Philosophy is the foundation of every other field of study. Economics, history, government, mathematics, language, and the sciences all make
specific assumptions about the universe and our place in it. Historically, as specific disciplines developed, they branched off from philosophy, but retained
their core theoretical stances. Philosophy examines the basis of the reasoning for each of these fields, discovering the strengths and weaknesses of each. For instance,
in economics, we can ask questions about the justice of resource distribution - is poverty inevitable or a necessary part of the human condition? In history,
we can explore questions of causation, perspective, and approaches in analysis (e.g., historiography). Modern American government stems directly from the
political philosophy of the European Enlightenment and Native American populations. Mathematics makes assumptions about number sets, linguistics makes assumptions about
symbolic representation, biology is predicated on governing paradigms like evolution, etc. All of these are reasonable subjects of debate and discussion, precisely because
of the warrants contained in each position.
The easy response is "Anything you want," but there is more to it. Aside from the benefits of an education in
philosophy, the analytical skills taught in philosophy are applicable to many different fields and professions. The ability to reason deductively and inductively, to explore
multiple avenues of problem solving, and understand the fundamental assumptions we make about the world around us are critical. No other major will challenge your basic assumptions
more, or teach you more about yourself.
That depends on you. The faculty are eager to implement the major, but are limited by the student enrollment. The greater the demand we can show for the full major, the sooner we
can bring the plan to fruition. We encourage you to contact the Social Sciences department (110 Kaufman Hall) and voice your interest in the major, and to take as many courses in Philosophy that you can.
We will be offering concentrations in philosophy and subspecialties in the near future, and will be working with the university administration on the requirements for a
full major.
We especially encourage letters expressing interest in a philosophy major. These letters need to do more than simply express interest in studying philosophy.
A letter helpful to the cause will indicate how a degree in philosophy will help you in your professional life - e.g., application of critical analysis to
law, medicine, etc. McNeese State University has a vested interest in providing its students with an education that will translate into skills applicable to
their career goals. We need to go above and beyond simple statistical data showing how philosophy majors fare relative to other majors - we need direct and
clear evidence from members of the student body and community that we offer skills needed in the world outside academia.
