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Home » Academics » Majors, Minors & Programs » Philosophy Major & Other Degrees

Philosophy Major & Other Degrees

Philosophy Teama

a

… because the unexamined life is not worth living.

 

The Greek term “philosophy” often is translated as “love of wisdom.” Attaining wisdom is the pursuit of a lifetime. Studying philosophy at Austin College will equip you for the quest.

 


What you will learn:  Answers to life’s big questions.

Philosophy 207

Philosophy 307

Philosophy 306

Philosophy 105

Philosophy 110

Philosophy 209

Philosophy 225

Philosophy 250

Philosophy JanTerm

What is reality? Expand

Can I survive the death of my body?  What is free will, and do I have it?  How does one thing cause another?  Does God exist?  Is time an illusion?  Explore answers to these and related questions about reality’s basic nature by studying metaphysics.

What can I know? Expand

Can I know that I am not dreaming?  that the universe did not begin five minutes ago?  that the sun will rise tomorrow?  How do justified beliefs differ from mere opinions?  What is knowledge? Study epistemology for answers to these and other questions about the nature and limits of knowledge.

What is morality, and should I be moral? Expand

Is morality a matter of opinion?  If not, what makes something morally acceptable?  required?  wrong?  And should I be moral if I will not benefit?  Find answers to these and related questions by examining ethical theories.

What makes a life happy? meaningful? good? Expand

Is happiness a state of mind, or a way of being?  Can a life be happy but not meaningful?  meaningful but not happy?  And if a life is happy and meaningful, is it automatically good, or must one be moral, too?  Study theories of happiness, meaningfulness, and the good life for answers.

How do I prepare for my future? Expand

Studying philosophy is not only personally enriching, it builds skills in assessing complex ideas, analyzing and constructing arguments, solving problems, and communicating clearly and persuasively.  Such skills will serve you well no matter what you do.  For examples of what philosopher majors do, scroll further down this page.

What Can You Do with a Philosophy Degree?

People who study philosophy go on to do all sorts of things. They are artists and entertainers (e.g., Lana Del Ray, Ricky Gervais, Matt Groening), business people (e.g., Damon Horowitz, Larry Sanger, Peter Theil), government leaders (e.g. Thomas Jefferson, Bill Clinton, David Souter), journalists (e.g., Chris Hayes, Tamar Keith, Stone Phillips), activists (e.g., Rev. Martin Luther King, Angela Davis), athletes (Arian Forster, Bruce Lee), writers (e.g., Mary Higgins Clark, Umberto Eco, Ayn Rand, David Foster Wallace), and more!

The skills philosophy majors acquire
prepare them for careers
in a variety of fields.

Sheila Bair

Angela Davis

Dessa

Arian Foster

Damon Horowitz

Kazuo Ishiguro

Theo James

Rashida Jones

Tamara Keith

John Lewis

Beverly McLachen

Kwame Ture

Philosophy StudentsStudents who study philosophy at Austin College are similarly diverse.  They become lawyers, artists, business owners and entrepreneurs, nonprofit administrators, medical professionals, and professors, among other things.

 

Philosophy FacultyWhen considering a job opening, philosophy majors look beyond the job description and consider the nature of the work required. Philosophy does not need to be mentioned in a job description for the skills that studying it builds to be valuable.

How Studying Philosophy Prepares You for a Variety of Careers

Philosophy StudentsStudying philosophy builds skills that are useful in a wide range of professions. These skills include the abilities to assess complex ideas, analyze and construct arguments, solve problems, and communicate clearly and persuasively. Want more details?

 

Philosophy StudentsStudying philosophy also provides you with valuable knowledge for negotiating complex and changing work environments.  For example, appreciating the nature and limits of what we can know or have good reason to believe, and understanding how to address complicated moral issues from multiple perspectives, will serve you well in all kinds of settings.

 

But don’t take our word for it!

  • How philosopher majors fare on the GRE and LSAT.
  • What many employers report.
  • What a journalist has to say.
  • What a Harvard medical professor thinks.
  • The view of The Critical Thinker Academy.
  • The position of the American Philosophical Association.
  • Still skeptical? Take a look at all these individuals who studied philosophy and have (or had) a career in …
    • government and politics,
    • business,
    • writing and journalism, and
    • arts and entertainment.

Meet the Faculty:

Karánn Durland

Karánn DurlandPhilosophy at its best is an on-going conversation. It is as much an activity or practice as it is a treasure chest of interesting ideas and valuable information. The courses that I teach explore life’s big questions along the lines just sketched. Great minds from the past give us our starting points. We study what important recent thinkers have added to the discussion, and we extend the conversation by joining it ourselves. This approach works well with just about every subject that I teach.

 

Mark Hébert

Mark Hebert

Mark Hebert has been a member of the Austin College faculty since 1990. His areas of interest are ethics, happiness and meaning, feminist thought, and philosophy of law.  Watch his TEDxaustincollege talk on YouTube.

 

He can also rebuild nearly any small horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine (largely because he has significant experience ruining them).

 

After Austin College

Devin Gonier

Devin Gonier ’09

Devin Gonier is the Chief Technology Officer at WageUp, a startup specializing in developing bespoke cutting-edge platforms that leverage machine learning tools to manage performance and gamify the everyday work experience. He is also completing his master’s degree at Columbia University in Machine Learning and has an undergraduate degree from Austin College in Philosophy and… [Read More]

Preston-Glasscock

Preston Glasscock ’17

I can’t imagine a better place to receive a liberal arts education than Austin College. I was always planning to be a history major. But Hunt Tooley’s classes were so intellectually inspiring that I started reading some philosophy. Part way through my junior year, I realized that I wanted to major in philosophy, too. The… [Read More]

Kristen-Saboe

Kristin Saboe ’07

Upon graduating from Austin College in 2007 with majors in psychology and philosophy, I completed a Master’s (2010) and a Doctoral degree (2012) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of South Florida. While in graduate school, I conducted research for public and private companies including as a fellow at RAND, Corp. Driven by a passion… [Read More]

Alison-Maher

Alison MacManus Maher ’02

Majors:  History & Philosophy J.D., Harvard University Attorney, Mosaic Family Services Alison worked as a clerk in the Alaska Supreme Court before becoming a public defender in Alaska.  From there, she was a Special Project Attorney for Disability Rights Texas.  She is currently a staff attorney for Mosaic Family Services, which provides legal services in… [Read More]

Links of Interest

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias:

  • Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Getting Started:

  • The Sophia Project

Thinking, Reading, and Writing:

  • Thinking:  Fallacy Files
  • Reading:  Jim Pryor’s Guidelines
  • Writing:  Peter Horban’s Guidelines
    Jim Pryor’s Guidelines

Careers:

  • Careers and Philosophy (Best Colleges)
  • The Philosophical Gourmet

Just for Fun:

  • New Philosopher Magazine
  • Existentialist Comics

Philosophy Courses

Philosophy 105

Philosophy 209

Philosophy 110

Philosophy 207

Philosophy 250

Philosophy 306

Program Details

  • Philosophy Major Checklist
  • Philosophy Minor Checklist
  • See the Philosophy Courses
  • Religious Studies & Philosophy Major Checklist
  • Ethics Minor Checklist
  • See the Ethics Courses
  • See the Austin College Bulletin

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