College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• New York University
• Stanford University
• Yale University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of California—Berkeley
• University of Michigan
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of California—Los Angeles

Classes in the Major

History of Philosophy. Sure, we've all heard of Socrates and Plato, but what were they really arguing? How did they impact others, and why are they so darn important? These courses will give you an overview of the history of philosophy. It's important to know what was going down when major philosophers came up with their big theories. Maybe someone stepped on their foot, leaving them in a cross mood, or maybe they were in a midst of a revolution—context matters. Plus, you'll learn about the different concepts of morality, government, individuals, and how each of these changed over time. By the end, you'll know the difference between Hume, Hobbes, Rousseau and Marx. (Note: Hobbes, in this case, is not a stuffed tiger.)

Ethics/Moral Philosophy. In order to find a cure for infectious disease, the infectious disease must be studied. In research labs today, scientists use cell cultures (different types of cells modified to grow in plastic plates) to study how pathogens affect cells. In order to know how it affects a whole body system, they must study the infectious disease in a real infection of a person or an animal. Is it wrong to purposely infect someone with a disease, just to study it? What if it could save millions of lives? It may seem like a good idea until you are the one who is selected to be infected with a new form of super-dysentery.

These head-scratchers will be covered in your moral philosophy courses, where you'll be asked to think about all sides of big moral debates. Bentham, Machiavelli, and Hume have a lot to say when it comes to ethical practice, and you'll get to know what they believe is "right" and what is "wrong." Well, if there is such a thing.

Religion. Every religion seeks to understand the meaning of life in one way or another. These courses will provide an overview of the different ways Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Hinduism and even how the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster approach these big questions. In addition, you'll also be asked to study the context and popularity of these religions in different areas in the world. Why is one religion more prevalent in one country, and not in another? Different cultures will be examined in addition to religion.

Psychology. Philosophy has a lot to do with questioning, observing, and contemplating existence in general. Like, what even is life, man? Why do some people reject religion, while so many others turn to it? It's kind of hard to fully understand the human behavior if you don't know what's going on in that squishy little human brain. Once you study how people behave and respond, it makes your job as a philosophy major a whole lot easier. Like, why do people use logic and reasoning sometimes, but not others (Bieber fans, we're looking at you)?

Sociology. Like psychology, sociology will show you how people behave as a whole. How society reacts to certain things might shed some light on ethics and morals, which are as fuzzy as fuzzy can get. Philosophy students need to know how people interact with one another, and what theories have been posited about said interactions. You'll also be studying the relationships between individuals, individuals and organizations, and so on. It's not enough to know about specific cultures and their practices and beliefs. All possible social interactive bases will be covered.