Philosophy

Philosophy examines such topics as the nature of knowledge, justice, right and wrong, good and evil, persons, freedom, determinism, moral responsibility, beauty, art, and the nature and grounds of religious experience and belief.

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Did You Know?

• The Philosophy major at Wake Forest exposes students to a compelling array of thought and delivers a gateway to successful careers—particularly those that prize decision-making.
• Professor Christian Miller served as director of The Honesty Project, a nationally recognized endeavor that delved into the consequences of honesty and dishonesty and asked, among other things, “Just how honest are people, anyway?” The project concluded as scheduled in 2023.
• Eight Philosophy majors have earned prestigious national scholarships for further study. They include two Rhodes Scholars, five Fulbright Scholars and one Marshall Scholar. Rhodes Scholar Alice Hauser (’23) majored in Philosophy and Music.

Courses

Sample courses for students studying Philosophy include:

• Value Theory
• Metaphysics and Epistemology
• Philosophy of Law
• Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art
• Symbolic Logic

View official major requirements »

Practical Experience & Skills

Philosophy, the subject or discipline, is not so much a body of facts as it is a way of thinking and learning. It consists of understanding and coming to intelligent and critical terms with concepts or ideas that are used to describe basic features of human experience as well as of the natural or physical world. These ideas—sometimes referred to as Big Ideas—include, among others, concepts like the following: notions of reality and existence, matter and mind, the rational and the irrational, the meaningful, the good, the right, the just, and the sacred. Thinking intelligently and critically about Big Ideas requires powers of reason and imagination, sense and sensibility, and comprehension and judgment. The major is designed to develop those powers or skills in students.

Students in this program will develop the following skills:

• Objectivity
• Ability to conduct research and explain results
• Capacity to effectively analyze and problem solve
• Open-minded concerning complex life questions
• Ample command of grammar and vocabulary
• Ability to formulate and support various positions
• Skillful at analytical reasoning
• Capable of integrating large amounts of information
• Values logical thought and self-expression
• Inclined to question the meaning of things
• Propensity to support thinking with facts and reason

Clubs & Organizations

Philosophy students participate in the following clubs and organizations:

• Neuroscience Club
• Pre-Law Council
• Bioethics Club
• Ethics and Leadership Debate Team

Career Outcomes

Careers that often interest Philosophy majors include:

• Advertising Specialist
• Archivist
• Attorney
• Bank Officer
• Consultant
• Counselor
• Educator
• Foreign Service Officer
• Financial Analyst
• Librarian
• Journalist
• Judge
• Missionary
• Museum Curator
• Physician
• Public Relations Representative
• Publisher

Graduates include federal judges; business owners and executives; artists; religious leaders; and educators.

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