Skip Navigation | Home

Philosophy Department

Philosophy Undergraduate Programs

Philosophy Major

Studying philosophy helps students to improve their skills in critical reasoning, textual analysis and argumentative writing. It also familiarizes them with the Western tradition of thought on the fundamental questions of human existence. Philosophy majors find work in a wide range of fields, including business and law, and make very strong candidates for graduate study, both in philosophy and in other fields.

Philosophy Minor

The minor in Philosophy is an excellent complement to study in other areas. George Mason students who minor in philosophy can choose the general minor or an emphasis in history of philosophy, reality, knowledge and science, or social and political philosophy.

Minor and Concentration in Philosophy and Law

The concentration and minor in Philosophy and Law offer students a course of study that emphasizes the relevance of philosophical analysis of legal issues, and thus helps prepare one for the study of law.

The program will acquaint students with the rich tradition of philosophical argument dealing with the justification of law, its relation to moral theory, the justifications for punishment, and the concepts of justice, rights, liberty, and legal responsibility. In addition, an education in philosophy in general, and these courses in particular, stress intellectual skills that are important in the study of law, above all logic and critical thinking.

Interdisciplinary Minor in Political Philosophy

The interdisciplinary minor in Political Philosophy offers students the opportunity for intensive study in the area of political philosophy and political theory. The minor includes courses that focus on the history of political philosophy, on the moral evaluation of political institutions, on ethical, social, and political issues raised by globalization, and on the conceptual foundations of democracy and human rights