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Philosophy

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

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Philosophy students at Benedictine are deeply interested in the world around them. They are planning careers in law, medicine, business or education.

Our students recognize that, in order to develop the qualities of mind and character they will need to succeed at high levels, they need to be challenged. The members of Benedictine’s philosophy faculty actively accompany students on a rigorous intellectual journey. They do so by working closely with students, guiding them in the study of ancient and contemporary philosophical classics in lectures, seminars, small group discussions and informal gatherings outside of class. Faculty members mentor each student during the research and writing of their capstone philosophy thesis.

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Students in the Philosophy program have the opportunities to:

Prepare for almost any kind of post-graduate study or career.
Receive an excellent foundation in the areas of logic, epistemology, metaphysics, politics, feminist philosophy and ethics.
Hone their skills in thinking, writing and research.

View Course Information

BA Requirements - Lisle Minor Requirements - Lisle Minor Requirements - Mesa

What Our Graduates Have Done With This Degree

Philosophy Alumni

You will find students of philosophy in almost any career field you can imagine. Some of our alumni have gone on to medical school at Midwestern University, to graduate school at The University of Chicago, to teach philosophy at The University of Notre Dame, and to practice internal medicine at West Suburban Medical Center.

Philosophy Opens Doors

Benedictine’s philosophy alumni have earned admission to top law, medical and graduate schools. They include practicing lawyers, physicians, businesspeople and academics.

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Small Classes, Great Ideas

In small classes taught by experienced professors, students read works by thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Descartes, Kant and Nietzsche. They study the history of philosophy — ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary — and learn about both the analytic and the continental philosophical traditions.

Next-Level Thinking

The program is reading and writing intensive and grounded in discussion and debate. Experienced faculty guide our students in preparing an undergraduate thesis for presentation at a research conference.

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Philosophy as a Second Major

Philosophy majors are encouraged to combine their major with a second major in another academic field related to their particular philosophical interests, or to combine the Philosophy major with one or more academic minors, related to their particular interests in philosophy.