Philosophy York University

Overview

Overview

Explore life’s deepest questions concerning the nature of happiness, the requirements of justice, the limits of knowledge, and the meaning of freedom. You’ll discover how to develop answers to these questions and how to engage in fruitful argument with alternative points of view. These skills are applicable to all areas of modern life: intellectual, professional and personal.

Course Details

Efforts are made to blend contemporary and historical issues and many professors draw their inspiration from widely separated philosophical approaches. In keeping with this, there is a great deal of interdisciplinary work and philosophy is involved in numerous cross-disciplinary programs. The Philosophy BA program at York University offers a wide range of courses which examine contemporary problems and issues such as:

• applied ethics
• cognitive theory
• social and political philosophy
• argumentation theory
• feminism

In addition, courses are offered in the history of philosophy, continental thought, logic, language, law and other traditional areas.

Philosophical skills are applicable in any area where arguments are important, not just in the realms of abstract speculation. They are particularly useful when you are writing essays, since you are expected to make a case for your conclusions rather than simply assert them.

• Our professors are leaders in their fields. You’ll work with faculty including Louis-Philippe Hodgson (PhD Harvard University), who specializes in political and moral philosophy, and Doris Olin (PhD Cornell University) whose research focuses on paradoxes.
• The Philosophy Student Club organizes special events such as the “Philosophy at the Movies” series.
• We teach you how to think, not what to think.
• Participate in Philosophia, York's student-run Undergraduate Philosophy Association, which sponsors readings, social events and provides representation at departmental meetings.
• You can also get involved with The Oracle, York University's undergraduate philosophical review.

This program is also offered on the Glendon Campus. York’s Glendon Campus is the only fully integrated bilingual Faculty of its kind in Canada and one of the only university campuses in Canada to specialize in liberal arts education. Students take courses in English and French and often learn a third language.

Possible Career Paths

• Administrator
• Diplomat
• Educator
• Lawyer