Learning Outcomes

Philosophy undergraduate programs aim to help our students achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Ability to effectively communicate philosophical ideas orally and in writing

2. Close reading, argument evaluation, and analytical writing

3. Dialectical ability to identify strengths and weaknesses of an argument and devise appropriate and telling responses

4. Ability to think critically and demonstrate clarity of conceptualization.

5. Ability to differentiate good from unpromising philosophical questions

6. Ability to sustain an argument of substantial scope, showing control over logical, argumentative, and evidential relations among its parts

7. Mastery over a domain of literature, an area of philosophical problems, or an area in the history of thought.

8. Understanding of argumentative relations among different philosophical issues in their area, and an ability to discriminate between problems that must be addressed and those that may be deferred to future work

9. Ability to frame and pursue more deeply a philosophical question within the domain

10. Ability to develop, articulate, and defend a thesis about the question

11. Knowledge and awareness of plausible objections to their arguments and resourcefulness in responding to them