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Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

Philosophers ask difficult questions about issues that are central to human existence: What is a meaningful life? What is the relationship between mind and body? How can one distinguish between right and wrong actions? Are there reasons to think that God exists?

By studying philosophy, you’ll meet and converse with some of the greatest minds of history. You’ll learn to think critically, read carefully, and analyze arguments-- in short, you’ll acquire the skills to make a living. But, more importantly, you’ll learn what makes life worth living.

Overview of Courses

Our program will give you a broad training in the central areas of philosophy. In the systematic sequence, you’ll take courses in logic, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, and in the historical sequence, you will study the great thinkers in ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary philosophy. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:

  • Ethics – This course is an historical and issue-based investigation of traditional ethical theories and texts. We focus on teleological and deontological theories, as well as virtue ethics. We also examine questions in applied ethics such as abortion, capital punishment, and freedom of speech. Readings include classical sources as well as contemporary voices that represent a variety of social backgrounds.
  • Minds and Machines – Have you ever wondered about the nature of the mind, mental events, and consciousness? In this course we explore these topics and examine the traditional mind-body problem, i.e., the relationship of the mind to the physical body, particularly the brain. We also address more contemporary issues in artificial intelligence, behaviorism, and functionalism.
  • Being and God – We examine in this course the nature of being and the existence of God from the standpoint of Catholic philosophical tradition. We study topics such as the structure of finite being, the transcendentals, analogy and univocity of being, metaphysical causality, and the problem of creation.

Philosophy Curriculum

Overview of requirements: 120 credit hours required for completion.

  • Loyola Core: 39 credits
  • Philosophy major: 36 credits
  • Adjunct - Languages: 6 credits
  • General Electives: 39 credits

The following is required to complete the 36 credit hours for the Philosophy major:

12 credit hours in the Systematic Sequence, selected from the areas of:

  • Logic & Language
  • Mind & Knowledge
  • Reality & God
  • Ethics & Value

12 credit hours in the Historical Sequence, selected from the areas of:

  • Ancient Philosophy
  • Medieval Philosophy
  • Modern Philosophy 
  • Contemporary Philosophy

Philosophy major electives: complete 12 credits of Philosophy major electives in consultation with a department advisor.

Philosophy Course Information

Find out more about the philosophy major: