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Andrew Fitz-Gibbon, chair
Old Main, Room 138
607-753-2727
Fax: 607-753-4114
cortland.edu/philosophy

School of Arts and Sciences

Faculty

Andrew Fitz-Gibbon, Nikolay Karkov, Mechthild Nagel, L. Sebastian Purcell

Adjunct Faculty

For a listing of adjunct faculty see the Faculty and Administration  section.

Degree and Minors

Bachelor of Arts in Social Philosophy
Minor in Peace and Conflict Studies
Minor in Social Philosophy

Description

Philosophy is essentially an activity, rather than a fixed set of teachings. Philosophy cultivates the capacities and appetite for self-expression and reflection, for debate and exchange of ideas, and for reflecting on and puzzling over problems of living, being human and being part of a community. Philosophy prepares one for the tasks of citizenship, for participation in political and community affairs and for responsible and intelligent engagement in public life. This department's unique major (and minor) in social philosophy is meant to instill these skills. As such, it is a valuable tool and indeed the very paradigm of a liberal arts education major.

Special Features

• Unique program in social philosophy — one of only two in the SUNY system
• Small department allows close interaction with faculty
• Philosophy majors perform exceptionally well on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
• Cortland students who have graduated with a philosophy degree have gone on to widely varied careers — law school, human services, business, journalism, graduate study in philosophy, etc.
• Philosophy majors do better than the average liberal arts students at obtaining jobs after graduation — a surprise to many people who think of philosophy as impractical.

Requirements

1. Degree requirements  listed in this catalog apply to all of the majors offered by this department.
2. Liberal Arts Requirements: 90 credit hours

Programs

• Social Philosophy [SPHI]

• Peace and Conflict Studies Minor [PCS]
• Social Philosophy Minor [SPHI]

Courses

• PHI 100 - Introduction to Philosophy
• PHI 110 - Critical Thinking and Argumentation
• PHI 111 - Symbolic Logic
• PHI 129 - Special Topics in Philosophy
• PHI 135 - Introduction to Ethics
• PHI 140 - Prejudice, Discrimination and Morality
• PHI 160 - Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies
• PHI 170 - Philosophical Meditations
• PHI 201 - Ancient Social Philosophy
• PHI 202 - Modern Philosophy
• PHI 203 - Social Ethics
• PHI 205 - Prisons and Punishment
• PHI 229 - Special Topics in Philosophy
• PHI 235 - Aesthetics and Film
• PHI 240 - Social and Political Philosophy
• PHI 270 - Race and Racism
• PHI 271 - Philosophy of Human Nature
• PHI 272 - Utopias
• PHI 300 - Philosophical Issues
• PHI 301 - Philosophy of the Aztecs, Maya, Incas
• PHI 302 - Contemporary Latin American Philosophy
• PHI 320 - Environmental Ethics
• PHI 321 - Medical Ethics
• PHI 329 - Special Topics in Philosophy
• PHI 330 - Philosophies of Nonviolence
• PHI 331 - War and Terrorism
• PHI 332 - Asian Philosophy
• PHI 333 - Ethics of Love
• PHI 340 - Philosophy of Law
• PHI 375 - Science, Truth and Bias
• PHI 380 - Feminist Social Thought
• PHI 382 - Marxist Philosophy
• PHI 385 - Black Feminist Thought
• PHI 390 - Contemporary Philosophical Approaches
• PHI 399 - Directed Study in Philosophy
• PHI 400 - Seminar in a Major Philosopher
• PHI 429 - Special Topics in Philosophy
• PHI 450 - Philosophy Teaching Assistant
• PHI 481 - Philosophy Internship
• PHI 490 - Senior Thesis in Social Philosophy
• PHI 499 - Independent Studies
• PHI 529 - Special Topics in Philosophy

• RLS 140 - Judaism: Historic Insights and Perspectives
• RLS 200 - World Religions

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