The Department of Philosophy at Brandeis University Philosophy in Preparation for Medical School Many Brandeis graduates who have pursued careers in medicine and the other health professions had some exposure to philosophy while they were undergraduates at Brandeis and a number of Philosophy Majors have gone on to receive M.D. Degrees. Pre-medical students are often encouraged, while they are still in college to seek a solid liberal arts education, which does not focus exclusively on the sciences as such, but embraces the humanities and social sciences as well. Philosophical thinking strongly emphasizes clear formulation of ideas and problems, selection of relevant data, and objective methods for assessing ideas and proposals. It also emphasizes development of a sense of the new directions suggested by the hypotheses and questions one encounters in doing research.
Philosophers regularly build on both the successes and failures of their predecessors.
Philosophy of mind is also of value in its explorations of fundamental questions about the relation between mental and physical processes and its close ties to the field of cognitive science. Philosophy of science, with its emphasis on identifying and clarifying the roles played by theory and experimentation in our arriving at a better understanding of ourselves and the world, has direct relevance for anyone interested in exploring more deeply the nature of objectivity and method in the sciences. Introduction to Ethics Explores the basic concepts and theories of ethical philosophy. Applications of ethical philosophy to various concrete questions will be considered. Usually offered every year.