Philosophy Department

Although regarded by some as an “impractical” major, you might be surprised at how practical philosophy can be. Philosophy is among the best majors for anyone considering graduate study in any discipline. No matter what particular career choice one makes, the ability to think and write carefully and critically is at least beneficial, if not crucial.

Philosophy courses all aim at enhancing one’s ability to think critically, to reconstruct and evaluate the arguments which are constantly offered in support of one claim/position or another. Philosophy is clearly useful for those wishing to transfer and pursue virtually any major.  Philosophy also aims at living life well. It helps us to accomplish this by providing us with the tools needed to evaluate ourselves and the world around us. Another key benefit of philosophy, then, is that it can provide you with the intellectual tools necessary to evaluate different possible life-choices so that you will be better prepared to find a meaningful direction for your life.

 

Our Philosophy Courses and Transfer Potential

Rio Hondo’s philosophy offerings satisfy a variety of transfer functions.

  Rio Hondo CSU UC
GE GE GE
Phil 101 7B C2 3B
Phil 101H 7B C2 3B
Phil 110 8B A3 1B
Phil 110H 8B A3 1B
Phil 112 8B A3 Elective
Phil 112H 8B A3 Elective
Phil 115 8B A3 Elective
Phil120 7B C2 3B
Phil 124 7B C2 3B
Phil126 7B C2 3B
Phil 128 6 C2 or D8 3B or 4H
Phil 128H 6 C2 or D8 3B or 4H
Phil 135 7B C2 3B
Phil 140 7B C2 3B

For course descriptions please see the college catalog, or contact the instructor.

The AA-T Degree in Philosophy at Rio Hondo College

We are pleased to offer an AA-T degree in philosophy at Rio Hondo to provide a structured sequence of study for those interested in philosophy. This sequence is especially designed for those considering majoring in philosophy upon transfer to a four-year institution.

What to do with Philosophy?

Although regarded by some as an “impractical” major, you might be surprised at how practical philosophy can be. Philosophy is among the best majors for anyone considering graduate study in any discipline. Data show that Philosophy majors regularly perform in or near the top percentiles on the major graduate admission tests including the GRE, the LSAT, the GMAT, and the MCAT. For example, in an 18-year study by the National Institute of Education, Philosophy majors outscored English majors on the verbal portion of the GRE (in fact, they outscored all other majors), outscored all other humanities majors on the quantitative portion, and were alone among humanities majors in scoring above the overall average on the GRE.

Philosophy majors outscored business majors on the GMAT by 15%, and outscored all other majors except mathematics. Philosophy majors outscored Political Science majors on the LSAT by 10%, and outscored accounting majors by 5%. No matter what particular career choice one makes, the ability to think and write carefully and critically is at least beneficial, if not crucial. Philosophy courses all aim at enhancing one’s ability to think critically, to reconstruct and evaluate the arguments which are constantly offered in support of one claim/position or another. Philosophy is clearly useful for those wishing to transfer and pursue virtually any major.

Philosophy also aims at living life well. It helps us to accomplish this by providing us with the tools needed to evaluate ourselves and the world around us. Another key benefit of philosophy, then, is that it can provide you with the intellectual tools necessary to evaluate different possible life-choices so that you will be better prepared to find a meaningful direction for your life.

Click here to view some practical benefits of majoring in Philosophy

Area CSU and UC Philosophy Department Events

The following links are provided for the nearest CSU and UC philosophy department news/events sites. There, you may find information about upcoming talks, conferences, or other events hosted by these departments. These events provide opportunities to get a preview of some of the activities of the professional life of an academic philosopher, to get a sense of what philosophy majors at these campuses do, and to meet other students interested in philosophy. In addition, they provide the possibility of meeting department faculty prior to applying and transferring to those programs.

Jobs and Philosophy

While taking a philosophy course, in general, may certainly prove beneficial, what about those interesting in transferring to another college or university with the plan of acquiring a B.A., or even a Graduate degree (M.A., of Ph.D.) in philosophy?

The most obvious use of philosophy is becoming a philosophy professor. This requires at least an M.A., in philosophy, and a Ph.D. is often preferable. For up-to-date data on programs in philosophy, and the state of the philosophy profession, you are encouraged to consult “The Philosophical Gourmet.”

 

Full Time Faculty

Ted Preston, Professor of Philosophy

MA: CSU-Long Beach, PhD: University of California, Riverside

Dissertation: Bridging the Gap Between Normative Beliefs and Actions

Thesis: Overcoming Beauty. Using Will to Power to Shape Authentic Selves.

Areas of Interest: Virtue Ethics, Stoicism, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion

 

Scott Dixon, Associate Professor of Philosophy

MA: CSU-Long Beach, PhD: University of South Africa, Pretoria

Dissertation: The Theory and Pedagogy of Semantic Inconsistency in Critical Reasoning

Thesis: The Logic and Rationality of Paraconsistency

Areas of Interest: Critical Reasoning, Philosophy of Logic, Wittgenstein, Hume