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. Students will be introduced to areas central to philosophy including:

• Metaphysics - 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 - the study of what constitutes knowledge of the world, and of what methods can be used to obtain it.
• Ethics and aesthetics - what is the nature of the good and the beautiful, and how may such value judgements be justified.
• Political philosophy - the principles that underlie the structure of a just society.
• Philosophy of language - the notions of meaning, truth and linguistic understanding.
• Philosophy of mind - the relationship between consciousness and physical reality.
• Logic - the theory of reasoning. Logicians study what makes for a good argument or inference, and try to identify underlying structural features of argumentation.

The Philosophy major includes a wide range of electives, covering all of the above areas.

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.

Availability

Philosophy is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts at Caulfield and Clayton and 0202 Bachelor of Letters at Clayton as a minor, major or extended major, and A0502 Diploma of Liberal Arts at Caulfield and Clayton as a major.

Off campus: Sufficient philosophy units are offered in off-campus mode to complete a major. These units can be taken in any semester and are flexibly scheduled with class commitments kept to a minimum. Off-campus mode units are also available in summer. The 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 optional workshops. 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.

Outcomes

In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of their course, students successfully completing this major will:

• understand a range of important ideas, in the history of philosophy, in contemporary philosophy, or both
• have highly developed skills in philosophical writing. This encompasses expertise in constructing and evaluating arguments, making creative use of thought experiments, analysing complex ideas, and providing sharp definitions of concepts.

Off campus study

Sufficient philosophy units are offered in off-campus mode to complete a major. These units can be taken in any semester and are flexibly scheduled with class commitments kept to a minimum. Off-campus mode units are also available in summer. The 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 optional workshops. 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.