Columbia University Philosophy Department: An Overview

The Columbia University Philosophy Department stands out for its ecumenical environment, fostering research and teaching in all the major subfields of the discipline at the highest level. It teaches lively and innovative sequences of historical and contemporary approaches. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the department, covering its academic programs, course offerings, faculty research areas, and resources for undergraduate and graduate students.

A Broad and Deep Philosophical Education

The department provides a foundation in logic and philosophical methodology, asking students to confront fundamental questions in epistemology and metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy, the philosophy of mind and language, and the history of philosophy.

Cross-Fertilization of Ideas

While the department acknowledges the important boundaries between subfields, it encourages cross-fertilization through debates over common problems, both theoretical and practical. Epistemologists often work also in logic and metaphysics, while philosophers of mind frequently work in philosophies of language, cognition, and psychology. Ethics and aesthetics often join with legal, social, and political philosophy. Fields of contemporary research engage the history of philosophy back to Antiquity. This cross-fertilization is evident within the department and without, in the university as a whole.

Undergraduate Programs

The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit. All classes offered within the Philosophy Department may be taken to fulfill the requirements of the major.

Declaring a Major

Students considering a major in philosophy should meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) early in their sophomore year. Before declaring a major, either in economics-philosophy or in philosophy, and before deciding to combine philosophy with another discipline, students should meet with the director of undergraduate studies to formulate the program that will be best for them. Once majoring in philosophy, students are advised to consult with the DUS each term before registering for classes to plan and update their individual programs of study.

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Course Recommendations

Students planning to major in philosophy often begin with PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought, or with UN1001 Introduction to Philosophy or 2000-level courses. More advanced students should take 3000- and 4000-level courses. All majors must take at least one Majors Seminar (PHIL UN3912). All classes offered within the Philosophy Department may be taken to fulfill the requirements of the major.

Major Requirements

Requirements for Philosophy Majors include at least 30 points in philosophy, chosen from courses prefixed with UN, GU, or GR, including:

PHIL UN2101 History of Philosophy I or another course in ancient or medieval philosophy (e.g. UN3131 Aristotle, UN3121 Plato).
PHIL UN2201 History of Philosophy II or another course in the history of late medieval or early modern philosophy (e.g. PHIL UN3222 Descartes-Spinoza-Leibniz or PHIL UN3237 Late Medieval and Modern Philosophy).
PHIL UN3411 Symbolic Logic or, in exceptional cases, a more advanced course in logic.
At least one course in metaphysics; epistemology; philosophy of language; philosophy of science; phenomenology and existentialism, or a related course.
At least one course in social and political philosophy; ethics/moral philosophy; aesthetics/philosophy of art; or a related course.
At least one major seminar (PHIL UN3912).

All substituted or related courses must be selected in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). Students may register for a GR-prefixed course only with instructor permission. Because these courses are capped, students should register early.

PHIL UN3912 registration is taken in order of the following preference:

Senior majors who have not taken a previous Majors Seminar
Junior majors who have taken 5 or more philosophy courses and have NOT taken a Majors Seminar
Senior majors who have taken a previous Majors Seminar
Junior majors who have taken 5 or more philosophy courses
Senior concentrators who have taken 5 or more philosophy courses

Flexibility and Specialization

Over and above the courses required of all majors, there is room for considerable flexibility. Through an appropriate choice of electives from among the department’s offerings (and from related courses in other departments), there are special opportunities for focusing more intensively on one or two subfields of philosophy, e.g., logic and the philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of science, ethics and political philosophy, or the history of philosophy.

Joint Major in Economics and Philosophy

The Joint Major in Economics and Philosophy is an interdisciplinary one which, while introducing students to the basic methodologies of economics and philosophy, stresses areas of particular concern to both. These include subjects such as rationality and decision making, justice and efficiency, freedom and collective choice, and the logic of empirical theories and their testing. There are two advisers for the Joint Major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Philosophy. Prospective majors are strongly advised to discuss the major early in their sophomore year.

Minor in Philosophy

A minor in philosophy is an attractive option for many students. Philosophy has significant points of contact with other classes offered in the humanities, the social sciences, and in the natural sciences. Students considering becoming minors are strongly encouraged to meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) early in their sophomore year to discuss their program of study. At least 15 points in philosophy, chosen from courses prefixed with UN, GU, or GR. Students may choose courses prefixed with GR only with the instructor's permission. Transfer students and dual-degree students should consult with the DUS as to whether classes they have taken elsewhere can count toward the minor.

Concentration in Philosophy

Philosophy, as an academic discipline, has significant points of contact with a wide range of other subjects-in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. A concentration in philosophy thus can be an attractive option for many students. Those considering becoming concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet with the director of undergraduate studies early in their sophomore year, in order to discuss their specific interests and to plan their programs of study.

Transfer Credits and Summer Courses

Courses offered by other departments do not count toward the major unless the course is cross-listed. In some cases, the DUS may grant an exception to this restriction. Please consult with the DUS ahead of time. Transfer students and dual-degree students should consult with the DUS as to whether classes they have taken elsewhere can count toward the major. No more than 5 courses taken at another institution can count toward the major. Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and taught by Columbia instructors) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus. Classes taken abroad through other institutions and programs are treated as transfer credit to Columbia, and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. Summer courses at Columbia are offered through the School of Professional Studies. Courses taken in a Summer Term may be used toward requirements for the major/minor only as articulated in the department/institute/center guidelines or by permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students may be interested in course offerings in this department that can be taken in fulfillment of the [Global Core requirement / Language requirement / Science requirement] of the Core Curriculum.

Senior Thesis and Departmental Honors

Undergraduates majoring in Philosophy or Economics-Philosophy may propose to write a senior thesis. Students who wish to write a thesis should approach a faculty member at the end of their junior or beginning of their senior year, and begin working on a proposal early in the fall semester of their senior year. Proposals are due in early December, and will be reviewed by a committee which will include the Director of Undergraduate Studies; students will be notified of the committee’s decision within two weeks. Students whose proposals are approved should register for their faculty advisor's section of Supervised Independent Research for the spring term of their senior year. Departmental honors are highly competitive. Normally no more than 10% of the majors graduating in the department each year will receive departmental honors. A student may be nominated by a faculty member early in the spring semester of their senior year; nominated students will be invited to submit a writing sample. Both the senior thesis and writing samples are due in early April.

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Graduate Programs

The department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. programs in philosophy. The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit.

M.A. Programs

Programs are sometimes referred to as “free-standing” or “terminal” M.A. programs. Students who do well in one of the free-standing M.A. programs are in a good position to apply to Ph.D. programs at other universities. Students in the free-standing M.A. programs who wish to apply to the Columbia Ph.D. program must submit a separate application which will be evaluated competitively with all of the other applications we receive. There is no guarantee that they will be admitted to the Ph.D. program, nor should there be any expectation that their chances of being admitted are improved by the fact of having obtained an M.A. degree in the Department. The requirements below should be read in conjunction with the general requirements of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. 3000-level courses and below (undergraduate) courses do not count toward graduate degrees in Philosophy. Courses offered by other departments do not count toward Philosophy degrees unless they are cross-listed. In some cases, the DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) may grant an exception to this restriction if it is justified by a student’s philosophical project. The requirements for the free-standing M.A. degree in Philosophy and the M.A. degree earned en route to the Ph.D. are identical. The course and distribution requirements for the M.A. are half those for the M.Phil. The requirements for the M.Phil. are cumulative, and include the requirements for the M.A.(For instance: 30 points of coursework are required for the M.A. degree, and another 21 points for the M.Phil., so 51 points total; 3 points are required in each distribution group for the M.A., and another 3 points are required in each distribution group for the M.Phil., so 6 points total.) Since the M.Phil. requirements are cumulative, students in the first two years of the Ph.D. program should focus on completing all course and distribution requirements for the M.Phil. degree, but make sure to apply for the M.A. degree as soon as the M.A. requirements (2 Residence Units; 18 points of E-credit including at least 2 seminars and at least 3 points in each distribution group; 12 points of R-credit) are completed. Students in the free-standing M.A. programs may elect to study part-time. All students must be continuously registered during the entire time of their graduate program.

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program is a sequential program. Students earn an M.A. and an M.Phil. degree on the way to earning the Ph.D. degree. Students in the Ph.D. program must study full-time. All students must be continuously registered during the entire time of their graduate program.

M.Phil. Degree Requirements

Residence Requirement: 6 Residence Units (including the 2 Residence Units required for the M.A. degree). (1 Residence Unit = 1 semester of full-time study.) Proseminar Requirement: All Ph.D. students are required to take the Proseminar in their first year in the program. The Proseminar is taken for R-credit. Course Requirements: A minimum of 51 points at the G4000-level or above are required for the M.Phil. degree. Of these 51 points, at least 24 points must be for E-credit (a passing letter grade). Of the 24 points of E-credit , at least 21 points must be earned in the first two years. The remaining 3 points will be earned in the third year, for a Quodlibetal Studies course in the Fall semester of the third year with the student’s advisor. (The Proposal Preparation Seminar, in the Spring semester of the third year, is taken Pass/Fail.) Of the 21 points of E-credit that must be taken in the first two years, at least 3 points must be in each of the following three distribution groups (for a total of 9 points): Group I: Ethics; Aesthetics; Political Philosophy; Group II: Theory of Knowledge; Philosophy of Logic or Logic beyond Symbolic Logic PHILGU5415; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Science; Metaphysics; Group III: History of Philosophy (a major philosopher or philosophical period). Of the 21 points of E-credit that must be taken in the first two years, at least 9 points must be for G9000-level seminars. Quodlibetal (independent study) courses may be substituted for regular seminars, with the approval of the DGS. 3 points will be Pass/Fail, for the Proposal Preparation Seminar (PHIL 9985 GR) in the Spring Semester of the third year. The remaining 24 points may be taken for R-credit (Registration credit) and must include: 6 points earned in the Proseminar in the first year (3 points in the fall term, 3 points in the spring). 3 points in each of the three distribution groups (in addition to the 3 points of E-credit), for a total of 9 points of R-credit. In order to earn a letter grade, a student must complete all the requirements for the course. In order to earn R-credit (registration credit), a student must attend the course and satisfy any additional requirements the instructor may impose, such as an oral presentation. However, no letter grade is awarded with R-credit. A typical course load in the first two years of the Ph.D. program would be as follows: First Year Fall Semester: -The required First Year Proseminar for R-credit. -2 courses for letter grades -2 additional courses for R credit Spring Semester: -The required First Year Proseminar for R-credit. -2 or 3 courses for letter grades -1 or 2 additional courses for R credit (Please note that students have no TA responsibilities in the first year.) Second Year Fall Semester: -1 or 2 courses for letter grades -1 or 2 courses for R credit Spring Semester: -1 or 2 courses for letter grades -1 or 2 courses for R credit Third Year Fall Semester: -1 Quodlibetal Studies course for a letter grade with the student’s advisor in the fall term -1 course for R credit Spring Semester: -Proposal Preparation Seminar, taken Pass/Fail -1 course for R credit

Proficiency Requirements

Logic Requirement: All students must demonstrate proficiency in Logic. This requirement may be satisfied in two ways: Earning at least 3 points of E-credit in a Logic course (G4000-level or above); Passing the proficiency examination in Logic administered by the Department in the last week before the beginning of the Fall Term. (Students who pass the exam are exempt from any additional coursework in Logic.) The proficiency exam is optional and cannot be retaken. Language Requirement: In consultation with faculty advisors and the DGS during the first two years of the program, students will be guided in the selection of coursework so as to be in a position to satisfy the department, by the end of their third program year, that they have acquired whatever research tools are necessary to complete the proposed dissertation. In some instances this might involve demonstrating proficiency in a language or some cognate field relevant to a candidate’s research project. Dissertation Proposal Defense Requirement: Defending a Dissertation Proposal is the final requirement for the M.Phil. degree. After the Proposal Defense (assuming all other M.Phil. requirements are complete), students may apply for the M.Phil. degree regardless of whether the defense was successful. An unsuccessful Proposal Defense means a student may leave the program with an M.Phil. in hand. However, in order to remain in the program and become an official Candidate for the Ph.D., a student’s Proposal Defense must be successful and the Proposal formally approved by the student’s Dissertation Committee. Please consult the "Helpful Links" page for the Department's full guidelines on the dissertation prospectus.

Ph.D. Degree Candidacy

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must successfully complete the Thesis Preparation Seminar (PHIL 9990 GR), normally held in the Spring Semester of their fourth year in the program. After students have received their M.Phil. degrees, and are admitted to candidacy, they must successfully complete and defend their doctoral dissertations in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Course Offerings

The department offers a wide range of courses, from introductory surveys to advanced seminars. Here are some examples of courses offered:

PHIL UN1001 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY: Survey of some of the central problems, key figures, and great works in both traditional and contemporary philosophy.
PHIL UN1010 METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT
PHIL UN2101 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I: Exposition and analysis of the positions of the major philosophers from the pre-Socratics through Augustine.
PHIL UN2110 PHILOSOPHY ＆ FEMINISM: Introduction to philosophy and feminism through a critical discussion of questions about race and gender using historical and contemporary texts, art, and public lectures.
PHIL UN2685 INTRO TO PHIL OF LANGUAGE
PHIL UN3000 BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY: Examination of Buddhist theories about the nature and structure of reality and their epistemological and ethical implications.
PHIL UN3264 19TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY: HEGEL: Examines major themes of Hegel's philosophy, with emphasis on social and political thought.
PHIL UN3353 EUROPEAN SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY: A survey of European social philosophy from the 18th to the 20th century, with special attention to theories of capitalism and the normative concepts that inform them.
PHIL UN3411 SYMBOLIC LOGIC: Advanced introduction to classical sentential and predicate logic.
PHIL UN3551 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE: Philosophical problems within science and about the nature of scientific knowledge in the 17th-20th centuries.
PHIL UN3601 METAPHYSICS: Systematic treatment of some major topics in metaphysics (e.g. modality, causation, identity through time, particulars and universals).
PHIL UN3701 ETHICS: Introduction to utilitarianism, deontological views, and virtue ethics.
PHIL UN3751 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: Examination of major concepts of political philosophy including authority, rights, equality, justice, liberty and democracy.
PHIL UN3756 Critical Philosophy of Race: What is Race?: A philosophical examination of the meaning and significance of the concept of race.
PHIL UN3768 ALLIES, ADVOCATES, ADVERSARIES: Survey of political and epistemological questions centered around living in a society with oppression.
PHIL UN3858 CULTIVATING INDIVIDUALITY: Exploration of the meaning of "individuality" and how to develop it.
PHIL UN3863 HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING: Consideration of happiness in relation to well-being, examining major theories of well-being.
PHIL UN3912 SEMINAR: Designed to allow students to focus on particular philosophical issues or texts in greater depth.
PHIL UN3960 EPISTEMOLOGY: Examination of the nature and kinds of knowledge.
PHIL UN3996 SUPERVISED SENIOR RESEARCH
PHIL UN3997 SUPERVISED SENIOR RESEARCH,Supervised Senior Research: Supervised research usually with the goal of writing a senior thesis, under the direction of individual members of the department.
PHIL GU4424 MODAL LOGIC
PHIL GU4495 PERCEPTION: This course addresses the fabulously rich range of issues about the nature of perception.
PHIL GU4561 PROBABILITY ＆ DECISION THEORY: Examines interpretations and applications of the calculus of probability.
PHIL GU4602 PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS IN GREEK: Careful reading and translation of a major philosophical text in ancient Greek.

Please note some courses require professor permission to join. Students may register for a GR-prefixed course only with instructor permission.

Introductory and Advanced Courses

An Introductory course. One 3000-level course in moral, political, or social philosophy. (PHIL UN3701 Ethics satisfies this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time. One 3000-level course in epistemology, the philosophy of science, or in the philosophy of one of the particular sciences. (PHIL UN3551 Philosophy of Science and PHIL UN3960 Epistemology both satisfy this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time.

Resources and Opportunities

Philosophy Hall

Philosophy Hall is a building on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. It houses the English, Philosophy, and French departments, along with the university's writing center, part of its registrar's office, and the student lounge of its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It is one of the original buildings designed for the university's Morningside Heights campus by McKim, Mead, and White, built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and completed in 1910. The space now occupied by the registrar formerly housed electrical engineering laboratories in which Michael I. Pupin and Edwin Howard Armstrong made several major technological breakthroughs. The building has been home to such notable faculty members as philosophers John Dewey, Frederick J. E. Philosophy Hall was not occupied by protesters during the 1968 protests. It is one of only a handful of buildings on the Columbia campus named for an academic discipline, and not an individual.

Gutmann and Kahn Funds

Established by Mrs. Established in 1987 in honor of James Gutmann, CC’18 and Professor of Philosophy, by his family and friends on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Established in 1965 by the family of the late Lina Kahn, who received a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1916.

Philosophy Discussion Group

Join us each week to discuss a topic of philosophical interest! Discussions do not require any background knowledge or preparation.

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