Philosophy and Public Affairs Major

1. Introductory Ethics or Political Philosophy (1 course)

The introductory course may be selected from the following, or an approved substitute:

• PHIL 033 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Political Philosophy
• PHIL 034 CM - Introduction to Philosophy: Moral and Political Issues

2. Fundamentals of Logic (1 course)

Students are advised to take this early in their course of study, although this is not required.

• PHIL 095 CM - Fundamentals of Logic

• or equivalent

3. Ethical Theory or Political Philosophy (1 course)

One course focusing on ethics, political philosophy, or value theory numbered 100 or above, to be chosen in consultation with the program coordinator. Possible courses include:

• Courses in the Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Value Theory  group

• PHIL 101B CM - Classical Ethical Theory: Plato
• PHIL 101C CM - Classical Ethical Theory: Aristotle
• PHIL 101D CM - Classical Ethical Theory: Stoics, Skeptics, and Epicureans
• PHIL 176 CM - Philosophy of Law
• PHIL 186 CM - Bioethics

4. Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Value Theory (1 course)

One course selected from the Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Value Theory  group.

5. History or Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Mind (1 course)

One course from either the History of Philosophy  group or the Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Mind  group.

6. Philosophy Elective (1 course)

One course from any philosophy  group, numbered 100 or above.

7. Public Affairs Electives (5 courses)

Five courses in government  and/or economics . Students are urged to take courses in which they learn about issues that complement their philosophical education and to which philosophical analysis can usefully be applied.

8. Advanced Seminar in Philosophy

Advanced Seminars are typically offered every semester with rotating topics and professors. Majors must take this at least one time, during any year they choose.

• PHIL 198 CM - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy

Notes:

• Students may take multiple Advanced Seminars on different topics. Additional Advanced Seminars can count toward the requirement of 2 courses numbered 100 or above, or in some cases other requirements.
• Students may not count more than 3 non-CMC philosophy courses or more than 2 non-CMC government/economics courses toward their philosophy and public affairs major. Students who wish to count courses taken at the other Claremont Colleges or at other institutions toward their major must receive pre-approval from the department chair.

Dual Major

Philosophy and Public Affairs is not available as a dual major, since it already involves interdisciplinary work in philosophy, government, and/or economics. Students who wish to supplement another major with substantial philosophical study are encouraged to complete a dual major in Philosophy  and another field.

Honors in Philosophy & Public Affairs

To be eligible for honors in PPA, students must:

• Complete a major in PPA
• Earn a grade point average of 10.50 or better in major courses
• Be voted honors by the members of the department.

Learning Goals

After an education in philosophy, students should have learned to:

1. Engage with theoretical problems in philosophy, including central problems from philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and epistemology, broadly construed.
2. Engage with historical texts and historical ideas in philosophy.
3. Engage with practical problems, including problems that involve ethical and political decision-making.
4. Write prose that is both effective and engaging.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students majoring in philosophy will have learned:

1. Engagement with theoretical problems in philosophy, including central problems from philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and epistemology, broadly construed
   
   1. Students will be able to extract theoretical positions from texts and conceptualize them in precise ways.
   2. Students will understand important criticisms of those positions given by other philosophers.
   3. Students will be able to offer their own views on theoretical problems and offer persuasive reasons for those views.
2. Engagement with historical texts and ideas in philosophy
   
   1. Students will be able to clearly state what the views of historical figures were, the philosophical reasons or arguments they offer for their views, and how these views relate to the figures’ broader philosophical position.
   2. Students will be able to interpret historical figures and evaluate the figures’ philosophical positions, drawing upon textual evidence, analysis of the philosophical arguments, the ideas of the time, and/or modern insights into the same subject matter.
   3. Students will be able to engage with and evaluate the arguments of historical figures and offer persuasive reasons for their own views.
3. Engagement with practical problems, including problems that involve ethical and political decision-making
   1. Students will understand practical and ethical problems, including the complexities surrounding them.
   2. Students will understand why thinkers have offered different solutions to the problems.
   3. Students will develop their own solutions to ethical and practical problems and be able to offer reasons for their solutions.
4. Writing that is effective and engaging
   1. Students will be able to clearly and effectively present a philosophical thesis.
   2. Students will be able to present the ideas of others in a rigorous, informative, and fair manner.
   3. Students will be able to justify their thesis with compelling argumentation.