Overview
Studying Philosophy gives students an opportunity to engage with some of the world’s most influential thinkers, from the time of the ancient Greeks up to the present day. It helps students learn to reason effectively, write persuasively and speak knowledgably about a wide range of social, historical, scientific and technical issues. Core courses include lecture and seminar courses in logic, ethics, politics, metaphysics and epistemology, as well as in the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of law and the history of philosophy. A philosophy major helps prepare students for careers in law, journalism, education, business, government and other areas. At UBC Okanagan, students can complete a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) with a major or minor in philosophy.
Program Learning Outcome
Upon successful completion of this program, students will have improved skills in important areas connected to both study and employment.
Critical Thinking skills will include being able to:
- Analyse the sources and inferential pathways of one’s beliefs.
- Distinguish between different types of inference and assess their propriety.
- Critically evaluate arguments through an analysis of both logical form and premise accuracy.
- Formulate deductive, inductive and abductive arguments using philosophical methods, both orally and in writing.
- Determine under which circumstances a belief qualifies as genuine knowledge.
- Reconstruct how we acquire knowledge, and what preconditions are needed for it.
- Discriminate between rational and irrational beliefs with respect to the laws of rational belief formation as discovered in modern science.
Ethical and Political skills will include being able to:
- Justify and explain the motivation behind ethical principles.
- Apply ethical principles to concrete cases at both the personal and societal level.
- Justify and explain the foundations of modern democracies.
- Apply theories of liberty and justice to concrete problems in current societies.
- Assess whether the use of artificial intelligence is ethically responsible in a variety of different contexts.
General skills will include being able to:
- Reason effectively, write persuasively and speak knowledgably about a wide range of social, historical, political, scientific and technical issues.
- Relate abstract principles and ideas to concrete problems in science, politics, and everyday life.
- Engage with some of the world’s most influential thinkers, from the time of the ancient Greeks up to the present day.
- Reconstruct how philosophers of the past have shaped different world views, and evaluate their contributions to debates in contemporary philosophy.
Major in Philosophy
Admission Requirements
- Successful completion of at least 9 credits of PHIL_O courses;
- In the Philosophy courses completed, an overall average of at least 70%.
| Major in Philosophy | Credits |
|---|---|
| Foundational Requirements | 21 |
| Distribution Requirements | 12 |
| Program Requirements | 48 |
| 300/400-level Electives | 18 |
| Electives any level | 21 |
| Total Credits | 120 |
Note: Some program requirements may be applied to Foundational and Distribution requirements; see B.A. requirements.
Program Requirements
| First and Second Years1 | Credits |
|---|---|
| PHIL_O 220 | 3 |
| PHIL_O 230 | 3 |
| PHIL_O 245 | 3 |
| 100/200-level PHIL_O | 9 |
| Total 100/200-level credits | 18 |
| Third and Fourth Years | Credits |
|---|---|
| PHIL_O 345 | 3 |
| One of PHIL_O 309, 310 | 3 |
| One of PHIL_O 314, 315 | 3 |
| One of PHIL_O 451, 446 | 3 |
| One of PHIL_O 425, 460 | 3 |
| Additional 300/400-level PHIL_O | 15 |
| Total 300/400-level credits | 30 |
| Program Requirement Total Credits | 48 |
1 At least 9 credits of PHIL_O must be completed before being admitted to the major, with an overall average of at least 70% in these courses.
Minor in Philosophy
To complete a Minor in Philosophy, students must accumulate no fewer than 30 credits in Philosophy out of the 120 credits required for the B.A. degree. At least 18 of these credits must be numbered 300 or above.