Belmont Abbey College

Major - Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy seeks to provide majors with a broad knowledge of the history of philosophy and its basic issues and areas, as well as to promote habits of critical analysis. The Department stresses breadth of knowledge and depth of analysis; to that end, it encourages students to study the systematic courses of logic, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.

With a mind broadly informed and critically trained in the major program, and nurtured on the heritage of the liberal arts in the core curriculum, the philosophy graduate will be excellently prepared for many different professions, especially those demanding rigor, breadth, and versatility of mind. The program prepares for the graduate study, and later, the teaching of philosophy at the college level, as well as for the study of religion and theology in seminaries and schools of divinity.

Because of its unifying and critical function among the branches of knowledge, philosophy, when appropriately supplemented by relevant disciplines, also provides unique preparation for the graduate study of any science, human, social, or natural, where theory and its human and moral implications matter the most. With a major in another area of interest (the Department strongly encourages double majoring), the philosophy major will also be exceptionally well equipped for careers such as journalism, law, government, education, computer science, and high-level management.

Philosophy – Program of Study
Requirements for a B.A. Degree
Within the general requirements of the College for graduation, the distribution requirements for a Philosophy major are as follows:

Core 59

Major (upper-level courses in addition to those offered in the core,

including PH200 and PH201) 18

Foreign Language 6

Humanities Division (1 upper-level course minimum in each of the

other Division disciplines of History, Theology, and English) 15

Electives 19

Demonstrate competency in using computers by passing a

standardized competency assessment or taking CS100 3

Graduation 120

The following are particular course requirements for the Philosophy major: PH 101, PH200, PH201, PH250, PH303, PH316, PH401, PH402, PH403, and PH430.

Philosophy majors are expected to complete a senior thesis on a topic approved by the department chair.

Requirements for the minor
To receive a minor, students must take two philosophy courses beyond the core curriculum.

Courses Offered

PH 101 Logic

PH 200 Introduction to Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval

PH 201 Introduction to Philosophy: Modern and Contemporary

PH 250 Ethics

PH 303 Philosophy of Knowledge

PH 316 Metaphysics

PH 323 Advanced Logic

PH 401 Classical Political Philosophy

PH 402 Modern Political Philosophy

PH 430 Senior Seminar

PH 499 Directed Study

Philosophy – Faculty

Dr. Janette Blandford, Chair and Associate Professor of Philosophy
B.A. Alma College, Ph.D. Marquette University

Dr. Theodore Cooke, Associate Professor of Philosophy
B.A. University of Scranton, M.A. University of Dayton, Ph.D. Marquette University

Dr. John Plecnik, Professor of Philosophy
B.A. Athenaeum of Ohio, M.A. Athenaeum of Ohio, Ph.D. Marquette University