Students study the methods and ideas of philosophy. Students write argumentative papers on topics such as the scope and limits of knowledge, the nature of reality, the nature of self, ethics, science, religion, or political theory. (C-ID PHIL100)

This course is an introduction to moral philosophy, exploring questions such as "What is a good life?", "What makes an action right or wrong?", and "Where does morality come from?" Students will analyze ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics and apply these theories to moral problems such as abortion, animal rights, and euthanasia.

Comparative Religion is an introduction to the world’s major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students read sacred texts and modern writings to explore both similarities and differences in each religion’s practices, central themes, and perspectives on such issues as morality, life after death, and the social roles of men and women.

This course gives students the opportunity to slow down and develop habits of disciplined, structured thinking, rather than settling for the spontaneous and haphazard association of ideas. It encourages precise thinking: students will translate ordinary language into symbols to use formal methods of sentence and predicate logic—including proofs — to identify valid arguments.

This course gives students the opportunity to learn how to make strong arguments for their views and learn to think about the arguments about major public issues. Students will identify arguments, define terms, find errors in thinking patterns, and develop strong deductive and inductive arguments. Students are required to write a minimum of 6,000 words.