<p>I just heard about this Fundamentals: Issues and Texts major that interests me, and was wondering if any students who are majoring in this could tell about their experience with it?</p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/uchicago/373007.html%5Dthis%5B/url">http://community.livejournal.com/uchicago/373007.html]this[/url</a>] might help a bit! (in the comments.)</p>
<p>If you haven't seen it: <a href="http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_07/FNDL.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/pdf_07/FNDL.pdf</a></p>
<p>What exactly is the point of this major?
[quote]
The Fundamentals program enables students to concentrate on fundamental
questions by reading classic texts that articulate and speak to these questions.
It seeks to foster precise and thoughtful pursuit of basic questions by means of
(1) rigorous training in the interpretation of important texts, supported by (2)
extensive training in at least one foreign language, and by (3) the acquisition
of the knowledge, approaches, and skills of conventional disciplines: historical,
religious, literary, scientific, political, and philosophical.
[/quote]
Isn't this what the Core tries to accomplish?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Isn't this what the Core tries to accomplish?
[/quote]
The core does not complete your education. That is like saying since you take math in the core there is not point in majoring in it. The Fundamentals major is like an extension of the humanities portion of the core. An extension of the Fundamentals major would be the graduate program on the Committee on Social Thought.</p>
<p>Yes, the core definitely does not complete your education. It gives you a basic grounding in the interpretation of important texts and the acquisition
of the knowledge, approaches, and skills of conventional disciplines: historical,
religious, literary, scientific, political, and philosophical (which is exactly what the website says). After that, students generally pick one specific subject area which they would like to focus on and that is their major.</p>
<p>The Fundamentals major takes the study of humanities to another level. One of my professors said that it's like what an English major used to be (but isn't anymore). Many of the courses focus on one specific text. The major is largely self-designed with a lot of faculty advising. The student, when applying for the major, comes up with a question and may pick courses throughout the University to answer that question. Questions may be on the structure or importance of family, the notion of opression, the concept of autonomy, etc. It's the essence of humanistic study.</p>
<p>I'm not questioning the rigor of "Fundamentals". I simply think it defeats the purpose of a major - wherein, after a vast amount of general education, students are required to select one specific academic discipline they would like to focus on.</p>
<p>Ah, I understand. Though "great books" / Fundamentals could perhaps be considered a specific academic discipline in a certain sense, it is not a conventional subject today (though, as my prof said, it does resemble an older English major). The Fundamentals major could be looked at as a pass on a conventional major in turn for more rigorous study of books, questions, and the humanities. </p>
<p>The "major" even in this case does have a specific focus; the difference is that the focus does not reflect a single academic discipline. Note that there are many interdisciplinary majors and programs at most of the top US Colleges and Universities, such as African American Studies. These are seen as acceptable majors even though the major is not a focus on "one specific academic discipline."</p>