| Philosophy course descriptions |
| PHIL 1301 Introduction to
Philosophy |
PHIL 3310 Special Topics
in Philosophy |
| PHIL 2303 Logic |
PHIL 3311 Medical Ethics |
| PHIL 2316 History of Philosophy I |
PHIL 3312 Environmental Ethics |
| PHIL 2317 History of Philosophy II |
PHIL 3313 Business Ethics |
| PHIL 2318 History of Philosophy III
PHIL |
PHIL 3331 Philosophy of Religion |
| PHIL 2324 Informal Logic |
PHIL 3336 Great Texts |
| PHIL 2329 Ethical Analysis |
PHIL 3337 Theory of Knowing |
| PHIL 3301 Legal Ethics |
PHIL 3339 Advanced Logic |
| PHIL 3302 Ethics and Public Policy |
PHIL 4341 Directed Readings |
| PHIL 3303 Ethics and Technology |
PHIL 4342 Senior Seminar |
| PHIL 3304 Philosophy and Literature |
PHIL 4150 Internship in Philosophy |
| PHIL 3305 The Problem of Evil |
PHIL 4250 Internship in Philosophy |
| PHIL 3306 Theories of Human Nature |
PHIL 4350 Internship in Philosophy |
| PHIL 3307 Theories of Justice |
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| PHIL 3309 Philosophy of History |
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| 1301 Introduction to Philosophy |
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| This introductory-level course pursues an understanding
of understanding. More specifically, it focuses on what becoming
educated involves, on what learning in a variety of disciplines
requires. Put another way, the primary purpose of the course
is to encourage attention to our own minds at work. But minding
our minds is not easy. For the most part, we have been educated
out of our minds. That is, prior schooling routinely neglected
attention to questioning, guessing, evaluation; instead, it
emphasized answers, new vocabulary, prepackaged information.
The result, not surprisingly, is that what is closest to us
(our own thinking) remains most remote (unfamiliar). The course
challenges this neglect of our own minds. Fall. 3 hours. |
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| 2303 Logic |
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The use of reasoning to construct an argument
is one of the most powerful tools available to seekers of
wisdom. Starting from certain premises, one builds to a conclusion.
Each step in reasoning comprises an inference. Logic is the
study of reasoning, of argument and inference. It is basic
to all the sciences and humanities as well as to philosophy
and mathematics. While logic has fundamental applications
in law, mathematics and computer science, we derive its greatest
benefit in increased sensitivity to, understanding of, and
ability to use language. Logic can help our communication
skills and help us develop convincing defenses of our viewpoints.
It can help us better understand what we read and
hear and reduce our gullibility. This introductory course
assumes no prior study of logic. Fall. 3 hours. |
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| 2316 History of Philosophy I |
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This course covers a period of almost a thousand
years, beginning with the Greeks circa 600 B.C. and continuing
through the transition from the classical to the medieval
period. Students are introduced to the ways major philosophical
and religious figures in the ancient world variously understood
God, human beings and the universe. It is thus the study of
the intellectual roots of Western civilization. Emphasis is
on primary sources with concentration
on the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the transition
to a distinctively Christian worldview as represented by St.
Thomas Aquinas. Fall, odd-numbered years. 3 hours. |
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| 2317 History of Philosophy II |
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| Surveys the modern period of Western philosophy
with special attention to Descartes, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx,
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: Three hours of PHIL or permission of instructor.
Spring, even-numbered years. 3 hours. |
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| 2318 History of Philosophy III |
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| This section allows for a periodic study of
special divisions within the history of philosophy: American
philosophers, the existentialists, Oriental philosophy, contemporary
philosophy. Prerequisite: Three hours of PHIL or permission of instructor. 3 hours. |
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| 2324 Informal Logic |
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| This course teaches skills of argumentation
and logical analysis. It assumes there are certain skills
of inquiry and criticism that can be learned, tested and transferred
to the informal arguments that make up most public controversies.
In contrast to formal logic with its symbolic language and
specialized tools of reason, informal logic employs everyday
examples and ordinary language to teach various skills of
critical thinking. 3 hours. |
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| 2329 Ethical Analysis |
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| Philosophical ethics can be described as the
attempt to think clearly and deeply about fundamental moral
questions that arise for us as humans. Ethics is concerned
with evaluating appropriate action, proper character, the
characteristics of the good life and what is involved in acting
rightly. The course explores readings in foundational ethical
theory, including the systematic analysis of moral beliefs,
as well as the application of ethical theory to particular
issues in applied ethics, such as punishment and suicide,
physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia. Fall and Spring.
3 hours. |
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| 3301 Legal Ethics |
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| The readings and course activities will help
students to understand (1) the relationship of law and morality,
(2) notions of justice in different legal philosophies, (3)
the potential corruption of law by ideology, and (4) contemporary
ethical quandaries of practitioners. Fall. 3 hours. |
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| 3302 Ethics and Public Policy |
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| The course is divided into three sections: (1)
the foundations of ethics and public policy; (2) the methodical
analysis of policy proposals; (3) the application of theory
and method to contemporary controversies. The primary learning
objectives are (a) recognizing in ourselves the operations
of intelligent planning and moral deciding that are preconditions
to effective policy making; (b) making deliberate and controlled
use of these operations in clarifying and criticizing policy
recommendations. Spring. 3 hours. |
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| 3303 Ethics and Technology |
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| This course focuses on moral issues created
by information technology for organizational, managerial and
computer-related environments. The primary concern is with
ethical analysis and how it applies to, although is not limited
to, privacy, intellectual property, information access, interpersonal
communication, moral and civil rights, as well as some social
implications of technology. 3 hours. |
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| 3304 Philosophy and Literature |
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| The focus of the course is on the “novel
of ideas” and the interplay between aesthetic and intellectual
patterns of understanding, and expression in such novels.
3 hours. |
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| 3305 The Problem of Evil |
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| Different cultures have mediated their experiences
of evil by a variety of myths and symbols. The course uses
several texts, both biographical and philosophical, to clarify
diverse interpretations of evil. 3 hours. |
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| 3306 Theories of Human Nature |
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In this course students will critically explore
the origin and extent of natural law theory. Topics include,
but are not limited to, moral rights, contractarianism, liberty,
property, equality and justice. From the foundations of natural
law in Thomas Aquinas to the theories of Hugo Grotius, Francisco
Suarez and Francisco de Victoria in the early 17th century,
to Enlightenment figures, such as David Hume, John Locke and
Adam Smith, to the beginnings
of utilitarianism, students will analyze the origins and limits
of natural law arguments for morality and political theory.
3 hours. |
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| 3307 Theories of Justice |
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| Contemporary debates about human rights, the
fair distribution of goods and governmental restraints on
personal liberties are not understandable without some sense
of the competing ideals of justice behind these debates. The
course studies and criticizes these competing notions of fairness.
3 hours |
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| 3309 Philosophy of History |
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| Leading thinkers of the past two centuries have
investigated a variety of questions about history. The two
broad questions have been whether any order or meaning can
be found in history and what limits there are to historical
understanding. The course begins by sketching different accounts
of patterns in history and then takes up the question of the
functions and limits of historical knowledge. 3 hours. |
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| 3310 Special Topics in Philosophy |
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| Different philosophical topics may be offered;
if the topic is relevant to applied ethics, this course will
fulfill the General Education ethics requirement and will
also be applicable to the Professional Ethics minor. 3 hours. |
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| 3311 Medical Ethics |
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| In this course students will explore moral concerns
and ethical decision making in medicine and health care. Topics
include, but are not limited to, health care reform, informed
consent, competency, surrogate decision making, quality of
life decision making, decisions about allowing death, futility,
and allocation of scarce health care resources. The class
will also analyze concerns regarding equity, justice and individual
rights to health care. 3 hours |
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| 3312 Environmental Ethics |
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| In this course students will explore moral concerns
and ethical decision making with regard to the environment.
Topics include, but are not limited to, individual, corporate
and state freedoms and responsibilities, permissible uses
of animals, and comparison of strategies for protecting natural
resources, as well as case studies regarding equity, justice,
and individual and community rights to environmental resources.
3 hours. |
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| 3313 Business Ethics |
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| In this course students will explore moral concerns
and ethical decision making in business circumstances and
the corporate environment. Topics include, but are not limited
to, individual and corporate freedoms and responsibilities,
the virtues and vices of corporate behavior, individual and
corporate rights, as well as case studies regarding equity
and justice. 3 hours. |
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| 3331 Philosophy of Religion |
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| The course explores the complex relations between
religion and culture. From a variety of perspectives, the
class studies how different communities have experienced and
understood human spirituality and how they have symbolized,
evaluated and acted upon that understanding. Prerequisite: Three hours of PHIL or permission of the instructor. Fall, odd-numbered
years. 3 hours. |
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| 3336 Great Texts |
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| In keeping with the great books tradition, sections
of this course offer opportunities for reading and discussing
classic texts of western civilization. Reading lists vary
so this course may be repeated for credit. The course is open
to all undergraduates, but upper-division standing and some
familiarity with major figures in intellectual history are
recommended. 3 hours. |
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| 3337 Theory of Knowing |
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| Investigates the complex process of human knowing:
its basic structure and limitations. Emphasis is placed on
the students’ discovery of their own cognitional abilities
as a basis for evaluating conflicting theories about human
knowing. Prerequisites: Six hours of Philosophy. Fall, even-numbered
years. 3 hours. |
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| 3339 Advanced Logic |
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| Building on the basic skills of PHIL 2303, this
course offers more advanced consideration of sequential logic,
first-order predicate logic and modal logic (logic of possibility
and necessity). Topics will include complex argument recognition,
construction, structure and evaluation, as well as meta-theoretical
topics, such as the soundness and completeness of logical
systems. Prerequisite: PHIL 2303 or permission of instructor.
3 hours. |
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| 4341 Directed Readings |
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| Special elective: Research for advanced students
in primary works of philosophy. Course material available
in the works of the following: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas,
Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Voegelin, Lonergan, Heidegger,
Theories of Interpretation. Although not required, it is recommended
that students enrolling in directed readings have a prior
background in the history of philosophy. Fall. 3 hours. |
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| 4342 Senior Seminar |
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| Course modeled on the graduate seminar: Primary
sources researched and the results defended. Specialized interests
of advanced Philosophy students are provided with a forum
for exchange and debate. Prerequisite: Six hours of Philosophy.
Spring. 3 hours. |
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| 4150 Internship in Philosophy |
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| This course allows students to apply their knowledge
of philosophy to a work situation. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 1 hour. |
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| 4250 Internship in Philosophy |
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| This course allows students to apply their knowledge
of philosophy to a work situation. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 2 hours. |
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| 4350 Internship in Philosophy |
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This course allows students to apply their knowledge of philosophy to a work situation. If this course is taken as part of the Professional Ethics minor, an experiential learning project is required. The project should involve active participation in organizational activities and written reports. The Philosophy faculty will be responsible for approving the design and for evaluating the projects. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 3 hours. |
