How do issues in psychology and psychiatry relate to philosophical questions concerning cognition, emotion, self-consciousness, and the unity of the mind?

How does mental phenomena fit into the physical universe? Should computers have thoughts or consciousness? What is the mind-body problem? With this interdisciplinary minor in philosophical psychology, students will address those questions and others, focusing on the relationship between the mind and the body, as well as topics such as memory, perception, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, the connection between thoughts and emotions and more.

The Curriculum

View the 2023-2024 Academic Catalog to find course titles, numbers and descriptions.

Requirements for a Minor in Philosophical Psychology

  • PSYCH1501 General Psychology (SA) (SS) 
  • PHIL2104 Theories of Human Nature (M) (ER) 
  • PHIL3109 Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL3110 Philosophy of Psychiatry
  • Any PSYCH 3000 level course

Students will gain a greater understanding of how philosophical theories and empirical discoveries in psychology mutually illuminate and inform each other. They will learn:

  1. how important issues in psychology and psychiatry relate to philosophical questions concerning cognition, emotion, self-consciousness, and the unity of the mind;
  2. how concepts drawn from the field of psychology relate to philosophical accounts of the human psyche and human nature;
  3. how to identify, decipher, explain, construct, and assess philosophical arguments;
  4. how to respond critically to a philosophical argument, by raising concerns and objections;
  5. how to write clear, well-structured, and logically reasoned essays; and
  6. how to give articulate, concise spoken presentations that highlight key points and engage others in discussion.

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