Director of Graduate Studies  Selmer Bringsjord
Undergraduate Advising  Michael Zenzen

Philosophy is a search for understanding and wisdom through inquiry into fundamental questions of existence and reflection on the underlying assumptions of knowledge and action. Through philosophical reflection and inquiry we seek to answer the “big” questions: What is the nature of human consciousness? of reality? of human experience? What is the meaning of life? In what does the good life consist? How are right and wrong determined?

We agree with Socrates that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” and encourage our students to develop their own philosophical understanding, helping them to think critically and creatively about their own experience, values, and goals. The development of a coherent and critical personal philosophy is the foundation for a full and satisfying life, for the practice of responsible citizenship, and for leadership.

The B.S. in Philosophy may be obtained by following either the philosophy curriculum or a curriculum leading to a dual major. Dual majors are available in computer science and philosophy, physics and philosophy, mathematics and philosophy, biology and philosophy, architecture and philosophy, and various engineering majors (e.g., computer systems engineering) and philosophy. Dual majors in computer science and philosophy, and engineering and philosophy, are especially appropriate trajectories for the Minds and Machines program. (This program is described in the Psychology section; information can also be obtained by e-mailing Selmer Bringsjord directly or via the Web at http://www.rpi.edu/~brings.) Elective courses in philosophy are offered to undergraduates in all departments, and students majoring in other disciplines may choose among three minors offered by the Department of Philosophy.

Areas of Advanced Research and Study

A broad range of philosophical perspectives and research interests is represented in the faculty. The department carefully preserves a balance among the fields of philosophy. Every effort is made to bring out the implications of philosophy for other areas of thought and research. The department is committed to the view that such implications can be uncovered and developed only with a foundation of rigorous study of basic philosophical issues and concepts, both from a contemporary and a historical perspective.

Within our primary focus on artificial and natural symbol systems is represented a broad range of philosophical perspectives and research interests. While we have a strong focus on logic, philosophy of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and philosophy of science, other focus areas include ethics and social philosophy, environmental philosophy, philosophy of human nature, Asian and comparative philosophy, and metaphysics and epistemology.

Faculty

Professors

Bringsjord, S.  Ph.D. (Brown University); logic, philosophical logic, philosophy of artificial intelligence.

Koller, J.M.  Ph.D. (University of Hawaii); Asian and comparative thought, social philosophy, philosophy of religion.

Puka, W.J.  Ph.D. (Harvard University); ethics, cognitive-moral psychology, and applied cognitive science.

Zenzen, M.J., Jr.  Ph.D. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, aesthetics.

Clinical Assistant Professor

Fahey, J.T.  Ph.D. (University at Albany, SUNY); philosophy of science, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of artificial intelligence.

Undergraduate Programs

Students who elect an undergraduate major in philosophy, including a dual major, must complete at least 32 credit hours of work in philosophy. Each student will develop his or her own plan of study in consultation with the departmental adviser or chair.

In the senior year, the philosophy major has the option of writing a thesis in place of taking two philosophy electives. Only students who show special aptitude will be advised to choose the thesis option. Its purpose is to give the student intending to go on with philosophy some experience of research conditions and early training in thesis writing. The thesis will be written under the guidance of a professor, either one of the student’s choosing or one familiar with the topic chosen. As far as the department is concerned, a student writing the thesis is taking an honors degree.

Minimum Credit Hours  This curriculum requires a minimum of 124 credit hours.

Dual Major in Philosophy and Science  In addition to the traditional major in philosophy, the department offers dual majors in collaboration with the Schools of Science and Architecture.

These programs are intended to serve the needs of those students who want to combine the virtues of a liberal education with those of science for an education that is practical, stimulating, and diverse.

For example, a student majoring in physics and philosophy would meet the requirements of the physics curriculum and take eight courses in philosophy, among which would be Introduction to Philosophy of Science, Philosophical Problems of Space and Time, and Scientific Revolutions. Someone majoring in computer science and philosophy would meet the requirements of the computer science curriculum and take eight philosophy courses including Introduction to Logic, Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, and Computability and Logic. For a mathematics or computer science dual major, key courses in the philosophy major would be Philosophy of Mathematics, Computability and Logic, and Metaphysics.

The student will have advisers in philosophy as well as science who will work together to ensure the quality and coherence of the program. Michael Zenzen should be consulted for assistance in building a sample four year curriculum (e-mail: zenzem@rpi.edu).

Minor Programs  The Department of Philosophy provides three minor programs for students majoring in other disciplines: a minor in philosophy, a minor in philosophy of science and logic, and a minor in philosophy of human values and society.

Philosophy  To complete the minor in philosophy, a student chooses a minimum of four philosophy courses, with at least one at the 4000 level.

Philosophy of Science and Logic  This minor focuses on the underlying assumptions, conceptual structures, and implications of mathematical and scientific knowledge. To complete this minor, a student chooses a minimum of at least four philosophy courses, three of which must be from the following list:

PHIL-2130 Introduction to Philosophy of Science
PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic
PHIL-4260 Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
PHIL-4360 Philosophical Problems of Space and Time
PHIL-4380 Philosophy of Mathematics
PHIL-4420 Computability and Logic
PHIL-4440 Theory of Knowledge
PHIL-4720 Metaphysics

Philosophy of Human Values and Society  This minor focuses on values in contemporary society. Human values in a technological society are explored through inquiries into the nature and function of art, morality, religion, and social institutions. To complete this minor, a student chooses a minimum of five philosophy courses, at least three of them from the following list:

PHIL-2220 Philosophy of Technology
PHIL-2300 Asian Philosophies
PHIL-2500 Bioethics
PHIL-2710 Sanity, Madness, and Society
PHIL-2830 Comparative Religion
PHIL-4240 Ethics
PHIL-4300 Environmental Philosophy
PHIL-4520 Existentialism
PHIL-4570 Buddhism

Courses  For course descriptions click here.

Graduate Programs

The Department of Philosophy offers a program leading to the Master of Science degree in Philosophy. The program provides opportunities to reflect on a broad range of fundamental philosophical issues under the guidance of a distinguished faculty committed to your education. Through a combination of courses, small seminars, and independent study, the program provides educational structure with the flexibility needed to accommodate diverse interests of both faculty and students. It offers a supportive environment that provides excellent preparation for advanced graduate work leading to the Ph.D., and gives skillful guidance in reflecting on philosophical issues for the sake of personal understanding and enrichment. The small number of graduate students (faculty/student ratio is 1-to-1) and extensive personal contact with faculty are major advantages. Elective courses are available for graduate students in other departments.

Rensselaer’s M.S. philosophy program is focused in the area of Minds and Machines, and is designed for people who wish to capitalize on the exploding demand for machine systems that interact smoothly with, and sometimes even simulate aspects of, humans, and who have undergraduate exposure to areas related to information (e.g., philosophy, logic, computer science, psychology, math, etc.). Contact: Selmer Bringsjord (518-276-8105).

This program is intended for students who wish to pursue advanced work in philosophy or to prepare themselves for doctoral study in philosophy. The department especially encourages applications from students whose undergraduate majors are in other fields, and who wish to obtain a strong foundation in philosophy at the master’s level. Such students will find that completion of the requirements normally will take one to two years. A student with an undergraduate major in philosophy may be able to achieve the degree in one year. It is the department’s policy to afford opportunities for teaching experience to graduate assistants as a means of furthering their philosophical education. Some undergraduate background in philosophy is required.

Graduate Degree Requirements

Master of Science  There is no foreign language requirement. Besides fulfilling the general requirements of the Graduate School, the student must pass an examination in one field of philosophy, determined jointly by the student and the department faculty. In addition, the student must either (a) submit to the department three acceptable papers of high quality in different areas of philosophy or (b) submit a 6-credit-hour thesis acceptable to the department, normally in a different field from that of the examination.