THE FIELD OF PHILOSOPHY Philosophy is quite unlike any other field. It is unique both in its methods and in the nature and breadth of its subject matter. Philosophy pursues questions in every dimension of human life, and its techniques apply to problems in any field of study or endeavour. No brief definition expresses the richness and variety of philosophy. It may be described in many ways. It is a reasoned pursuit of fundamental truths, a quest for understanding, a study of principles of conduct. It seeks to establish standards of evidence, to provide rational methods of resolving conflicts, and to create techniques for evaluating ideas and arguments. Philosophy develops the capacity to see the world from the perspective of other individuals and other cultures; it enhances one's ability to perceive the relationships among the various fields of study; and it deepens one's sense of the meaning and varieties of human experience. The traditional sub-fields of philosophy are: Logic is concerned to provide sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. Ethics takes up the meaning of our moral concepts (such as right action, obligation, goodness, justice) and formulates principles to guide moral decisions whether in private or public life. Metaphysics seeks basic criteria for determining what sort of things are real, for what exists. Epistemology concerns the nature and scope of knowledge. The History of Philosophy studies both major philosophers and entire periods in the development of philosophy. Generic Philosophy Course Outlines are available at:  TRU Calendar Many other branches have grown from these traditional core areas. For example: from metaphysics has developed the Philosophy of Mind, and the Philosophy of Religion. The Philosophy of Science is perhaps the largest sub-field developed from epistemology. The Philosophy of Language has grown out of both metaphysical and epistemological concerns. From ethics have come major sub-fields such as Political Philosophy, The Philosophy of Law, and applied ethics sub-fields such as Biomedical Ethics, Environmental Ethics and Business Ethics. Philosophy: What Use is it? Given the nature of philosophy outlined above it obviously is of value in its own right. But over and above this intrinsic worth, the study of philosophy has great benefits for students who wish to concentrate their studies in other areas. From anthropology to zoology, the study of philosophy will aid the student with an ability to analyze, to sort the relevant from the irrelevant, to approach a problem from an unbiased perspective, and to think creatively, in a way which is quite unmatched in any other field of study. With respect to post-graduate programs, a focus on philosophy at an undergraduate level provides an excellent preparation for entry into many such programs, law school being but one example among many. Outside the academic field, the study of philosophy is prized by many employers not only for its contribution to a well rounded individual but also for the skills it teaches in analysis and in creative problem solving. Philosophy at TRU Philosophy is offered at the Thompson Rivers University for the student interested in finding out what philosophy is all about at an introductory level, for those interested in investigating the issues surrounding a particular topic, and also for those students interested in going more deeply into the subject and completing a concentration or a minor in philosophy. Minor in Philosophy It is now possible for students in the BA Program [see calendar], who are registered in a Major program [see calendar], to complete at the same time a Minor program in Philosophy. Other than generic requirements, Philosophy has no special requirements for a Minor, though it is recommended that students take Introduction to Ethics, see PHIL 201, and Elementary Formal Logic, see PHIL 222. The Generic Requirements for a Minor: Students in a Major program may construct their program to include a Minor in a subject (discipline) other than the Major. To complete a Minor a student must include in the 120 credits required for the degree at least 30 credits and no more than 42 credits in a single subject or field of specialization other than that of the Major, including any courses specified as required for a Minor in the discipline or field of specialization. (Again, Philosophy has no special requirements for a Minor, though it is recommended that students take Introduction to Ethics, see PHIL 201, and Elementary Formal Logic, see PHIL 222). At least 18 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Some Interdisciplinary Minors are defined as 18 to 21 credits in specified courses numbered 300 or above, and there prerequisites. At least 24 of the 120 credits required for the degree must be in subjects or fields other than those of the Major and Minor. The general provisions regarding the definition of subjects and cross-listed courses in the Major apply to the Minor. Only courses in subjects offered by UBC's Faculties of Arts and Science can be credited toward the Minor. Concentration in Philosophy It is possible for students in the BA Program, who are registered in the General B.A. Program, to do a concentration in Philosophy. Other than the generic requirements, Philosophy has no special requirements for its concentration, though it is recommended that students take Introduction to Ethics, PHIL 201, and Elementary Formal Logic, PHIL 222. The Generic Requirements for a concentration: distribution: At least 30 upper level credits from one of the following categories: Humanities, Social Sciences, Creative and Performing Arts, Science. At least 12 upper level credits from a second category. Of the 30 upper level credits in one category, 18 (no more and no less) must be in one discipline (as defined below). This constitutes an "area of concentration." It is possible for a student to take more than one area of concentration. For purposes of the distribution and concentration requirements, the courses normally available to B.A. students are grouped into four broad categories: Humanities (HUM): History, Language, Literature, Philosophy. Social Science (SS): Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Statistics. Creative and Performing Arts (CPA): Film, Studio Art, Theatre. Science (SC): Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science, Math, Physics, Psychology, Statistics. For information about the department contact the Chair, Michael Gorman, by e-mail at mgorman@tru.ca or by phone at 1-250-828-5399.

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