| Courses
& Course Descriptions
Prerequisites. Courses numbered 100 are considered
introductory courses and have no course prerequisites. Courses numbered
200 are considered advanced introductory courses and require sophomore
standing or consent of the instructor. Courses numbered 300 and
above are considered advanced courses and have, as prerequisite,
any one course numbered under 300, or sophomore standing in Christ
College, or consent of the instructor. Courses numbered 400 and
above are designed for majors and minors.
General Education. Any course in philosophy will
satisfy the General Education Historical and Philosophical Studies
requirement, but students will usually be best served by choosing
PHIL 115, 120, 125, or 150. From time to time certain philosophy
courses are cross-listed with upper level Theology courses and thus
may satisfy that requirement under the Theology number. PHIL 120
will also satisfy the U.S. Cultural Diversity requirement. PHIL
220 will satisfy the Diversity: Global Cultures and Perspectives
requirement. PHIL 210 will satisfy the Fine Arts/Fine Arts Literature
requirement.
Course Descriptions from the General Catalog
PHIL 115. Experience and Existence.
Cr. 3. A study of some of the
fundamental philosophical questions that arise as we attempt to understand
the world around us and our experience of it. Topics covered include the
nature of time, space and matter, the existence of God and of human souls,
the nature of the human person and of consciousness, the reliability of
sense-perception and the possibility of knowledge, the compatibility of
faith, reason and science, and so on.
PHIL 120. Democracy, Education and Multiculturalism.
Cr. 3. An introduction
to some philosophical problems relating to ethnicity and multiculturalism
particularly as these arise in political philosophy and philosophy
of education in the American context. May be used to fulfill the
Cultural Diversity component of the General Education Requirements.
PHIL 125. The Good Life.
Cr. 3. An introduction to
philosophical thought about the shape and substance of a good human
life. What might such a life look like? Would it be a life of pleasure
or of moral rectitude? a life of self-effacing service to others, or
of self-fulfillment? Possibly a life of religious devotion and union
with the Divine? Is there one model that stands out as uniquely
correct, or are there many equally good models--and what makes a
model good in the first place? These and other similar questions
may be covered.
PHIL 130. Death and Immortality.
Cr. 3. A philosophical inquiry
into questions surrounding death and the possibility of life after death.
What is death, and why does it exist? Is it good, bad, or neutral? Is the
idea of an afterlife plausible? Are some models of the afterlife, such as
resurrection or reincarnation, more plausible than others? Do "near-death
experiences" give us evidence for the reality of an afterlife? These and
similar questions may be covered.
PHIL 150. Logic and Critical Thinking.
Cr. 3. An introduction
to different strategies for constructing and evaluating arguments.
Emphasis is placed on the development of skills needed to deal competently
with arguments encountered in everyday life as well as on some of
the more formal techniques of logical analysis. May be used to fulfill the
Quantitative Analysis component of the General Education Requirements.
PHIL 201. Forgiveness.
Cr. 3.A philosophical exploration
of the concept of forgiveness. What is forgiveness? What is the proper object
of forgiveness? Does understanding add anything to forgiveness? Are there
unforgivable acts or unforgivable persons? When do we have an obligation to
forgive? What is the connection between forgiveness and related concepts such
as reconciliation, justice, and mercy? The focus of this course will be on
interpersonal forgiveness, although we will have occasion to connect this with
legal, political, and theological conceptions of forgiveness.
PHIL 205. Science and the Interpretation of Reality.
Cr. 3. A study of the philosophical
questions surrounding science as a field of knowledge and as a cultural institution.
What is science, and how do we distinguish between science and non-science? Does
science yield knowledge of reality, or does it merely generate plausible models
whose significance comes from their practical applications (technology)? Is
scientific knowledge superior to non-scientific knowledge, and does science
therefore deserve the place of authority that it has in Western (and, increasingly,
global) culture? These and related issues may be covered.
PHIL 210. Philosophy of Art.
Cr. 3. A study of theories
of art and aesthetic experience. Readings from classical and contemporary
sources. Reference is made to works of art accessible to the student
through field trips, slides, performances and recordings. This course
may be used to fulfill the Fine Arts/Fine Arts-Literature component
of the General Education Requirements.
PHIL 220. Asian Philosophy.
Cr. 3. An introduction
to some major philosophical themes in Asian thought. Emphasis
is upon the analysis of primary texts. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
This course fulfills the Cultural Diversity component
of the General Education Requirements.
PHIL 230. Environmental Philosophy and Ethics.
Cr. 3. A survey of major
conceptions of the relationship between humanity and the environment
and the kinds of beliefs, attitudes, and actions entailed by those
conceptions. Topics may include conservationism, deep ecology, bioregionalism,
political ecology, and creation spirituality.
PHIL 250. Political Philosophy.
Cr. 3. (Also offered
as POLS 250.) A survey of the major formulations and problems of
Western political thought as developed by political philosophers
from the Greeks through the modern era. Prerequisite: sophomore
standing.
PHIL 275. Ancient and Medieval Philosophy.
Cr. 3. An introduction
to great philosophers and themes of the ancient and medieval world.
Emphasis will be placed upon Plato and Aristotle, Augustine and
Thomas Aquinas. Primary documents are read throughout.
PHIL 280. Early Modern Philosophy.
Cr. 3. An introduction
to major thinkers and themes of seventeenth and eighteenth century
Europe with readings possibly to include Descartes, Leibniz, Locke,
Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Topics may include the nature of mind and
body, human freedom, the nature of reality, and the extent and limitations
of knowledge. Primary documents are read throughout.
PHIL 290. Philosophical Topics.
Cr. 3. A study of a
focused philosophical theme or issue. This course may be repeated
for credit if the topics are different.
PHIL 310. Theory of Knowledge.
Cr. 3. An examination
of selected topics which illustrate dominant themes of traditional
and contemporary theories of knowledge, such as skepticism, perception,
evidence, verifiability, memory, belief, justification, and truth.
PHIL 315. Philosophy of Language.
Cr. 3. How do words
mean? The nature of meaning and of language has been at the center
of twentieth century philosophy. This course will examine these
and other issues in the philosophy of language, concentrating on
the discussions of recent philosophers.
PHIL 320. Metaphysics.
Cr. 3. An examination
of traditional and contemporary metaphysical topics, such as time,
substance, agency, freedom, appearance and reality, persons, the
mind-body problem.
PHIL 330. Philosophy of Religion.
Cr. 3. A philosophical
analysis of some of the beliefs, concepts, and problems involved
in traditional theistic belief and its critics. Problems include
arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, the problem
of evil, and faith and reason. Course prerequisite can be satisfied
by any Level II Theology course instead of a philosophy course.
PHIL 335. Ethical Theory.
Cr. 3. A study of some
significant ethical theories and issues. Emphasis is on issues concerning
the nature of moral discourse and practice: the existence of objective
moral values, the relation of religion and morality, the possibility
of moral knowledge, the place of reason and convention in moral
discourse and practice.
PHIL 341. Biomedical Ethics.
Cr. 3. (May also be
offered as THEO 341.) A study of moral issues raised in health-care
and biological research (e.g., abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering,
and resource allocation). Attention is given both to ethical theory
and to practical issues. Course prerequisite can be satisfied by
any Level II Theology course instead of a philosophy course.
PHIL 345. Advanced Logic.
Cr. 3. A study of formal
deductive logic as codified in first-order predicate logic, including
the concepts of proof, consistency, and completeness, and topics
in logical theory and the foundations of mathematics. The relationship
between formal logic and rational inquiry is also explored. Prerequisite:
PHIL 150 or its equivalent.
PHIL 375. Advanced History of Philosophy.
Cr. 3. An advanced study
of the major philosophical themes of some period, for example, nineteenth
century German philosophy, eighteenth century Scottish philosophy,
or medieval philosophy.
PHIL 425.Advanced Philosophical Topics.
Cr. 3. An examination
of the work on one major philosopher such as Aristotle, Wittgenstein,
or Kant, or of a single philosophical approach such as Augustinianism
or phenomenology, or of one philosophical problem such as free will
or moral realism.
PHIL 450.Philosophy Seminar.
Cr. 3. A seminar required
of all philosophy majors in their senior year. An examination of
the nature and value of philosophy through the study of some philosophical
problem, and classic and contemporary texts.
PHIL 495. Independent Projects.
Cr. 1-3. A student
may undertake independent study of some person, problem, theme,
etc., under the supervision of some member of the Philosophy Department.
The student will propose a topic, generate a bibliography and specify
the scope and goals of the study.
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