Honors Thesis and Oral Examination

Upon completion of the thesis, the honors candidate will stand for an oral examination on the thesis, conducted by an outside examiner and the candidate's thesis advisor, in the presence of the entire department.

4. Divisional Approval

The candidate must meet the requirements of the College and of the Humanities Division for admission to and retention in the Honors Program.

Core-Area Courses

There are three core areas: ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. The courses that may be selected to satisfy the core-area requirements are listed below under the core area they satisfy. Additional courses may be announced.

Ethics
PHIL 110 Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 203 Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
PHIL 208 Contemporary Political Philosophy
PHIL 275 Moral Psychology
PHIL 348 Kant's Practical Philosophy
PHIL 400 Ethics Seminar

Epistemology
PHIL 220 Pragmatism
PHIL 245 Philosophy of Natural Science
PHIL 262 Philosophy of Perception
PHIL 264 Philosophy of Mathematics
PHIL 340 Sartre and Merleau-Ponty
PHIL 345 Kant's Theoretical Philosophy
PHIL 405 Epistemology Seminar

Metaphysics
PHIL 205 Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 240 Philosophy of Religion
PHIL 255 Philosophy of Language
PHIL 260 Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 310 Heidegger's Ontology
PHIL 410 Metaphysics Seminar

Graduate School Considerations

Philosophy majors interested in attending graduate school are strongly encouraged to select PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic to satisfy the logic requirement, and to select PHIL 400 Ethics Seminar, PHIL 405 Epistemology Seminar, and PHIL 410 Metaphysics Seminar to satisfy the core-area course requirements. Such students should also consult with a faculty member as early as possible.

Synoptic Majors

Philosophy courses are often suitable for inclusion in synoptic majors, and the department welcomes such majors.

Off-Campus Studies

Philosophy majors who wish to do so are generally able to participate in off-campus study programs, particularly if they begin their major programs as sophomores.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor in philosophy consists of 2.5 units of work (5 courses) in the department, including the following courses:

• PHIL 100 Introduction to Philosophy
• PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic or PHIL 120 Symbolic Logic
• One course from the history sequence: PHIL 200 Ancient Philosophy or PHIL 205 Medieval Philosophy or PHIL 210 Modern Philosophy
• Any two electives

   

  Transfer Credit Policy

  The student who wants transfer credit from the Philosophy Department must petition the department with a copy of the syllabus of the course. The department will decide on a case-by-case basis whether transfer credit will be granted.