Philosophy

Goals for Majors in Philosophy

We encourage our students to read philosophical texts from an array of traditions, historical periods and genres, closely and critically, in order to develop an awareness of complexity and nuance, and we wish them to use those texts, orally and in writing, as sites for their own critical thinking, moral and intellectual exploration, and engagement with the world in which they live.

Accordingly, students who complete the major in philosophy should be able to:

• Understand and be familiar with major movements, authors, and philosophical traditions across the world.
• Understand philosophy in relation to historical frameworks, both diachronic (contemporary texts in relation to prior texts) and synchronic (texts in their own time, in relation to the contexts that shape an era’s thought and expression).
• Write clear, forceful interpretive arguments, which give voice to a complex understanding of philosophical texts, and marshal evidence carefully and persuasively.
• Conduct scholarly research in print and electronic formats, citing sources accurately and responsibly—and using that research to enter the critical debates and conversations that texts provoke.
• Make effective use of oral communication and presentation techniques.

Here is a small but representative sample of the kinds of questions raised in Smith philosophy classes which help students to achieve these goals:

• What does it mean to be a cosmopolitan person—a global citizen?
• In the United States and some other countries the gap between the super rich and everyone else has been growing in recent decades. Does this matter? Why (not)?
• Which (if any) of your behaviors can be explained by appeal to biology?
• What is the fundamental nature of reality? Is there one? Why should we care?
• Does privacy matter only if you “have something to hide”?
• A prison's warden has asked that you, a physician, participate in the execution of a death row prisoner by lethal injection. You are aware that the American Medical Association’s ethical guidelines prohibit doctors’ involvement in executions. You also know that if you decline to participate, the prisoner is at risk of greater suffering. What do you decide, and why?

Philosophy Major

Requirements

Ten semester courses

1. Two courses in the history of philosophy, one of which must be PHI 124 or PHI 125
2. One course in non-Western philosophy
3. PHI 101 or PHI 102
4. PHI 200, usually taken in the sophomore year
5. Two 300–level courses
6. Three 200–level courses (other than PHI 200), each from a different one of the following areas:
   • Value Theory: PHI 221, PHI 222, PHI 233, PHI 234hr, 
     PHI 238, PHI 242, PHI 255
   • Social/Political Philosophy: PHI 225, PHI 231, PHI 234hr, PHI 235, 
     PHI 237fn, PHI 242, PHI 245
   • Culture and Material Life: PHI 221, PHI 233, PHI 234ds, 
     PHI 254, PHI 255
   • Metaphysics and Epistemology: PHI 205, PHI 209/ PSY 209, PHI 211sr, PHI 213/ PSY 213, PHI 225, PHI 232ss, PHI 234im, 
     PHI 234ts, PHI 252, PHI 253bb/ REL 253bb, 
     PHI 254, PHI 262
   • Language and Logic: PHI 213/ PSY 213, PHI 220, PHI 236, PHI 253bb/ REL 253bb, PHI 258me, 
     PHI 262
   • Science and Technology: PHI 205, PHI 209/ PSY 209, PHI 211pn, PHI 211sr, PHI 224, PHI 234im, PHI 238

Major Requirement Details

• Different topics of the same course may fall under different areas
• Up to two courses in related departments may fulfill major requirements, with approval of the department; petitions for approval must be filed with the department at least one week before the beginning of the semester in which the course is offered

Desiderata

Students and their faculty advisers will regularly assess the student’s progress in the major in light of the following desiderata:

• Skills and competencies. Philosophy majors are expected to master all of these: e.g., PHI 102, PHI 200, the ability to write papers of varying lengths (from 2 to 25 pages to honors theses), knowing how to locate and assess scholarly literature, being comfortable at presenting philosophical material orally. 
• Breadth and depth of understanding of texts, topics and themes, traditions and perspectives. Each of the following is a strong desideratum for a philosophy major:
  1. Systematic study of one or more major philosophical texts
  2. Topics and themes: such as human beings’ relationship to technology, to the environment; the relationship between language and reality; the nature and functions of human cognition; human flourishing; the human body; the significance of race, gender and class; the meaning of work; the meaning of life; and end-of-life care
  3. Traditions: tracing philosophical dialogues through time—ancient, medieval and modern philosophy, continental philosophy, Indian philosophy, Buddhism, African philosophy, and so on
  4. Perspectives: understanding the joining or clashing of perspectives across cultures or subcultures—courses such as The Meaning of Life, Cosmopolitanism, Hermeneutics, Meaning and Interpretation, and those that explore the significance of race, class, gender and nation
  5. Extensive study of the philosophy of a single major figure
  6. An element of study in a related field or fields

Honors

Please consult the director of honors for specific requirements and application procedures.

Philosophy Minor

Requirements

Five courses

• Typically includes two courses at the 100 level
• Three courses that focus on a particular area of interest, chosen by the student in consultation with the minor adviser and with the approval of the department.
• One course can be a pertinent non-PHI course

Ethics Minor

Requirements

Five courses

1. PHI 222
2. Four additional courses, chosen by the student in consultation with the minor adviser and with the approval of the department.
   • At least two PHI courses
   • Up to two courses can be non-PHI courses that give a central role to ethics