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Faculty: Emily Kulbacki (FS)

Philosophy involves both a body of knowledge and the active, critical and speculative inquiry into such areas as the meaning of human existence, the nature of reality, human knowledge and its justifications, and the pursuit of acceptable grounds for human conduct. Philosophy courses at Pierce are designed not only for students who plan to transfer as philosophy majors to four-year institutions, but also as service courses for students in other disciplines and as personal enrichment courses for those who have an interest in philosophical questions and in the development of methods and skills for determining one’s own answers.

Students interested in pursuing a major in philosophy should first consult the general distribution requirements for their chosen transfer institution and fulfill as many of the requirements as possible. Students whose philosophical interests lie in a certain area (such as philosophy of science, political philosophy, philosophy of social science, aesthetics, etc.) should acquaint themselves with those disciplines. If completing an AA-DTA degree, the student should also ensure that degree requirements are met.

All philosophy majors should take at least a representative sample of the following courses, working closely with an advisor to determine those that best meet their specific educational needs. In addition, most baccalaureate programs in philosophy require the study of at least one foreign language from among the following: French, German, Latin or Ancient Greek.

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