We would like to acquaint you with what the Philosophy Department has to offer undergraduate students at UIC. We think philosophical questions have an intrinsic intellectual fascination, and that some acquaintance with philosophy is an important part of a liberal education. In addition, philosophy courses can greatly improve one's ability to think rigorously and clearly. Of course, the only way to discover what a philosophy course is really like is to take one. But there are certain facts about our program which you should be aware of.

THE DEPARTMENT. The philosophy faculty at UIC is among the best in the country, and many of its 19 members have strong national and international reputations. We offer a wide range of courses in many different areas and traditions of Western philosophy. Many of our classes are reasonably small, which allows greater direct contact with teachers than is usual for a large university: our advanced courses generally have fewer than 15 students, intermediate courses generally fewer than 35, and many of our introductory courses have fewer than 50 students. So even at the introductory level you can find relatively small philosophy classes. The philosophy faculty have established a reputation at UIC for being approachable and friendly. We normally have between 40 and 50 majors, and we give them a good deal of individual attention.

PHILOSOPHY MAJOR AND MINOR. Only 31 semester hours are required for a major in philosophy. This makes it very easy to combine it with a second major. Only 15 semester hours are required for a minor in philosophy, so again it is very easy combine with a major in another subject. Click here for more information.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PHILOSOPHY COURSE.

Course Levels. We offer courses at three levels: introductory, intermediate, and advanced. These courses are numbered at the 100-, 200-, and 400-level, respectively. For administrative reasons only, our course numbering system skips the 300-level. 400-level courses are only one level of advancement above the 200-level courses.

Philosophy Department Course Descriptions. During the sixth week of each semester we prepare a pamphlet containing detailed information on courses to be offered the following semester. This information is much more detailed than what you'll find in the UIC Undergraduate Catalog. You will have a much better idea of what a course will cover if you first consult this pamphlett. You can view the descriptions for the upcoming semester online. Print copies are available in the Department of Philosophy, 1421 University Hall.

Introductory Courses. We offer a wide range of courses at the introductory level. All of these are at the same level of difficulty, and none carry a prerequisite, so any of these would be a fine starting place. If you'd like to try a philosophy course but aren't sure which aspect of the subject would interest you the most, take PHIL 100 (Introduction to Philosophy), which gives you a sampling of the most important and enduring philosophical issues. With one exception, any of our 100-level courses satisfies the prerequisites for all our 200-level courses. (The exception is that PHIL 210 carries a prerequisite of PHIL 102.)

Intermediate and Advanced Courses. In the spring semester we prepare a list of all the intermediate and advanced courses to be offered next academic year. Majors automatically receive it, but others can obtain copies by contacting the Philosophy Director of Undergraduate Studies. If you have any question about whether you have satisfied the prerequisites for an intermediate or advanced course, check with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or with the course instructor. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will also be happy to talk with you about finding the course or program of courses most suitable to your interests.

FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING LOGICAL SKILLS. We offer two introductory courses specifically designed to develop logical rigor. PHIL 102 (Introductory Logic) develops a system of logic using precisely formulated rules and a special logical notation. PHIL 101 (Reasoning) approaches the subject in a less formal way, generally without the use of special symbols. PHIL 102 is usually taken without PHIL 101. Students who have taken PHIL 102 and wish to further develop their logical skills and their acquaintance with formal methods should take PHIL 210 (Symbolic Logic). Students with a special interest in advanced formal logic may take PHIL 410 (Formal Logic), or PHIL 416 and 417 (Metalogic I and II).

FOR PRE-LAW STUDENTS. The Philosophy Department offers a large number of courses in ethics and social and political philosophy. All of these are of great value to Pre-Law undergraduates, and in fact an undergraduate major in philosophy is widely considered to be an excellent preparation for law school and a career in law. The study of law is in many respects analogous to the training one receives in a good philosophy class. There is an emphasis on the definition of concepts, the formulation and evaluation of arguments, and the postulation of general principles to explain and justify particular judgments. A good law class, like a good philosophy class, attempts to engage students in a dialectical process of refining and defending their position. Pre-Law students who do not choose to major in philosophy would still do well to take a number of courses focusing specifically on ethical and legal issues. These include PHIL 103 (Introduction to Ethics), 104 (Introduction to Social/Political Philosophy), 112 (Morality and the Law), 230 (Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy), 232 (Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues), 430 (Ethics), 431 (Social/Political Philosophy), 432 (Topics in Ethics), and 433 (Topics in Social/Political Philosophy). PHIL 101 (Reasoning) and 102 (Introductory Logic) are also highly recommended for Pre-Law students.

FOR PRE-MED STUDENTS. In recent years health care professionals increasingly have had to make decisions of an ethical nature, concerning either matters of policy or cases involving particular individuals. How medical resources should be distributed when need exceeds supply, how the costs of health care and prevention should be distributed, whether to inform patients when there is no hope for them, whether to perform abortions, how far genetic experimentation should be taken. These questions and others like them are largely questions of value and justice, and cannot be decided by science alone. Recognition of this fact by the health professions has led many medical schools to look for candidates who have, in addition to scientific background, some understanding and concern for these broader humanistic issues. Course work in philosophy, with particular emphasis in moral and social philosophy, is thus an important part of an excellent grounding for a career in the health sciences. PHIL 115 (Death) and 116 (Medical Ethics) will be of the greatest interest to Pre-Med students. Topics of great concern to medicine and public health are also often covered in PHIL 230 (Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy), 432 (Topics in Ethics), and 433 (Topics in Social/Political Philosophy).

FOR STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS OR COMPUTER SCIENCE. We offer a series of courses in mathematical logic: PHIL 102 (Introductory Logic), 210 (Symbolic Logic), and 416 and 417 (Metalogic I and II). Students of mathematics and computer science will find these courses, as well as PHIL 211 (Inductive Logic and Decision Theory), 410 (Formal Logic), 412 (Introduction to Set Theory) and 415 (Philosophy of Mathematics), of particular interest.

FOR STUDENTS IN THE NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES OR ENGINEERING. The Philosophy Department offers a series of courses of special interest for students of the natural and social sciences: PHIL 105 (Science and Philosophy), 204 (Introduction to the Philosophy of Science), and 404 (Philosophy of Science). We believe these courses offer the complement necessary for any well-educated scientist or engineer. Taught by faculty members trained both in science and philosophy, these courses allow you to step outside the problem-oriented professional framework of science education and take a broader look at the sciences. These courses cover fundamental questions about the nature of scientific theories and scientific methods: What makes a statement or theory scientific? Is there such a thing as a purely objective observation? What is the nature of scientific explanation? What, exactly, is the relation between theory and evidence? How rational is scientific change? Students with an interest in the philosophical issues underlying the methods of statistical reasoning and the concept of probability used in all the sciences will want to take PHIL 211 (Inductive Logic and Decision-Making).

FOR STUDENTS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. In addition to the courses mentioned above for students of both natural and social sciences, we offer a number of courses of special interest to students of the social sciences. PHIL 405 (Philosophy of Social Science) addresses philosophical questions of general concern to social scientists, such as the degree of objectivity possible in social science. Students of psychology will be interested in PHIL 122 (Philosophy of Consciousness) and especially PHIL 202 (Philosophy of Psychology), which discusses the philosophical foundations of competing approaches in psychology such as behaviorism, cognitive psychology, and AI. Students of linguistics will be interested in PHIL 406 (Philosophy of Language), which covers such questions such as the nature of linguistic meaning and reference, the relationships among mind, language, and reality.

FOR STUDENTS OF BUSINESS OR ECONOMICS. Statistical reasoning and mathematical methods of decision making are widely used in business and in applied economics. Students interested in philosophical issues underlying these methods will find one of our courses especially interesting: PHIL 211 (Inductive Logic and Decision Making). PHIL 109 (Business Ethics) explores and evaluates the important moral, social, and political implications of our business practices and economic system.

FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ETHICAL, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL ISSUES. Many of our courses focus on issues of general moral or political concern. These courses will be of interest to you regardless of your career plans, and whatever your major. Here it is possible only to offer a mere sampling of the kinds of questions covered in some of these courses -- PHIL 103 (Introduction to Ethics): What is the ultimate foundation for the distinction between right and wrong? PHIL 109 (Business Ethics): What special moral obligations, if any, does an employer have to an employee, or an employee to an employer? What moral obligations, if any, does a business have to the rest of society, or society to failing businesses? PHIL 115 (Death): What is the appropriate attitude toward one's own death, and toward the death of others? PHIL 112 (Morality an the Law): When is a law - concerning abortion, privacy, capital punishment, or taxation - morally unjustified? PHIL 110 (Philosophy of Sex and Love): What sexual relations, if any, are immoral? What is the nature and extent of one's obligations to one's spouse or lover? PHIL 116 (Medical Ethics): Is abortion morally permissible? How about euthanasia? What is the most just scheme for distributing health care and its costs? PHIL 232 (Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues): Are women oppressed in our society and if so, in what sense? What practices and attitudes are sexist, and what would a non-sexist society be like? Students who become more interested in moral and social and political philosophy can pursue these subjects further in PHIL 230 (Topics in Ethical and Political Philosophy), 430 (Ethics), 431 (Social/Political Philosophy), 432 (Topics in Ethics), and 433 (Topics in Social/Political Philosophy).

FOR STUDENTS OF LITERATURE, FILM, MUSIC, AND ART. Students interested in any of these areas will find our courses in aesthetics particularly valuable. Such courses examine questions of the following sort: What are we saying about something when we call it art? Is there something that all good art has in common? Why does art make up a valuable part of our experience? We offer PHIL 107 (Understanding Art), and 234 (Philosophy and Film).

CAN A PHILOSOPHY MAJOR FIND A JOB? Suppose you are so interested in philosophy that you would like to major in it, but you do not intend to use your philosophy background for a specific purpose such as preparation for law school, graduate school in public administration, or graduate school in philosophy. Will you hurt your chances of getting a job if you major in such an "impractical" field? The answer is that philosophy is not at all impractical. Many employers are looking for job candidates who can reason well, articulate a viewpoint, defend their beliefs in writing, and solve very general abstract problems. These are the skills that are preeminently developed by a philosophical education. Former philosophy majors have kept in touch with the Philosophy Department, and have remarked on how helpful their philosophical training has been in developing their job skills. Since so many employers are looking for people with general writing and thinking skills, rather than students with a narrow expertise, a major in philosophy will stand you in good stead. Moreover, since the philosophy major requires only 31 semester hours, it is easy to combine with a second major. Click here for more information on employment for philosophy majors.

FOR MORE INFORMATION. See the UIC undergraduate catalog, or consult with the Philosophy Director of Undergraduate Studies.