BA/BS in Philosophy

The undergraduate Philosophy major at Stanford takes up questions that underlie nearly every other field of study. Some of these questions are abstract and ask what makes a claim true, what makes an action just, or what gives something value. Others are more concrete, and working through them can guide everyday conduct or sharpen understanding of other subjects. Philosophy draws on many branches, yet its practitioners share common habits. Careful reasoning, attention to how judgments take shape, and the review and organization of beliefs run through the discipline. Scientists can use philosophical thinking to examine the foundations and reach of a theory, and students whose main interests lie in the humanities or social sciences often find that philosophy deepens their work. The major prepares students to reason in a clear, critical manner about broad questions regarding existence, knowledge, and worth. It also links those questions to the many areas of human life, from the arts to politics and economics. Students who take the major learn to reason carefully about hard problems in any setting.