INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. Discovery of the world of philosophy. Since students are taught by a philosophically diverse group of scholars in PL 101, they will bring a rich array of viewpoints and arguments to their 200- and 300-level courses.
101. INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Introduction to the central problems and methods of philosophy through the critical examination of texts of major philosophers. Emphasis is placed on developing skills for reading and writing philosophy.
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY. Explores specific periods, approaches, and movements.
210. ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Ancient Greek philosophical thought, with major emphasis on the works of Plato and Aristotle.
220. MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Medieval philosophy, including the thought of Augustine, Aquinas, and other major figures.
230. CHRISTIAN THINKERS 3 cr. Philosophical problems raised by selected Christian writers, both classical and contemporary.
240. 17th- AND 18th-CENTURY EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. History of early modern philosophy with special attention given to the beginnings of modern science and its impact on Western ideas about nature, knowledge, mind, and God. Readings include selections from Descartes to Kant.
245. 19th-CENTURY EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Study of some of the major figures of the nineteenth century from Fichte through Nietzsche.
250. CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Key figures in the development of Continental thought from Husserl to Derrida.
255. MARXISM AND CRITICAL THEORY 3 cr. Main philosophical and political-economic ideas of Karl Marx, and their reinterpretation by members of the twentieth-century "Frankfurt School."
260. AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. History of American philosophy as it develops as an ethnophilosophy and through the works of key figures of such trends as Puritanism, Enlightenment, transcendentalism, and pragmatism.
265. EXISTENTIALISM AND PHENOMENOLOGY 3 cr. Main figures in the existential and phenomenological movements, such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and Marcel.
270. ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Study of some of the leading figures in British and American analytic philosophy, including Moore, Russell, Wittgenstein, and Quine.
275. RECENT AND CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Exploration of themes and problems in philosophy since 1950, including an investigation of the very nature and definition of the philosophical enterprise. May include readings from analytic, Continental, post-modern, and neo-pragmatist philosophers.
280. MAJOR MORAL PHILOSOPHERS 3 cr. Some of the most important contributions of philosophers to an understanding of the nature of morality and ethical reasoning. Readings of classic works in moral philosophy from the Greeks to the present.
285. AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Examination of the development, definition, and status of African philosophy, exploring both its unique cultural heritage and its relationship to themes of Western philosophy.
289. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY 3 cr. Nature and function of the state, the grounds of political obligation, and such related concepts as liberty, equality, and justice through an examination of major political thinkers in their historical context.
290. MAJOR WOMEN PHILOSOPHERS 3 cr. Study of the philosophical contributions of women philosophers from ancient times to the present.
298. SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 1-3 cr. Topics will be listed in the semester schedule.
301. INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC 3 cr. Study of modern formal logic and its use in appraising the correctness of reasoning. Covers areas such as syllogisms, propositional logic, basic quantificational logic, basic modal logic, formal proofs, and informal fallacies.
302. INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS 3 cr. Investigation into the basic principles of morality and into the nature and methodology of moral judgments. Not open to students with credit in PL 280 or PL 368.
303. PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE 3 cr. Implications of linguistic experience beginning with a survey of the main historical approaches to the meaning of language. Consideration of special problems such as sense and reference; thought and language; sign, symbol, and metaphor; linguistics and logic.
305. PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 3 cr. Philosophical problems in education, such as the nature of knowledge, ways of learning, ethical issues in teaching, and the social-political dimensions of education.
306. PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE 3 cr. Consideration of the nature and meaning of philosophy and literature followed by the study of concepts and issues such as person, freedom and responsibility, good and evil, and intersubjectivity in specific works of literature.
307. PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION 3 cr. Philosophical problems of religion, such as the nature and ground of religious beliefs, the nature of religious experience, the relation of religion and science, the existence of God, immortality, and evil.
310. CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL PROBLEMS 3 cr. Some of the most pressing moral problems of today, with special attention to the philosophical issues involved.
311. BUSINESS ETHICS 3 cr. Prerequisites: EC 201-202. Application of ethical concepts to significant problems of business practice.
312. ETHICS IN SPORT 3 cr. Study of key ethical issues that arise in sports, starting with the fundamental concepts in sport philosophy and concluding with specific problems such as sportsmanship, gamesmanship, the nature of competition, and race and gender equality.
314. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND ETHICS 3 cr. Examination of the nature of science and technology. Particular emphasis on ethical problems raised by science and technology. Designed for students not planning to take PL 375.
315. APPLIED ETHICS 3 cr. Different topics involving the application of ethical concepts to specialized areas such as medicine, biology, the environment, and law. Course subject will be listed in the semester schedule.
320. PHILOSOPHY OF LAW 3 cr. Exploration of theories concerning the nature of law. Special emphasis on the distinction between law and coercion and the relationship between law and morality. Elements of legal reasoning in case law, statutory interpretation, and constitutional adjudication will be discussed in addition to some fundamental aspects of legal liability.
330. FEMINIST PHILOSOPHIES 3 cr. Examination of philosophical perspectives on the definition, roles, and nature of women. Readings from classic works in the history of philosophy and from contemporary feminist philosophers.
340. PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY 3 cr. Some philosophical problems of history and historical knowledge, such as "the meaning of history" and the nature of historical explanation.
350. PHILOSOPHY OF BEAUTY AND ART 3 cr. Philosophical investigation of beauty and some questions raised by works of art, such as what is a work of art and what is the nature and ground of aesthetic judgments.
360. SYMBOLIC LOGIC 3 cr. Study of modern formal logic and its use in appraising the correctness of reasoning. Covers at least propositional and quantificational logic (with relations and identity). May also cover areas such as modal logic, deontic logic, belief logic, soundness and completeness, deviant logic, and the history of logic. This is a more advanced introduction to logic than PL 301; while most students who take PL 360 have had no previous study of logic, some find PL 301 to be a good preparation.
368. ETHICAL THEORY 3 cr. Detailed examination of some of the major philosophical theories about the nature and justification of moral principles of rightness, obligation, and value. Special emphasis is given to the contemporary developments of such theories.
370. PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL CLASS 3 cr. Philosophical investigation of social class distinctions, focusing on their structural, moral, and psychological ramifications.
375. PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 3 cr. Major philosophical problems raised by science: the nature of scientific inference, the structure of scientific theories, causality, explanation, scientific change, and the role of values in science.
379. PHILOSOPHY OF MIND 3 cr. The nature of mind and its role in our understanding of persons and their actions. Topics include the mind-body problem, artificial intelligence, consciousness, animal minds, personal identity, and free will.
380. PHILOSOPHY AND LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE 3 cr. Exploration of several philosophical and literary approaches to the notions of "self" and "other," emphasizing subjectivity and personhood, in the works of canonical philosophers and Latin American authors.
385. PHILOSOPHY AND THE BODY 3 cr. Investigation of the different ways in which classic and contemporary philosophers and theorists have analyzed human embodiment.
390. PHILOSOPHY OF RACE AND RACISM 3 cr. Study of classical and contemporary formulations of the concept of race, the nature of modern and contemporary racism, and contemporary constructions and experiences of racial identity in the U.S.
395. METAPHYSICS 3 cr. Attempt to understand what kinds of things there are in the world through the question of Being and related concepts of existence, thing, property, event, matter, mind, space, time, and causality.
396. THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE 3 cr. Examination of the nature and sources of knowledge and the means for establishing knowledge claims. Readings from classic works and contemporary writers.
398. SPECIAL TOPICS 1-3 cr. Course subject will be listed in the semester schedule.
425. PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 3 cr. Philosophical reflection on some fundamental and enduring questions about human beings and their relationship to the universe. Includes readings from classical and contemporary sources. Offered at Borromeo Institute.
450. SEMINAR 3 cr. Specific questions on important topics or philosophers. Course subject will be listed in the semester schedule.
495. SENIOR THESIS 3 cr. Individual research project developed and written in consultation with appropriate faculty member. Ordinarily, topic approval will be secured during the spring semester of the student's junior year, and the thesis will be written during the fall semester of senior year. (Student may be required to complete additional preparatory work.) Permission of instructor and chair required.
499. DIRECTED READINGS 1-3 cr. Individual assignment and guidance in source materials relating to specific philosophical problems. A maximum of 3 hours can be used to satisfy major requirements.
