Philosophy investigates questions of human thought and life
- knowledge and belief (epistemology)
- the nature of reality (metaphysics)
- morality and aesthetics (value theory)
Courses relate traditional questions to contemporary work in literature and the social and natural sciences. Students examine classic texts in philosophy, ancient and modern.
The curriculum covers the dominant contemporary schools of philosophy in the Anglo-American (Analytic) tradition.
Undergraduate advising is available via Zoom or phone. Please contact the main Undergraduate Advising Inbox at philadvi@ucsc.edu for any questions or assistance needed. You can schedule an appointment or send an email to set up a time to meet.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the philosophy major emerge with the following knowledge and skills:
- An ability to argue cogently for a philosophical point and to analyze and criticize the arguments of others.
- A familiarity with the central concepts and key debates in the core areas of contemporary philosophical thought, including ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
- A familiarity with the works of the major figures in the history of philosophy.
- A familiarity with both predicate and sentential logic, including the ability to carry out proofs within these symbolic formal systems.