Students majoring in philosophy will:
-develop the capacity to formulate ideas precisely and clearly both in writing and orally, with special sensitivity to their argumentative structure
-develop the ability to read texts carefully with an eye to identifying and articulating central lines of argument
-learn to analyze critically the arguments identified, with a sensitivity to their form and content
-cultivate the ability to defend a reasoned position in civil discussion and respond effectively to compelling criticism
-gain familiarity with central themes in the history of Western philosophy as well as the contemporary practice of the discipline
-be exposed to debates and issues in contemporary value theory and contemporary metaphysics and epistemology