Philosophy

Stevenson College
(831) 459-2070
http://philosophy.ucsc.edu

Program Description

Philosophy inquires into assumptions about and theories of the most basic facets of rational thought, e.g., what to believe (epistemology), what must be (metaphysics), what to value (morality). Such questions can be studied by looking at answers that contemporary philosophers propose, by investigating the principles that other disciplines use to legitimate claims, or by learning how historically philosophers approached these issues. In this respect, “philosophy” names not only an historically defined subject matter, but also inquiry into any of the fundamental determinants of all forms of rational thought. Thus, students of philosophy can pursue a broad range of topics of the greatest historical, intellectual, and personal interest.

The department offers courses that relate these traditional philosophical questions to contemporary work in literature and the social and natural sciences. In addition, the department offers several courses that make a careful study of the classic texts in philosophy, ancient and modern. Moreover, the curriculum covers all the dominant contemporary schools of philosophy in the Anglo-American and European traditions.

The study of philosophy enables students to expand their abilities in critical thinking and reasoning as well as to improve their skills in verbal and written communication. Students may major or minor in philosophy. The department also offers a major in philosophy with a concentration in religious thought.

Philosophy prepares students for many careers as well as for most professional schools, including law. Students who wish to go to graduate school in philosophy are encouraged to study logic at both the introductory and intermediate levels and any languages that are necessary for advanced scholarship in the different historical eras of philosophy.

Major Requirements

Courses

Eleven courses are required: two at the introductory level, two in the history of philosophy sequence (91-94), and seven additional courses (including one advanced seminar). For the lower-division required courses and for some history of philosophy courses, students may petition to substitute courses taken at other institutions. These 11 courses must meet the following distribution requirements:

Introductory. Course 9 and at least one of courses 11, 22, 24, 28, or any Philosophy 80 course;

History of philosophy. Two of 91, 93, or 94, (all three strongly recommended for students who anticipate graduate work in philosophy). Taking any two from the sequence Philosophy 91, 93, and 94, will satisfy the W requirement. History of philosophy courses taken at other institutions may be substituted by petition, provided that such courses have included intensive study of primary sources;

At least seven additional courses numbered 91 and above, one of which must be an advanced seminar numbered 190. Note that the courses counted toward fulfilling the history of philosophy requirement cannot be counted among these seven additional courses. Courses 195A, 195B, and 199 also cannot be counted among these seven additional courses. All upper-division courses except those in the history of philosophy sequence must be completed at UCSC.

In order to be a philosophy major, courses must be satisfied in the following sequence. Before being eligible to enroll in any course in the history sequence (Philosophy 91-113), a student must have completed all required introductory courses, e.g., Philosophy 9 and at least one from Philosophy 11, 22, 24, 28, or any 80-sequence course. Before being eligible to enroll in any Philosophy course above Philosophy 113, prospective majors must have taken at least one of the required history of philosophy courses (e.g., either Philosophy 91, 93, or 94). Transfer students wishing to major in philosophy should consult with the Philosophy department undergraduate adviser as soon as possible.

Comprehensive Requirement

In the fourth year, students satisfy the comprehensive (exit) requirement by taking one course numbered 190. This advanced seminar meets the standards of the senior-year level of achievement in philosophy. Students who do superior work in an advanced seminar can be awarded a notation of Honors in the evaluation for that course. In addition to Honors in an advanced seminar, graduating seniors with a distinguished record of achievement in their philosophy courses may be awarded Honors or Highest Honors in the philosophy major. Graduation with Honors in Philosophy requires at least a 3.7 average in all philosophy courses taken at UCSC. Graduation with Highest Honors in Philosophy requires at least a 3.9 average in all philosophy courses taken at UCSC. Students with an average between 3.8 and 3.9 may be awarded Highest Honors by vote of the Philosophy Department.

Minor Requirements

A minor in philosophy consists of any nine of the 11 courses required for the major. At least five of these must be upper-division. There is no senior exit requirement for the minor.

Program Planning Notes

Although not as a substitute for the advanced seminar requirement, a student may be given the option of writing a senior essay (course 195A) when a faculty member thinks that the student has already done exceptional work that could be carried to a more advanced level. Normally, the senior essay is completed in one quarter; in unusual circumstances, it can be continued for a second quarter (course 195B), but only if the writing requirements for course 195A are completed successfully and on time. The senior essay, like individual studies more generally, does not count toward the 11 courses required for the major.

After undergraduates have taken the requisite introductory courses, they have a wide range of upper-division courses from which to choose. Those who are considering advanced study are encouraged to consult regularly with any member of the philosophy faculty about the courses that would best prepare them for graduate work. Preparation for graduate work ought to begin before senior year. The Philosophy Department sponsors workshops in the fall quarter for students contemplating graduate school in philosophy.

Philosophy Major with Concentration in Religious Thought

This program is for students who wish to use the discipline of philosophy as a basis for pursuing an interest in religious thought. It consists of an individually planned sequence of at least four courses dealing with religious thought, supplementing a core of courses in philosophy. Admittance into the program requires consultation with one of the Philosophy Department's advisers for the concentration and approval by the director of the concentration in religious thought. Students should plan on meeting with a concentration adviser at least once a year to discuss their progress.

A student enters the concentration by petitioning the Department of Philosophy and by proposing, after consultation with a concentration adviser, a sequence of upper-division courses to fulfill the religious thought concentration.

A list of the faculty advisers for the religious thought concentration can be obtained from the Philosophy Department office.

Course Requirements

Fourteen courses are required: two introductory philosophy courses; two in the history of philosophy sequence; six upper division philosophy courses; and four upper division courses in the area of religious thought.

These fourteen courses must meet the following distribution requirements:

Introductory. Course 9 and at least one of 11, 22, 24, 28, or any Philosophy 80 course.

History of Philosophy. Philosophy 91 (Ancient Greek Philosophy) and either Philosophy 93 (The Rationalists) or Philosophy 94 (The Empiricists).

Upper-Division and/or Graduate Courses. Six philosophy courses at UCSC, including one advanced seminar (190 series), and excluding Philosophy 195A, Philosophy 195B, or Philosophy 199. These courses must include three advanced courses in philosophy of religion: either Philosophy 170 (Interpretation of Religion) or Philosophy 171 (Faith and Reason), and two other upper-division or graduate courses that involve philosophy of religion. The director of the concentration in religious thought will determine which philosophy courses count as involving philosophy of religion.

Concentration in Religious Thought. Four upper-division courses in the area of religious thought from programs on campus such as anthropology, literature, history, history of art and visual culture, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. The director of the concentration in religious thought must approve these courses.

Transfer Students. Students can petition the department for credit in the major for coursework done elsewhere. In general, equivalent introductory courses in philosophy may be substituted for UCSC Philosophy introductory courses. One upper-division course taken at another four-year university may also be substituted by petition—submit a syllabus and supporting material from the class. Petitions are available at the Philosophy Department office (Cowell 5). Only courses for which the student has received a B or better grade will be accepted for the major. The requirement of three upper-division or graduate philosophy of religion courses cannot be substituted with courses taken elsewhere; they must be taken at UCSC.

Graduate Program

The Department of Philosophy conceives of philosophy as a broad and inherently cross-disciplinary enterprise. Graduate students are able to take advantage of a wide range of courses in the history of philosophy, including ancient, early modern, Kantian, nineteenth-century, American, and early analytic philosophy. Faculty research has focused on such conceptual clusters as mind and body; consciousness, perception, and action; understanding, interpretation, and language; religion, reason, and probability; moral motivation, practical reason, and virtue ethics; the emotions, psychoanalytic theory, and the will; science and technology; and society and the law.

Both the M.A. and the Ph.D. programs encourage interaction with other fields, and the curriculum includes graduate and undergraduate courses cross-listed with departments such as Psychology, Linguistics, Anthropology, Environmental Studies, Feminist Studies, History of Consciousness, Legal Studies, and Politics. Furthermore, the programs allow for graduate-level study of phenomenology, hermeneutics, critical theory, and poststructuralism.

Graduate Program Requirements

Breadth Requirements in the First Year

During their first year, all graduate students are expected to fulfill a set of breadth requirements. These requirements are designed to provide both a common experience on which students can build their individual projects and a shared framework within which they can exchange ideas. In addition to Philosophy 201, First Year Seminar, students must take at least one course in the area of metaphysics and epistemology and one course in the area of value theory according to a list determined annually by the graduate committee. During their first year of study all students must pass a logic competency exam with a grade of B or better. This exam will cover material typically taught in a first course in formal logic. For further details, see the graduate program statement on the department’s web page or consult with the department’s graduate adviser.

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program provides students with closely monitored training in philosophy. The program is designed to be completed in six years or less. Graduate work in philosophy can lead to careers both inside and outside academia. Because most doctoral students will be preparing for a career that involves teaching philosophy, they are encouraged to be teaching assistants for at least three quarters.

Courses. A minimum of 12 graduate courses. Up to two courses may be taken from the offerings of other departments, and up to two courses may be independent studies.

Language requirement. Knowledge of foreign languages will be individually determined based on the relevance of such linguistic skills to the research interests of the student. Proficiency can be demonstrated either by passing a written exam administered by the department or by successfully completing a language course approved by the graduate committee.

Qualifying examination. Near the end of the required course work, doctoral students will develop a research project. The qualifying examination, normally taken during the third year of enrollment, is centered on a qualifying essay that demonstrates the candidate's ability to do extended, dissertation-level research and analysis relevant to the proposed thesis topic and dissertation plan. The exam focuses on the student's research project and on the fields of scholarship it presupposes.

Dissertation. The final requirement for the Ph.D. degree is a dissertation representing a contribution to philosophical research.

M.A. Program

Applications to the M.A. program are welcomed from talented students with diverse academic backgrounds. The program is open not only to applicants who majored in philosophy as undergraduates, but also to applicants from other disciplines, who have a significant background in philosophy and who now want to study philosophy more intensively. The program is designed to be completed in one or two years.

Courses. A minimum of nine graduate courses. Up to two courses may be taken from the offerings of other departments, and up to two courses may be independent studies.

Languages. There is no foreign language requirement for M.A. students.

Master's paper. By the end of the second year of study and the completion of 45 credits, M.A. students will submit a master's paper, which will normally be defended orally before a committee of two faculty members.

Relationship of the M.A. and Ph.D. Programs

Students in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs will be in the same classes and work on the same course distribution requirements. Enrollment in the M.A. program confers no advantage for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Applications and Admissions

Application materials are available online at graddiv.ucsc.edu. Further information regarding the program may be requested from the Department of Philosophy at (831) 459-4578, fax: (831) 459-2650, elizg@ucsc.edu. Visit the web site at http://philosophy.ucsc.edu.

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