Should Philosophy Courses be Required?

“It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it.” - Rene Descartes

Unfortunately, it is rare for schools to require students to take philosophy courses to complete their undergraduate degree, regardless of their major. For example, William Paterson University has students fulfill the “University Core Curriculum (UCC)” requirements. Under the sub-category of “Expression” and “Ways of Knowing,” students have the option to take philosophy courses to meet the requirements. However, there are other courses that can replace the philosophy courses if the student choses.

Requiring students to take philosophy courses is not as far-fetched as it may sound. The Chronicle of Higher Education posted an article about requiring students to take two philosophy courses, one during their freshmen year and one just before graduation.

This article says that the goal with this requirement is to “equip graduates with a philosophical armamentarium they could draw from, and contribute to, for the rest of their lives.”

However, I disagree with the article where the courses would not include philosophy in the name. The courses suggested would be “Questions of Identity” or “Questions of Existence.” Steering away from the title of philosophy will not change the content of the course or the students’ eagerness and involvement.

It seems counterproductive to distance the courses from philosophy and attempt to “trick” students into studying philosophy. If they have “Questions of Existence,” they can take an existentialism course. The questions discussed will be in the course description.

Students would benefit from an “Introduction to Philosophy’ course as their freshman requirement. They can then chose from studying ethics or logic.

Ethics teaches you about a philosophy of well-being or how to live, going back to Aristotle. The Greek word used, eudemonia, is usually translated as happiness. It can also be applied to real world problems like capital punishment, abortion or conservation. It is difficult to think clearly about these problems without ethics.

Logic teaches you how to think critically and separates valid arguments from invalid arguments. It also teaches you fallacies which are committed in everyday life, such as appeal to fear. These fallacies can be picked out of speeches heard in the news or advertisements seen everyday. Logic is exceptionally helpful if you are pursuing a future in politics or law.

Aside from philosophy aiding students in their education and future careers, it will advance their development as a person. Studying philosophy will make you a better reader and writer overall. Even if nothing learned from philosophy classes is applicable to your life, they will still be some of the most interesting courses anyone can take.