B.A. in Philosophy

Philosophical study at Boston College provides an opportunity for open-ended inquiry and reflection on the most fundamental questions about humanity and our world. Both as a core requirement and as a major, philosophy is foundational in helping us appropriate our intellectual and spiritual heritage and develop self-understanding anew. Pierre Hadot reminds us, in Philosophy as a Way of Life, that philosophy was originally understood as a spiritual exercise. It had as its goal the transformation of the whole of one’s life, intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Philosophy has been central to the educational mission of Boston College since its founding. The prominence of philosophy in the curriculum reflects the Jesuit heritage of this university. From the beginning, Jesuit colleges placed heavy emphasis on the values of authentic Christian humanism, chief among which was respect for the power of human intelligence and the depth of human experience to seek the truth, and the mutual compatibility of faith and reason. The study of philosophy remains among the most relevant and urgent of pursuits. Each human being desires answers to life’s perennial questions-questions regarding the ultimate meaning of life, such as knowledge, truth, rationality, language, being, transcendence, God, faith, beauty, good, justice, humanity, friendship, love, sexuality, identity, power, and authenticity. Reflection on such questions remains the core of the study of philosophy. Answers to these questions proposed by philosophers of the past remain with us today, not only inscribed in books, but also embedded in the practices and institutions of our contemporary society. The mission of the philosophy Department at Boston College is to provide an encouraging and supportive environment for the exploration of these questions, and for the critical examination of the pluralism of philosophical traditions that continue to inform our personal and corporate lives.