Upon completion of the philosophy B.A., students should meet the following overall program goals, as demonstrated by their abilities to meet these goals’ respective batteries of specific learning objectives:

Goal I: To exhibit facility in the theory and practice of argumentation, reasoning, and critical thinking;

Students shall be able to:

(1) Master the practice of reasoning well, including

• The ability to construct clear and concise summarizations and assessments of the reasoning in complex passages by
  • Extracting their conclusions,
  • Distilling the lines of reasoning in support of those conclusions, and
  • Evaluating how well such reasoning supports those conclusions.
• The ability to construct cogent arguments for their own conclusions and to express their reasoning in a coherent and convincing manner.

(2) Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence with, the theory of argumentation and logic through their abilities to:

• Describe different approaches to logical theory, and to articulate their aims and scope,
• Define and apply central concepts and techniques of logical theory,
• Describe major results of logical theory, and
• Sketch how to arrive at those results.

Goal II: To demonstrate an understanding of the classics of Western philosophy from antiquity to the present;

Students shall be able to:

• Identify major works or figures from at least three periods of the history of Western philosophy,
• Articulate and, when appropriate, compare or contrast, the overall philosophical positions taken by these works or figures,
• Summarize the major motivations or arguments for these positions,
• Present objections that have been raised or could be raised to these positions,
• Assess the relative merits of these arguments and objections.

Goal III: To demonstrate knowledge about central problems in major branches of contemporary philosophical theory, such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and the philosophy of science;

Students shall be able to:

• Identify central issues or debates in at least three core areas of contemporary philosophical theory,
• Articulate and, when appropriate, compare or contrast, different views that might be taken with respect to these issues,
• Summarize major motivations or arguments for these alternative positions,
• Present significant objections that have or could be raised to these positions,
• Assess the relative merits of these arguments and objections.