Philosophy Instructional Goals

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Skills in Reasoning

    Ability to identify theses in other’s work and one’s own; identify and evaluate reasons relevant to theses; identify and evaluate background concepts, distinctions, and assumptions; identify and evaluate objections; charity in interpreting others’ positions.

  2. Skills in Written and Oral Presentation

    Clarity in overall organization of ideas; clarity at the sentence and paragraph level of expression.

  3. Skills in Research

    Ability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources; ability to work with major research resources in philosophy; ability to work with library resources.

  4. Breadth of Content

    Familiarity with the development of historical Western tradition; familiarity with various branches of philosophical investigation; familiarity with critical analyses of Western tradition; familiarity with variety of philosophical traditions or approaches.

  5. Depth of Content

    Ability to make connections across branches of philosophical investigation; proficiency with major primary sources; ability to produce creative work.