Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

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Why choose Philosophy at PCC?

Portland Community College faculty care about your learning. Classes are small and our diverse student body will contribute fresh perspectives to the intellectual dialogue.

The role of philosophy, since its inception and as it is incorporated into the offerings at PCC, is precisely the attempt to encourage an attitude of critical reflection that yields practical personal and social benefits.

With the ability to recognize problems, examine possible solutions, implement actions, and assess values, we are well-equipped to succeed in our current or future environment. It is for this reason that philosophy serves as a cornerstone in the educational curriculum and continues to provide the repertoire of skills needed to flourish in the 21st Century.

Degrees and certificates

PCC offers classes in this program but not a degree. These classes can be used as electives and as part of the following university transfer plans:

What will you learn?

At its root, philosophy is as simple as asking questions about our existence and trying to formulate answers:

• How ought I to act?
• What is real?
• What can be known?

By this standard, we are all philosophers in that we must produce tentative answers to these questions to comprehend our own experiences.

In an academic environment, the study of philosophy is directed toward proactively exploring the nature of those questions and the reasoning behind their possible answers. Engaging in this philosophical process broadens our perspectives, reduces ignorance, and enriches our ability to coexist with others who are likely to perceive the world differently.

What will you do?

You might learn to think for yourself.