About the Program
Government, Planning, and Philosophy Department
Cassety Hall 202
(716) 878-6116
https://gpp.buffalostate.edu/
The philosophy minor provides students with skills that facilitate success in their professional, private, and communal lives by equipping them to act wisely in a wide variety of environments and circumstances. These skills include being more thoughtful and reflective, thinking more critically, analyzing and appraising their own and other people's beliefs and values, communicating more effectively, reasoning and arguing more authoritatively, being open to similarities, differences, and alternative perspectives, and creatively solving a wide variety of problems. At least nine credits of the minor must come from upper-level courses (i.e. courses numbered 3XX or 4XX)
No student may declare a minor in the same discipline as their major, therefore, a Philosophy major may not declare a Philosophy minor.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. Comprehend texts, particularly philosophical texts.
2. Understand and clearly articulate concepts, particularly “fundamental and powerful concepts” (e.g., truth, knowledge, justification, evidence, respect, justice, good, right, value, argument, reason, validity, soundness).
3. Form, evaluate, justify, defend, and apply positions on complicated, everyday issues in written and oral form.
4. Appreciate the importance of truth to rational inquiry.
5. Recognize the conceptions and perspectives of others and their foundations.
6. Accept and apply critical feedback
Program Requirements
Required Courses (0 credit hours)
No required courses are listed for Philosophy Minor, only electives.
Electives (18 credit hours)
At least three of the six courses must be numbered 300 or higher.
Complete at least 6 of the following Courses:
PHI101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI102 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI103 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI107 INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL LOGIC | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI110 THE MEANING OF LIFE | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI111 ETHICS FOR SCIENTISTS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI112 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI113 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI115 MINDS AND MACHINES | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI189 TOPIC COURSE | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
PHI221 PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI300 PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI301 JUSTICE: LIBERTY VS. EQUALITY | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI304 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI307 SYMBOLIC LOGIC | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI308 PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND SEX | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI309 KNOWLEDGE AND JUSTIFICATION | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI310 HISTORY OF ETHICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI312 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI314 RIGHTS AND RESPECT | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI324 ZEN BUDDHISM | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI333 PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL SCIENCES | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI335 GOD AND RELIGION | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI351 ETHICS BOWL | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI360 AFRICANA PHILOSOPHY | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI361 RACE AND PROGRESS | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI401 PROBLEMS IN PHILOSOPHY SEMINAR | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI402 SEMINAR IN HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI495 SPECIAL PROJECT | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
PHI499 INDEPENDENT STUDY | 3 - 12 Credit Hours
18 Total Credit Hours