Why study philosophy? The short answer: tradition and virtue.

Philosophy has traditionally been at the heart of the liberal arts. The study of philosophy helps people develop their capacity for honest, sustained and reflective thinking. Many of the traditional questions of philosophy continue to have a bearing on people’s lives: What is the meaning of life? Does God exist? What are freedom and justice? How do people know what is the right thing to do? What is the good life? What forms of government are best? Is there such a thing as “human nature?” Many contemporary fields of study, including biology, physics, political science, psychology and sociology, grew out of philosophy, and philosophers continue to investigate the ideas underlying these fields. Many of the core questions in the other humanities disciplines are also questions philosophers ask. Philosophical ideas still reflect and direct thinking about contemporary issues including professional ethics, U.S. foreign policy, feminism, artistic expression, economic justice, racism, hunger, and freedom of conscience or religious freedom.

This is why the study of philosophy is an essential part of understanding culture, science and tradition.

A central focus of the Practical Philosophy and Ethics Department is understanding the issues of gender, race, class, culture and value. Although historically philosophy was produced and practiced almost entirely by scholars who were white, male and privileged, and who did not address these issues, philosophy, as it is now produced and practiced, does take them seriously. Metropolitan State’s philosophy curriculum addresses these issues and perspectives in a number of ways.

First of all, course materials and discussions include not only traditional works of philosophy, but also works by various people of color and white women who have addressed and raised philosophical questions, often outside professional philosophy.

Historical works are read not only in order to understand the questions traditional philosophers have raised, but also to unearth and explore ideas and assumptions underlying these views: How did the fact that ancient Greece was a society that condoned and depended on slavery affect Plato’s and Aristotle’s ideas about human nature and the ideal society? Which of these ideas still influence public opinion and public policy? Are there ways in which the political and social climate affect the way science chooses its questions and conducts its research?

More generally, students are encouraged to question and explore fundamental assumptions about the world. For example, when, if ever, is it morally acceptable for a nation to use force or violence to defend its interests? Which interests? What is force? What is violence? Is it morally acceptable to acquire whatever one can accumulate via voluntary transfers, or is there a limit beyond which accumulation is morally indecent?

But what does this sort of training allow philosophers to do? The short answer is, they do everything, and they have the tools to do it well.

The process of “doing philosophy” involves recognizing and evaluating assumptions, understanding and explaining other people’s ideas, discovering and articulating one’s own ideas, and employing a variety of techniques to produce sophisticated support for or serious criticism of a variety of positions and ideas. All of this involves honing one’s skills in critical thinking, critical reading and critical writing. By the end of a philosophy course, students usually have a greater appreciation of deep questioning and more skill at offering and explaining their ideas.

People trained philosophically, then, wind up doing many things, but especially activities that require well-honed analytical skills and the ability to sort through complex information and ideas. Moreover, well-trained philosophers can communicate what they learn in clear, unambiguous language.

At Metropolitan State, the focus is on connections between philosophical inquiry and everyday concerns, not primarily on debates among professional philosophers.

The Practical Philosophy and Ethics Department offers a major in philosophy with tracks in social philosophy, philosophy and letters, and an individualized track. The department also offers a practical ethics minor.

The social philosophy track is a multidisciplinary program designed for students who have a deep interest in social and political issues and who wish to sharpen the analytical abilities they bring to bear on questions regarding justice and fairness. Social philosophy provides students with the skills and intellectual foundations required for well-informed, reflective yet effective participation in political and community life. This track also prepares students for graduate studies in philosophy, law, and, with supplements, in political science and economics.

The philosophy and letters track is designed for students who desire broad historical preparation in the liberal arts with an emphasis on the philosophical analysis of ideas and concepts primarily in the Western tradition. It is similar in design to traditional philosophy majors offered by most universities. The track also prepares students for graduate studies in philosophy, law and other graduate-level programs that focus on the ability to think carefully, and, in an organized fashion, about ideas and concepts and their application.

The practical ethics minor is designed to familiarize students with the nature and varieties of moral reasoning that are applied to areas of everyday experience, such as: the functions of business, marketing, management and sales; medicine and the delivery of health care; law enforcement; media and public relations; helping relationships and careers; social service roles; civic life; and intimate life in the roles of friend, lover, partner, parent, child, man and woman, and racialized person. Practical ethics is a 20-credit minor meant to complement a degree in any professional field, for example marketing, management, counseling, nursing or human services.

Sixty percent of courses applying to the major or minor must be completed at Metropolitan State University.

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