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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
B.A., B.S., Minor
The objective of the philosophy program is to help the student develop an ability to grasp and critically analyze basic concepts and assumptions made about reality, humanity, knowledge, truth, value, and society, and to evaluate claims about them.
More specifically, philosophy is concerned with such questions as these: How do value judgements differ from other judgements? Are values relative? If so, relative to what? Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Is there such a thing as knowledge of right and wrong, good and bad, ugly and beautiful? If so, how do we get it? What is it for a situation to be unjust? What is it to have a right to something or to do something?
What makes one society better than another? Is there such a thing as one person being a better human being than another? If so, in what does this consist? Is happiness the ultimate value? If not, what other values are there?
What is truth? Is it a human creation or is it there to be discovered? Are there really such things as electrons, or is talk about electrons merely a convenient device for making predictions? What is explanation in science?
What is the will? Do we have freedom of will? What is the relation between a person's body and mind?
Admission requirements: Admission to the department is based on general admission to the University. See www.pdx.edu for more information.
Philosophy Faculty Winter 2008 Office Hours
PSU Socratic Society Schedule TBA
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