Studying Philosophy at Benedictine College
“In Greek the word philosophy means love of wisdom. There are people for whom philosophy is a means of misleading others. But the only thing that pleased me was to love wisdom itself, whatever it might be, and to search for it, pursue it, hold it, and embrace it firmly.”
~ St. Augustine, Confessions
Augustine wrote these words many centuries ago, but the study of philosophy remains essentially the 
same: it is a quest for wisdom about the natural world, man, and God. Philosophical studies have always been part of a liberal arts education, and philosophy has been an integral part of Catholic higher education since the first universities were founded in the 12th century. At Benedictine College, each student, in some way, is able to join this great tradition and become a “lover of wisdom.”
Philosophy and the General Education Requirement at Benedictine
The philosophy department’s most frequently offered classes help all students gain insight into the natural world and our place in it.
Required courses for a major, co-major, or minor in philosophy
Students in Benedictine’s honors program take a special track to fulfill their philosophy requirements.
Great Books in the Philosophy Department
Most philosophy courses involve the reading of original texts; a three semester sequence is taught in the seminar style.
Guidelines for proposing a senior thesis topic and standards for completing the thesis
"All men by nature desire to know" ~ Aristotle
