Bachelor Degree in Philosophy

Philosophy is a quest for truth. At Fairfield, the Philosophy Department educates its students to understand the fullness and variety of philosophical study. Throughout, students acquire an understanding of philosophical topics through the study of great modern thinkers as well as classical scholars. According to Plato?s Socrates, the love of wisdom (philosophia) begins in wonder. In the nearly 2,500 years since Plato made this observation, philosophy has evolved into a vocation of incessant questioning in which nothing is taken for granted. The Department of Philosophy invites students to take up this vocation by introducing them to its history and aiding them in cultivating the critical and creative thinking necessary for its study. Student Learning Goals The ability to identify arguments and provide counter-arguments. The critical engagement with and the questioning of one?s assumptions. The thoughtful integration of action with values. The existential risking of crisis and transformation through self-reflection. The acceptance of the invitation of philosophy to wonder at the big questions. Fairfield?s location gives you access to stimulating on-and-off campus lectures and seminars across the East Coast. These experiences, combined with the curriculum, lead to a discovery of fundamental values while preparing you for a career in a wide range of fields. The Department of Philosophy has also adopted the following Student Learning Objectives: Thinking Skills: Students should be able to construct (or re-construct) a philosophical argument, both verbally and in writing. They should be able to anticipate and clearly articulate counter-arguments. Students should be able to recognize and question their own assumptions/prejudices. Students should be able to frame questions aware that what is asked often determines the response. Reading Skills: Students should be able to interpret texts and to recognize and reflect on textual ambiguities. Students should be able to discern the steps of a philosophical argument, as well as the stated and (more importantly) unstated presuppositions of the argument. Writing Skills: Students should be able to write logically compelling arguments in a clear, concise, and well-ordered manner. Familiarity with some of the central philosophical questions in the history of philosophy (broadly construed): Students should have a rudimentary knowledge of the history of philosophical questions and their attendant concepts and arguments, and be able to recognize versions of these questions in contemporary philosophical discussions. Students should be able to recognize and articulate alternative perspectives to the problems and claims with which they are confronted in contemporary life. Students should be able to reflect critically on philosophical questions in the context of their own lives.