Philosophy Major
Program objectives for a BA in Philosophy are: (a) to acquire fundamental knowledge reflecting the subdivisions within the discipline; (b) to express a high degree of satisfaction with the program and instruction within the department; (c) to be able to demonstrate skills which will be beneficial in further study or in their career paths.

Philosophy Minor
Completion of 18 semester hours in philosophy courses, including PHIL 1101 or 1102, 1611, and 12 upper division semester hours. In consultation with the coordinator of undergraduate studies in philosophy, a student may design a minor (18 hours) that applies to the student’s major area of study.

Applied Philosophy Minor
Students may design an Applied Philosophy Minor with courses that directly relate to the major area of study. A pre-law student, for example, might include courses in logic, contemporary moral problems, social and political philosophy, and philosophy of law. Business majors could include ethical theory, business and professional ethics, decision theory, and social and political philosophy. Please consult the Undergraduate Advisor for further information and guidance.

This program focuses on ethical theories and ethical problem-solving in the context of a number of professional domains including medicine, law, and business. Core courses in this program provide a solid foundation in the history of philosophy and logic.

This degree may be completed in the following ways: (a) University of Memphis courses (entirely online), or (b) by combining University of Memphis courses (online and on-campus), or (c) by combining University of Memphis courses (online and on-campus) with a limited number of approved courses transferred from other institutions (please consult the Undergraduate Catalog for more information). Additionally, out-of-state students may qualify for in-state tuition. Click here for more information.

Degree Requirements
This program's degree requirements are the same as listed above (Philosophy Major) except part C. which will read as follows.

Availability of Online Classes
Development of online classes began in the Fall of 2010. Not all classes required for the major are available online, but will be in the near future. Below is a list of classes currently available online and which are still in development. This list will be updated as the classes become available online.

Currently Available - 1102, 1611, 3411, 3514, 3515, 3741
In Development -  3001, 3002, 3571, 3781

For further information about this program, please contact Jason Kramer by completing the form on University of Memphis eCampus website.

The Undergraduate Advisor is Prof. Hoke Robinson:

Prof. Hoke Robinson
307 Clement Hall
901-678-3356
hrobinsn<at>memphis<dot>edu

Initially, however, it is best to contact the Philosophy Department to schedule an appointment for advising: 

Cathy Wilhelm
Department Secretary
327 Clement Hall
901-678-5130
cwilhelm<at>memphis<dot>edu

Before your appointment, please review the online version of the Undergraduate Bulletin. After reviewing that information, check this site for additional news for Philosophy Majors and Minors.

The Philosophy Circle is a registered student organization for undergraduates (of any major) with an interest in philosophy. The "Circle" meets throughout the fall and spring semesters to present guest speakers, host discussions, and organize reading groups. In addition to its regular meetings, the Circle hosts an annual undergraduate conference each spring that coincides with the Midsouth Philosophy Conference. The Philosophy Circle advisor is Prof. Kelly Arenson.

Philosophy majors are eligible to receive the Carroll R. Bowman Scholarship, awarded each year in memory of the late Professor Bowman to a philosophy major with demonstrated financial need and academic potential. Also, each spring the department also presents the Outstanding Senior Award to a graduating senior in philosophy.

PHIL 1101. Fundamental Issues In Philosophy. (3). Introduction to critical exploration of such issues as knowledge, reality, consciousness and the good life; readings from Plato, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, or more recent sources. [G] w

PHIL 1102. Values and the Modern World. (3). Introduction to such social and ethical questions as, "What makes a happy life? What justifies ideas of good and evil? How should we live with others? What is the role of science, religion, sex, and race in society?"[G] w

PHIL 1611. Elementary Logic. (3). Formal and informal reasoning emphasizing logic as practical method for problem solving. PREREQUISITE: two units of high school algebra or one unit algebra and one unit geometry.

PHIL 3001. Foundations of Western Philosophy: Classical Period. (3). History of philosophy from 7th century B.C. through early Middle Ages structured around major themes that shaped classical period, attention to cultural and historical settings in which they arose and to which they contributed; readings from philosophical and nonphilosophical sources. Offered Fall only. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 3002. Foundations of Western Philosophy: Modern Period. (3). History of philosophy from late Middle Ages through 19th century structured around major themes that shaped the modern period; attention to cultural and historical setting in which they arose and to which they contributed; readings from philosophical and nonphilosophical sources. NOTE: while this is a continuation of PHIL 3001, it may be taken separately. Offered Spring only. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 3411. Contemporary Moral Problems. (3). Such important contemporary moral issues as pornography and obscenity, capital punishment, abortion, human rights, “reverse discrimination,” and civil disobedience; underlying philosophical ideas for each issue considered and discussed.

PHIL 3451. Existentialism. (3). Historical and comparative study of different existentialist writers and their relation to literature, religion, and psychology; readings from such writers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus.

PHIL 3452. Feminist Theory. (3). Selected ideas from the history on women from the Greeks to the present; developing methods and ideologies within contemporary theoretical approaches to feminist studies; diversity, equality and difference discussed by drawing on different epistemologies, such as existentialism and post-structuralism.

PHIL 3460. Nature, Mind, Knowledge. (3). The nature of mind, free will vs. determinism, personal identity and immortality, and the nature and possibility of knowledge.

PHIL 3511. Ethics. (3). Critical analysis of classical ethical theories and their application to problems of individual and society. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102, or permission of instructor. [W]

PHIL 3512. Science, Technology and Human Values. (3). Ethical problems growing out of development of modern science and technology; of such issues as relation of science to society, dehumanization of individual, impact of technology on environment, and modern warfare. Specific content of course varies each semester.

PHIL 3514. Biomedical Ethics. (3). Discussion of ethical problems raised by contemporary medical practices and biological innovations from standpoint of contemporary ethical theories including abortion, euthanasia, behavior modification, human experimentation and genetic engineering.

PHIL 3515. Environmental Ethics. (3). Discussion of ethical problems raised by human interaction with the environment; consideration of such questions as to what kind of entities one can have a duty. Specific issues may include the moral standing of future and possible humans, nonhuman animals, species and ecosystems. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102 recommended.

PHIL 3516. Philosophy of Law. (3). Philosophical analyses of nature and justification of law, legal reasoning, legal institutions, practices such as punishment.

PHIL 3571. Business Ethics and Society. (3). An Examination of ethical issues that arise in interactions between business and society. Topics include ethical theory, economic justice, corporate responsibility, and employee rights and obligations. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102 recommended.

PHIL 3621. Intermediate Logic. (3). Symbolic logic, including propositional calculus, lower functional calculus, and related topics. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1611, or permission of instructor. [C]

PHIL 3701. The Human and the Divine. (3). Examination of one or more major religious movements with regard to their origins, doctrines, and philosophical significance; contrasting conceptions of deity, worship, and role of religion in how we think about ourselves and our roles in society.

PHIL 3702. Philosophy of Religion. (3). Selected religious doctrines and practices from standpoint of philosophy. Topics vary from semester to semester. Sequel to PHIL 3701, but may be taken independently.

PHIL 3721. Chinese Philosophy. (3). Introduction to Chinese philosophy; readings from primary source of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, supplemented by commentary from contemporary scholarship.

PHIL 3741. African American Philosophy. (3). Philosophical investigation of social and political themes which have developed historically in African American culture such as theories of social elevation, civil disobedience, race and racism, and black feminism.

PHIL 3771. Philosophy In Literature. (3). Expression of philosophical ideas in literature; readings from philosophers, playwrights, novelists and poets.

PHIL 3781. Philosophy and Film. (3). An examination of some basic philosophical problems, integrating philosophical readings with films which illustrate positions that have been taken regarding the problems; enhance understanding and appreciation of both the philosophical problems and the films. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102 recommended.

PHIL 3880. Problems In Philosophy. (3). An intensive study of selected philosophical problems. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 hours credit. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4211-6211. Studies In Ancient Philosophy. (3). Readings from primary sources, supplemented by commentary from antiquity and modern scholarship, including Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and Hellenistic period. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit with permission of the Departmental Undergraduate Advisor. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 3001 or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4311-6311. Studies in Modern Philosophy. (3). Readings from major philosophers of 17th to early 19th centuries, supplemented by commentaries from modern and contemporary sources. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit with permission of the Departmental Undergraduate Advisor. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 3002 or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4421-6421. Philosophy of Mind. (3). Major issues and positions in recent philosophy of mind; behaviorism; reductive, non-reductive, and eliminative versions of materialism; functionalism; mental causation; phenomenal consciousness; psychoanalysis and the unconscious; computational and connectionist models of mind. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101, 1102, or 1611, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4422-6422. Recent Anglo-American Philosophy. (3). Major developments in philosophy in England and United States from 1900 to present, reading from such philosophers as Russell, Moore, Ayer, Wittgenstein, James, Dewey, Lewis, Quine and other contemporary authors. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 3002 or 4311 or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4441-6441. Recent Continental Philosophy. (3). Major figures in 20th Century European thought; phenomenology, existentialism, structuralism, critical theory, and hermeneutics. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 hours credit with permission of the Departmental Undergraduate Advisor.

PHIL 4551-6551. Social and Political Philosophy. (3). (3351). Major philosophical theories of man and the state; emphasis on concepts of society, culture, institutions, government, law, power, authority, rights, and obligation. Selected readings. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1101 or 1102, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4632-6632. Advanced Logic. (3). Nature of axiomatic systems, techniques of formalization, and logical foundations of mathematics. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 3621, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4661-6661. Philosophy of Science. (3). Basic features and presuppositions of science; nature of scientific method, theories, explanation, and verification; emphasis on the natural sciences. PREREQUISITE: PHIL 1611, or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4671-6671. Aesthetics. (3). Introduction to philosophical theories and assumptions concerning nature and role of art and possibility of aesthetic evaluation.

PHIL 4801-20-6801-20. Special Topics In Philosophy. (3). Epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, logical theory, and axiology. Area to be covered appears in the online class listings the semester it is taught. May be repeated for maximum of 15 hours credit without changing an earlier grade if different areas are treated. PREREQUISITE: two courses in philosophy or permission of instructor.

PHIL 4891. Senior Honors Thesis. (3). Directed reading and research culminating in a Senior Thesis. Thesis topic to be selected by student with approval of thesis director before semester student intends to take course. Open only to senior honors students in philosophy. May be repeated in successive semesters for up to 6 hours credit.

PHIL 4994. Reading and Research. (1-3). Individual directed study in area of special interest. May be repeated in successive semesters for up to 6 hours credit.