Table of Contents
Rationale of the Program
The AB in Philosophy program affords the qualified students an excellent opportunity to acquaint themselves with the major ideas and development in philosophy and its sub-fields. Eclectic and creative, the program provides a diverse curriculum of course offerings including different approaches to philosophy and alternative philosophical styles (such as Feminism, Phenomenology, Postmodernism and Eastern Philosophy). The philosophy program is envisioned to fulfill the need of the country to develop Filipino philosophers to fill up the scarcity of such thinkers in its intellectual history.
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy program offers students a rigorous and expansive engagement with the major ideas, traditions, and debates in philosophy. Drawing from both Eastern and Western sources, the curriculum cultivates critical, inclusive, and creative inquiry across historical and contemporary contexts. The program is designed to develop graduates as Dynamic and Innovative Mentors, Advocacy-Driven Individuals, and Methodical and Creative Inquirers. These guiding profiles are embodied in the program’s learning outcomes, which emphasize mastery of philosophical concepts through sustained engagement with primary texts and traditions.
Students cultivate a habit of lifelong learning and ethical reflection, applying philosophical methods to address moral, political, technological, cultural, and environmental issues. They are trained to construct and defend nuanced arguments, engage in dialogue across differing worldviews, and conduct both individual and collaborative philosophical research. Rooted in the classical ideal of phronesis, or practical wisdom, the program prepares students to organize philosophical forums, integrate multi-sectoral and inclusive perspectives in their work, and communicate with clarity, depth, and ethical awareness in academic, professional, and civic contexts.
Career Pathways and Opportunities
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy program develop transferable competencies in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, argumentation, research, and communication. These competencies enable them to pursue diverse professional pathways across academic, corporate, public, and civic domains. The program’s emphasis on phronesis (practical wisdom), ethical engagement, and interdisciplinary inquiry prepares graduates not only for employment, but for leadership in complex and evolving environments.
- Academic and Research Pathways: Philosophical training develops sustained engagement with texts, rigorous argumentation, and independent inquiry, which are foundational for graduate studies in philosophy and related disciplines such as law, education, and theology. These competencies also prepare graduates for academic research and teaching, as well as research roles in think tanks, policy institutes, and interdisciplinary centers where analytical and conceptual clarity are required.
- Law, Governance, and Public Service: The program’s emphasis on logic, argumentation, and ethical reasoning provides a strong foundation for legal studies and practice. Training in analyzing normative frameworks and engaging diverse perspectives equips graduates for work in public policy, legislative analysis, government service, diplomacy, and international relations. The focus on justice, dialogue, and social responsibility also supports roles in NGOs addressing human rights, development, and governance.
- Business, Management, and Consulting: Philosophical competencies in problem analysis, structured reasoning, and ethical evaluation are directly applicable to organizational and strategic contexts. Graduates are prepared for roles in management, human resources, and organizational development, as well as in business ethics and compliance. Their ability to clarify assumptions and evaluate competing courses of action supports work in consulting, strategy, and leadership development.
- Media, Communication, and Creative Industries: Training in argumentation, interpretation, and conceptual analysis equips graduates for writing, publishing, and journalism. The ability to critically engage narratives, symbols, and cultural forms supports work in media, film, and communication strategy. Philosophical formation also prepares graduates to contribute to public discourse through knowledge translation and public intellectual engagement.
- Education and Formation: The program develops pedagogical awareness, clarity of explanation, and reflective practice, which are essential for teaching in basic and secondary education (with appropriate certification). It also prepares graduates for curriculum design and educational leadership, as well as formation work in institutions concerned with values, ethics, and human development.
- Technology, AI, and Emerging Fields: Philosophy provides tools for analyzing concepts such as intelligence, agency, responsibility, and knowledge, which are central to contemporary technological developments. Graduates are equipped to engage in AI ethics and technology governance, as well as in user experience (UX) research and human-centered design, where understanding human cognition and decision-making is critical. Their training also supports policy work on data and technology, and interdisciplinary roles connecting philosophy with cognitive science and information technology.
- Social Impact and Advocacy: The program’s emphasis on ethical engagement, social analysis, and inclusive dialogue prepares graduates for work in community development, social entrepreneurship, and advocacy. Training in environmental philosophy supports sustainability initiatives, while competencies in dialogue and critical reflection enable engagement in interfaith and intercultural contexts. Graduates are also equipped to design and implement programs for civic and social engagement.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
The Philosophy program forms graduates as Dynamic and Innovative Mentors, Advocacy-Driven Individuals, and Methodical and Creative Inquirers. These qualities are expressed through eight program learning outcomes, represented by the acronym PHRONESIS, which is a Greek term for practical wisdom or the capacity to reason well about what is good and act accordingly in concrete human situations. The vision of phronesis underpins the program, emphasizing intellectual rigor, ethical discernment, and inclusive engagement with the world.
Dynamic and Innovative Mentors
- P – Primary Texts and Traditions (LO1): Read critically and engage with the primary philosophical writings of the most influential thinkers in the field, while exploring diverse traditions and emerging voices for an inclusive philosophical discourse.
- H – Habitual Lifelong Learning (LO2): Cultivate a personal commitment to ongoing learning through active participation in collaborative philosophical projects promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic and non-academic contexts.
Advocacy-Driven Individuals
- R – Real-World Ethical Engagement (LO3): Apply a variety of philosophical dispositions and methods in addressing moral, social, political, cultural, technological, and environmental problems confronting contemporary society.
- O – Openness to Dialogue (LO4): Explicate underlying assumptions in discourse and engage in meaningful dialogue with people of different faiths, beliefs, and non-beliefs, philosophical, socio-political, religious, or spiritual persuasions.
Methodical and Creative Inquirers
- N – Nuanced Argumentation (LO5): Formulate and defend one’s position on issues addressed by philosophers or address criticisms and integrate them into one’s position.
- E – Engaged Research (LO6): Independently or collaboratively produce philosophical research.
- S – Symposium and Public Forum Leadership (LO7): Organize conferences, symposiums, and lecture series in philosophy for audiences of different orientations and persuasions.
- I/S – Inclusive Perspectives & Social Engagement (LO8): Integrate multi-sectoral views in scholarly outputs and presentations, using inclusive language, examples, and contexts.
Alignment of Philosophy Program Outcomes with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Teaching: Dynamic and Innovative Mentors
| Program Outcomes | Aligned SDG(s) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Read critically and engage with the primary philosophical writings of the most influential thinkers in the field, while exploring diverse traditions and emerging voices for an inclusive philosophical discourse. | SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities |
Promotes inclusive, critical pedagogy and global literacy by engaging with diverse intellectual traditions and challenging dominant epistemologies. |
| Cultivate a personal commitment to ongoing learning through active participation in collaborative philosophical projects promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic and non-academic contexts. | SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions |
Fosters lifelong learning, inclusion, and democratic engagement in philosophical education across academic and social contexts. |
Advocacy: Advocacy-Driven Individuals
| Program Outcomes | Aligned SDG(s) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Apply a variety of philosophical dispositions and methods in addressing moral, social, political, cultural, technological, and environmental problems confronting contemporary society. | SDG 13: Climate Action SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities |
Equips graduates to contribute ethically to public discourse and problem-solving across critical global domains, including sustainability and justice. |
| Explicate underlying assumptions in discourse and engage in meaningful dialogue with people of different faiths, beliefs, and non-beliefs, philosophical, socio-political, religious, or spiritual persuasions. | SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals |
Strengthens intercultural and inter-belief understanding, promoting peacebuilding, social cohesion, and democratic dialogue. |
Research: Methodical and Creative Inquirers
| Program Outcomes | Aligned SDG(s) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Formulate and defend one’s position on issues addressed by philosophers or address criticisms and integrate them into one’s position. | SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions |
Develops critical thinking and argumentative clarity essential for democratic deliberation and ethical leadership. |
| Independently or collaboratively produce philosophical research. | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure SDG 4: Quality Education |
Encourages rigorous knowledge production, collaborative innovation, and contribution to intellectual infrastructure. |
| Organize conferences, symposiums, and lecture series in philosophy for audiences of different orientations and persuasions. | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | Builds inclusive platforms for knowledge sharing and intercultural exchange through public-facing philosophy. |
| Integrate multi-sectoral views in scholarly outputs and presentations, using inclusive language, examples, and contexts. | SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions |
Embeds equity, intersectionality, and representation into philosophical discourse and public scholarship. |
Program Requirements
Practicum (PRCPLMA)
PRCPLMA is a culminating course that integrates the theoretical, analytical, and ethical competencies developed throughout the Philosophy program into supervised professional practice. It is designed to bridge academic formation and real-world application by situating students in guided work environments where philosophical skills are exercised in concrete contexts. Through a required 200 hours of guided work and internship, students engage in structured tasks under the supervision of a faculty mentor and/or external partner institution. These engagements may include academic research assistance, teaching support, curriculum development, policy analysis, content writing, community-based initiatives, or work in organizational, corporate, or technological settings.
The practicum develops core competencies in critical and applied reasoning, ethical analysis, research and writing, communication across diverse stakeholders, and project coordination. Students are required to produce reflective and/or output-based deliverables (e.g., reports, portfolios, instructional materials, or research outputs) that demonstrate the integration of philosophical methods with professional practice. Regular consultation with mentors ensures that student work maintains intellectual rigor, ethical awareness, and practical relevance.
The practicum serves as a key transition point in the program, forming students as Dynamic and Innovative Mentors, Advocacy-Driven Individuals, and Methodical and Creative Inquirers, capable of translating philosophical insight into responsible action across academic, professional, and civic domains.
Senior Research (PLMRES1 and PLMRES2)
Senior Research is the culminating academic requirement of the Philosophy program. It is a thesis-oriented sequence (PLMRES1 and PLMRES2) in which students undertake independent inquiry on a clearly defined philosophical problem or issue, with the goal of developing a defensible position or a novel interpretation grounded in rigorous argumentation and engagement with relevant literature.
Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed all required major philosophy courses and core program requirements, ensuring adequate preparation in philosophical content, methods, and academic writing. The course is coordinated by a faculty member and follows a structured research process that includes proposal development, drafting, peer review, and revision. A central component of this process is the Pulong-Isip, a series of structured sessions where students present work-in-progress and receive critical feedback from peers and faculty, enabling refinement of arguments and clarity of analysis. Student work is evaluated by faculty panelists at key stages, including proposal and final assessment.
The process culminates in the Undergraduate Philosophy Conference, where all students present their research in a public academic setting. Selected papers are featured in a Senior Research Colloquium, which showcases the strongest works in the cohort, while all completed papers are compiled in the Senior Research Proceedings, serving as a formal record of undergraduate research outputs of the department.
Faculty-Student Mentorship
Faculty-Student Mentorship is a core and integrative component of the Practicum Program, implemented through the Guided Work phase. In this component, students work under the supervision of a faculty mentor who facilitates the integration of academic learning with preparatory professional experience prior to internship deployment.
The mentorship focuses on the development of competencies in research, teaching preparation, and advocacy formation. Students may assist in research activities, contribute to instructional design and class preparation, or develop initiatives aligned with service learning and community engagement. These activities are designed to consolidate knowledge and skills acquired from coursework, enabling students to translate philosophical concepts, methods, and perspectives into applied and context-sensitive outputs.
Faculty mentors provide structured guidance, feedback, and evaluation throughout the Guided Work phase, ensuring that student work meets academic standards and reflects intellectual rigor, ethical awareness, and practical relevance. The mentorship process culminates in the development of a portfolio, which documents the student’s research contributions, teaching-related outputs, and advocacy initiatives.
Peer-to-Peer Student Mentorship (House Mentorship Program)
The Peer-to-Peer Student Mentorship, implemented through the House Mentorship Program, is an integrative component of the Philosophy program that cultivates a collaborative and supportive learning community among students. Participants are organized into houses (Ceniza, Quito, and Timbreza), which serve as stable communities for mentorship, dialogue, and academic engagement throughout their stay in the program.
Within each house, students engage in regular activities such as roundtable discussions, research workshops, and Pulong-Isip-style conversations that promote peer learning, critical exchange, and mutual support. The program is designed to provide a safe and inclusive space that encourages openness, intellectual risk-taking, and the development of each student’s philosophical voice within a community of inquiry.
Senior students take on mentoring roles within their respective houses, guiding junior students in navigating coursework, developing research skills, and participating in departmental academic life. This peer-based structure reinforces continuity of learning, shared responsibility, and leadership development, while strengthening the department’s intellectual culture.
Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted to the program, applicants must:
- Pass the interview of the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Philosophy Department.
- Submit their course cards or transcript of records, together with the application form distributed by the Philosophy Department.
- Pass the course GEETHIC and/or THINKIN—if they are shiftees.
Curriculum
Major Philosophy Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Course Description |
| PLMPROB | Philosophical Problems | This course introduces students to the philosophical endeavor through examining some of the significant and key issues in philosophy such as the problem of evil, the problem of value, and the problem of free will, and other problems that matter. As philosophers, we try to find out whether our views on the above can be supported with rational arguments, or whether we must give them up considering closer scrutiny. |
| PLMWOMN | Women in Philosophy | The aim of this course is to initiate students to interrogate the presumed universality of philosophy. The course will investigate the subject of women as both sex and as gender in the canon of philosophical research. As a vital supplement to the history and thematic philosophy major courses, this course specifically seeks to find the “woman” in philosophy via the following areas:
Realizing the importance of situating women in the history of philosophy as they are valuable philosophical figures and active contributors to the (ever) developing philosophical canon. This issue of who counts as philosopher and what is philosophy remains an ever-pressing philosophical issue. Interrogating what the concept of woman has meant for traditional canonical (male) philosophers throughout the ages. A special focus on the emergence of feminist theory as a perspective in furthering the study of philosophy, it brings together the two abovementioned focus in women as philosophers as they philosophize about the concepts and contexts of women doing philosophy. |
| PLMSYLO | Symbolic Logic | If logic is the study of correct forms of reasoning, symbolic logic is the study of formal theories of logic. PLMSYLO: Symbolic Logic is an introductory philosophy course aimed to teach students these formal theories and show their applications in various forms of reasoning. This course will cover classical and some nonclassical first-order logics, and their respective model theories and proof theories. In this course, students will be able to develop their formal reasoning skills. |
| PLMANCI | Ancient Philosophy | Ancient Philosophy is a major philosophy course that covers the historical development of Western thought during the ancient period, that is, from the time of the predecessors of philosophical cosmogonists to the time of the post-Aristotelians. The emphasis will be on reading of translated classical texts and analysis of arguments presented by ancient Greek philosophers. Careful reading of a standard history text will provide the context. |
| PLMCONT | Contemporary Epistemology | Contemporary Epistemology is an enabling major course in philosophy that introduces the students to various theories of knowledge as discussed in contemporary philosophy. Among others, the topics include epistemic internalism and externalism, foundationalism, contextualism, social and virtue epistemology, feminist epistemology, and the ideas of Gettier, Alcoff and Potter, Anderson, DeRose, Nozick, Goldman etc. |
| PLMEXIS | Existentialism and Phenomenology | The course takes an in-depth look into the phenomenological tradition and how it engages existential issues. It begins with an introduction to the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl. The second part deals with the ideas of the major phenomenologists who followed and critiqued Husserl, such as: Martin Heidegger on the problem of being, Jean-Paul Sartre on the problem of nothingness, Maurice Merleau-Ponty on the phenomenology of perception, and Emmanuel Levinas on ethics as first philosophy. The third and last part focuses on key themes in existential phenomenology not already covered in part 2, such as absurdity, intersubjectivity, and aging and illness. |
| PLMLANG | Philosophy of Language | This course (PLMLANG, Philosophy of Language) is a major philosophy course that introduces students to the various theories of meaning advanced by philosophers that include Frege, Russell, Moore, Carnap, Wittgenstein, Austin, Searle, Quine, Kripke, Grice, and Chomsky. The course examines the accounts of both ideal-language philosophy, which focuses on truth-bearing expressions and the relationship of language with the world, and ordinary-language philosophy, which focuses on expressions used in ordinary context and the relationship of language with its users. Through this course, students will learn how language in general shapes the way we think about the world and how we interact and relate with one another. |
| PLMPOST | Postmodernism | This course introduces Postmodern Philosophy—its origins, assumptions, directions, and principles. It offers a historical-critical view of Postmodern Philosophy through an interdisciplinary study via philosophical, anthropological, and sociological readings. In particular, it clarifies the following: (1) The Postmodern Condition, (2) Postmodern Philosophy and the contexts of suffering and crises, (3) Postmodern Philosophy and reason, and (4) Postmodern Philosophy and its view of the Subject vis-`a-vis Objective Reality. |
| PLMESTH | Philosophy of Aesthetics | Whenever one encounters or experiences a certain work of art, say a painting, novel or a song, one inevitably immerses into a series of questions. Is this art? What does this mean? Can a song be beautiful but immoral? Can knowledge be obtained from fiction? How does a triangle represent femininity? Is art merely “subjective”? What about “taste”? Why do human beings create? Is art gendered? When a person reflects on these fundamental questions relating to beauty and the arts, one is doing aesthetics and philosophy of arts.
This course is an introduction to aesthetics and philosophy of arts. This gives undergraduate students an overview of the perennial philosophical problems involving taste and different forms of art like visual (paintings, films, and photographs), literary (poetry and fiction), performance, and performing (dance and theater). This subject attempt to explore how philosophers and artists, both Eastern and Western, struggle with said issues. This will also introduce students to several different approaches in the field of philosophy of art and aesthetics, such as analytic and continental. |
| PLMEDVL | Medieval Philosophy | This course offers a coherent narrative of Medieval Philosophy to undergraduate students. This shall be accomplished through a critical examination of the core philosophical problems and issues that shaped the development of Christian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophies from the 8th century through the succeeding centuries to the 15th century and beyond. This close examination shall make use of collections of selected primary readings and commentaries of major philosophical issues that correspond to this stage in the history of western thought. An important aspect of the development of Medieval Philosophy that will come under scrutiny is its impact to the succeeding periods and its relevance to understanding today’s global society. The intended learning outcome for the undergraduate students is the ability to diagnose and evaluate persistent issues of man and society in comparative perspective according to the praxis of the Medieval thinkers. |
| PLMRELS | Philosophy of Religion | Philosophy of Religion is an inter disciplinary exploration of issues concerning religious thought and institutions: the arguments for the existence of God, the arguments against the existence of God, the attributes of God, the problem of evil, reason and faith, soteriology, mysticism, and other claims of different religions regarding the Self, the Divine and the Universe. The course will also deal with the various aspects of religion: psychological, sociological, and anthropological. |
| PLMINDI | Indian Philosophy | Indian Philosophy introduces students who have no or little background in Eastern Philosophy, to the worldviews that originated in India. For those with substantial background in Oriental thought, this course provides a venue for discussion and exploration of Indian philosophical systems with a view to a comparative study between Eastern and Western thought. It surveys the major schools of thought within Indian philosophy, with emphasis on classical thought and major commentaries from contemporary thinkers. |
| PLMMORP | Moral Philosophy | Moral Philosophy is an introductory course to the various theories of ethics. Its hybrid design enables senior Philosophy students to do basic research and critically examine social practices. The course is organized into three major discussions: on the nature of moral responsibility; on normative ethical theories; and, on key issues in meta ethics. |
| PLMMETA | Contemporary Metaphysics | Contemporary Metaphysics is a problem-based introduction to metaphysics. Metaphysics is the philosophical study of the general features of reality. In this course, we will tackle some of the central topics in this area of philosophy. |
| PLMSCIE | Philosophy of Science | This course is a major philosophy subject that surveys some of the foundational issues related to the nature of science. Students will analyze and evaluate the basic concepts and practices within science by focusing on its metaphysical, epistemological, and axiological aspects. Furthermore, students will also be introduced to a number of topics in the philosophy of science such as the structure of scientific change, reductionism and the unity of science, and the like. |
| PLMMIND | Philosophy of Mind | This course is a major philosophy course that surveys the basic philosophical issues concerning the nature of the mind with regard to its existence, identity, and relation to the body. Students will examine the significant role played by the mind in certain areas of philosophizing such as metaphysics and epistemology; and analyze the different claims and arguments of the major competing philosophical theories about the mind. The course will also introduce the students to some of the current topics in the philosophy of mind such as those related to the possibility of artificial or machine intelligence and the naturalization of the mind. |
| PLMMDRN | Modern Philosophy | Modern Philosophy is a course which investigates and surveys the fundamental teachings of the prominent Modern European Philosophers of the seventeenth to nineteenth century. These Philosophical systems range from the Philosophical systems of Rationalism, Empiricism, Kantian Philosophy, German idealism, the Post Idealist systems to Nietzsche’s philosophy. Furthermore, the aforementioned philosophers focus on the domain of Epistemology, Metaphysics, the foundations and history of consciousness, of selfhood and ethics. |
| PLMSOCI | Social and Political Philosophy | The core questions of Political Philosophy – and of Social Philosophy – concern the notion of “just society.” True to their philosophical character these are generative questions. By this we mean that they challenge the way we think; make us evaluate our claims and our bases for them; and, motivate us to ask further questions. The history of this branch of Philosophy reminds us that both its accomplishments and persistent challenges point to the mutual entailment between philosophical inquiry and the need to reduce the conflict and tension between individual wellbeing and wellbeing on the highest possible social level.
An important lesson from the last 40 years teaches us that polities and citizens need answers in the form of policies that work, structuring norms that guarantee stability, and institutional arrangements that allow individuals and societies to flourish together. So, inquiries about the state, government, politics, justice, law, rights, duties, equality, and liberty should be inspired by the goal of improving the state of affairs of our shared lives. This will as well benefit inquiry itself with its concomitant assurance that we can still rely on our rational spirit. We will, therefore, continue the tradition of philosophical inquiry not only to live the hope that we can conquer ourselves but also contribute earnestly to search for that elusive institutional arrangement of living together that allows all to achieve a life of human flourishing. |
| PLMCHIN | Chinese Philosophy | Chinese Philosophy introduces students who have no or little background in Eastern Philosophy, to the world views that originated in China. For those with substantial background in Oriental thought, this course provides a venue for discussion and exploration of Chinese philosophical systems with a view to a comparative study between Eastern and Western thought. It surveys the major schools of thought within Chinese philosophy, with emphasis on classical thought and major commentaries from contemporary thinkers. |
| PLMFILI | Filipino Philosophy | Filipino Philosophy is an introduction to history and the different problems and issues that surround Filipino Philosophy. As a relatively new discourse in the field of philosophy, this subject also develops the students’ ability to analyze, evaluate, and critique the various held theories or ideas regarding Filipino Philosophy. This serves as a preparation for their own formulation of arguments and theories on the subject matter. |
Philosophy Elective Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Course Description |
| ENVIPHI | Environmental Philosophy | This course introduces students to the issues and positions in environmental philosophy with special consideration to the classic texts representative of primary dominant thoughts: deep ecology, ecofeminism, social ecology, and eco-phenomenology. The undergraduate course has a service-learning component wherein students partner with the communities of the COSCA-DLSU social engagement project, The Talim Bay Coastal Resource Management Project in Lian, Batangas. |
| ZENBUDD | Zen Buddhism | This course introduces the students to the basic principles of Zen Buddhism, and how its views on life, death, nature, human existence, society, morality/ethics, the divine, freedom, etc. differ from the Western perspectives. The course will begin with a comparative discussion on Western and Eastern philosophy before going into the various applications to various aspects of human life. Many examples from Japanese philosophy, history and culture will likewise be discussed. |
| PLMQUEE | Queer Philosophy | Queer Philosophy is an elective undergraduate course that will focus on the philosophical perspectives of Queer Theory. The course provides a philosophical background, as well as an outlook of “queer” as a concept—an all-encompassing non-normative term for gender identities, practices, and sexualities; but also, as a verb, “queering”—thereby enacting resistance and subversion. Queer philosophy traces its roots to seminal works like Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality and Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble, as well as other foundational (inter) disciplinary texts. |
| PLMSOCM | Philosophy and Social Media | This course introduces students to the philosophical issues surrounding social media. It begins by identifying the prevailing metaphysical, epistemic, and ethical presuppositions held by scholarly approaches to social media (cyber psychology, sociology of the internet, cyber spirituality, among others). From there, the discussions proceed with demonstrating that these presuppositions lend themselves to philosophical interrogation due to their serious implications on how reality is constructed, knowledge is obtained, and a flourishing life is to be lived. The corresponding philosophical discourses arising from such implications shall then be examined. In the end, given such examination, students should be able to recommend ways on how scholars, individuals, and groups can reframe how they approach and use social media; as well as reflect on the promising and disruptive roles social media play in one’s flourishing in today’s technological age. |
| PLMEDUC | Philosophy of Education | This course is a survey of the major historical figures and schools of thoughts in the philosophy of education. Knowledge of these philosophies of education will be applied to the study and exploration of current issues, concerns and problems in education. |
| PLMFILM | Philosophy of Film | This is an introduction to the philosophy of film. It provides a broad overview of some of the topics within this field, such as the nature of film, film authorship, the paradox of fiction, film narration, the relationship of film to society, the contributions of film to philosophy, and questions about the philosophical content of films. |
| PLMPOPC | Philosophy and Pop Culture | This course critically explores the intersections between philosophy and popular culture. On the one hand, it explores the phenomenon of popular culture from various philosophical perspectives. On the other, it explores philosophical issues as they appear in selected areas or examples of popular culture. As a result, students should expect to develop an enhanced critical understanding of the ways in which a variety of philosophical issues underlie popular culture media such as television, film and various digital media, and develop philosophical thinking about various issues reflected in popular culture, from traditional philosophical issues to the pressing social and cultural issues of our time. |
| PLMSCIF | Philosophy and Science Fiction | This course explores the relationship between philosophical ideas and the genre of science fiction (SF). It not only teaches of SF, but also and more importantly, with SF. An elective course for undergraduate philosophy students, it brings together the rigor of logical reasoning and the artistry of the imagination. It draws on the popularity of well-known works of SF literature, cinema, and television, thereby inculcating in students an appreciation of the philosophical and literary concepts that underpin these. A key objective is to train students in critically engaging with complex narratives in popular media, providing them with the tools to connect the fantastic vision of authors/auteurs to prevailing social and political issues. |
Foreign Language
| Course Code | Course Title | Course Description |
| PLMFOR1 | Foreign Language 1 | The first of two foreign language courses that develops the Philosophy major’s elementary knowledge of a foreign language, giving him or her basic facility for dealing with philosophical texts in their original language needed for the research and global exposure components of their undergraduate program. The foreign language to be taken in PLMFOR2 should be the same language taken in PLMFOR1. |
| PLMFOR2 | Foreign Language 2 | The second of two foreign language courses that develops the Philosophy major’s intermediate knowledge of a foreign language, giving him or her better facility for understanding philosophical text in their original language needed for the research and global exposure components of their undergraduate program. The foreign language in PLMFOR2 should be the same language taken in PLMFOR1. |
Practicum and Senior Research
| Course Code | Course Title | Course Description |
| PRCPLMA | Practicum | This course aims to integrate the skills learned in the philosophy major undergraduate courses and further hone them in their personal and professional development. The total number of hours required to complete and gain a three-unit credit for practicum is 200 hours. |
| PLMRES1 | Senior Research 1 | Senior Research 1 (PLMRES1) is a culminating major course in philosophy. It is a thesis-oriented research work that deals with a philosophical problem/issue, where the student is expected to offer a solution or to present a novel way of viewing the situation. |
| PLMRES2 | Senior Research 2 | PLMRES2 is a culminating major course in philosophy. It is a thesis-oriented research work that deals with a philosophical problem/issue, where the student is expected to offer a solution or to present a novel way of viewing the situation. Students are expected to produce a research work on a philosophical issue in any area of philosophy, evaluating these through the application of the different philosophical theories and tools discussed throughout their stay in the philosophy program. |