Mission And Objectives

Mission Statement
The Philosophy Program promotes academic excellence by providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate learning opportunities and by fostering the highest quality research and scholarship in philosophy.  It is focused on equipping students with core knowledge and skills, while acquainting them with the range and diversity of traditions and orientations in philosophy.  The program is committed to the relevance of its efforts, promoting meaningful institutional, professional, and community service, while emphasizing teaching and research attentive to the application of philosophical knowledge and skills.  The philosophy program is dedicated to regular and ongoing scrutiny of all its efforts in teaching, research, and service.  Informed by these commitments, the Department of Philosophy seeks to assist its multiple constituencies in appreciating the great intellectual conversations, in clarifying unexamined assumptions, in evaluating the ideas and norms that motivate intellectual inquiry, and in participating intelligently and responsibly in public debates.

Student Learning Outcomes
UNF Philosophy graduates should be able to:

Content/Disciplinary Knowledge & Skills

• Understand the terms, methods, and procedures employed in the discipline of philosophy.
• Understand the main developments, traditions, and/or topics in the discipline of philosophy, including theoretical, practical, and historical domains.

Critical Thinking Skills

• Present arguments that are well reasoned, fallacy-free, with conclusions properly following from premises.
• Understand the structure and evaluate the merit of arguments, recognizing forms of fallacious, invalid, and unsound reasoning.
• Read complex argumentative prose in a systematic, interpretive, and critical manner.

Communication Skills

• Write in a reasoned, persuasive, and argumentatively effective manner.
• Employ the verbal skills needed both for individual presentations and participation in group discussions.