2008-2009 Catalog - United States Air Force Academy

philosophy minor
The Philosophy minor requires a minimum of 147 hours and four philosophy courses in addition to Philosophy 310. Because
philosophy courses can often be used to fulfill a major’s requirements in other disciplines, the Philosophy minor can sometimes
be earned by taking only one or two additional courses.
“Philosophy” is not another discipline. Rather, it is rational inquiry into any discipline (e.g., philosophy of psychology,
philosophy of history, philosophy of law). Philosophers seek answers to the basic, fundamental questions, which underpin
any field of study. In addition to the questions addressed in the core course about how we should live our lives, philosophers
also study: principles of language and reasoning (logic); foundations of empirical discovery and other ways of knowing
(epistemology); and the ultimate underpinnings and structure of the self and the world (metaphysics).
Philosophy is an ancient and valuable sub district within the vast marketplace of ideas. It is concerned with the most interesting
questions in life—the questions that are fundamental and the least easy to answer or avoid. All cadets are required to take a
course in ethics, which is the discipline concerned with answering the questions: What is a good act? What sort of person is the
best person? What is truly valuable? By what principles should life be led? Obviously, philosophy is not for everyone. It is not
for those who want easy answers, nor is it for those who do not care about the deeper meanings of life or the purpose of their
own lives. It is for those who wish to gain a more thorough understanding of themselves as rational, reflective beings inhabiting
and working in a world that sometimes allows us to glimpse its deeper meanings.
Course Requirements
A. Four courses (12 semester hours) in addition to Philosophy 310 in which the student earns a grade of “C” or better.
B. Required courses include:
1. Philos 390: The Great Philosophers
2. One of the following logic courses:
Philos 360:
Philos 370:
Applied Reasoning
Introduction to Symbolic Logic
3/4. Any two philosophy courses not taken above.
NOTE: See course descriptions under the Humanities major.
136 United States Air Force Academy Catalog