Be a philosophy major, and you will never stop thinking about your own thoughts for as long as you live!

What even is philosophy (much less the philosophy major)? Well, I can’t quite elucidate that first query. (I believe that definition can change from person to person.) But I can tell you all about the Barnard major and minor! I took Intro to Philosophy on a whim my first semester here since I needed an Arts and Humanities requirement, but ended up loving the things we read! I knew I needed to take more!

Philosophy isn’t exactly for the faint of heart: there have been times where I seriously second-guessed pursuing this area of study. However, for all the times I have felt discouraged, there have been just as many, even more so, instances where I read something so breathtaking, so reorienting, that I felt a thrill through my body. When you read a good paper, have a fantastic class discussion, etc., that changes your whole conception of the world. I can only describe it as magnetic!

Major Requirements

1. One course in ancient or early medieval philosophy:

  • PHIL UN 2101 History of Philosophy I: Pre-Socratics through Augustine
  • PHIL UN 3121 Plato
  • PHIL UN 3131 Aristotle

2. One course in late medieval or early modern philosophy:

  • PHIL UN 2201 History of Philosophy II: Aquinas through Kant
  • PHIL UN 3237 Late Medieval and Modern Philosophy
  • PHIL UN 3251 Kant 

3. One course in logic:

  • PHIL UN 3411 Introduction to Symbolic Logic
  • PHIL UN 1401 Introduction to Logic

4. One course in ethics:

  • PHIL UN 3701 Ethics

5. One of the following courses:

  • PHIL UN 3601 Metaphysics
  • PHIL UN 3960 Epistemology

6. The Senior Seminar: PHIL BC 4050 (This course is required for the major and is only offered in the fall semester of each year.)

7. Either: Senior Thesis (PHIL BC 4051 and 4052)

OR: One advanced seminar (PHIL UN3912 or a PHIL seminar above 4000, other than PHIL BC4050), plus one elective beyond the two stipulated in 8 (below).

8. Two electives in addition to the eight courses stipulated above.

Minor Requirements

Five courses (with a minimum of 15 points) constitute a minor in philosophy. Student may select any five philosophy courses that interest them (subject to the approval of the department chair).

Class Recommendations

PHIL UN1001 Introduction to Philosophy: It honestly does not matter which professor is teaching this class. Usually multiple run at once, and the professors rotate. Each adds their own little “spin” on the class, often incorporating their own specialties into the syllabus. I took this with Chris Prodoehl the fall of my first semester, and it’s undoubtedly why I chose to minor in philosophy. Chris is a great professor and we had fantastic class discussions; he would always prompt us to dig deeper into a concept, constantly challenging our critical thinking skills. He also teaches a First Year Seminar sometimes, so if you aren’t ready to commit to an actual philosophy class, I’d recommend that, too.

PHIL UN3701 Ethics: Genuinely this class make me understand Kant’s moral theory, which is notoriously difficult. Michele Moody-Adams is a fantastic lecturer: her slides are super useful and it’s clear she has an incredible amount of knowledge in this field. After a harrowing time in Philosophy of Mind last semester, I am so glad I took this class this spring; it has really gotten me out of a philosophical rut!

PHIL UN3960 Epistemology: So I actually didn’t take this class yet, but I did shop it this semester and I vow to take it at some point in my academic career. Jessica Collins has the unique ability to stand at the front of the room (no slides just vibes) and give the most engaging lecture you have ever heard. And she is just so funny! The class was in stitches every five minutes. 

Advice

Like I said above, there might be some learning curves with this major. A lot of people come into philosophy with an immense amount of background knowledge on various philosophers and philosophies, it seems. I was such a novice, having only really read a bit of political philosophy before coming to college. Don’t let this discourage you. There are people at this university who are incredibly smart, who are going to understand things before you. That doesn’t mean your ideas have any less worth. Take an Intro class and see if it’s for you. If you’re dead-set on this major, you can even hop right into a 3000-level class if you so desire. Not a lot of classes have pre-requisetes, but some do. The Barnard and Columbia departments are essentially combined, so it doesn’t matter where you take classes. There aren’t many Barnard majors and it feels like a family!

Make friends in the major! Come to Meade Anderson Undergraduate Philosophy Forum for weekly discussions, open to all. I promise we are friendly, and we have snacks! Sometimes philosophy feels like a whole different language, but once you start to pick it up, it becomes so rewarding. Do I feel hounded by existential dread and burdened by the thought of the metaphysical world? Yes. But am I free? Well, that’s up to debate too!

Photo via Bwog Archives