Philosophy is the consideration of many different ideas, some deriving from the intellectual heritage of past cultures, others stemming from those issues we face in our present moment in history. While many disciplines study specific features of the world, Philosophy can be about almost anything. Philosophy can ask big questions, such as "Why am I here?", "Is there a God?", "How do we tell right from wrong?" But Philosophy can also pose very specific questions about the environment, about political life, about art, about the self. Traditionally, Philosophy has been divided into specific branches, many of which provide the basis for particular courses. For example, philosophers are interested in ethics, in knowledge and truth, in the nature of reality and the mind, in logic, beauty, social justice. Philosophy emphasizes thinking as a pleasurable end in itself, as a method of critical inquiry, and as a way of developing theories that enable us to understand the world and our place within it.
Introductory Philosophy Courses
Almost any Philosophy course can serve as an introduction to philosophical thinking. However, many students may prefer to have the type of foundation provided by PHIL 1101, 1102 and/or 1103 before taking other courses in Philosophy. PHIL 1101 provides a foundation in philosophical reasoning, as well as the theory and practice of argument. PHIL 1101 is also recommended or required for a large number of degrees and diplomas.
PHIL 1102 and 1103 introduce Philosophy in rather different ways: 1102 emphasizes the application of ethical theories to specific contemporary issues, while 1103 deals with more abstract questions concerning knowledge and human experience. PHIL 1135 introduces Philosophy through the study, of the Indian and Chinese traditions in Asian Philosophy.
The Philosophy and Humanities Department also offers a range of first year applied ethics courses. Medical Ethics (PHIL 1121), Business Ethics (1122) and Environmental Ethics (1123) are designed for students with specialized interests seeking an introduction to philosophy, ethical thinking, and the application of these to a specific range of issues.
With only a few exceptions, all other Philosophy courses are taught at an introductory level with no prerequisites. Students can study Ethical, Social and Political Philosophy (PHIL 1151), Metaphysics (PHIL 1152), Philosophy of Religion (PHIL 1170), Philosophy of Love (PHIL 1180), Logical Reasoning (PHIL 1201), as well as Philosophy of Art (PHIL 1245), Existentialism (PHIL 1250) and Science and Society (PHIL 2280). Some of these courses transfer for second year credit (check the BC Transfer Guide). Nonetheless, the Philosophy Department has decided to make all of these courses available to all students, regardless of where they are in their program. The Philosophy Department has recently created several new courses, including Philosophy of Education (PHIL 2220), Ethics (PHIL 3320 and) Philosophy of Mind (PHIL 3350). Second and third year courses are open electives without prerequisites, taught at appropriate levels.
Humanities courses provide a more comparative, descriptive, and/or interdisciplinary approach to ideas than do most philosophy courses. The Department of Philosophy and Humanities has a strong commitment to interdisciplinary teaching in the humanities, to the teaching of world religions (both eastern and western), and to the history of ideas and comparative thought. Currently, there are four Humanities courses. Three of these (HUMS 1171, 1172 and 1173) are world religions courses. The fourth Humanities course, Frontiers of Thought (HUMS 1101), offers students an introduction to many of the subjects taught at colleges and universities.
