Philosophy program

MUndergrad major mUndergrad minor

Question your deepest assumptions about the world and your life.

The study of philosophy demands that we think about the values we hold, the lives we contemplate leading, and the nature of the universe where we find ourselves.

In UW-La Crosse's Philosophy program, students are empowered to think logically, critically and rigorously about these topics and many others. They learn to read carefully and write argumentatively by examining responses to the big questions of thinkers from a variety of time periods and cultures. Philosophy is the oldest academic discipline, but because of its relevance, it continues to prepare students with broad skillsets for a successful future.

Philosophy definition

Philosophy means the love of wisdom. It is the academic study of questions related to fundamental truths: What is a meaningful life? How should I treat others? What are my responsibilities to the environment? What is truth? What is beauty? What is the nature of reality and the mind? Philosophers ask these questions and many others. The field teaches people how to assess the positions of others and more precisely articulate their own.

Philosophy jobs

Philosophy majors develop broad skills in creative and critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, attention to detail, the ability to see multiple perspectives, and more. For this, they are prepared for a broad array of careers and graduate school programs. Graduates go on to lead successful careers from education to business to law. Even more importantly, studying philosophy enriches one's personal life.

Philosophy careers

  • K-12 educator or university professor
  • Financial or computer analyst
  • Government service
  • Business management
  • Peace Corps
  • Missionary
  • Physician
  • University admissions counselor
  • Psychiatrist
  • Humanities teacher
  • Medical, environmental or business ethicist
  • Politics
  • Attorney
  • Entrepreneur
  • Congressional staff member
  • Environmentalist
  • Diplomat
  • Environmental farmer

Further education

  • Philosophy
  • Religion
  • History
  • Psychology
  • Social sciences
  • Counseling
  • Humanities communication
  • Law school
  • Medical school

What distinguishes UWL's philosophy program?

Broad-based academic background leads to preparation for diverse career paths

Philosophy pairs well with other majors as the skills students learn are broad and can apply to any field. UWL's program is dedicated to helping students develop skills in a number of areas:

  • Critical and creative thinking for the rapidly changing, interdependent world in which we live.
  • Enhanced problem solving skills, and the ability to view matters from a variety of different perspectives.
  • An ability to analyze and understand philosophical problems met by professional people and intelligent citizens.
  • Sensitivity and competence in thinking across disciplinary, gender, and racial lines.
  • Foundational skills and abilities for post undergraduate study.
Student-involvement opportunities

Students have numerous opportunities to connect such as the Phenomenology Lecture Series, Philosophy Club, Departmental Honors Program, and Apprenticeships in Philosophy.
Undergraduate research opportunities

In the Philosophy Department, students engage in independent research projects or collaborative projects developed with a faculty mentor. Philosophy projects are often interdisciplinary in nature, and may include creative projects as well as traditional research papers.
Professional association connections

Faculty in the program are connected to a variety of professional associations including the American Philosophical Association, the Wisconsin Philosophical Association, the American Association of Philosophy Teachers and the Society of Women in Philosophy.
Diverse faculty backgrounds

UWL philosophy faculty members, all of whom have doctorates in philosophy, represent many different philosophical viewpoints and diverse competencies and interests. The coursework available in the Philosophy Program represents not only all of the important traditional areas of philosophy but also new interests and developments in the field.
Life preparation

The knowledge, skills, and perspectives gained through the study of philosophy not only prepare one for professional success, but also provide countless ways to engage life’s complexities.

Sample courses

PHL 201 Ethical Theory and Practice This course is an exploration of philosophical ethics with attention paid to the philosophical methods of analysis and argumentation used to drive and evaluate moral theories and judgments. Topics may include the nature of moral truth (e.g., absolute truth, relativism, pluralism), prominent moral theories (e.g., virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism), important figures from the history of philosophy (e.g., Aristotle, Kant, J.S. Mill), an examination into the nature of virtues and values, principles of right action, and character. Contemporary moral problems will help elucidate each of the theoretical positions. Offered Annually.

PHL 205 History of Ancient Philosophy Almost all the questions and puzzles in the continental and analytic traditions of philosophy today can be sourced to developments in the philosophy of Ancient Greece. In this course, students read ancient texts from pre-Socratic thinkers such as Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides. Students also read several dialogues of Plato, explore the metaphysics of Aristotle and the stoicism of Epictetus. Students discuss the differences between science and myth, philosophy and religion, opinion and knowledge, and explore questions about the nature of reality, its oneness and plurality, the nature of justice, and the purpose of life. Offered Fall.

PHL 307

PHL 310 Metaphysics Metaphysics is the science of what it is to "be" something. Topics include: (1) how metaphysics differs from natural science, (2) in what sense is anything general, universal, particular, continuing, an event, a process, a substance, a relation, abstract, subjective, or objective, (3) in what ways possible worlds can differ from this one, (4) what kind of thing could have body and a mind, (5) what the difference between a thing and its parts in an arrangement is, (6) what is required for two seemingly different things to turn out to be the same thing, (7) how space and time differ from each other and other things, and (8) what natural laws and numbers are. Prerequisite: PHL 100 or PHL 101 or PHL 205 or PHL 206. Offered Occasionally.

PHL 313 Philosophy and Science Fiction The genre of science fiction allows one to reflect upon scenarios that are beyond the scope of actual human experience - whether by examining future contingent events, merely possible alternate universes, or employing technological innovations that have not yet been discovered. In this course, we will examine some of the difficult questions posed by philosophers through the scenarios depicted in works of science fiction. Topics include personal identity, time travel, artificial intelligence, and dystopia. Offered Spring.

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