PHREL-BA - Philosophy and Religious Studies (BA)

The mission of the undergraduate program in Philosophy is to train students to think clearly and critically about the deepest and broadest questions concerning being, knowledge, and value, as well as their connections to the full range of human activities and interests. The Philosophy major presents students with paradigms and perspectives of past thinkers and introduces students to a variety of methods of reasoning and judgment formation. Courses in the major equip students with core skills involved in critical reading, analytical thinking, sound argumentation, and the clear, well-organized expression of ideas. Philosophy is an excellent major for those planning a career in law, medicine, business, or the non-profit sector. It provides analytical skills and a breadth of perspective helpful to those called upon to make decisions about their own conduct and the welfare of others. Philosophy majors who have carefully planned their undergraduate program have an excellent record of admission to professional and graduate schools.

Undergraduate courses in Religious Studies are designed to engage students existentially and to assist them in thinking about intellectual, ethical, and sociopolitical issues in the world's religions. The department's faculty seek to provide tools for understanding the complex encounters among religious ideas, practices, and communities, and the past and present cultures that have shaped and been shaped by religion. Courses therefore expose students to: leading concepts in the field of religious studies such as god(s), sacrifice, ritual, scripture, prophecy, and priesthood; approaches developed over the past century, including the anthropological, historical, psychological, philosophical, and phenomenological, that open religion to closer inspection and analysis; and major questions, themes, developments, features, and figures in the world's religious traditions. The department encourages and supports the acquisition of languages needed for engagement with sacred texts and interpretive traditions as well as study abroad at Stanford's overseas centers where religions can be observed and experienced in their contemporary contexts.

The undergraduate major in Philosophy and Religious Studies consists of 60 units of course work with approximately one third each in the philosophy core; the religious studies core; and additional coursework and a capstone requirement that completes the course of study.

• No courses in either the philosophy or religious studies core may be taken satisfactory/no credit or credit/no credit.

• Students who have declared the combined major prior to Autumn 2019-20 may choose to follow the Degree Requirements listed in either the current Bulletin or the 2018-19 Bulletin.

Preparation for the Major

Students contemplating the Philosophy and Religious Studies major are invited to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Undergraduate Student Services Associate in Building 70 can also field questions regarding the declaration procedure within the department.

In general, transfer units cannot be used to satisfy the core requirements. Transfer units and substitutions must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the relevant department.

The Philosophy Department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:

1. the ability to effectively communicate philosophical ideas orally and in writing.

2. close reading, argument evaluation, and analytical writing.

3. dialectical ability to identify strengths and weaknesses of an argument and devise appropriate and telling responses.

4. the ability to think critically and demonstrate clarity of conceptualization.

5. the ability to differentiate good from unpromising philosophical questions.

6. the ability to sustain an argument of substantial scope, showing control over logical, argumentative, and evidential relations among its parts.

7. mastery over a domain of literature, an area of philosophical problems, or an area in the history of thought.

8. an understanding of argumentative relations among different philosophical issues in their area, and an ability to discriminate between problems that must be addressed, and those that may be deferred to future work.

9. the ability to frame and pursue more deeply a philosophical question within the domain.

10. the ability to develop, articulate, and defend a thesis about the question.

11. knowledge and awareness of plausible objections to their arguments, and resourcefulness in responding to them.

The Religious Studies Department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to:

1. demonstrate familiarity with a variety of methods used analytically in the field of Religious Studies.

2. demonstrate proficiency in writing papers in the style of academic writing in the field of Religious Studies.

3. demonstrate the ability to engage peer scholars' research in constructive and critical ways, and communicate feedback effectively.

4. demonstrate individual expertise through oral presentation of one's advanced research to peers.

5. complete an advanced research project consistent with standards for papers in the field of Religious Studies.