Philosophy

The Value of Philosophy

At the heart of a philosophy education is the rigorous development of critical thinking and the capacity to analyze complex problems, evaluate competing arguments, challenge assumptions, and reason clearly under uncertainty. These skills are not incidental to philosophy; they are its defining method and its most transferable product. They are the lasting legacy of the history of philosophy.

Philosophy students learn to dissect arguments with precision, weigh evidence carefully, expose hidden assumptions, and construct well-reasoned positions across virtually any domain. This kind of disciplined intellectual rigor cuts across all majors and applies to an exceptionally wide range of fields from medicine and law to technology and public policy. Philosophy students also demonstrate strong skills in decision-making, ethical judgment, and effective communication of complex ideas, all of which depend on and deepen critical thinking.

The payoff is measurable. Philosophy students outperform peers on standardized admissions tests for graduate programs in business, biology-related fields, law, and other fields where the ability to think critically under pressure is indispensable. Over the longer term, philosophy graduates have also been shown to achieve greater career success across a broad range of professions.

Advances in AI have highlighted the vital importance of questions that are fundamentally philosophical. These include questions about fairness, accountability, bias, and the very nature of intelligence. They require exactly the kind of careful conceptual analysis, ethical reasoning, and questioning of first principles that philosophy trains students to perform. Philosophers are not merely commentators on the AI revolution; they are among its most necessary critical voices.

Career Paths

Philosophy graduates often continue their education in graduate, law, or medical programs, or obtain positions in a wide variety of fields, including education, publishing, marketing, compliance, corporate ethics, consulting, government, environmental management, public administration, foreign service, law and law enforcement, human resources, insurance, libraries, and religious or social service areas.

Admission

For students enrolled at the University of Akron and for students wishing to transfer directly to Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences from their institutions, the following criteria must be satisfied for admission to the Department of Philosophy.

The student must be admissible to Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
A minimum grade point average of 2.00 must be met in all university work, including transfer credits
A minimum grade point average of 2.00 must be met in all work in Philosophy, including university and transfer credits. Only credits earned at an accredited institution of post-secondary education, as recognized by The University of Akron, will be considered for transfer credit, and only those grades will be considered in the grade point average.

Philosophy Programs

Interdisciplinary Programs

Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy (3 Units)

Introduction to the methods of philosophy, important leading thinkers, and topics such as free will, consciousness, goodness, truth, and beauty. (Formerly 3600:101)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Humanities

PHIL 120 Introduction to Ethics (3 Units)

Introduction to problems of moral conduct through readings from the tradition and class discussions; nature of 'good,' 'right,' 'ought' and 'freedom'. (Formerly 3600:120)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Humanities

PHIL 125 Theory & Evidence (3 Units)

An investigation of the concept of evidence and the criteria for the evaluation of theories in various areas of study, including natural sciences, social sciences, and philosophy. The role of scientific information in the formation and justification of value judgments. (Formerly 3600:125)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Humanities

PHIL 150 Critical Thinking (3 Units)

Examination of good and bad reasoning patterns. Topics may include rational and persuasive arguments, deductive and inductive inference, causal and basic statistical inference, logical fallacies, and moral arguments. (Formerly 3600:150)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Humanities

PHIL 170 Introduction to Logic (3 Units)

Introduction to logic and critical thinking. Includes such topics as meaning, informal fallacies, propositional logic, predicate and syllogistic logic and nature of induction. (Formerly 3600:170)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic

PHIL 200 Philosophy of World Religions (3 Units)

A philosophical examination of the major religious traditions of the world including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, tribal religions, and others.(Formerly 3600:200)

Gen Ed: Global Perspectives

PHIL 201 American Civics: Philosophical Foundations (3 Units)

This course explores the philosophical underpinnings of American civic literacy through key historical documents and philosophical texts. Students will engage with foundational works that have shaped American political and economic thought, including the U.S. Constitution, Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, and writings by Adam Smith and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gen Ed: Humanities, Civic Literacy

PHIL 207 Food Ethics (3 Units)

Considers ethical questions about food choices and policies, what individuals eat, and what actions society ought to take regarding food growth, processing, marketing, selling, and consumption. (Formerly 3600:207)

Gen Ed: Complex Issues Facing Society

PHIL 210 Legal Reasoning (3 Units)

An introduction to applied deductive and inductive logic reasoning skills, concentrating on applications to reasoning in legal contexts, e.g., courtroom argumentation and jury deliberations. (Formerly 3600:210)

PHIL 211 History of Ancient Philosophy (3 Units)

History and development of ancient Greek philosophy including Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Hellenistic philosophers. Readings of primary sources in translation. (Formerly 3600:211)

Ohio Transfer 36: Yes

Gen Ed: Humanities

PHIL 241 Technology & Human Values (3 Units)

Examines impact of scientific and technical change upon individuals and society and associated values. Topics include digital and work life, biomedical technologies and the environment. (Formerly 3600:241)

Gen Ed: Complex Issues Facing Society

PHIL 312 History of Medieval Philosophy (3 Units)

History of Western philosophy from end of Roman Empire to Renaissance. Major philosophers studied include St. Augustine, St. Anselm, Peter Abelard, St. Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus and William of Ockham. Readings from primary sources. (Formerly 3600:312)

PHIL 313 History of Modern Philosophy (3 Units)

Analysis of major philosophical issues of 17th and 18th Centuries from Descartes through Kant. Readings of primary sources in translation. (Formerly 3600:313)

PHIL 323 Advanced Topics in Ethics (3 Units)

(May be repeated with change of topic for a total of nine credits). An examination of selected topics in applied ethics and ethical theory, such as the ethics of cloning, evolutionary ethics, history of ethics and ethical issues from the Human Genome Project. Specific topics will be announced in the course schedule. (Formerly 3600:323)

PHIL 324 Social & Political Philosophy (3 Units)

An examination of the normative justification of social and political institutions and practices. Analysis of concepts such as rights, justice, equality, and political obligation from historical as well as contemporary points of view. Application to particular social issues covered. (Formerly 3600:324)

PHIL 327 Law and Morality (3 Units)

Nature of law examined from the perspective of the law's alleged obligation to be ethical and promote justice. (Formerly 3600:327)

PHIL 329 Philosophy of International Law (3 Units)

Inquiry into the theories of utility of international law and the philosophical controversies surround them, e.g., international legal norms vs. international relations. (Formerly 3600:329)

PHIL 331 Philosophy of Religion (3 Units)

Discussion and analysis of problems of theology, nature of religious experience, God's nature, existence, immortality, sin, faith, reason, holy revelation, and redemption. (Formerly 3600:331)

PHIL 333 Philosophy of Science and Religion (3 Units)

Survey of conflict, independence, and integration models of science and religion. Topics include: origin and nature of the universe, life, mind, value, meaning, science, religion. (Formerly 3600:333)

Gen Ed: Global Perspectives

PHIL 340 Eastern Philosophy (3 Units)

Examination and evaluation of philosophical traditions from India, China and Japan, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. (Formerly 3600:340)

Gen Ed: Global Perspectives

PHIL 350 Philosophy of Art (3 Units)

This course introduces students to some of the most important theories, attitudes, and controversies concerning the nature of art. It takes a pan-cultural and diachronic approach to the forms, uses, and traditions of art in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Students learn to identify the assumptions and arguments underlying diverse approaches to art and to its evaluation. They discover how art discourse employs concepts such as form, content, representation, abstraction, expression, intuition, beauty, convention, purpose, instrumentalism, institutionalism, meaning, and truth. They learn to formulate their own thoughts and responses to the material studied. (Formerly 3600:350)

Gen Ed: Global Perspectives

PHIL 361 Biomedical Ethics (3 Units)

The identification, analysis and evaluation of ethical issues arising most critically in the biomedical setting, e.g., abortion, termination of treatment, definition of death, IVF, AIDS. (Formerly 3600:361)

Gen Ed: Complex Issues Facing Society

PHIL 362 Business Ethics (3 Units)

Basic moral theories, moral principles, and the decision-making process applied to issues in business. (Formerly 3600:362)

PHIL 363 Ethics of Policing (3 Units)

Basic moral concepts and their application to the criminal justice system. Concerned with such issues as punishment, the use of force, and conflict resolution. (Formerly 3600:363)

PHIL 364 AI Ethics (3 Units)

A critical examination of ethical issues arising in connection with artificial intelligence, including privacy, displacement, biases, social media, deepfakes, misinformation, and manipulation. (Formerly 3600:364)

PHIL 365 Environmental Ethics (3 Units)

Examination of the moral relationships among human beings, other species, and their shared environment. Ethical aspects of agriculture, global warming, extinction, and wilderness. (Formerly 3600:365)

Gen Ed: Complex Issues Facing Society

PHIL 366 Engineering Ethics (3 Units)

Addresses the specific ethical issues and problems that arise in the practice and study of engineering as a discipline. (Formerly 3600:366)

Gen Ed: Complex Issues Facing Society

PHIL 371 Philosophy of Mind (3 Units)

Nature of mind and the relationship between mind and body. Specific topics such as the limits of human reason, personal identity, the role of human thought in action and whether machines can think are also considered. (Formerly 3600:371)

PHIL 374 Symbolic Logic (3 Units)

Systematic study of various forms of deduction. Techniques and topics include truth-functional analysis and quantification. (Formerly 3600:374)

PHIL 392 Internship in Philosophy (1-3 Units)

Prerequisite: Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.7 or greater. Placement in appropriate public or private sector organization. Written assignments required. May repeat for maximum 6 credits. (Formerly 3600:392)

PHIL 411 Plato (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Detailed study of the origin and development of Plato's theory of forms and the related theories of knowledge, ethics and politics. (Formerly 3600:411)

PHIL 414 Aquinas (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. An in depth examination of the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas covering his contributions in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political theory, and philosophical theology. (Formerly 3600:414)

PHIL 415 Augustine (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. An in depth examination of the philosophy of St. Augustine covering his contributions in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political theory, and philosophical theology. (Formerly 3600:415)

PHIL 418 History of Contemporary Philosophy (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher or permission of the instructor. This course examines the philosophy of figures in contemporary philosophy broadly construed and from a variety of perspectives. It may address the work of figures such as Frege, Russell, Carnap, Wittgenstein, Rorty, Chalmers and others. (Formerly 3600:418)

PHIL 421 Philosophy of Law (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Identification and critical evaluation of classic and contemporary theories and assumptions of law, including legal reasoning, justice, natural law, punishment, etc. (Formerly 3600:421)

PHIL 424 Existentialism (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor. In-depth inquiry into the thought of Kierkegaard, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, Tillich and other existentialists with their concern for the human condition. (Formerly 3600:424)

PHIL 426 Phenomenology (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher, or permission. Inquiry into methodology of Husserl and Heidegger and their influence upon Western European and American thought. (Formerly 3600:426)

PHIL 432 Aristotle (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Detailed study of Aristotle's metaphysics, philosophy of nature, philosophy of mankind and ethics. (Formerly 3600:432)

PHIL 434 Kant (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Study of Kantian system of thought and its relation to history of philosophy. Includes thorough investigation of one or more of Kant's philosophic works. (Formerly 3600:434)

PHIL 455 Philosophy of Feminism (3 Units)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy with a grade of C or better, or permission of instructor. Introduction to feminist critiques of, and alternatives to, traditional western philosophy, including topics in ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and religion. (Formerly 3600:455)

Gen Ed: U.S. Perspectives

PHIL 456 Philosophy of Race & Ethnicity (3 Units)

Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy with a grade of C or higher. This course explores the philosophical assumptions behind the concepts of race and ethnicity within the United States and their metaphysical, epistemological, and phenomenological legitimacy as well as the political effects of racial and ethnic identities and the social reality of racial and ethnic designations (including white, African-American, Latina/o, American Indian and Asian American). (Formerly 3600:456)

Gen Ed: U.S. Perspectives

PHIL 461 Neuroethics (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Discussion and evaluation of contemporary theories of moral agency arising from developments in neuroscience. (Formerly 3600:461)

PHIL 462 Theory of Knowledge (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Examination of nature of knowledge; theories of perception, conception and truth, problem of induction and relation of language to knowledge. (Formerly 3600:462)

PHIL 464 Philosophy of Science (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Nature of scientific inquiry, types of explanation, laws and causality, theoretical concepts and reality. Also considers critics of hypothetical-deductive view of science, e.g., Hanson and Kuhn. (Formerly 3600:464)

PHIL 471 Metaphysics (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of 'C' or higher. Theories about ultimate nature and ultimate explanation of reality. Uses readings from classical and contemporary sources. (Formerly 3600:471)

PHIL 480 Seminar in Philosophy (3 Units)

(May be repeated, for additional credit, with change of topic). Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. Varying philosophical topics not covered in regular course offerings. (Formerly 3600:480)

PHIL 481 Philosophy of Language (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Completion of one course in philosophy with a grade of C or higher. An examination of contemporary debates in the philosophy of language and various influential views on meaning, reference, truth, and the content of belief. (Formerly 3600:481)

PHIL 490 Senior Honors Project in Philosophy (1-3 Units)

Prerequisite: Senior standing in Honors Program or senior honors standing as Philosophy major, and permission of Philosophy Department Honors Preceptor. Research leading to completion of senior honors thesis involving original work under faculty supervision. A maximum of 3 credit hours can be applied towards a philosophy major or minor. (May be repeated for 1-3 credits for a maximum of 6 credits) (Formerly 3600:490)

PHIL 497 Individual Study in Philosophy (1-3 Units)

(May be repeated for a total of six credits) Prerequisites: PHIL 101, PHIL 120, PHIL 170, PHIL 211, PHIL 312, and PHIL 313. Directed independent study of philosopher, philosophy or philosophical problem under guidance of selected faculty member. Subject matter determined by selected faculty member in consultation with student. Graduate credit requires significant additional work which may include additional research paper. (Formerly 3600:497)