Undergraduate - Area of study Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of fundamental ideas about the world we live in. It questions the nature of our world, asks what would constitute a good life in such a world, and asks what could be done to make it better.

The following are some other areas of study that are central to philosophy:

• Metaphysics is the study of what sorts of things exist in the world, and how they are related: for instance, whether there is a mind or soul and if so, how it is related to the body.
• Epistemology is the study of what constitutes knowledge of the world, and of what methods can be used to obtain it.
• Ethics and aesthetics investigate what it is to make value judgements, and how such judgements can be justified.
• Political philosophy attempts to discover the principles that underlie the structure of a just society.
• Philosophy of language investigates the notions of meaning, truth and linguistic understanding.
• Philosophy of mind studies the relationship between consciousness and physical reality.
• Logic is the theory of reasoning. Logicians study what makes for a good argument or inference, and try to identify underlying structural features of argumentation.

Because the focus of philosophical concerns varies enormously, the school provides a wide range of options for study while at the same time attempting to ensure that students have some acquaintance with the central problems and traditions in philosophy.

Philosophy provides skills in reasoning and argument that are applicable in a wide variety of professions, as well as the opportunity to engage in a reflective appraisal of our place in the universe.

Outcomes: Clayton and Caulfield

Upon successful completion of the major, students will:

• be able to read more advanced logical notation (set theoretic symbols, modal operators)
• be able to accurately summarise and succinctly evaluate articles written for professional philosophy journals in an in-class presentation
• have acquired yet more sophisticated bibliographic skills which allow them to identify additional relevant contributions to a specific philosophical problem. These may include the use of PhilPapers or Philosopher's Index
• within parameters that provide some initial guidance, be able to frame a more specific research question and address that question effectively in a longer essay
• have a broad acquaintance with at least three areas within philosophy by virtue of having undertaken one or more of the units that fall within three of the four following areas: Value Theory (including moral and political philosophy); Logic and Philosophy of Language; History of Philosophy; Metaphysics and Epistemology
• have a highly developed understanding of the norms of philosophical writing. This includes drawing attention to parallels in other philosophical debates and awareness of the possibility that some debates may make sense only within a specific historical context
• have a highly developed understanding of the norms of philosophical discussion. This may include the collaborative development of analogies and the exploration of the limits of those analogies

Studying philosophy in off-campus mode (Australian campus students)

Sufficient philosophy units are offered in off-campus mode to complete a major. All of these units can be taken in any semester and are flexibly scheduled so that class commitments are kept to a minimum. Off-campus mode units are also available in summer. These units use materials prepared specifically for off-campus students, but there is also a tutorial support service operating by telephone, fax and email. These basic resources are usually supplemented by workshops. Attendance at these workshops is optional. The intention is that the off-campus program should make philosophy units available to students whose work or other commitments make it difficult for them to attend regular classes on-campus.