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Go to: Program Requirements
Secretary for Undergraduate Philosophy: Evada L. Waller, Cl 17, 702-8513
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.
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 (total)
Go to top of document 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 (total)
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.
Go to top of document 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. 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 who apply to write the essay and have the
applications approved by the undergraduate program committee. If you are
admitted to the intensive concentration, then the senior essay is one of your
requirements. If you are not in the intensive concentration but wish to write a
senior essay, you should apply to do so by early in the third quarter of your
junior year. 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 of
her senior year. (These courses counts as one course toward the
concentration requirement in any of the three tracks.)
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 programs plans, honors, or any other matters
should be directed to the director of undergraduate studies. All students
planning to graduate in spring quarter 1996 must have their programs approved
by the director of undergraduate studies at the beginning of autumn quarter
1995.
MURAT AYDEDE, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
CHRISTOPHER BOBONICH, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and the
College
Go to top of document 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, Committees on the
Conceptual Foundations of Science and General Studies in the Humanities, 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; Chairman, Committee on the Conceptual
Foundations of Science
DAVID MALAMENT, David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor, Department of
Philosophy, Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the
College
IAN MUELLER, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on the Conceptual
Foundations of Science, and the College
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, Committee on
General Studies in the Humanities, and the College
WILLIAM W. TAIT, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on the
Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College
CANDACE VOGLER, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
WILLIAM WIMSATT, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committees on the
Conceptual Foundations of Science, Evolutionary Biology, and General Studies in
the Humanities, Morris Fishbein Center for the History of Science and Medicine,
and the College
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Go to: Summary of Requirements
Go to: Faculty
Philosophy
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Ted Cohen, HM W502, 702-8506
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.
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.
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Faculty
ARTHUR W. H. ADKINS, Edward Olson Professor, Departments of Classical Languages
& Literatures, New Testament & Early Christian Literature, and
Philosophy; Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World; and the College
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