Philosophy is an ancient and valuable subdistrict within the vast marketplace of ideas. It is concerned with the most interesting questions in life--the questions that are most fundamental and yet the least easy to answer or avoid.

"Philosophy" is not just another discipline. Rather, it is a special sort of rational inquiry into any discipline. Philosophers seek answers to the basic, fundamental questions which underpin any field of study. All cadets are required to take a course in philosophical ethics, which explores moral experience by attempting to answer questions such as: What is a good act? What sort of person is the best person? What is truly valuable? By what principles should life be led?  But in addition to the questions addressed in the core course about how we should live our lives, philosophers also study: principles of language and reasoning (logic); foundations of empirical discovery and other ways of knowing (epistemology); the ultimate underpinnings and structure of the self and the world (metaphysics); and the nature of art, beauty and our responses to them (aesthetics). Indeed, philosophy can expore the foundational principles of any body of knowledge and practices (e.g., the philosophy of science, the philosophy of history, or the philosophy of law).

Obviously, philosophy is not for everyone. It is not for those who want easy answers, nor is it for those who do not care about the deeper meanings of life or the purpose of their own lives. It is for those who should wish to gain a more thorough understanding of themselves as rational, reflective beings inhabiting and working in a world that sometimes allows us to glimpse its deeper meanings. It is, we believe, essential for the leaders in any group or society, particularly our Air Force.
 

THE PHILOSOPHY MINOR AT A GLANCE: The Philosophy Minor requires a minimum of 151 hours and four philosophy courses in addition to Philosophy 310. Because philosophy courses can often be used to fulfill major's requirements in other disciplines, the philosophy minor can sometimes be earned by taking only one or two additional courses.
 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Four courses (12 semester hours) in addition to Philosophy 310 in which the student earns a grade of "C" or better. Required courses include:

   1. Phil 390: The Great Philosophers

   2. One of the following logic courses:
 
      Phil 360: Applied Reasoning
      Phil 370: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
 
   3/4. Any two additional philosophy courses not taken above