This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uwgb.edu.

Philosophy

https://www.uwgb.edu/philosophy/

(Bachelor of Arts)

The study of philosophy increases our appreciation and awareness of the deep intellectual, ethical, logical, and aesthetic structure of our world. The discipline of philosophy, like mathematics, economics and chemistry, embodies formal thought, structural relationships, abstract models, symbolic languages, and deductive methods. Students who develop these skills develop a perspective which allows them to better address problems squarely, think through and devise deep and creative solutions, and better address and overcome unpredictable circumstances in life.

Philosophy students routinely score better than nearly all other majors on the Graduate Record Exam, GMAT and LSAT. This is not surprising, given that Philosophy students are taught how to read well and carefully difficult texts, how to extract and evaluate complex ideas and arguments, and how to express their own reasoning about these ideas in an articulate and detailed manner. 

The true virtue of an education in philosophy, however, extends beyond the domain of personal and academic skills.

As the global community continues to shrink and corporate America restructures, careers will increasingly demand employees who can think critically, disclose hidden assumptions and values, formulate problems clearly, and discern the impact of ideas. Philosophy students are looked upon as assets to companies and organizations in a wide array of fields, including business, health care, politics, and higher education. The mental acuity and flexibility provided by a background in philosophy prepares our students well for the career challenges of their future. 

Our undergraduate program in Philosophy is designed to complement the strengths of other programs and disciplines at UW-Green Bay.   

A degree in Philosophy should help students realize the following aims:

  1. Be familiar with the history of philosophical thought and able to identify the dominant figures and issues in the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern philosophical eras.  Refer to PHILOS 213 or PHILOS 214
  2. Be able to articulate and think carefully through questions about the structure and nature of reality, our place within it, and how we ought to act.
  3. Be able to interpret and extract an author's arguments from a text and to offer novel, substantive commentary on philosophical positions.
  4. Be able to offer a balanced and fair evaluation of major philosophical figures and issues in writing and public presentation.
  5. Be able to compose and deliver to an audience a clear and cogent philosophical argument in defense of their preferred position.

Major 

Supporting Courses9
Ancient Philosophy
Early Modern Philosophy
Choose two of the following courses:
Introduction to Philosophy
Contemporary Ethical Issues
Logic and Reasoning
Is Morality for Sale?
Biomedical Ethics
Philosophy of Art
Philosophy, Religion, and Science
Ancient Philosophy
Early Modern Philosophy
Introduction to Asian Philosophy
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
Environmental Ethics
Upper-Level Courses24
Choose two of the following courses:
Religion and Medieval Philosophy
Modern Philosophy
Contemporary Philosophy
Plato and Aristotle
Choose two of the following courses:
Ethical Theory
Philosophy and the Sciences
Philosophy, Politics and Law
Metaphysics
Choose four additional upper-level elective courses from those listed above, including:
Non-Western Religions
Interdisciplinary Study of Great Works (Topic: Dante's Divine Comedy)
Interdisciplinary Themes in Humanities (with philosophical theme)
Humanities Seminar
Topics in Philosophy
Total Credits33

Minor 

Supporting Courses9
Ancient Philosophy
Early Modern Philosophy
Choose two of the following courses:
Introduction to Philosophy
Contemporary Ethical Issues
Logic and Reasoning
Is Morality for Sale?
Biomedical Ethics
Philosophy, Religion, and Science
Ancient Philosophy
Early Modern Philosophy
Introduction to Asian Philosophy
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
Environmental Ethics
Upper-Level Courses12
Choose one of the following courses:
Religion and Medieval Philosophy
Modern Philosophy
Contemporary Philosophy
Plato and Aristotle
Topics in Philosophy (If content is historical rather than topical)
Independent Study (If content is historical rather than topical) 1
Choose one of the following courses:
Ethical Theory
Philosophy and the Sciences
Philosophy, Politics and Law
Topics in Philosophy (If content is topical rather than historical)
Metaphysics
Independent Study (If content is topical rather than historical) 1
Choose two additional upper-level elective courses from those listed above, including:.
Non-Western Religions
Interdisciplinary Study of Great Works (Topic: Dante's Divine Comedy)
Interdisciplinary Themes in Humanities (with philosophical theme)
Humanities Seminar
Total Credits21

Curriculum Guide 

The following is a curriculum guide for a four-year Philosophy degree program and is subject to change without notice. Students should consult a Philosophy program advisor to ensure that they have the most accurate and up-to-date information available about a particular four-year degree option.

An example: Four year plan for Philosophy Major
120 credits necessary to graduate.
Plan is a representation and categories of classes can be switched. Check with your advisor.

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
FallCredits
PHILOS 101 Introduction to Philosophy 3
First Year Seminar 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
PHILOS 213 Ancient Philosophy 3
PHILOS 214 Early Modern Philosophy 3
General Ed 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Sophomore
Fall
PHILOS 309 Religion and Medieval Philosophy 3
PHILOS 1XX or 2XX Philosophy course 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
PHILOS 301 Ethical Theory 3
PHILOS 308 Philosophy and the Sciences 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Junior
Fall
PHILOS 401 Plato and Aristotle 3
PHILOS Upper Level Elective 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
PHILOS 326 Philosophy, Politics and Law 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Senior
Fall
PHILOS 420 Metaphysics 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
PHILOS 403 Topics in Philosophy 3
General Ed 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credits15
 Total Credits120

Faculty 

Derek S Jeffreys; Professor; Ph.D., University of Chicago

David Louzecky; Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Hye-Kyung Kim; Associate Professor; Ph.D., Marquette University, chair