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227 Philosophy Thesis Topics To Use Right Now

A philosophy dissertation everyone’s favorite. The long list of philosophers and their allegories or theories is not a subject most students would want to listen to comfortably. However, students still have to write a philosophical thesis in their undergraduate or post-graduate to graduate.

Let us narrow down this elephant in the room for you.

What Is A Philosophical Thesis?

A philosophical paper is not a report of what various scholars have had to say on a particular issue. It is a reasoned defense of a particular thesis. Unlike other papers that present the latest findings of tests or experiments, this paper tries to persuade the reader to give in to a particular point of view together with grounds or justification for its acceptance.

The introduction of a philosophy paper states what the writer is trying to show the reader. When writing a dissertation in philosophy, follow the following simple guidelines for efficiency:

Very carefully and think about your topic
Have a rough idea of what you intend to establish
Determine how you’ll go about convincing the reader that your thesis is correct.

For an outstanding philosophy thesis, ensure that you say what you mean and in a way that minimizes the chances of being misunderstood. It is the general rule thumb for this paper that every student should have at his/her finger-tips.

What To Avoid in a Philosophy Dissertation

Understanding the do’s and don’ts of any paper is essential in ensuring that you stick within the scope of what is required of you. Here are some of the things to avoid in philosophical thesis papers for college:

Lengthy quotations: It is essential to understand that quotations are an essential part of philosophy papers. However, stating long quotes that run into paragraphs or more does not make your paper sound original. One will only see this as a duplication of another person’s work.
Circular reasoning: If you presuppose the truth of whatever it is that you are trying to bring out in the course of arguing for it, then you are guilty of begging the question.
Lengthy introductions: An intro should only serve the purpose of giving the context of your philosophy topic and creating interest in the reader. You can do it in less than four short and precise questions. Overloading your introduction only serves to drain your readers’ energy before they get into the real deal – the body.
Fence sitting: Most students are guilty of presenting several positions in their papers and then saying they are not qualified to settle the matter. Do not close by saying that philosophers have been divided over a particular issue. That only shows how shallow and scanty you were in your research process.

Always organize your work carefully, using the right words to present your stance without any disputes. The stance should also come out naturally without making the reader feel that you are forcing him/her to ascribe to your particular point of view.

It is also essential to support your arguments with undisputed evidence. Do not assume that your reader may not be skeptical of your arguments. Every reader is skeptical of whatever they read, and if sufficient evidence is not provided, then you might not convince anyone at the end of your 20-page long thesis.

Now, for you to have a strong thesis, ensure that it is:

Answering a specific question;
Engaging; one that can be challenged or opposed, thus also defended;
Passes the “so what? Or why should I care?” test;
Supported by your paper; and
Not too broad nor too vague.

To have a strong argument in your philosophical paper, demonstrate these sorts of things that make your opponent’s views false in a fashion that does not presuppose that your position is correct. Your philosophy research topics will play a significant role in supporting this claim.

You can find philosophy research paper topics from:

Early American Imprints of 1639 to 1819 Early English Books Online of 1475 to 1700 Internet archives The War Diaries of Jean-Paul Sartre The Metaphysics of Morals by Emmanuel Kant

And many more sources that are readily available in your college library or online catalogs.

We now advance to our professional philosophy topics list:

Sample Thesis Topics For Philosophy of the Human Sciences

Critique of mainstream assumptions and practices of human behavior globally
How are constructions of human nature affect our associations and lineation
Adopting a human science framework to the problem of racial discrimination in the US
How to adopt positivism in a world bombarded by negative news all the time
A rigorous and systematic approach to man’s natural behavior
The role of the Greek philosophers in shaping human sciences around the 18th century
How existential phenomenology found its way from Europe
Cultural and biological dimensions of human science research programs
The role of qualitative research methods across the discipline of the human sciences
How humanistic psychology offers more substantive findings in human science tradition
An evaluation of the colleges and universities dedicated to humanistic/human science philosophy
Discuss the impact of the American infusionism into the cultures and systems of the world
Fundamental tenets of Western civilization in developing countries
An assessment of the ancient nature of human interactions
Political and cultural standards acceptable to all human interactions

Philosophy Potential Senior Thesis Topics

A philosophical perspective of evil actions and evil persons
How the ideology of Darwinism has affected the aspect of natural selection
Distinguishing the underlying differences between intervention and information
Psychoanalysis of melancholia in teenagers
Investigating the use of biology in dealing with human philosophical issues
The evolution of philosophical writings from the 15th century to the 21st century
Examine the connection between shame and an immoral piece of art
How depression relates to natural and interactive children
What is the logic behind nightmares and madness in dreams?
An investigation of how man is adapting to the invasion of privacy by new technologies
The ethical and practical arguments against voluntary euthanasia
Discuss the relationship between value, dignity, and human virtue in the Modern Virtue Theory
The evolution of personal and corporate responsibility in the 21st century
Trends in sex and sexuality as seen in the 21st century
Why arousal of an emotion in the listener is essential in the delivery of any speech

Undergraduate Philosophy Thesis Topics

Modern science: Should we employ a monistic or pluralistic model?
How moral philosophy can help improve our understanding of folk psychology
Why is it close to impossible to escape mental externalism?
The emergence of technology and resulting bioethics as seen in the 21st century
Investigate the willingness to accept punishment after committing a civil crime
Why artificial intelligence may not be a genuinely creative entity
Discuss empathy, fiction, and morality in the development of fiction stories and folklores
The role of sporting activities in developing virtues and morals in the society
Is voluntary suicide justified for any reason whatsoever?
Why postmodern philosophical theories and market anarchism are enemies
Discuss the ultimate goal of humanity in the backdrop of the changing roles
Give a detailed analysis of the relationship between fate, destiny, and free will
What is the essence of dreams and visions to man?
Evaluate the sources of your self-worth in the light of personal attributes
What is the impact of a person’s name on who they become in the future?

Best-Rated Political Philosophy Thesis Topics

Consider the dividing line between distributive justice and the family
Investigate the gendered basis for care and caregiving
What are the underlying differences between multiculturalism and feminism
Discuss the liberal versus radical feminist positions on pornography
How social beings should live together considering the underlying differences
Following the example of Plato, discuss what it means to have an ideal society
Given the knowledge and resources available, discuss the best form of society using the US as a case study
The evolution of democracy in the US presidential election
How the history of the past several centuries has impacted the role of citizens in participation in democracy
What is the essence of having a conservative free-market economy in the 21st century?
The role of the government in regulating the economy
Should the economy incorporate both capitalist and socialist structures?
Do we have an economically viable socialist alternative to capitalism?
Is it worth fighting for an economically viable alternative to capitalism?
The conservative view of the post-World-War-Two period

Thesis Topics on the Renaissance and Philosophy

The impact of the renaissance period o man’s view of the world
Compare and contrast the High Renaissance in Rome as compared to the of Northern Europe
The impact of the scientific revolution on the renaissance period
The early renaissance period in Florence and the existence of the Flemish art
Discuss the contributions of some of the godfathers of the Renaissance
The perfect interplay between music and painting during the renaissance period
The humanist intellectual, cultural, and artistic revolution of the Renaissance
Religious symbolism and naturalistic beauty as exemplified in the renaissance period
The role of sexuality and eroticism in the works of the 16th-century renaissance art
How the discoveries of the renaissance period helped shape people’s attitudes towards life
Identify and explain the role of the Carolingian Renaissance on the Bible
The impact of the Great migration and economic changes on literature and art
Discuss how art patronage was conducted in Italy during the Renaissance
How science has made advancements in renaissance culture and art
Impacts of the early Renaissance on the medical innovations

Master Thesis Topics in Philosophy

Discuss the benefits and impacts of the renaissance period on the man
How the renaissance period played a part in the reformation of the world
A comparative analysis of philosophy, art, and culture during the Renaissance
How much influence did the renaissance period have on dressing?
Conduct a critical analysis of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance
The contribution of sculptors of the Italian Renaissance
Discuss artistic renaissance humanism during 1400 and 1650
The Renaissance and religion: A case study of the Catholic church
Artistic revolution as a significant element of the Renaissance
The role of William Shakespeare in the renaissance period
Discuss the classical and Renaissance humanities art of the Greco-Roman artists
The cultural, economic, and political influence of the Renaissance
The age of revolutionary, Renaissance, and enlightenment period
The representation of nature in the European renaissance artistic works
How Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Rafael contributed to the new era of the Renaissance

Introduction to Philosophy Thesis Topics

Discuss whether people are good or evil by nature
What are the limitations to free will in making personal decisions?
What is the impact of the belief in God on a person’s way of life?
Discuss the compatibility issues between science with religion
Give a detailed argument for or against utilitarianism
What is the logic behind psychological and ethical egoism?
Ascertain the relevance of morals to culture or society
The role of Aesop’s fables in contributing to human philosophy
Discuss the history and development of African philosophy
What are the central tenets of African Sage Philosophy?
The critical role played by altruism and group selection
Conduct a detailed analysis of the American Enlightenment Thought
How does the American Wilderness Philosophy vary from that of today?
A case study of Anselm’s Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
Critically evaluate motion and its place in nature
Discuss association in the philosophy of the mind
How Bolzano’s mathematical knowledge played a crucial role in human philosophy

Thesis Papers Topics on Buddhist Philosophy

The view of sin and punishment between the Buddhist and Hindu religions
Buddhist believe in rebirth, which is determined by the actions one does in daily life.
Misconceptions about sexuality in the Buddhist religion
Discuss the relationship between Shinto with China and Buddhism
Analyze the four noble truths of Buddhism
The concept of salvation according to the Zen Buddhism religion
A detailed study of the confluence of Buddhism and Hinduism in India
An analysis of the faith and practices of Buddhism as a religion in India
The role of Mahatma Gandhi in advancing the ideologies and practices of Buddhism
Evaluate the vase of treasure hidden in the Buddhist iconography
Compare and contrast the various variations between Buddhism and Christianity
Elements of the Buddhism religion that make it sacred
Discuss the concept of anger and how to manage it in the Buddhism religion
Cultural histories and the expansion of the Buddhism religion in China
Differences in the Japanese versus Chinese Buddhism practices

Types of Philosophy Thesis Topics

Discuss the role of aesthetics in the study of philosophy
How epistemology has contributed to the growth in philosophical literature
Elaborate the role of ethics on the survivability of a society
How logic has been crucial in making rational decisions in a man
What are the limitations of metaphysics as a branch of philosophy?
Analyze the philosophy of mind given the fundamental tenets
Discuss the major revolutions of the African philosophy
Why does Eastern philosophy have a lower absorption rate?
Reasons why Western philosophy has a greater acceptance in the world as compared to others
Give the unique characteristics of the ancient and classical philosophy
Why the medieval and post-classical philosophies have a place in the modern world
The modern and contemporary philosophy in terms of improvements
Discuss the philosophy of language theories and stances in Europe
What is the impact of the philosophy of science theories and stances?
Discuss the epistemological stances of different philosophical schools of thought

Epistemology Paper Topics

The concept of skepticism among different readers
Analyze the internalist vs. externalist accounts of knowledge and justification
Discuss the structure of knowledge and justification
What contributes to contextualism in epistemology?
Impacts of the relevant alternative accounts of knowledge
Discuss the pros and cons of the epistemology of lotteries
A case study of foundationalism and coherentism
The impacts of facts and beliefs on people
Is skepticism doomed to an inevitable defeat?
Arguments and positions in epistemology in the 21st century
The pros and cons of different positions in epistemology
Relevant arguments and principles in epistemology: A case of The Closure Principle
Critically discuss Shoemaker’s ‘self-blindness’ concept
How the epistemology of attitudes like the belief is very different from the epistemology of other mental states
Fundamental flaws in various epistemological theories

High-Quality Philosophy Project Topics

Discuss the concept of happiness
Why egoism is a negative trait
Discuss the motive behind acts of charity
Is love merely an illusion of the mind?
Are criminals evil by nature?
Is the current generation less affectionate?
Discuss the concept of true friendship
Is there happiness in achieving nothing?
Does a perfect life exist?
Why do people struggle to attain perfectionism?
The impact of technology of taking away emotions
Analyze time management among high school versus campus students
Is obsession replacing true love?
Is the concept of ‘You Only Live Once’ viable?
Why are most geniuses’ introverts?

Easy Philosophy Paper Topics

Discuss the existence of fate in the modern world
Can we achieve an ideal society?
Is life meaningful after all?
Why should people work, yet they will die in the end?
Is the concept of feminism overhyped?
Is every human action predetermined?
Discuss the components of the human consciousness
Why do people tend to do the bad instead of the good?
Are atheists deceiving themselves?
Why is the world changing so fast?
Is there life after death?
Why must everyone go to school?
Who determines what clothes each gender should don?
The impact of religious beliefs on science
Does death usher in the new life?

Good Philosophy Topics

Do beliefs and superstitions match?
Is sex necessary?
Why should people love each other?
Should a woman head the house also?
Are other planets mere superstitions?
Are the stars in the sky fantasies?
Why bother about planning?
Do aliens exist?
Why is man rational?
What is the effect of finding a purpose in life
Do shooting stars fall on earth?
Why do fiction movies move people?
Does the moon exist?
Are we living reality or a fantasy?
Can one love more than two people?

Interesting Philosophy Topics

Was man made out of clay?
Do guns protect?
Does true love exist among teenagers?
Beauty and morality
Religion and power
Memories and love
Peace and war
Religion and own belief system
Angels and demons
Heaven and earth
Plastic surgery and ethics
Character and upbringing
Dreams and the future
The rich and the poor
Is death inevitable

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Concepts: ontology of the unbound , the role and responsibility of higher education in the 21st century: a call for an education revolution , can we discount hard incompatibilism on the basis of blame , epistemic luck and the ability hypothesis , the importance of time to wittgenstein's thought , kant's aesthetics reception of the third critique in romantic germany and modern japan , reasonable coercion: a contractualist justification of state punishment , metaethical inferentialism , in today 's society in the west , do trauma survivors face epistemic injustice , language, thought, and culture , what is the connection between ethics and aesthetics for wittgenstein , digital consciousness: towards an account of possible minds in future technologies , what are the harmful effects of pornography and what should we do about them , what is expert disagreement , if camus' account of absurdity in the myth of sisyphus is the case, does postulating a meaning of life constitute philosophical suicide , climbing the ladder: how does wittgenstein propose we overcome tractarian nonsense , moral ignorance, agency and responsibility , predicate nominalism: an alternative account of gender properties in the form of identity predicates , letting morality speak for itself: answering "why be moral" in a different voice , thinking the body in heidegger and merleau-ponty .

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Philosophy Dissertation Topics

Published by Grace Graffin at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On January 9, 2023

Introduction

The choice of dissertation topic is crucial for research as it will facilitate the process and makes it an exciting and manageable process. Several dissertation ideas exist in philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, aesthetics, deontology, absurdum, and existentialism. Philosophy dissertations can be based on either primary research or secondary research.

Primary data dissertations incorporate the collection and analysis of data obtained through questionnaires and surveys. On the other hand, secondary data dissertations make use of existing literature to test the research hypothesis . To help you get started with philosophy topic selection for your dissertation, a list is developed by our experts.

These philosophy dissertation topics have been developed by PhD qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives , literature review along with the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for 2022 here.

Philosophy Dissertation Topics of Research

Topic 1: an examination of women's perspective on feminist philosophy..

Research Aim: This study aims to look into the importance of feminism in a philosophical context. It will also identify the factors that lead to postmodernism and liberal feminism from women’s perspectives and will also focus on the impact of feminist philosophy on the development of modern society.

Topic 2: Sociological Functionalism- Investigating the Development and Beliefs

Research Aim: This research study will focus on new types of functionalism and get a deeper understanding of inner and outer circumstances in which different approaches take place. This study will also investigate how the researchers use social theory to acquire a better understanding of the environment in which these concepts are used. It will also promote sociology through informing and inspiring practices and research.

Topic 3: Assessing the History and Development of Philosophical Work from the 15th to 21st Century.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the history and development of philosophical work from the 15th and 21st Centuries. It will examine the theoretical foundations of the practice, applications, and social consequences. This study will also focus on different factors of how philosophy has evolved in these centuries and what changes have occurred.

Topic 4: A Comprehensive View of Social Development of Loneliness.

Research Aim: This study will comprehend how various theoretical points of view are connected or linked r to loneliness. This study will also present an argument for an interpretative social point of view by dissembling the sense of loneliness into key components. It will also focus on the problems and different behaviours of people.

Topic 5: What does it mean to live in an Ideal Society- Discuss using Plato's Philosophies.

Research Aim: Plato is well known for his monologue known as the Republic; he was also the classical political philosopher whose views influenced future political thoughts. Plato’s ideal society was created during a time when Plato was exceedingly optimistic about human nature and its ability to absorb knowledge. This study will conduct a deep analysis of Plato’s ideologies and his views and their impact on the western political world.

Topic 2: Should people always obey the rules? A closer look at the line between breaking rules and rebellion.

Research Aim: Rules are developed to maintain a balance in society and ensure discipline, which helps an individual in every sphere of their lives. But specific rules are created only for serving a group and not for the whole society’s best interest. This research aims at finding pieces of evidence where rule-breaking is a rebellion and for the upliftment of humanity and not in personal interest.

Topic 3: Loneliness: Reconstructing its meaning

Research Aim: This research aims at finding the meaning of loneliness, what it is to feel lonely, why some people are reclusive, isolate themselves. Loneliness is not always related to sadness, and some people feel better in isolation due to their bitter experiences of life.

Topic 4: Understanding why religion is paramount above anything else for many people around the globe.

Research Aim: Religion forms the basis of life and way of living for many people around the globe. People often get confused with religion and spiritualism, and the grandeur associated with religion becomes more important. The lack of knowledge and education forces blind faith. This research aims to find the reason for dependency on religion and how it negatively affects human lives.

Topic 5: What is the best way to boost a person’s creativity?

Research Aim: This research aims at finding the best possible way to boost a person’s creativity. The most important way is to motivate, inspire, and support them in their process of exploring innovative ideas. Recognition of talent can be the most effective method, which the research will investigate.

Topic 6: Morality and religion: Why are they different, yet they talk about the same thing?

Research Aim: The fundamental essence of religion is compassion and empathy for humans and ensures morality and ethics as a way of life. This research emphasises the primary aim of a religion and how people are getting disoriented and making rituals of religion the prime concern.

Topic 7: Wealth: Is it possible to be rich without having a lot of money?

Research Aim: Wealth and money are co-related as lots of money gives the power to buy anything. But a wealth of human life lies in their moral values, love, affection, proper health and wellbeing, and money cannot accept them. This research topic will speak about becoming wealthy, even with limited monetary wealth.

Topic 8: How can the custom of dowry be eliminated from people’s minds?

Research Aim: Dowry is a social parasite, and it is now a punishable offence by the law. But rules alone cannot change society. The research aims at eradicating the practice of dowry from people’s minds in the light of education.

Topic 9: To love or to be loved: Which is more important?

Research Aim: Love is the feeling of intense desire or deep affection. The most beautiful feeling gives a sense of satisfaction and grows through exchange between two individuals. To love and be loved are two co-related aspects as human expects love in return. The research focuses on the more critical dilemma, being on the giving or receiving side of love.

Topic 10: Why social behaviour and ethics cannot be separated?

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the importance of ethics in social behaviour and why they cannot be separated. An ethical society is a proper place to thrive for every individual.

Topic 11: A more in-depth look at things that make human life meaningful.

Research Aim: Money, power does not always buy happiness. The research lays the foundation for the importance of care, compassion, empathy. Love and affection as the more essential aspects that make human life meaningful.

Topic 12: Is it possible to create an ideal society?

Research Aim: An ideal society is free from any crime and economic disparities where everyone is treated equally. This research will discuss whether a perfect community is attainable; it is practically possible or not.

Topic 13: A closer look at modern life values.

Research Aim: The research aims to focus on the change in values in modern times. The research’s primary purpose is to provide a comparative study of how modern people’s mindset has changed over time.

Topic 14: Euthanasia: Is it ethical?

Research Aim: A long time debate exists regarding the ethical side of euthanasia. Ending someone’s life can be considered unlawful as we do not have the right to end something we did not create. This research aims at providing evidence in favour of euthanasia and also the negative aspects.

Topic 15: What is the value of truth? Are there instances when lying is good?

Research Aim: The research aims to provide evidence where lying is not unethical. The study will give an example from Bhagwat Gita, where Lord Krishna lied to safeguard humanity.

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Writing an Honors Thesis

An Honors Thesis is a substantial piece of independent research that an undergraduate carries out over two semesters. Students writing Honors Theses take PHIL 691H and 692H, in two different semesters. What follows answers all the most common questions about Honors Theses in Philosophy.

All necessary forms are downloadable and may be found in bold, underlined text below.

Who can write an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

Any Philosophy major who has a total, cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA of at least 3.5 (with a maximum of one course with a PS grade) among their PHIL courses can in principle write an Honors Thesis. In addition, students need to satisfy a set of specific pre-requisites, as outlined below.

What are the pre-requisites for an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

The requirements for writing an Honors Thesis in Philosophy include

having taken at least five PHIL courses, including two numbered higher than 299;
having a total PHIL GPA of at least 3.5 (with a maximum of one course with a PS grade); and
having done one of the following four things:
taken and passed PHIL 397;
successfully completed an Honors Contract associated with a PHIL course;
received an A or A- in a 300-level course in the same area of philosophy as the proposed thesis ; or
taken and passed a 400-level course in the same area of philosophy as the proposed thesis .

When should I get started?

You should get started with the application process and search for a prospective advisor the semester before you plan to start writing your thesis – that is, the semester before the one in which you want to take PHIL 691H.

Often, though not always, PHIL 691H and 692H are taken in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year, respectively. It is also possible to start earlier and take 691H in the spring semester of the junior year and PHIL 692H in the fall of the senior year. Starting earlier has some important advantages. One is that it means you will finish your thesis in time to use it as a writing sample, should you decide to apply to graduate school. Another is that it avoids a mad rush near the very end of your last semester.

How do I get started?

Step 1: fill out the honors thesis application.

The first thing you need to do is fill out an Honors Thesis Application and submit it to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for their approval.

Step 2: Find an Honors Thesis Advisor with the help of the DUS

Once you have been approved to write an Honors Thesis, you will consult with the DUS about the project that you have in mind and about which faculty member would be an appropriate advisor for your thesis. It is recommended that you reach out informally to prospective advisors to talk about their availability and interest in your project ahead of time, and that you include those suggestions in your application, but it is not until your application has been approved that the DUS will officially invite the faculty member of your choice to serve as your advisor. You will be included in this correspondence and will receive written confirmation from your prospective advisor.

Agreeing to be the advisor for an Honors Thesis is a major commitment, so bear in mind that there is a real possibility that someone asked to be your advisor will say no. Unfortunately, if we cannot find an advisor, you cannot write an Honors Thesis.

Step 3: Fill out the required paperwork needed to register for PHIL 691H

Finally, preferably one or two weeks before the start of classes (or as soon as you have secured the commitment of a faculty advisor), you need to fill out an Honors Thesis Contract and an Honors Thesis Learning Contract , get them both signed by your advisor, and email them to the DUS.

Once the DUS approves both of these forms, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 691H. All of this should take place no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner).

What happens when I take PHIL 691H and PHIL 692H?

PHIL 691H and PHIL 692H are the course numbers that you sign up for to get credit for working on an Honors Thesis. These classes have official meeting times and places. In the case of PHIL 691H , those are a mere formality: You will meet with your advisor at times you both agree upon. But in the case of PHIL 692H , they are not a mere formality: The class will actually meet as a group, at least for the first few weeks of the semester (please see below).

When you take PHIL 691H, you should meet with your advisor during the first 5 days of classes and, if you have not done so already, fill out an Honors Thesis Learning Contract and turn in to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) . This Contract will serve as your course syllabus and must be turned in and approved no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner). Once the DUS approves your Honors Thesis Learning Contract, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 691H.

Over the course of the semester, you will meet regularly with your advisor. By the last day of classes, you must turn in a 10-page paper on your thesis topic; this can turn out to be part of your final thesis, but it doesn’t have to. In order to continue working on an Honors Thesis the following semester, this paper must show promise of your ability to complete one, in the opinion of your advisor. Your advisor should assign you a grade of “ SP ” at the conclusion of the semester, signifying “satisfactory progress” (so you can move on to PHIL 692H). Please see page 3 of this document for more information.

When you take PHIL 692H, you’ll still need to work with your advisor to fill out an Honors Thesis Learning Contract . This Contract will serve as your course syllabus and must be turned in to and approved by the DUS no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner).

Once the DUS approves your Honors Thesis Learning Contract, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 692H.

At the end of the second semester of senior honors thesis work (PHIL 692H), your advisor should assign you a permanent letter grade. Your advisor should also change your PHIL 691H grade from “ SP ” to a permanent letter grade. Please see page 3 of this document for more information.

The Graduate Course Option

If you and your advisor agree, you may exercise the Graduate Course Option. If you do this, then during the semester when you are enrolled in either PHIL 691H or PHIL 692H, you will attend and do the work for a graduate level PHIL course. (You won’t be officially enrolled in that course.) A paper you write for this course will be the basis for your Honors Thesis. If you exercise this option, then you will be excused from the other requirements of the thesis course (either 691H or 692H) that you are taking that semester.

Who can be my advisor?

Any faculty member on a longer-than-one-year contract in the Department of Philosophy may serve as your honors thesis advisor. You will eventually form a committee of three professors, of which one can be from outside the Department. But your advisor must have an appointment in the Philosophy Department. Graduate Students are not eligible to advise Honors Theses.

Who should be my advisor?

Any faculty member on a longer-than-one-year contract in the Department of Philosophy may serve as your honors thesis advisor. It makes most sense to ask a professor who already knows you from having had you as a student in a class. In some cases, though, this is either not possible, or else there is someone on the faculty who is an expert on the topic you want to write about, but from whom you have not taken a class. Information about which faculty members are especially qualified to advise thesis projects in particular areas of philosophy can be found here .

What about the defense?

You and your advisor should compose a committee of three professors (including the advisor) who will examine you and your thesis. Once the committee is composed, you will need to schedule an oral examination, a.k.a. a defense. You should take the initiative here, communicating with all members of your committee in an effort to find a block of time (a little over an hour) when all three of you can meet. The thesis must be defended by a deadline , set by Honors Carolina , which is usually a couple of weeks before the end of classes. Students are required to upload the final version of their thesis to the Carolina Digital Repository by the final day of class in the semester in which they complete the thesis course work and thesis defense.

What is an Honors Thesis in Philosophy like?

An Honors Thesis in Philosophy is a piece of writing in the same genre as a typical philosophy journal article. There is no specific length requirement, but 30 pages (double-spaced) is a good guideline. Some examples of successfully defended Honors The easiest way to find theses of past philosophy students is on the web in the Carolina Digital Repository . Some older, hard copies of theses are located on the bookshelf in suite 107 of Caldwell Hall. (You may ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) , or anyone else who happens to be handy, to show you where it is!)

How does the Honors Thesis get evaluated?

The honors thesis committee will evaluate the quality and originality of your thesis as well as of your defense and then decides between the following three options:

they may award only course credit for the thesis work if the thesis is of acceptable quality;
they may designate that the student graduate with honors if the thesis is of a very strong quality;
they may recommend that the student graduate with highest honors if the thesis is of exceptional quality.

As a matter of best practice, our philosophy department requires that examining committees refer all candidates for highest honors to our Undergraduate Committee chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This committee evaluates nominated projects and makes the final decision on awarding highest honors. Highest honors should be awarded only to students who have met the most rigorous standards of scholarly excellence.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Senior thesis.

For the philosophy major who is serious about academics and ready for a significant challenge, there is an option of writing a senior thesis. The thesis should be a paper of about 15 to 20 pages that offers a careful investigation of some philosophical problem or some portion of the thought of a historical figure. The thesis is intended to be more in-depth and demanding than a typical paper for a course, and should contain original arguments and insights rather than simple summary or exposition.

The thesis itself is written under the supervision of an advisor over the period of one semester, during which the student is enrolled in PHIL 390. The Department strongly encourages students to choose a topic in an area in which they already have background through coursework and/or previous paper assignments. Completing a senior thesis is one of the requirements for attaining departmental High Distinction.

Thesis requirements

To be eligible to write a senior thesis, a student must be a philosophy major with a 3.7/4.0 GPA in all philosophy courses (at the time of application). NOTE: Students must go through the application process of securing an advisor and getting departmental approval for their project in the semester BEFORE the one in which they will be enrolled in PHIL 390.

Application process

A student interested in writing a senior thesis may go through the process of finding an advisor and getting departmental approval for their project in the spring semester (this way it can serve as a writing sample for those applying to graduate school). Alternatively, students may do the application process in the fall semester of the senior year and write the thesis in the spring.
A student should approach a potential advisor by week 10 of the semester of the application process. In consultation with the potential advisor the student should (1) complete a proposal of 3 to 4 pages in length, and (2) select a a writing sample, which should be a paper from a previous class. If a student has already written a paper in the general area of the thesis, it should be submitted as the writing sample.
Potential advisors will give a decision on their willingness to advise the thesis as soon as possible but no later than two weeks from the time the proposal is submitted.
If the potential advisor agrees to advise the thesis, the proposal and writing sample will be sent to the Major Advisory Committee (MAC) for final approval.
MAC will give a decision on whether the student has been granted approval to write a senior thesis as soon as possible but no later than two weeks after it receives the proposal.

Writing the thesis

A student who has received approval to write a senior thesis should contact his or her advisor as soon as possible to work out the details of how the course will be conducted -- e.g. frequency of meetings, due dates for benchmarks, grading policies for PHIL 390.
When possible, the student should take some part of the summer (or, alternatively, winter) vacation for research on the topic after it has been approved.
The student should enroll in PHIL 390 for the semester for which senior thesis work has been approved. The Department recommends that the student complete a draft of the thesis by week 7 of the semester in 390.

Approval and defense

If the advisor approves the final version of the thesis, it should be submitted to MAC for approval by week 12 of the semester in PHIL 390.
MAC will give the final decision on whether the thesis is approved as soon as possible, but no later than week 14 of the fall semester.
If MAC approves the thesis, a defense will be scheduled at which—at least under ideal circumstances—the student, the advisor, and the members of MAC would be present.

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Philosophy > Theses and Dissertations

Philosophy Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Karl Marx on Human Flourishing and Proletarian Ethics , Sam Badger

The Ontological Grounds of Reason: Psychologism, Logicism, and Hermeneutic Phenomenology , Stanford L. Howdyshell

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Interdisciplinary Communication by Plausible Analogies: the Case of Buddhism and Artificial Intelligence , Michael Cooper

Heidegger and the Origin of Authenticity , John J. Preston

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Hegel and Schelling: The Emptiness of Emptiness and the Love of the Divine , Sean B. Gleason

Nietzsche on Criminality , Laura N. McAllister

Learning to be Human: Ren 仁, Modernity, and the Philosophers of China's Hundred Days' Reform , Lucien Mathot Monson

Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence: Methods, Archives, History, and Genesis , William A. B. Parkhurst

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Orders of Normativity: Nietzsche, Science and Agency , Shane C. Callahan

Humanistic Climate Philosophy: Erich Fromm Revisited , Nicholas Dovellos

This, or Something like It: Socrates and the Problem of Authority , Simon Dutton

Climate Change and Liberation in Latin America , Ernesto O. Hernández

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa as Expressions of Shame in a Post-Feminist , Emily Kearns

Nostalgia and (In)authentic Community: A Bataillean Answer to the Heidegger Controversy , Patrick Miller

Cultivating Virtue: A Thomistic Perspective on the Relationship Between Moral Motivation and Skill , Ashley Potts

Identity, Breakdown, and the Production of Knowledge: Intersectionality, Phenomenology, and the Project of Post-Marxist Standpoint Theory , Zachary James Purdue

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Efficacy of Comedy , Mark Anthony Castricone

William of Ockham's Divine Command Theory , Matthew Dee

Heidegger's Will to Power and the Problem of Nietzsche's Nihilism , Megan Flocken

Abelard's Affective Intentionalism , Lillian M. King

Anton Wilhelm Amo's Philosophy and Reception: from the Origins through the Encyclopédie , Dwight Kenneth Lewis Jr.

"The Thought that we Hate": Regulating Race-Related Speech on College Campuses , Michael McGowan

A Historical Approach to Understanding Explanatory Proofs Based on Mathematical Practices , Erika Oshiro

From Meaningful Work to Good Work: Reexamining the Moral Foundation of the Calling Orientation , Garrett W. Potts

Reasoning of the Highest Leibniz and the Moral Quality of Reason , Ryan Quandt

Fear, Death, and Being-a-problem: Understanding and Critiquing Racial Discourse with Heidegger’s Being and Time , Jesús H. Ramírez

The Role of Skepticism in Early Modern Philosophy: A Critique of Popkin's "Sceptical Crisis" and a Study of Descartes and Hume , Raman Sachdev

How the Heart Became Muscle: From René Descartes to Nicholas Steno , Alex Benjamin Shillito

Autonomy, Suffering, and the Practice of Medicine: A Relational Approach , Michael A. Stanfield

The Case for the Green Kant: A Defense and Application of a Kantian Approach to Environmental Ethics , Zachary T. Vereb

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Augustine's Confessiones : The Battle between Two Conversions , Robert Hunter Craig

The Strategic Naturalism of Sandra Harding's Feminist Standpoint Epistemology: A Path Toward Epistemic Progress , Dahlia Guzman

Hume on the Doctrine of Infinite Divisibility: A Matter of Clarity and Absurdity , Wilson H. Underkuffler

Climate Change: Aristotelian Virtue Theory, the Aidōs Response and Proper Primility , John W. Voelpel

The Fate of Kantian Freedom: the Kant-Reinhold Controversy , John Walsh

Time, Tense, and Ontology: Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Tense, the Phenomenology of Temporality, and the Ontology of Time , Justin Brandt Wisniewski

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

A Phenomenological Approach to Clinical Empathy: Rethinking Empathy Within its Intersubjective and Affective Contexts , Carter Hardy

From Object to Other: Models of Sociality after Idealism in Gadamer, Levinas, Rosenzweig, and Bonhoeffer , Christopher J. King

Humanitarian Military Intervention: A Failed Paradigm , Faruk Rahmanovic

Active Suffering: An Examination of Spinoza's Approach to Tristita , Kathleen Ketring Schenk

Cartesian Method and Experiment , Aaron Spink

An Examination of John Burton’s Method of Conflict Resolution and Its Applicability to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict , John Kenneth Steinmeyer

Speaking of the Self: Theorizing the Dialogical Dimensions of Ethical Agency , Bradley S. Warfield

Changing Changelessness: On the Genesis and Development of the Doctrine of Divine Immutability in the Ancient and Hellenic Period , Milton Wilcox

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Statue that Houses the Temple: A Phenomenological Investigation of Western Embodiment Towards the Making of Heidegger's Missing Connection with the Greeks , Michael Arvanitopoulos

An Exploratory Analysis of Media Reporting of Police Involved Shootings in Florida , John L. Brown

Divine Temporality: Bonhoeffer's Theological Appropriation of Heidegger's Existential Analytic of Dasein , Nicholas Byle

Stoicism in Descartes, Pascal, and Spinoza: Examining Neostoicism’s Influence in the Seventeenth Century , Daniel Collette

Phenomenology and the Crisis of Contemporary Psychiatry: Contingency, Naturalism, and Classification , Anthony Vincent Fernandez

A Critique of Charitable Consciousness , Chioke Ianson

writing/trauma , Natasha Noel Liebig

Leibniz's More Fundamental Ontology: from Overshadowed Individuals to Metaphysical Atoms , Marin Lucio Mare

Violence and Disagreement: From the Commonsense View to Political Kinds of Violence and Violent Nonviolence , Gregory Richard Mccreery

Kant's Just War Theory , Steven Charles Starke

A Feminist Contestation of Ableist Assumptions: Implications for Biomedical Ethics, Disability Theory, and Phenomenology , Christine Marie Wieseler

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Heidegger and the Problem of Modern Moral Philosophy , Megan Emily Altman

The Encultured Mind: From Cognitive Science to Social Epistemology , David Alexander Eck

Weakness of Will: An Inquiry on Value , Michael Funke

Cogs in a Cosmic Machine: A Defense of Free Will Skepticism and its Ethical Implications , Sacha Greer

Thinking Nature, "Pierre Maupertuis and the Charge of Error Against Fermat and Leibniz" , Richard Samuel Lamborn

John Duns Scotus’s Metaphysics of Goodness: Adventures in 13th-Century Metaethics , Jeffrey W. Steele

A Gadamerian Analysis of Roman Catholic Hermeneutics: A Diachronic Analysis of Interpretations of Romans 1:17-2:17 , Steven Floyd Surrency

A Natural Case for Realism: Processes, Structures, and Laws , Andrew Michael Winters

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Leibniz's Theodicies , Joseph Michael Anderson

Aeschynē in Aristotle's Conception of Human Nature , Melissa Marie Coakley

Ressentiment, Violence, and Colonialism , Jose A. Haro

It's About Time: Dynamics of Inflationary Cosmology as the Source of the Asymmetry of Time , Emre Keskin

Time Wounds All Heels: Human Nature and the Rationality of Just Behavior , Timothy Glenn Slattery

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Nietzsche and Heidegger on the Cartesian Atomism of Thought , Steven Burgess

Embodying Social Practice: Dynamically Co-Constituting Social Agency , Brian W. Dunst

Subject of Conscience: On the Relation between Freedom and Discrimination in the Thought of Heidegger, Foucault, and Butler , Aret Karademir

Climate, Neo-Spinozism, and the Ecological Worldview , Nancy M. Kettle

Eschatology in a Secular Age: An Examination of the Use of Eschatology in the Philosophies of Heidegger, Berdyaev and Blumenberg , John R. Lup, Jr.

Navigation and Immersion of the American Identity in a Foreign Culture to Emergence as a Culturally Relative Ambassador , Lee H. Rosen

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Philosophical Analysis of Intellectual Property: In Defense of Instrumentalism , Michael A. Kanning

A Commentary On Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's Discourse on Metaphysics #19 , Richard Lamborn Samuel Lamborn

Sellars in Context: An Analysis of Wilfrid Sellars's Early Works , Peter Jackson Olen

The New Materialism: Althusser, Badiou, and Zizek , Geoffrey Dennis Pfeifer

Structure and Agency: An Analysis of the Impact of Structure on Group Agents , Elizabeth Kaye Victor

Moral Friction, Moral Phenomenology, and the Improviser , Benjamin Scott Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Virtuoso Human: A Virtue Ethics Model Based on Care , Frederick Joseph Bennett

The Existential Compromise in the History of the Philosophy of Death , Adam Buben

Philosophical Precursors to the Radical Enlightenment: Vignettes on the Struggle Between Philosophy and Theology From the Greeks to Leibniz With Special Emphasis on Spinoza , Anthony John Desantis

The Problem of Evil in Augustine's Confessions , Edward Matusek

The Persistence of Casuistry: a Neo-premodernist Approach to Moral Reasoning , Richard Arthur Mercadante

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Dewey's Pragmatism and the Great Community , Philip Schuyler Bishop

Unamuno's Concept of the Tragic , Ernesto O. Hernandez

Rethinking Ethical Naturalism: The Implications of Developmental Systems Theory , Jared J.. Kinggard

From Husserl and the Neo-Kantians to Art: Heidegger's Realist Historicist Answer to the Problem of the Origin of Meaning , William H. Koch

Queering Cognition: Extended Minds and Sociotechnologically Hybridized Gender , Michele Merritt

Hydric Life: A Nietzschean Reading of Postcolonial Communication , Elena F. Ruiz-Aho

Descartes' Bête Machine, the Leibnizian Correction and Religious Influence , John Voelpel

Aretē and Physics: The Lesson of Plato's Timaeus , John R. Wolfe

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Praxis and Theōria : Heidegger’s “Violent” Interpretation , Megan E. Altman

On the Concept of Evil: An Analysis of Genocide and State Sovereignty , Jason J. Campbell

The Role of Trust in Judgment , Christophe Sage Hudspeth

Truth And Judgment , Jeremy J. Kelly

The concept of action and responsibility in Heidegger's early thought , Christian Hans Pedersen

Roots and Role of the Imagination in Kant: Imagination at the Core , Michael Thompson

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Peirce on the Passions: The Role of Instinct, Emotion, and Sentiment in Inquiry and Action , Robert J. Beeson

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Senior Thesis

Undergraduate
Senior Capstone

There is no requirement for people concentrating in Philosophy to write an Undergraduate Honors Thesis; some people do so, many people don't.

To be eligible to write an Honors Thesis, you must have completed at least six courses toward the concentration by the beginning of your penultimate semester and have received a grade of A or Satisfactory with Distinction in more than half of them.

To write a thesis, you need a topic and an Advisor and a suitable amount of time. There is no single model to follow, but one standard approach is this. You'd work on the thesis during the two semesters of your Senior Year. In the first semester, you might work through a reading program with the advice of your Advisor, meeting with her or him three or four times in the semester and writing two or three pieces of work—for example, discussions of existing publications in the field and sketches of your own responses to them. Over the break you'd pull together a plan for the thesis itself. In the second semester, you'd write a first draft of the thesis and then a final draft—expecting, of course, that you would continue to do some new reading, and that you might need to be flexible with your original plan.

The thesis itself is due about April 15th. More exactly, the thesis is due two weeks before the Friday on which the Reading Period begins.

For those who complete their thesis in the Fall, the same rule applies, more or less: The thesis is due two weeks before reading period begins. That date, though, usually falls during Thanksgiving break; if so, the thesis will be due on the Wednesday on which Thanskgiving break begins.

It is possible in principle to choose a topic which you don't know much about in advance; but typically the result of that is that you have to spend a larger amount of time reaching base camp, so to speak—getting a decent grasp of existing approaches to the topic—and you have less time for heading up to the summit—developing ideas of your own. Many of the best theses come when a student has already got some idea of a problem area, e.g. from a 1000 level course that might have spent a week or two on the detailed topic in question, and might have introduced the class to materials and methods used in related areas that might constitute a useful tool-kit for this topic too. If you already know a bit about the existing approaches to the topic, but have a feeling that you're not quite satisfied with any of them, then you're probably in a good position to go deeper into it, researching further proposals from other people and working out a distinctive contribution of your own.

When you have a first idea of the area in which you'd like to work, you can approach a potential advisor directly, e.g. by e-mail or in Office Hours, or you can discuss the matter with your Concentration Advisor, who should be able to point you towards Faculty Members with interests in areas close to your proposed topic. Don't let your ideas become too fixed too early: often a good discussion will leave you thinking of unexpected directions you'll want to head off in. The normal time for approaching an Advisor is in the first week of the first semester of your Senior Year (or a few days earlier), or at the end of the last semester of the Junior Year.

The standard thing is to register for a reading course, PHIL 1995 Senior Thesis, either for the first semester alone or for both first and second semesters, with the permission of the Advisor in question. (Note that PHIL 1995 takes on a different section number according to who the Advisor is.)

You can register for PHIL 1995 just for one semester (followed by registering for either 3 or 4 classes in the other semester). Alternatively, you can register for PHIL 1995 for a second semester. Which you do is a matter for negotiation with your advisor, taking into account, e.g. the number of meetings, and the amount and scope of reading and writing that is done. Obviously the work-load for a Reading course needs to be about the equivalent of a normal course.

There's no standard length, but 40–50 pages of carefully-argued material would for many topics be a good target.

Two copies of the Thesis are due by the Friday two weeks before the Friday on which the Reading Period begins, which will usually fall close to April 15th. They are to be handed in to the Thesis Advisor. Theses should be computer-printed, on one side only of paper; they do not need to be bound. Some people like to present them in a special folder or binder; this is fine, but not required.

There is usually no oral defense of the thesis. The Thesis Advisor will normally be one Reader of the thesis; there will be a second Reader too, appointed by the Concentration Advisor in consultation with the Thesis Advisor.

Jump to Content Jump to Resources

Three Columns

Information on Thesis Proposals

Creating a Thesis Committee

The first step in creating a thesis committee is for a committee chair or advisor to agree to supervise your thesis. Minimally, the committee chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty of the CSULB Philosophy Department. Your committee must additionally consist of at least two other faculty members, at least one of whom must also be a tenured or tenure-track faculty of the CSULB Philosophy Department. The department strongly recommends that your third member also be tenured or tenure-track in Philosophy, although it’s possible for the third member to be a part-time faculty member or a person with appropriate qualifications from another university department or another university. Please consult with your committee chair in determining appropriate persons to invite to serve on your committee. (Although many part-time lecturers in the department are generous in volunteering their time for committee service, we request that you remember that the University does not compensate them for it, and most have heavy teaching scheduleshere and on other campuses.) Your committee must be approved by the department.

Writing Your Thesis Proposal

The goal of your thesis proposal is to present the tenured and tenure-track faculty members of the department with a general outline of your intended thesis project together with a brief justification of its merit as a research project warranting a master’s degree. Take as your goal the creation of a concise, well-written document clearly articulating your project and its relationship to the philosophical literature. In general you should aim for 6-8 pages of text and a bibliography of 1-2 pages. A good thesis proposal will have three elements: (1) A clear and concise statement of the position you intend to articulate and defend in the thesis. (2) A well-researched statement relating your position to the philosophical literature indicating how your position connects with important thought on the subject by other philosophers. (3) An outline of how exactly you intend to structure your exposition in the thesis. This outline should present a chapter-by-chapter account, indicating how each chapter relates to the overall project.

The best strategy for writing your thesis proposal is to start early and interact regularly with your committee. Your committee is your resource for advice and feedback on your proposal while you develop it. The director of your committee is responsible for deciding when the proposal is ready for review, and the committee members must agree. Your committee members are also the ones who will present the proposal and defend it to the department. Thus, the more constructive interaction you have with them while writing the proposal the better. It is important to note that a student cannot submit a proposal to the department on his/her initiative without the approval of the thesis committee.

Some Common Proposal Difficulties

Writing a book report: Your thesis should make a modest contribution to the philosophical literature. A mere summary of the positions and arguments is inadequate. There are many ways you can contribute to philosophical thought: Your contribution could consist of finding a significant thesis or type of argument to constructively criticize. You could find an original extension of, or argument for, another person’s theory. You can develop a critical discussion of a view’s underlying methodological, epistemic, or ontological commitments. You can explore what is really at stake in a philosophical debate or the implications of a view. You can propose a useful organization of the positions in a debate. Whatever you choose, it must signify a step forward – an original contribution – albeit a modest one.

Cutting from whole cloth: While your thesis should contain your contribution to philosophical thinking on your thesis topic, your thesis is unlikely to introduce a totally novel and important way to conceive of or solve a problem in philosophy. Good research in philosophy is almost always grounded in a thorough understanding of the ways in which other people have thought about a philosophical topic or problem. Your thesis should build on the tradition.

Rushing to market: Think of your proposal as something that will take numerous drafts and some serious research to complete. Don’t try to slap together a document in order to meet a deadline. The timeline of an advanced degree is dictated exclusively by the amount of time it takes you to acquire and demonstrate a high level of competence in the field. When your proposal is ready for departmental review, you should be well on your way to writing the thesis itself.

Technical language: In general, it is better to state your thesis without technical language for a couple of reasons. First, expressing your project without reliance on technical jargon is an indicator that you have a good grasp of the issues. Second, not everyone in the department will necessarily be familiar with the terms you use. Of course, sometimes it is important to refer to technical terms in framing a view or problem. When you use technical language, you should always explicate its meaning.

Long historical exegesis: When relating your thesis topic to the philosophical literature the most important facts to include are the ones that indicate how your project connects to recent work on the topic. A proposal need not contain a lengthy synopsis of the history of your topic.

Personal histories: However you came to your topic, that story is not relevant to assessing its philosophical merit or its viability as a thesis project.

Submitting Your Thesis Proposal

Once your advisor and all committee members have accepted your proposal, the next step is for your proposal to be submitted to the department for review. Both your proposal and your thesis committee will be reviewed (solely) by tenured and tenure-track members of the department, and will be voted upon at a faculty meeting.

To prepare your proposal, first add a cover sheet including the title, the date, and the names of your committee members with the advisor identified and listed first. Each member of the committee will sign the cover sheet of your proposal, so include a signature line for each member. Once you have collected the committee signatures, you should prepare hard copies of your proposal for distribution to the faculty mailboxes in MHB seven days before the meeting where your proposal will be considered. (Under some circumstances, electronic distribution of your proposal may be possible; please consult your thesis advisor). All the tenured and tenure-track members of the department must receive a copy of your proposal.

Please note that you are responsible for all printing and photocopying of your proposal. The Department does not provide photocopying services for students for this or other purposes.

Some Example Thesis Proposals

Example 1: Back to the Future: Natural Law and the Original Meaning of the Alien Tort Claims Act

Example 2: Conceivability and Possibility Studies in Frege and Kripke

Philosophy dissertations

undergraduate Y4

I supervise at least one undergraduate a year. Many of the same questions come up each year. I have prepared below a set of guidelines to help when starting out on a dissertation.

Please note that this is personal advice and not to be taken as a substitute for the undergraduate handbook and marking scheme.

Do’s and Don’t’s for a dissertation

Have a claim. You should be able to state your claim clearly in 1–2 sentences.
Have claim of the right size – viz. a size you can defend (be careful not to be too ambitious here)
Have a rigorous argument for your claim. Your argument should be able to convince a rational person who does not already believe your claim
Make your dissertation clearly understandable to a philosopher who is not an expert in this area
Explain why your claim is important
Be honest if you do not conclusively establish your claim – e.g. clarify that your claim follows conditional on certain stated assumptions, list unresolved objections
Make clear your original contribution
Make use of your supervisor for feedback on drafts

Don’t:

Aim for this to be your magnum opus or last word on the topic
Try to solve a major problem (e.g. the mind-body problem, external world scepticism)
Cover every possible view in the field
Include extra material unless it advances your argument
Have one massive 6,000 word chapter
Leave it until Semester 2 to start work

How to write a dissertation

The points above give you an idea of what to aim for but they don’t provide a method for how to get there. There are many ways to write a dissertation. It may be reassuring to know that there are simple methods that can reliably produce an excellent dissertation. The algorithm below is one method:

Find the general area you like (e.g. phenomenal consciousness)
Select one article/book chapter in that area that you find fascinating (e.g. Smith (2009))
Summarise Smith (2009) carefully in your own words, paying attention to whether each step in the argument follows from the previous
Look for weaknesses in Smith (2009)’s argument
Which new resources do you need to draw on?
Which alternative conclusions follow?
Which objections can be raised to your proposal?
Draw on relevant bits of surrounding literature to support (5)

You have a first class dissertation!

Filling the dissertation with enough words

A common worry among students is whether they are able to write enough words. The longest piece of philosophical writing they may have done so far is 3,000 words. How can you write a sustained argument that lasts for 8,000 words? This turns out to be easier than you might think. Indeed, the difficulty often turns out to be not going over the word limit.

For the sake of argument, let us see how following the algorithm above might work out in terms of word count.

Introduction (500 words): What is your claim, the outline of your argument?
Chapter 1 (1,000 words): Why is your claim important? What are the pay-offs?
Chapter 2 (2,000 words): Careful and charitable summary of X in your own words
Chapter 3 (2,000 words): Your rigorous criticism of X
Chapter 4 (2,000 words): How X should be corrected, associated costs, consequences for views that use X, possible objections
Conclusion (500 words): Summary and next steps for future work

And we are done!

Milestones to aim for

Milestones depend on the specific project and you should talk to your supervisor about your workload and what would be a reasonable plan for finishing the dissertation in the year. Below is a rough plan that one might aim for.

End Y3: meet supervisor & agree on general topic
Summer vacation: background reading on topic
Start Y4: find 1 article/chapter to focus

Year 4, Semester 1:

Start: meet with supervisor & agree plan for year
Middle: first draft of 2 chapters
End: polished draft of 2 chapters

Year 4, Semester 2:

Start: first draft of entire dissertation
Middle: polished draft of entire dissertation
End: revisit, revise, and submit dissertation

Background reading

A dissertation in philosophy is a story … like all good stories, it only includes what is essential to the story — Robert Paul Wolff’s astute advice that applies just as well to UG dissertations as well as PhD theses

Be concise, but explain yourself fully — Jim Pryor with an excellent 3-stage plan for writing philosophy

Style is the feather in the arrow, not the feather in the cap — Peter Lipton has some wonderful and concise writing advice

Read your work aloud. … Be firm: take your prose to the gym, and keep working at it until the bones and sinews show through! — Peter Smith, previously editor of Analysis , with some fantastic advice

What is an argument? — Jim Pryor’s guide is essential reading for anyone writing philosophy; it contains a lexicon of philosophical terms and a taxonomy of good and bad arguments, which is useful for classifying the arguments you consider

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Two examples of good work - two dissertations that were marked as firsts:

Resolutions and Strength of Will

Do we need to be essentialists about biological species to show that they are explanatorily useful?

Extending your Submission Date

You are expected to manage your time so that you are able to submit your assessed work on the advertised deadline.

Extensions to submission dates for coursework and/or dissertations may be possible, although consider that any extension may overlap with revision or preparation time for other modules. Only in exceptional circumstances will an extension be granted for more than seven days. If you require an extension, then your College should submit an application to the EAMC . Please speak to your DoS who will support you with any decision related to this matter.

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Home > ARTSSCI > Philosophy > dissertations

Philosophy Dissertations and Theses

The Department of Philosophy Dissertations and Theses Series is comprised of dissertations and theses authored by Marquette University's Department of Philosophy doctoral and master's students.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Place, Attachment, and Feeling: Indigenous Dispossession and Settler Belonging , Sarah Kizuk

Nepantla and Mestizaje: A Phenomenological Analysis of the Mestizx Historical Consciousness , Jorge Alfredo Montiel

The Categories Argument for the Real Distinction Between Being and Essence: Avicenna, Aquinas, and Their Greek Sources , Nathaniel Taylor

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Modeling, Describing, and Explaining Subjective Consciousness- A Guide to (and for) the Perplexed , Peter Burgess

Looking Through Whiteness: Objectivity, Racism, Method, and Responsibility , Philip Mack

Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Maritain on the Student-Teacher Relationship in Catholic Higher Education , Timothy Rothhaar

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Empathetic Autistic: A Phenomenological Look at the Feminine Experience , Dana Fritz

Concerning Aristotelian Animal Essences , Damon Andrew Watson

When to Trust Authoritative Testimony: Generation and Transmission of Knowledge in Saadya Gaon, Al-Ghazālī and Thomas Aquinas , Brett A. Yardley

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Status of Irrationality: Karl Jaspers' Response to Davidson and Searle , Daniel Adsett

Cosmic City - Cosmic Teleology: A Reading of Metaphysics Λ 10 and Politics I 2 , Brandon Henrigillis

Phenomenal Consciousness: An Husserlian Approach , John Jered Janes

Al-Fārābī Metaphysics, and the Construction of Social Knowledge: Is Deception Warranted if it Leads to Happiness? , Nicholas Andrew Oschman

The Epistemology of Disagreement: Hume, Kant, and the Current Debate , Robert Kyle Whitaker

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

'Our Feet are Mired In the Same Soil': Deepening Democracy with the Political Virtue of Sympathetic Inquiry , Jennifer Lynn Kiefer Fenton

Towards a Philosophy of the Musical Experience: Phenomenology, Culture, and Ethnomusicology in Conversation , J. Tyler Friedman

Humor, Power and Culture: A New Theory on the Experience and Ethics of Humor , Jennifer Marra

Care of the Sexual Self: Askesis As a Route to Sex Education , Shaun Douglas Miller

Re-Evaluating Augustinian Fatalism through the Eastern and Western Distinction between God's Essence and Energies , Stephen John Plecnik

The Fantastic Structure of Freedom: Sartre, Freud, and Lacan , Gregory A. Trotter

The Province of Conceptual Reason: Hegel's Post-Kantian Rationalism , William Clark Wolf

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Hume on Thick and Thin Causation , Alexander Bozzo

Evolution, Naturalism, and Theism: An Inconsistent Triad? , David H. Gordon

The Parable As Mirror: An Examination of the Use of Parables in the Works of Kierkegaard , Russell Hamer

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Contextualizing Aquinas's Ontology of Soul: An Analysis of His Arabic and Neoplatonic Sources , Nathan McLain Blackerby

The Social and Historical Subject in Sartre and Foucault and Its Implications for Healthcare Ethics , Kimberly Siobhan Engels

Investigations of Worth: Towards a Phenomenology of Values , Dale Hobbs Jr.

Developing Capabilities: A Feminist Discourse Ethics Approach , Chad Kleist

Hegel and the Problem of the Multiplicity of Conflicting Philosophies , Matthew M. Peters

Aquinas, Averroes, and the Human Will , Traci Ann Phillipson

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Nature, Feminism, and Flourishing: Human Nature and the Feminist Ethics of Flourishing , Celeste D. Harvey

Kierkegaard in Light of the East: A Critical Comparison of the Philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard with Orthodox Christian Philosophy and Thought , Agust Magnusson

The Secular Transformation of Pride and Humility in the Moral Philosophy of David Hume , Kirstin April Carlson McPherson

Living within the Sacred Tension: Paradox and Its Significance for Christian Existence in the Thought of Søren Kierkegaard , Matthew Thomas Nowachek

Moral Imagination and Adorno: Before and After Auschwitz , Catlyn Origitano

Essence and Necessity, and the Aristotelian Modal Syllogistic: A Historical and Analytical Study , Daniel James Vecchio

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Subversive Humor , Chris A. Kramer

Virtue, Oppression, and Resistance Struggles , Trevor William Smith

Health As Embodied Authenticity , Margaret Steele

Recognition and Political Ontology: Fichte, Hegel, and Honneth , Velimir Stojkovski

The Conceptual Priority of the Perfect , Matthew Peter Zdon

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Dangerous Knowledge? Morality And Moral Progress After Naturalism , Daniel Diederich Farmer

Nietzsche's Revaluation of All Values , Joseph Anthony Kranak

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Re-Enchanting The World: An Examination Of Ethics, Religion, And Their Relationship In The Work Of Charles Taylor , David McPherson

Thomas Aquinas on the Apprehension of Being: The Role of Judgement in Light of Thirteenth-Century Semantics , Rosa Vargas Della Casa

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Naturalized Panpsychism: An Alternative to Fundamentalist Physicalism and Supernaturalism , Earl R. Cookson

The Concept of Personhood in the Phenomenology of Edmund Husserl , Colin J. Hahn

The Humanistic, Fideistic Philosophy of Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) , Charles William Peterson

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Knowledge and Thought in Heidegger and Foucault: Towards an Epistemology of Ruptures , Arun Anantheeswaran Iyer

William James's Undivided Self and the Possibility of Immortality , Anthony Karlin

The Poetics of Remembrance: Communal Memory and Identity in Heidegger and Ricoeur , David Leichter

The Ontological Foundations for Natural Law Theory and Contemporary Ethical Naturalism , Bernard Mauser

Sexualized Violence, Moral Disintegration and Ethical Advocacy , Melissa Mosko

Spinoza on Individuals and Individuation: Metaphysics, Morals, and Politics , Matthew David Wion

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Paradox of Nature: Merleau-Ponty's Semi-Naturalistic Critique of Husserlian Phenomenology , Shazad Akhtar

Hume's Conception of Time and its Implications for his Theories of Causation and Induction , Daniel Esposito

Arabic Influences in Aquinas's Doctrine of Intelligible Species , Max Herrera

The Attestation of the Self as a Bridge Between Hermeneutics and Ontology in the Philosophy of Paul Ricoeur , Sebastian Kaufmann

Love's Lack: The Relationship between Poverty and Eros in Plato's Symposium , Lorelle D. Lamascus

Friendship and Fidelity: An Historical and Critical Examination , Joshua Walter Schulz

Natural Law Theory and the "Is"--"Ought" Problem: A Critique of Four Solutions , Shalina Stilley

Attending to Presence: A Study of John Duns Scotus' Account of Sense Cognition , Amy F. Whitworth

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Friendship and Self-Identity in the Thought of Paul Ricoeur , Cristina Bucur

The Finality of Religion in Aquinas' Theory of Human Acts , Francisco José Romero Carrasquillo

The finality of religion in Aquinas' theory of human acts , Francisco J Romero

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Self-Identity in Comparative Theology: The Functional lmportance of Charles Taylor's Concept of the Self for a Theology of Religions , Richard Joseph Hanson

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Husserl's Noema: A Critical Assessment of the Gestalt and Analytic Interpretations , Peter M. Chukwu

A Social Contract Analysis of Rawls and Rousseau: Supplanting the Original Position As Philosophically Most Favored , Paul Neiman

To Validate a Feeling: the Role of the Mood of Angst in Human Being , Gregory P. Schulz

The Conception and Attributes of God: A Comparison of Charles Sanders Peirce and Alfred North Whitehead , Scott W. Sinclair

John Rawls, Public Reason, and Natural Law: A Study of the Principles of Public Justification , Christopher Ward

Submissions from 2006 2006

Hans Jonas's ethic of responsibility applied to anti-aging technologies and the indefinite extension of the human life span , Jeffrey P Goins

David Hume and the Principle of Sufficient Reason , Ginger Lee

Virtue Theory in Plato's Republic , Griffin T. Nelson

The Principle of Alternate Possibilities: Finding Freedom after Frankfurt , Matthew F. Pierlott

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Is There a Future for Marxist Humanism? , Jacob M. Held

Self-Love and Morality: Beyond Egoism and Altruism , Li Jing

Eikos Logos and Eikos Muthos: A Study of the Nature of the Likely Story in Plato's Timaeus , Ryan Kenneth McBride

Hume's Conclusions on the Existence and Nature of God , Timothy S. Yoder

Submissions from 2004 2004

The foundations of the politics of difference , Peter Nathaniel Bwanali

The Foundations of the Politics of Difference , Peter Nathaniel Bwanali

The Place of Justice in the Thinking of Emmanuel Levinas , Michael H. Gillick

New Waves in Metaethics: Naturalist Realism, Naturalist Antirealism and Divine Commands , Daniel R. Kern

Reason in Hume's Moral System , John Muenzberg

Conceiving Mind: A Critique of Descartes' Dualism and Contemporary Immaterialist Views of Consciousness , Kristin P. Schaupp

Respecting Plurality in Times of Change: Hannah Arendt's Conceptions of Political, Personal, and Ethical Responsibility , Stephen Schulman

Francis Suárez on the Ontological Status of Individual Unity vis-à-vis the Aristotelian Doctrine of Primary Substance , John W. Simmons

Through a Glass Darkly: Bernard Lonergan and Richard Rorty on the Possibility of Knowing Without a God's-Eye-View , Russell Snell

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

Building a Heideggerian Ethic , Kelly A. Burns

St. Thomas Aquinas and the Self-Evident Proposition: A Study of the Manifold Senses of a Medieval Concept , Michael V. Dougherty

Ricoeur's Narrative Development of Gadamer's Hermeneutics: Continuity and Discontinuity , Keith D'Souza

Beauty's Resting Place: Unity in St. Augustine's Sensible Aesthetic , Matthew J. Hayes

Empathy and Knowledge: Husserl's Introductions to Phenomenology , Kevin Hermberg

The Transactional Model: A Critical Examination of John Dewey's Philosophy of Freedom , Mark N. Lenker III

Reflection on the "good" As a Source of Freedom in Virtue Theory , John D. Morse

Theses/Dissertations from 2002 2002

An Evaluation of Alvin Plantinga's Religious Epistemology Does It Function Properly? , James Beilby

Merleau-Ponty: Embodied Subjectivity and the Foundation of Ethics , Sarah A. Fischer

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Home > Arts and Sciences > Philosophy > PHILOSOPHYHONORS

Philosophy Undergraduate Honors Theses

Honors theses from 2023 2023.

On Conditional Reasons , Preston Budd

Exploring Moral Saints , Ruyu (Evelyn) Wang

Honors Theses from 2022 2022

Cultural Evolution and the Intuitionist Paradigm in Ethics: Ethics as Creation , Nickolas J. Boylan

Free Speech and Its Limits: An Exploration of Tolerance in the Digital Age , Jamie Forte

Negation & Acosmism: Hegel's Acosmist Reading of Spinoza , Jared Jones

On Certain Antinomies of Freedom: Divine Foreknowledge and Immutability , Tanja T. Rounds

Indeterminacy, Disagreement, and Reasonable Reference Magnetism , Jaocb (Hengyun) Yang

Honors Theses from 2021 2021

Gender in Time , Jake Beardsley

A Neopragmatist Understanding of Mathematics , Yuan Dong

Weight of Words: Moral Responsibility and Freedom of Speech , Sihan Feng

The Metaphysics of Sexual Orientation: A Pluralist Account , Neal J. Going

Addressing Systemic Harms Through Restorative Justice Principles , Elissa Gosling

WELCOMING THE GAME CHANGER OF HUMAN SOCIETY: A DEFENSE OF THE MORAL PERMISSIBILITY AND OBLIGATIONS OF HUMAN GENETIC ENGINEERING , Yongkang Li

Theories of Responsibility and Punishment in a Causally Determined World , Brett Restrick

Honors Theses from 2020 2020

Euthyphro, Non-Conditional Valuing, and the Possibility for Evaluative Error: A Humean Approach to Animal Ethics , Elisabeth Holmes

Honors Theses from 2019 2019

Egoism and the Repugnant Conclusion , Nathaniel Anderson

Ghosts of the Anthropocene , Riley Covert

'Poverty of Particularity:' Reconciling Divine Transcendence and Imminence Using Gregory Palamas' Essence-Energies Distinction , Luke Erdahl

On the Divergence of Schopenhauerian and Schweitzerian Ethics-of-Will , Bryce Herndon

The Methodological Puzzle of Phenomenal Consciousness: What it is, and Why it is Still Unsolved , Qiuyang Shen

Individual Responsibility for Structural Injustice , Taro Shirakawa

Difference without Deference: An Individualistic Theory of Group Accommodation , Will Siegmund

Honors Theses from 2018 2018

Perceptual Experiences Cannot Be an Inference’s Conclusion , Yuanchen Lu

Towards an Interactionist Dualism , Yonghao Wang

Citizenship and Partiality: Group Membership and the Bounds of Morality , Hannah Winckler-Olick

Honors Theses from 2017 2017

A Threefold Defense of Perceptual Dogmatism , Hunter R. Gentry

A Defense of Retributivism as a Theory of Punishment , Samantha Kim

Honors Theses from 2016 2016

On Animal Rights, Speciesism, and the Nature of Social Change , Delaney Berman

A Psychological Approach to the Special Composition Question , Connor Drake Dantzler

Addressing the Problems in American Drug Policy: A Case for the Legalization of Drugs , Jackson A. Eskay

Political Liberalism and a Theory of Justice: Recasting Justice as Fairness as a Political Conception of Liberal Justice , George Eric Rudebusch

Honors Theses from 2015 2015

A Battle for Rights Justification: Millian Utilitarianism vs. Scanlonian Contractualism , Jose A. Lopez Jr.

Honors Theses from 2013 2013

Mozi: the Man, the Consequentialist, and the Utilitarian , Grace H. Mendenhall

Honors Theses from 2012 2012

Rehabilitating the Consequentialist View of Moral Responsibility , Adam Jared Lerner

Honors Theses from 2011 2011

All Heads Gently Nodding: How Naturalism Dissolves the Problem of Other Minds , Devin Sanchez Curry

Honors Theses from 2010 2010

Clarifying Intuitions about Moral Responsibility and the Self , Daniel Carl Homer

Honors Theses from 2009 2009

"Turning the Fly Around" The Relationship between Wittgenstein's Discussion of Meaning and the Self: An Exegesis and Defense , Sean W. Dalby

Honors Theses from 2008 2008

Harmful Offense to Others: A New Liberty-Limiting Principle and the 'New' Child Pornography , Devin DeBacker

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Starting the research process

How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow

Published on November 11, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 20, 2023.

Choosing your dissertation topic is the first step in making sure your research goes as smoothly as possible. When choosing a topic, it’s important to consider:

Your institution and department’s requirements
Your areas of knowledge and interest
The scientific, social, or practical relevance
The availability of data and resources
The timeframe of your dissertation
The relevance of your topic

You can follow these steps to begin narrowing down your ideas.

Step 1: check the requirements, step 2: choose a broad field of research, step 3: look for books and articles, step 4: find a niche, step 5: consider the type of research, step 6: determine the relevance, step 7: make sure it’s plausible, step 8: get your topic approved, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about dissertation topics.

The very first step is to check your program’s requirements. This determines the scope of what it is possible for you to research.

Is there a minimum and maximum word count?
When is the deadline?
Should the research have an academic or a professional orientation?
Are there any methodological conditions? Do you have to conduct fieldwork, or use specific types of sources?

Some programs have stricter requirements than others. You might be given nothing more than a word count and a deadline, or you might have a restricted list of topics and approaches to choose from. If in doubt about what is expected of you, always ask your supervisor or department coordinator.

Start by thinking about your areas of interest within the subject you’re studying. Examples of broad ideas include:

Twentieth-century literature
Economic history
Health policy

To get a more specific sense of the current state of research on your potential topic, skim through a few recent issues of the top journals in your field. Be sure to check out their most-cited articles in particular. For inspiration, you can also search Google Scholar , subject-specific databases , and your university library’s resources.

As you read, note down any specific ideas that interest you and make a shortlist of possible topics. If you’ve written other papers, such as a 3rd-year paper or a conference paper, consider how those topics can be broadened into a dissertation.

After doing some initial reading, it’s time to start narrowing down options for your potential topic. This can be a gradual process, and should get more and more specific as you go. For example, from the ideas above, you might narrow it down like this:

Twentieth-century literature Twentieth-century Irish literature Post-war Irish poetry
Economic history European economic history German labor union history
Health policy Reproductive health policy Reproductive rights in South America

All of these topics are still broad enough that you’ll find a huge amount of books and articles about them. Try to find a specific niche where you can make your mark, such as: something not many people have researched yet, a question that’s still being debated, or a very current practical issue.

At this stage, make sure you have a few backup ideas — there’s still time to change your focus. If your topic doesn’t make it through the next few steps, you can try a different one. Later, you will narrow your focus down even more in your problem statement and research questions .

There are many different types of research , so at this stage, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what kind of approach you’ll take to your topic. Will you mainly focus on:

Collecting original data (e.g., experimental or field research)?
Analyzing existing data (e.g., national statistics, public records, or archives)?
Interpreting cultural objects (e.g., novels, films, or paintings)?
Comparing scholarly approaches (e.g., theories, methods, or interpretations)?

Many dissertations will combine more than one of these. Sometimes the type of research is obvious: if your topic is post-war Irish poetry, you will probably mainly be interpreting poems. But in other cases, there are several possible approaches. If your topic is reproductive rights in South America, you could analyze public policy documents and media coverage, or you could gather original data through interviews and surveys .

You don’t have to finalize your research design and methods yet, but the type of research will influence which aspects of the topic it’s possible to address, so it’s wise to consider this as you narrow down your ideas.

It’s important that your topic is interesting to you, but you’ll also have to make sure it’s academically, socially or practically relevant to your field.

Academic relevance means that the research can fill a gap in knowledge or contribute to a scholarly debate in your field.
Social relevance means that the research can advance our understanding of society and inform social change.
Practical relevance means that the research can be applied to solve concrete problems or improve real-life processes.

The easiest way to make sure your research is relevant is to choose a topic that is clearly connected to current issues or debates, either in society at large or in your academic discipline. The relevance must be clearly stated when you define your research problem .

Before you make a final decision on your topic, consider again the length of your dissertation, the timeframe in which you have to complete it, and the practicalities of conducting the research.

Will you have enough time to read all the most important academic literature on this topic? If there’s too much information to tackle, consider narrowing your focus even more.

Will you be able to find enough sources or gather enough data to fulfil the requirements of the dissertation? If you think you might struggle to find information, consider broadening or shifting your focus.

Do you have to go to a specific location to gather data on the topic? Make sure that you have enough funding and practical access.

Last but not least, will the topic hold your interest for the length of the research process? To stay motivated, it’s important to choose something you’re enthusiastic about!

Most programmes will require you to submit a brief description of your topic, called a research prospectus or proposal .

Remember, if you discover that your topic is not as strong as you thought it was, it’s usually acceptable to change your mind and switch focus early in the dissertation process. Just make sure you have enough time to start on a new topic, and always check with your supervisor or department.

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

Sampling methods
Simple random sampling
Stratified sampling
Cluster sampling
Likert scales
Reproducibility

Statistics

Null hypothesis
Statistical power
Probability distribution
Effect size
Poisson distribution

Research bias

Optimism bias
Cognitive bias
Implicit bias
Hawthorne effect
Anchoring bias
Explicit bias

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

Researchability
Feasibility and specificity
Relevance and originality

All research questions should be:

Focused on a single problem or issue
Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
Specific enough to answer thoroughly
Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

Who is the author? Are they an expert?
Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

Cite this Scribbr article

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 20). How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow. Scribbr. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/dissertation-topic/

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Graduate Studies in A&S

Undergraduate Honors

The honors thesis in philosophy.

The Honors Thesis is a distinguished way to complete the B.A. degree. It also provides excellent preparation for those who plan to go on to graduate or professional schools. The completed thesis is a solid statement of your status as a trained philosopher. Note, also, that at Washington University the only way to earn Latin Honors in Arts & Sciences is by successfully completing an Honors Thesis.

Typically, an Honors Thesis will consist of several chapters totaling 40-60 pages. Alternatively, in consultation with your thesis advisor, you may elect to write an article-length essay that aims at the standards of professional philosophy journals. This second option can be particularly useful for those applying to graduate school in philosophy, since it can serve as the required writing sample. Whatever form it takes, your thesis is expected to undergo multiple revisions.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

On the basis of the completed written thesis, the oral thesis defense, and your overall grade point average, the thesis committee will determine: (a) your grade for Phil 499 for the spring semester; (b) whether you will receive Latin Honors in Philosophy; (c) the level of Latin Honors you will receive (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude); and (d) a grade for both the written thesis and the oral defense.

AWARDING OF HONORS

Upon certification by the department that the Honors program has been satisfactorily completed, the student may be awarded the A.B. cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude according to the following proportions: the top 15 percent in overall grade point average of Latin honors candidates who complete the necessary requirements of their major departments or programs in the College of Arts & Sciences will graduate summa cum laude; the next 35 percent magna cum laude; the next 50 percent cum laude.

Eligibility & Application

To be eligible to write an Honors Thesis, you must have the agreement of a faculty member to serve as a thesis advisor. This agreement will depend on his or her assessment of the viability of your project, your preparation to carry out the project, and his or her availability during the semesters in question. In addition, you must have, at the end of the junior year, at least a 3.65 GPA in Philosophy, a 3.65 GPA in advanced philosophy courses (300-level and above), and a 3.65 overall GPA. It is strongly recommended that you complete three of the required core courses and one 400-level course by the end of your junior year.

You must submit an application for Honors by the last day of classes of the junior year. A one-paragraph description of the project is required at this point. This description should be prepared in consultation with your thesis advisor.

Note that if you will be studying abroad during your junior year, it is imperative to plan ahead carefully. If possible, you should secure the agreement of a thesis advisor prior to your departure.

Honors Thesis Application

Honors Thesis Timetable

Fall semester, junior year.

Students interested in pursuing Honors should begin preparation in the Fall semester of their junior year, especially by taking advanced courses in their special areas of interest, taught by prospective faculty advisors.

SPRING SEMESTER, JUNIOR YEAR

The department surveys the majors to determine who is considering writing an Honors Thesis and with which faculty members. This helps the department match students eligible for Honors with a suitable faculty advisor. Students should begin to formulate a thesis topic, in consultation with their prospective faculty advisor. Students who are abroad should be in regular contact with the faculty member with whom they wish to work.

Last day of classes, Spring semester: Students intending to pursue Honors must submit to the department an application for Honors, including a brief summary of the thesis topic and an indication of the agreement of the faculty advisor. Students should register for L30 499 for the following fall semester (please see the department secretary for the section number of your faculty advisor).

End of May: On the basis of spring semester grades and faculty assessments, initial approval of applications for Honors will be sent to students and thesis advisors.

FALL SEMESTER, SENIOR YEAR

September 15th: Two hard copies of the thesis prospectus are due to your thesis advisor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The thesis prospectus should be approximately 500 words in length and should include a description of the thesis topic and how it will be approached.

By September 30th: The Director of Undergraduate Studies assigns thesis committee members.

Late November-early December: Students will submit a detailed written report about their progress to their faculty adviser. Reports should be approximately 500 words.

Late-December: The faculty thesis advisor, in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, will reach a verdict about the viability of the honors project by the end of finals of Fall semester, at which time the student will be approved to continue with the Honors thesis or be advised to enroll in the Capstone course for the Spring semester. Students continuing with honors should re-enroll for L30 499 for Spring semester. If the thesis is discontinued, the Fall semester section of L30 499 will be converted to L30 500 (the number for ordinary independent studies). The faculty advisor will then assign a grade for Phil 500.

SPRING SEMESTER, SENIOR YEAR

February 15th: A full penultimate draft of the Honors Thesis, including all chapters, is due to the thesis committee. The committee is encouraged to return the material to the student as soon as possible with final comments. The thesis defense should be scheduled at this time.

March 15th: Final versions of the Honors Thesis are due to members of the thesis committee.

End of March: The oral thesis defense takes place, lasting approximately one hour. External viewers are not allowed at oral defenses. At the conclusion, the candidate leaves the room, and the thesis committee determines a grade for both the written and oral component of the thesis. The student is then informed of the result, and the relevant form is completed and submitted to the department office.

April 15th: Students must submit an electronic copy of the corrected, final thesis to the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Philosophy Administrative Assistant.

May 1st: The faculty advisor will submit a written report about the quality of the written thesis and the oral exam to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This report should include a grade for both the written and oral component.

Return to Undergraduate Philosophy Major and Minor Requirements

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Thesis Helpers

Find the best tips and advice to improve your writing. Or, have a top expert write your paper.

161 Great Philosophy Thesis Topics: Take A Look!

Philosophy is one of the most interesting areas of study because it deals with fundamental questions that arise in everyday life. These questions concern reality and further extend to other disciplines. The goal of philosophy is not to simply master facts, but to think through them. This means you critically analyze, discern hidden arguments, and construct logical arguments. What an interesting niche!

As a PhD student, your last step is to write a thesis. This is the last paper that demonstrates you are ready to venture into your philosophy career. To write a great philosophy PhD thesis, the first step is picking the right topic.

In this post, we are going to take a closer look at writing a philosophy PhD thesis to help you identify the best topics. We will demonstrate the main areas of philosophy where you can derive good topics and provide a comprehensive philosophy topics list.

Main Areas to Consider for Your Philosophy PhD Thesis

Before picking the most popular thesis topics for your study, it is important to understand the different areas of philosophy. This will help you narrow down to the area of interest and write a great thesis:

Epistemology : This is one of the top areas to base your philosophy PhD thesis topics. Epistemology deals with questions about belief and knowledge. Some of the questions that epistemology seeks to answer include what is the difference between believing something and knowing something? What determines whether a belief is rational or not?
Metaphysics : This is an area of philosophy that focuses on what reality is. In this area of study, you will seek to answer questions on ontology, nature, persons, objects, modality, time, space, and laws of nature, among others. According to Plato, in addition to what is observable, there is an additional realm of eternal entities such as beauty, justice, and goodness.
Logic : Logic in philosophy, is the study of inference patterns. Unlike in psychology, logic in philosophy is about questions of exploring when a specific claim is supported by other claims. Logical validity is closely connected to concepts such as if, and, or, not, some, and then.
Political philosophy : This is a branch of philosophy that involves concepts and values related to political matters. Other areas you can base your philosophy thesis topics include moral philosophy and history of philosophy.

How To Select the Best Topics of Philosophy for Your Thesis

When it comes to picking a thesis topic, no effort should be spared to make sure you select the best. Here are some of the main reasons why you should go for good philosophy topics.

Picking a great philosophy thesis topic allows you to identify and fill areas that are lacking. This is an opportunity to leave a mark in the field of philosophy.

Unlike other assignments where the tutor provides you with the topics to work on, the philosophy thesis is one case when you have the opportunity to choose. Therefore, go ahead and pick what pleases you.

The topic you select determines the ease of writing your PhD thesis. For example, a topic with ample resources is easy to work on compared to the one that has none.

With good philosophy research topics, defending your thesis becomes easy.

Interesting Philosophy Topics for Your Dissertation

Now that we have looked at the top areas, you can base your philosophy PhD thesis on; we are going to list popular topics that you can consider. Note that most of the topics take the form of a question because philosophy is all about questioning and seeking logical answers.

Why we should stop capital punishment and adopt permanent solutions to help solve crimes.
Can a person be happy without a family?
A vacation or well-paid job: What would you take?
Should people always obey the rules? A closer look at the line between breaking rules and rebellion.
A closer look at modern life values.
What makes people commit crimes even when they know that they will face capital punishment?
Is there life after death?
Loneliness: Reconstructing its meaning.
Wealth: Is it possible to be rich without having a lot of money?
The main characters that define a person: Is it possible to change them?
Understanding why religion is important above anything else for a lot of people around the globe.
Reasons why we cannot declare humanity as a supreme religion.
Evaluating life existence: Are humans the only living organisms?
What makes people kill in the name of religion?
Morality and religion: Why are they different, yet they talk about the same thing?
What makes women to be considered less strong physically as compared to men?
How can the custom of dowry be eliminated from people’s minds?
To love or to be loved: Which is more important?
What is the value of truth? Are there instances when lying is good?
What is the perfect life? What prevents people from living it?
Is it possible for parents to be the best friends to their children in real sense?
Evaluating how the age of maturity and age of marriage are defined by society.
Why social behavior and ethics cannot be separated.
What is the best way to boost a person’s creativity?

Good Philosophy Thesis Topics

Are animals different from people?
A deeper look at things that make human life meaningful.
What are the pros and cons of total control?
Is it possible to create an ideal society?
What are the best ways to reach peace in the world?
Exploring the roles of good and evil.
Should the church be involved in politics?
Euthanasia: Is it ethical?
Evaluating the relationship between war and peace.
Social media: A deeper look at how it has affected people’s moral behavior.
Analyzing the impact of beauty on human development.
Is it possible to always think positively?
Should parents be held responsible for the actions of their children?
A deeper look at supernatural: Is there any proof?
Suicide: What are the associated pros and cons?
Can animal experiments be justified?
What are the pros and cons of communism?
What are the pros and cons of utilitarianism?
Evaluating the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.
Ethics: Can we justify the experiments on human beings?
Can we connect traditions supported by science and force people to follow them as customs?
Is there a moral obligation to be honest?

Philosophy Thesis Topics For Seniors

Do developed nations have a moral obligation to address issues such as famine in developing countries?
Circus in zoos: Are they ethical?
Exploring the ethics of cryptocurrencies: A case study of Bitcoin.
Should incarcerated criminals be allowed to have children?
What are the pros and cons of marriage?
Dog and cat: Which is more superior?
Should human beings claim a stake in other planets such as moon and mars?
What are the pros and cons of genetically modified objects?
What are the pros and cons of childless families?
Elderly health: Who should decide whether to take the elderly to care centers: the elderly, their children, or healthcare professionals?
Steroids in sports: Is it ethical to use steroids to enhance results outcome in athletics?
Machiavelli ideas: Exploring the negative and positive features.
Why is cloning banned in most countries?
Can torture be justified?

Philosophy Thesis Topics on Human Sciences

A critique of the global assumptions and practices of human behavior
In what ways do the constructions of human nature affect our lineation and associations?
Adopting positivism in a world always awash with negative news
A systematic approach to the natural behavior of man
Greek philosophers’ role in shaping human sciences
The origin of existential phenomenology in Europe
The American infusionism into cultures of the world: its impact

Philosophy Topics for Research Paper

Evil persons and evil actions: a philosophical perspective
The effect of the ideology of Darwinism on natural selection
Intervention vs. information: distinguishing the differences
Melancholia in teenagers: a psychological analysis
Relating depression to interactive children
The logic behind madness in dreams
The Modern Virtue Theory: the relationship between value, dignity, and human virtue: their relationship
Sex and sexuality in the 21st century

Philosophy Research Paper Topics for Undergraduate Students

Monistic modern science vs. pluralistic modern science
The influence of moral philosophy in our understanding of folk psychology
The impossibility of escaping mental externalism
How has the emergence of technology in the 21st century
Empathy and morality in developing fiction stories and folklores
When is voluntary suicide justified?
Fate, destiny, and free will: evaluating the relationship between them

Philosophy Research Topics on Renaissance

Scientific revolution: its impact on the renaissance period
Rome vs. Northern Europe: comparing the High Renaissance
Some godfathers of the Renaissance: their contributions
Sexuality and eroticism in the 16th century renaissance art
The Great migration: its impact on literature and art
Early Renaissance: its impact on medical innovations
Technological advancements in renaissance culture and art
Naturalistic beauty in the renaissance period

Philosophical Research Topics for Masters’ Thesis

The impacts and benefits of the renaissance period on man
Are people good or evil by nature?
The limitations to free will in personal decision making
Utilitarianism: a detailed argument for or against
How are morals relevant to culture and(or) society
Aesops’ fables: how have they contributed to human philosophy?
What roles do group selection and altruism play?
What role has Bolzano’s mathematical knowledge played in human philosophy?

Buddhist Philosophy Topics List

Buddhism vs. Hinduism: the view of sin and punishment
Evaluating misconceptions regarding sexuality in the Buddhist religion
The relationship between Buddhism and Shinto with China
The four noble truths of Buddhism: a thorough analysis
The confluence of Hinduism and Buddhism in India: an in-depth study
What role did Mahatma Gandhi play in advancing Buddhism ideologies and practices?
What are the elements of the Buddhism religion that makes it sacred?

Fun Philosophy Paper Topics

What role do aesthetics play in the study of philosophy?
What role do ethics play in the survivability of a society?
In what way has logic been crucial in helping man make rational decisions?
A thorough analysis of the philosophy of mind with fundamental tenets
The African philosophy: what are the major revolutions?
Western philosophy vs. others: why does it have a greater acceptance?
For what reasons do post-classical and medieval philosophies have a place in the contemporary world?

Topics in Philosophy on Epistemology

Evaluating the concept of skepticism among different categories of readers
Knowledge and justification: the internalist account vs. externalist account
Factors contributing to contexualism in epistemology
What are the impacts of certain alternative accounts of knowledge?
The epistemology of lotteries: what are the pros and cons?
The different positions in epistemology: their pros and cons
The concept of Shoemaker’s self-blindness
How is the epistemology of attitudes different from other mental states?

Philosophy Term Paper Topics

The concept of happiness
Why is egoism considered a negative trait in man?
Understanding the motive behind the acts of charity
Past generations vs. the current generation: which is more affectionate?
Understanding the concept of true friendship
What role does technology play in the absence of emotions in some people?
Time management in campus students vs. time management in high school students
Can obsession ever replace true love?

Interesting Philosophy Topics for Research Paper

Can there be true love among teenagers?
What impact do religious beliefs have on science?
Testing the viability of the concept “You Only Live Once”
What are some fundamental flaws in various epistemological theories?
The unique characteristics of classical philosophy
What are the major revolutions of the African philosophy
An in-depth analysis of the limitations of metaphysics as a philosophy branch
Nature: is there an inherent order or it’s all chaos and chance?
Did the age of technology make us less happy?

Top-Notch Philosophy Topics to Write a Research Paper on

Perfection: why do we strive for it if it is unattainable?
What role does proper management play in making our lives meaningful?
To be liked or to be respected: which is more important?
The absolute way of attaining a happy mind
The possibility of having happiness without sadness
A critical look at a world without reliance on modern technology
The chances of robots taking over the world in the future
Parallel universes: do they exist or are they just fables?
What role do parents play in instilling morals in their children?
In what ways is man different from animals?
Top reasons why we should care about our neighbors
The judicial system: is it truly serving justice?
Can a woman be the head of the home?
The effect of knowing your purpose in life on behavior
Where do shooting stars fall?
The possibility of loving more than two people

Easy Topics for Philosophy Research Paper

Does fate exist in the modern world?
What are the chances of achieving an ideal society?
Why should you work when you will still die?
What are the components of the human consciousness?
Reasons why it is easier to do bad than to do good
Feminism: is it overhyped?
Foundationalism and Coherentism
The concept of anger in the Buddhism religion and how to manage it

Your Philosophy PhD Thesis Simplified – Nothing but Fun!

From the above philosophy thesis examples, go ahead, and select your preferred option. But this is just the beginning. Actually, you have just started scratching the surface. After selecting the best topics of philosophy, the bigger task of writing a bachelor thesis lays ahead. And you know what? You should not wait; the time to start is now! You have a huge task of crafting the thesis structure and professionally writing your thesis within the stipulated time.

At this moment, we are not going to lie; the task of crafting a winning thesis is monumental. Even those who have some writing skills feel inadequate to embark on it. Well, you do not want to pick a great philosophy thesis topic only to fail because of poor writing. The solution is seeking thesis writing help.

Thesis writing help is offered by experts who have been in the industry for years and done similar philosophy dissertations for other learners. They not only have the right skills but are willing to walk with you to ensure you go through successfully. They will craft the best structure, chapters, and complete the thesis on time. This will give you ample time to seek clarifications, learn, and prepare for defense. What a cheap and easy way to craft a winning dissertation?

If you are in a philosophy class, do not let the dissertation give you stress. You can select any of the above topics, and use writing help to make thesis writing professional and fun.

Make PhD experience your own

philosophy undergraduate thesis topics

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Philosophy Dissertation Topics

Introduction

Philosophy Dissertation Topics of Research

Topic 2: Sociological Functionalism- Investigating the Development and Beliefs

Topic 3: Assessing the History and Development of Philosophical Work from the 15th to 21st Century.

Topic 4: A Comprehensive View of Social Development of Loneliness.

Topic 5: What does it mean to live in an Ideal Society- Discuss using Plato's Philosophies.

More Philosophy Dissertation Research Topics

Topic 2: Should people always obey the rules? A closer look at the line between breaking rules and rebellion.

Topic 3: Loneliness: Reconstructing its meaning

Topic 4: Understanding why religion is paramount above anything else for many people around the globe.

Topic 5: What is the best way to boost a person’s creativity?

Topic 6: Morality and religion: Why are they different, yet they talk about the same thing?

Topic 7: Wealth: Is it possible to be rich without having a lot of money?

Topic 8: How can the custom of dowry be eliminated from people’s minds?

Topic 9: To love or to be loved: Which is more important?

Topic 10: Why social behaviour and ethics cannot be separated?

Topic 11: A more in-depth look at things that make human life meaningful.

Topic 12: Is it possible to create an ideal society?

Topic 13: A closer look at modern life values.

Topic 14: Euthanasia: Is it ethical?

Topic 15: What is the value of truth? Are there instances when lying is good?

Free Dissertation Topic

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Writing an Honors Thesis

Who can write an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

What are the pre-requisites for an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

When should I get started?

How do I get started?

Step 2: Find an Honors Thesis Advisor with the help of the DUS

Step 3: Fill out the required paperwork needed to register for PHIL 691H

What happens when I take PHIL 691H and PHIL 692H?

The Graduate Course Option

Who can be my advisor?

Who should be my advisor?

What about the defense?

What is an Honors Thesis in Philosophy like?

How does the Honors Thesis get evaluated?

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