Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy (PA)

Thinking about a Major? Why not Major in Thinking? Rather than being concerned with a particular set of questions or a particular period of time, philosophy concerns itself with the nature of inquiry, thought, and argument itself, asking how each of these operates in the various areas of human life, from ethics and politics to the study of nature and reality. At the same time, the skills students develop in pursuit of a degree in philosophy – careful reading, charitable interpretation and discussion, and rigorous argumentation – have proven themselves to be useful in innumerable fields within and beyond the university.

The Philosophy Program at Nipissing is small and student-focused: with an average of 35 full-time majors, students get to know and work closely with both their professors and their peers. The department is particularly committed to introducing students to the history of philosophy, from the ancient period to the present. The program is designed to work well either as a stand-alone degree or as a combined degree with other programs, and there are numerous philosophy courses offered each year that do not have prerequisites and that are popular electives for students in other programs.​

In first year, students take two introductory courses, one that will provide a solid foundation in the history of Western Philosophy, and one that will introduce fundamental concepts in value theory (“Values and the Human Condition”). In both courses, students will develop research skills and the ability to write compelling arguments, as well as specific skills to help them analyze arguments about the nature of justice, truth, morality, reason, God, and science. 

In upper years, students are able to take courses and seminars with a more specific focus on topics such as Environmental Ethics, Transhumanism, Surveillance and Datafication, Existentialism, Freud, Marx, Philosophy of Law, Contemporary Theories of Justice, and many others. Fourth year provides the option of doing a directed studies course in which students complete their own independent research project in a subject of their choosing.