Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of reality and the human experience. It is the bedrock you reach when, in any other discipline, you keep asking: why? At the ANU, philosophy is also a method: approaching a question by breaking it down into its component parts, building up reasoned, logical arguments—and following them wherever they lead, however surprising.
Learning Outcomes
- closely analyse and critique arguments in a wide variety of fields and contexts, which may include using formal logic;
- develop cogent arguments and presentations, including engaging with detailed criticism of their ideas;
- apply complex abstract ideas to real-world phenomena in a wide variety of fields and contexts;
- recognise implicit assumptions in social, political, scientific, moral, and cultural arguments, and relate them to contested ideas and real-world scenarios; and
- describe various philosophical traditions and their history.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units from the following lists, which must include:
A maximum of 12 units of courses at 1000 level
A minimum of 6 units of courses at 3000 level
A maximum of 12 units from the completion of the following list:
PHIL1004 - Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction (6 units)
PHIL1005 - Logic and Critical Thinking (6 units)
PHIL1007 - What is Humanity? (6 units)
PHIL1008 - Introduction to Ethics (6 units)
POLS1008 - PPE Integration 1 (6 units)
A minimum of 6 units from the completion of the following:
ASIA2054 - Chinese Philosophy: Creation and Development (6 units)
PHIL2012 - Buddhist Philosophy (6 units)
PHIL2020 - Theories of Social Justice (6 units)
PHIL2042 - Philosophy of the Cosmos (6 units)
PHIL2057 - Philosophy of Science (6 units)
PHIL2061 - Philosophy of Mind (6 units)
PHIL2074 - Modern Theories of Knowledge (6 units)
PHIL2080 - Logic (6 units)
PHIL2082 - Sex and Death: the Philosophy of Biology (6 units)
PHIL2087 - Nietzsche (6 units)
PHIL2100 - Origins of Analytical Philosophy (6 units)
PHIL2116 - PPE Integration 2 (6 units)
PHIL2122 - Philosophy and Public Policy (6 units)
PHIL2123 - Philosophy and Science Fiction (6 units)
PHIL2125 - Rationality and Social Cooperation (6 units)
PHIL2126 - Science in Society: Ethics, Public Policy and Scientific Practice (6 units)
PHIL2127 - The Philosophy of Time (6 units)
PHIL2128 - Philosophy of Physics (6 units)
PHIL2129 - Metaethics: The Nature of Moral Judgment (6 units)
PHIL2289 - Leviathan, Art and Law: Constituting the Body Politic (6 units)
PHIL2290 - Philosophy, AI and Society (6 units)
POLS2063 - Contemporary Political Theory (6 units)
POLS2102 - Political Belief and Deceit (6 units)
A minimum of 6 units from the completion of the following:
ECON3056 - PPE Integration 3: Classic Literature in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (6 units)
PHIL3072 - Advanced Analytic Philosophy (6 units)
PHIL3073 - Advanced Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy (6 units)
PHIL3074 - Advanced Philosophical Topics (6 units)
PHIL3075 - The Philosophy of Gender: Knowledge, Power, Bodies (6 units)
PHIL3076 - Philosophy of the Life Sciences (6 units)
PHIL3077 - The Metaphysics of David Lewis (6 units)
PHIL3078 - The Philosophy of Emotions (6 units)
PHIL3079 - Evolution and Human Nature (6 units)
A maximum of 12 units may come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH1042 | Philosophy of the Cosmos | 6 |
| PHIL1004 | Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction | 6 |
| PHIL1005 | Logic and Critical Thinking | 6 |
| PHIL1007 | What is Humanity? | 6 |
A minimum of 36 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 2016: Philos of Language | ||
| PHIL2042 | Philosophy of the Cosmos | 6 |
| PHIL2057 | Philosophy of Science | 6 |
| PHIL 2060: Contemporary Metaphysics | ||
| PHIL2061 | Philosophy of Mind | 6 |
| PHIL2074 | Modern Theories of Knowledge | 6 |
| PHIL2080 | Logic | 6 |
| PHIL 2094: The Problem of Free Will | ||
| PHIL2100 | Origins of Analytical Philosophy | 6 |
| PHIL3072 | Advanced Analytic Philosophy | 6 |
| PHIL2059 | Love Death and Freedom (20th Century French Phenomenology) | 6 |
| PHIL2087 | Nietzsche | 6 |
| PHIL 2097: European Philosophy B | ||
| PHIL 2102: Film as Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 3070: Reason, Crit & Self | ||
| PHIL 3071: Adv Continental Phil | ||
| POLS 2076: Frankfurt School | ||
| ASIA2054 | Chinese Philosophy: Creation and Development | 6 |
| PHIL2020 | Theories of Social Justice | 6 |
| PHIL 2064: Theories of Ethics | ||
| PHIL 2065: Politics and Rights | ||
| PHIL2082 | Sex and Death: the Philosophy of Biology | 6 |
| PHIL 2085: Applied Ethics | ||
| PHIL 2092: The Enlightenment | ||
| PHIL 2101: Democracy, Difference & Desire | ||
| PHIL 2110: Social Philosophy | ||
| PHIL 2111: Global Citizens | ||
| PHIL2113 | Global Justice | 6 |
| PHIL 2114: Sustainability System & Agency | ||
| PHIL 2115: Hobbes to Mill | ||
| PHIL 2117: Meta-ethics | ||
| PHIL 3062: Advanced Phil Topics A | ||
| PHIL 3063: Advanced Philo Topics B | ||
| PHIL3073 | Advanced Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy | 6 |
| POLS2063 | Contemporary Political Theory | 6 |
| POLS2102 | Political Belief and Deceit | 6 |
