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Philosophy (PL)
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. American philosophy as
it develops in the works of authors such as Royce, Pierce, James, and
Dewey.
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.
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS. Integrates understanding of philosophy
with other disciplines.
301. INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC 3 cr. Study of modern formal
logic and its use in appraising the correctness of reasoning. Designed
for students not planning to take PL 360.
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 400.
303. PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE (CL 303) 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
or 211 212; junior standing. Application of ethical concepts to significant
problems of business practice.
312. ETHICS IN SPORT. 3 cr. A 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. Theory and techniques of modern
symbolic logic, including propositional and quantificational logic; some
attention to proofs of consistency and completeness.
361. INTERMEDIATE SYMBOLIC LOGIC 3 cr. Prerequisite:
PL 360 or equivalent. Selected topics beyond the elementary level of first
order predicate calculus with identity, which may include structures of
formal languages and appraisal of logical systems, non classical logics,
and metalogical properties of formal systems.
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.
398. SPECIAL TOPICS 1-3 cr. Course subject will be listed
in the semester schedule.
399. SEMINAR 3 cr. Seminar bearing on some topic of contemporary
philosophical interest.
ADVANCED COURSES. Designed for majors and minors.
400. ETHICAL THEORY 3 cr. Some of the major philosophical
theories about the nature and justification of moral principles of rightness,
obligation, and value.
410. 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.
420. 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.
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 IN SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN PHILOSOPHY 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.) Instructor’s and chair’s permission
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.
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