University of California, Los Angeles College of Letters and Science 9 courses
The benefits of an undergraduate education in philosophy are those Francis Bacon attributed to reading, conversation, and writing: reading gives us material for our own thought; conversation, facility at sharing and debating ideas; and writing, the ability to fix ideas with precision. A typical philosophy course involves reading: from the center and margins of the major world traditions, to modern thinkers framing today’s urgent issues. It also involves conversation, as philosophers like to test ideas out in company and learn from those who see things differently to them. The final test of a philosophical theory or argument is to submit it to the rigor of writing. Philosophical writing, in the ideal, is clear, exact, and free of the rhetoric that may be able to temporarily sway an opponent in the heat of conversation.
Preparation for the Major
Complete four lower-division courses as follows:
Preparation for the Major: Required Courses
Select Philosophy 7 or 21.
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHILOS 7 | Introduction to Philosophy of Mind | 5 |
| PHILOS 21 | Skepticism and Rationality | 5 |
| PHILOS 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHILOS 31 | Logic, First Course | 5 |
Preparation for the Major: Elective
Complete one additional lower-division philosophy course.
The Major
Complete 13 upper-division (100 series) or graduate (200 series) philosophy courses (52 units) as follows:
The Major: Required Courses
Complete the following three courses.
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHILOS 100A | History of Greek Philosophy | 4 |
| PHILOS 100B | Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy | 4 |
| PHILOS 100C | History of Modern Philosophy, 1650 to 1800 | 4 |
The Major: Groups
Select seven courses distributed among the following groups as follows: two courses in each of three of the groups and one course in the remaining group.
The Major: Electives
Complete three additional upper-division or graduate philosophy courses.
Honors Program
Students must satisfy the honors directed study requirement by taking Philosophy 198A and 198B in conjunction (usually, but not necessarily concurrently) with two different regular upper-division philosophy courses supervised by the instructors of those courses.
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHILOS 198A | Honors Research in Philosophy | 2 |
| PHILOS 198B | Honors Research in Philosophy | 2 |
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