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Undergraduate Program
Ever since its appearance in ancient Greece, philosophy ("love of wisdom") has sought answers to difficult and perplexing questions such as: What is mind and how does it relate to the physical world? What is knowledge and how does it differ from mere belief? What is the nature of value, and what makes for good human actions, lives, and societies? These and other philosophical questions arise naturally in the course of work in the various sciences and humanities. Hence, philosophy has a natural border with all other academic disciplines and lends itself to joint studies and collaborations.Students of philosophy find that it develops their capacities for clear thinking and careful reasoning. Studies suggest that philosophy majors score higher than all other majors on the verbal section of the Graduate Record Examination. They also score second only to mathematics majors on the Graduate Management Admissions Test, and third to mathematics and economics majors on the Law School Admissions Test. These skills, and the philosophy student's exposure to basic issues of human concern, make philosophy an excellent preparation for graduate study in law, business, medicine, and other fields.
Among the benefits of studying philosophy at Arizona is the opportunity to learn from some of the most well-respected and widely-recognized philosophers in the nation and the world. Many of Arizona's faculty are among the top researchers in their fields. Another benefit is the Philosophy Club, an informal discussion group for philosophy students who wish to engage each other and their guests in lively and informative philosophical exchange.