Philosophy

The Philosophy Department: 

Department website: https://philosophy.columbia.edu/

Office location: 708 Philosophy Hall

Office contact: 212-854-3196, hmd2151@columbia.edu 

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Wolfgang Mann, 705 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-7887; wrm4@columbia.edu

Economics-Philosophy Adviser: Jessica Collins, 714 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-3970; jessica.collins@columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Haley Donovan, 708 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-8507; hmd2151@columbia.edu
 

The Study of Philosophy

Students interested in philosophy may pursue a major either in philosophy or in economics-philosophy. Because philosophy treats issues fundamental to both the sciences and the humanities, students are also welcome to combine their philosophy major with work in other fields. Before declaring a major in philosophy or economics-philosophy, and before deciding to combine philosophy with another discipline, students should meet with the director of undergraduate studies to formulate the program best for them.

Philosophy majors are given a foundation in logic and philosophical methodology, and are asked to confront fundamental questions in the main areas of philosophy: epistemology and metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy, philosophy of mind and language, and history of philosophy. The department requires that all majors take at least one seminar (PHIL UN3912), designed to allow students to focus on particular philosophical issues or texts in greater depth. Outstanding seniors may also pursue their own philosophical project in a senior thesis.

Over and above the courses required of all majors, there is room for considerable flexibility. Through an appropriate choice of electives from among the department’s offerings (and from related courses in other departments), there are special opportunities for focusing more intensively on one or two subfields of philosophy, e.g., logic and the philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of science, ethics and political philosophy, or the history of philosophy. Students should consult with the director of undergraduate studies on how best to pursue such programs.

The Study of Economics-Philosophy

The Joint Major in Economics and Philosophy is an interdisciplinary one which, while introducing students to the basic methodologies of economics and philosophy, stresses areas of particular concern to both. These include subjects such as rationality and decision making, justice and well-being, freedom and collective choice, and the nature of empirical scientific theories. 

There are two advisers for the Joint Major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Philosophy. Please note that the economics adviser can advise only on the economics requirements and the philosophy adviser can advise only on the philosophy requirements.

Prospective majors are strongly advised to discuss the major early in their sophomore year. Each major is expected to meet with the departmental advisers in the middle of their junior year and at the beginning of their senior year. 

Student Advising 

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Wolfgang Mann, 705 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-7887; wrm4@columbia.edu 

Economics-Philosophy Adviser: Jessica Collins, 714 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-3970; jessica.collins@columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Haley Donovan, 708 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-8507; hmd2151@columbia.edu

Consulting Advisers 

• Students with questions regarding the Philosophy major or concentration should contact the DUS by email to set up an appointment. 

• Students interested in joining the Philosophy Undergraduate listserv can email Haley Donovan at hmd2151@columbia.edu.

• Undergraduate Open Houses, Information Events, and Welcome Events will be advertised through our listserv and Department website.

Enrolling in Classes 

• Please note some courses require professor permission to join. If this is the case, students should email the professor as early as possible to join the course.

Preparing for Graduate Study 

• Students interested in pursuing graduate studies should consult with their advisers or the DUS.

Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia 

• Coursework in fulfillment of a major or minor in Philosophy must be taken at Columbia University unless explicitly noted here and/or expressly permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Exceptions or substitutions permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies should be confirmed in writing by email to the student.

Advanced Placement 

• The Department of Philosophy does not accept any advanced placement credit toward courses in the curriculum.

Barnard College Courses 

• The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit. The courses specifically designed for Barnard students (first-year and senior seminars) do not count towards the Columbia major or concentration. But all other courses in the Columbia-Barnard joint curriculum do count for the major or concentration, regardless of whether the instructor is associated with Barnard or Columbia.

Transfer Courses 

• Courses taken at other institutions may count only after review and approval by the DUS (a written record of approval must be submitted to 708 Philosophy by the student or DUS). No more than 5 courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major, and no more than 4 to the concentration.

Study Abroad Courses 

• Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and taught by Columbia instructors) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus. If they are not explicitly listed by the department as fulfilling requirements in the major or minor [or special program or concentration], the DUS will need to confirm that they can be used toward requirements in the major/minor.

• Classes taken abroad through other institutions and programs are treated as transfer credit to Columbia, and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. There will be a limit on the number of courses taken abroad that can be applied to the major/minor, and they must be approved by the DUS.

Summer Courses 

• Summer courses at Columbia are offered through the School of Professional Studies. Courses taken in a Summer Term may be used toward requirements for the major/minor only as articulated in the department/institute/center guidelines or by permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. More general policies about Summer coursework can be found in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

• Two courses taken in summer sessions can count towards the major.

Core Curriculum Connections 

• Students may be interested in course offerings in this department that can be taken in fulfillment of the [Global Core requirement / Language requirement / Science requirement] of the Core Curriculum. See the list of approved courses for the requirement on this page of the Bulletin that lists all approved courses to see the list of courses in this department that have been approved for the requirement. 

• Core classes such as Contemporary Civilization may not count towards the major. 

Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis 

Senior Thesis Coursework and Requirements 

• Undergraduates majoring in Philosophy or Economics-Philosophy may propose to write a senior thesis. Students who wish to write a thesis should approach a faculty member at the end of their junior or beginning of their senior year, and begin working on a proposal early in the fall semester of their senior year. Proposals are due in early December, and will be reviewed by a committee which will include the Director of Undergraduate Studies; students will be notified of the committee’s decision within two weeks. Students whose proposals are approved should register for their faculty advisor's section of Supervised Independent Research for the spring term of their senior year. Theses are due in early April. 

• See the full policy and procedure concerning senior theses on the departmental webpage: http://philosophy.columbia.edu/content/senior-thesis-philosophy  

Department Honors and Prizes

Department Honors 

• Departmental honors are highly competitive. Normally no more than 10% of the majors graduating in the department each year will receive departmental honors. In order to qualify for departmental honors in philosophy, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.6 in the major. 

• For students with a GPA of 3.6 or above, there are two possible routes to consideration:

  • A student may complete a senior thesis; those students who complete senior theses will automatically be considered for honors without having to be nominated. 

  • A student may be nominated by a faculty member early in the spring semester of their senior year; nominated students will be invited to submit a writing sample. A nominated student who is also writing a thesis may submit their thesis as the writing sample, or may choose to submit a different work.

• Both the senior thesis and writing samples are due in early April. The departmental honors committee will then review the submitted material and the academic records of the writers, and will report to the full faculty. 

• The full faculty will then decide which students to recommend for the departmental honors to the Columbia College and General Studies administrations. 

Academic Prizes 

• Columbia College Prizes

  • Adam Leroy Jones Prize

    • Established by Mrs. Leroy Jones in memory of her husband who was Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of University Admissions from 1909 until 1934, the prize may be awarded to a student in the College for the best essay on a topic in the Philosophy of Science, or in the Foundations of Logic.

  • James Gutmann Prize

    • Established in 1987 in honor of James Gutmann, CC’18 and Professor of Philosophy, by his family and friends on the occasion of his 90th birthday. It may be awarded each year to a graduating Columbia College senior in Philosophy who plans to pursue graduate work in the field.

  • Lina Kahn Prize

    • Established in 1965 by the family of the late Lina Kahn, who received a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1916. This annual competition, which is open to graduate students only, awards $500 to the best paper in metaphysics.

Other Important Information 

• Student Organizations

  • Meade Anderson Undergraduate Philosophy Forum

    • Wednesdays 8:00-9:00 pm in 716 Philosophy Hall

    • Join us each week to discuss a topic of philosophical interest! Discussions do not require any background knowledge or preparation. All undergraduates are welcome to attend, and we hope to see you there. 

    • The Forum Leaders are Samantha Rosen (skr2168@barnard.edu) and Oscar Lloyd (oal2113@columbia.edu).

  • Gadfly

    • The Gadfly is the undergraduate philosophy magazine of Columbia University, which publishes academic papers, interviews, events, and free-form work. 

    • https://www.thegadflymagazine.org 

Professors

• David Albert
• Akeel Bilgrami
• Taylor Carman (Barnard)
• Haim Gaifman
• Lydia Goehr
• Axel Honneth
• Wolfgang Mann 
• Christia Mercer
• Michele Moody-Adams
• John Morrison (Barnard)
• Fred Neuhouser (Barnard)
• Christopher Peacocke 
• Carol Rovane
• Achille Varzi
• Katja Vogt

Associate Professors

• Justin Clarke-Doane
• Jessica Collins
• Melissa Fusco
• Tamar Lando
• Karen Lewis (Barnard)

Assistant Professors

• Allison Aitken
• Dhananjay Jagannathan
• Francey Russell (Barnard)
•  
• Affiliated Faculty
• Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French and Romance Philology)
• Jon Elster (Political Science)
• Wayne Proudfoot (Religion)
• Gayatri Spivak (University Professor)

Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department
 

Program Planning for all Students 

• PHIL UN1401 Intro to Logic does not count towards the undergraduate major in Philosophy.

• Courses in which a grade of D has been received do not count toward the major or concentration.

Course Numbering Structure 

• No more than one course at the 1000 level can be counted toward the major.

• In order to enroll in one of the 4000-level courses, students must have taken at least four courses in philosophy.

• Students may choose courses prefixed with GR only with the instructor’s permission. Additionally, because these seminars are capped, students should register early.

Guidance for First-Year Students 

• Refer to the coursework and majors requirements sections. 

Guidance for Transfer Students 

• Courses taken at other institutions may count only after review and approval by the DUS (a written record of approval must be submitted to 708 Philosophy by the student or DUS). No more than 5 courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major, and no more than 4 to the concentration.
  
   

Undergraduate Programs of Study

Required Coursework for all Programs 

• PHIL UN2101* or another course in ancient or medieval philosophy

• PHIL UN2201* or another course in the history of late medieval or early modern philosophy (e.g. PHIL UN3237 or UN3264)

• PHIL UN3411 or, in exceptional cases, a more advanced course in logic

• At least one course in either metaphysics or epistemology (e.g. PHIL GU4501, UN3601, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies)

• At least one course in either systematic ethics or social and political philosophy (e.g. PHIL UN2702, UN3701, UN3751, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies)

• At least one majors’ seminar, i.e. UN3912

    * Substituted courses must be selected in consultation with the DUS.

Major in Philosophy

Students considering a major in philosophy are strongly encouraged to meet with the director of undergraduate studies early in their sophomore year. All majors must consult with the director of undergraduate studies each term before registering for classes in order to plan and update their individual programs of study.

Students planning to major in philosophy are advised to begin with PHIL UN1010 METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT. Beginning students are especially encouraged to take 2000-level courses, both in the history of philosophy and in systematic philosophy. These courses are typically less specialized and less narrowly focused than higher-numbered ones. More advanced students are encouraged to take 3000-level courses. The department requires that all majors take at least one seminar, PHIL UN3912.

*PLEASE NOTE* PHILUN1401 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC does not count for credit towards the undergraduate major in philosophy.* No more than one course at the 1000-level can be counted toward the major. In order to enroll in one of the 4000-level courses, students must have taken at least four courses in Philosophy.

The major requires a minimum of 30 points in philosophy chosen from courses prefixed with UN or GU:

Course List

Code	Title	Points
PHIL UN2101	HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I
PHIL UN2201	HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II
PHIL UN3411	SYMBOLIC LOGIC
At least one course in either metaphysics or epistemology e.g., PHIL W3960, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.
Select at least one course in either ethics or social and political philosophy from the following:
PHIL UN2702	Contemporary Moral Problems
PHIL UN3701	ETHICS
PHIL UN3751	POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
A related course to be chosen in consultation with the director of undergradute studies.
PHIL UN3912	SEMINAR

• Courses taken pass/fail only count towards the major in unusual circumstances.

• Two courses taken in summer sessions can count towards the major.

• In some instances, courses in other departments can count for credit towards the major. For example, the Religion Department offers courses in philosophy of religion, and the Political Science Department offers courses in political philosophy. Questions about whether courses in other departments will count towards the major should be directed to the DUS.

• The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit. The courses specifically designed for Barnard students (first-year and senior seminars) do not count towards the Columbia major. But all other courses in the Columbia-Barnard joint curriculum do count for the major, regardless of whether the instructor is associated with Barnard or Columbia.

• Core classes such as Contemporary Civilization may not count towards the major. 

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Joint Major in Economics-Philosophy 

• An Introductory course. Most often this will be PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought.

• PHIL UN3411 Symbolic Logic.

• One 3000-level course in moral, political, or social philosophy. (PHIL UN3701 Ethics satisfies this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time. Consult with the Philosophy adviser if you are in any doubt here.)

• One 3000-level course in epistemology, the philosophy of science, or in the philosophy of one of the particular sciences. (PHIL UN3551 Philosophy of Science and PHIL UN3960 Epistemology both satisfy this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time. Consult with the Philosophy adviser if you are in any doubt here.)

• PHIL GU4561 Probability and Decision Theory.

• ECPH UN4950 Senior Seminar in Economics and Philosophy.

Please read Guidelines for all Economics Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors in the Economics section of this Bulletin.

Economics-Philosophy is an interdisciplinary major that, while introducing students to the basic methodologies of economics and philosophy, stresses areas of particular concern to both. These include subjects such as rationality and decision making, justice and efficiency, freedom and collective choice, and the logic of empirical theories and their testing. Many of the issues are dealt with historically, and classic texts of Plato, Kant, Mill, Marx, and Smith are reviewed.

Two advisers are assigned for the interdepartmental major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Philosophy. Please note that the Economics adviser can only advise on the Economics requirements and the Philosophy adviser can only advise on the Philosophy requirements.

The Economics-Philosophy major requires a total minimum of 54 points: 25 points in Economics, 16 points in Philosophy, 6 points in Mathematics, 3 points in Statistics, and 4 points in the interdisciplinary seminar as follows:

:

Course List

Code	Title	Points
Economics Core Courses
ECON UN1105	PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
ECON UN3211	INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS
ECON UN3213	INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS
ECON UN3412	INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS
Mathematics Sequence
Select a mathematics sequence
Statistics
Select a statistics course
Economics Electives
Three electives are required; refer to the Economics section of this bulletin.
Philosophy Courses
PHIL UN1010	METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT
PHIL UN3411	SYMBOLIC LOGIC
PHIL UN3701	ETHICS (a social or political philosophy course may be substituted, please consult the Philosophy DUS)
PHIL UN3551	PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
or PHIL UN3960	EPISTEMOLOGY
PHIL GU4561	PROBABILITY ＆ DECISION THEORY
Seminar
ECPH GU4950	ECONOMICS ＆ PHILOSOPHY (or another seminar in philosophy or economics approved by advisers in both department)

For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year
 

Concentration in Philosophy

Philosophy, as an academic discipline, has significant points of contact with a wide range of other subjects—in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. A concentration in philosophy thus can be an attractive option for many students. Those considering becoming concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet with the director of undergraduate studies early in their sophomore year, in order to discuss their specific interests and to plan their programs of study. All concentrators should consult with the director of undergraduate studies each term before registering for courses.

The concentration requires a minimum of 24 points in philosophy, chosen from courses prefixed with UN or GU. There are no specific courses required for the concentration.

Students may choose courses prefixed with GR only with the instructor’s permission. 

PHIL UN3912 is open to junior and senior concentrators who have taken at least four courses in philosophy.

Fall 2025

Spring 2025