UndergraduateCourseDescription
424
Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 2010 - Introduction toWorldPhilosophy (3-0-3)
An introduction to philosophy through the study of representative texts of major
philosophers from Plato to the present, from East and West. Topics addressed
include personal identity, the nature of knowledge, the existence of God, happiness,
the nature of the external world, the relation of language to the world, meaning, and
truth. Critical thinking and communication skills are emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1101(C) required; ENGL 1102 recommended.
PHIL 2030 - Ethics inHistorical andContemporaryPerspective (3-0-3)
A course which will examine the central questions of moral philosophy through the
reading and discussion of representative texts of major philosophers. It will also
examine the application of moral reasoning to contemporary ethical issues and
problems in fields such as communications, medicine, business, and the environment.
Topics addressed include the meaning of “good” and “bad,” right conduct, happiness
and well-being, moral character, and justice. Critical thinking and communication
skills are emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
PHIL 2040 - Introduction toAesthetics (3-0-3)
An introduction to the philosophical questions "What do you mean?" and "How do you
know?" in the realm of aesthetics, most particularly in the arts. Through readings and
discussions of representative philosophical texts and with close attention to aesthetic
objects themselves, questions such as the following will be examined:What is artistic
expression? What do works of art mean? Is there a general definition of art? What
makes awork of art good? Critical thinking and communication skills are emphasized.
PHIL 3200 - Ancient Philosophy (3-0-3)
The course studies philosophical literature of the eighth century B.C.E. through the
third century C.E., including Pre-Socratic thought, Epicureanism, Stoicism, and
Skepticism, with special emphasis on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Completion of
CRIT 1101 andAreaC recommended. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
PHIL 3400 - Medieval Philosophy (3-0-3)
The course studies philosophical literature of the third through fourteenth centuries
B.C.E., including Porphyry, Boethius, Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter
Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, Henry of Ghent, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham,
and JohnBuridan. Completion of CRIT 1101 andAreaC recommended.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
PHIL 3600 - ModernPhilosophy (3-0-3)
The course studies philosophical literature of the 16th through the 18th centuries,
through careful examination of, and critical engagement with, such figures as Hobbes,
Descartes, Pascal, Locke, Leibniz, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume andKant.
Completion of AreaC andCRIT 1101 recommended.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
PHIL 3800 - ContemporaryPhilosophy (3-0-3)
An examination of works of major thinkers of the 20
th
century. Philosophers to be
studied include Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone De Beauvoir, from
Germany and France, andC.S. Peirceand JohnDewey, from theUnitedStates.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
PHIL 4200 - Philosophy of Religion (3-0-3)
This course studies world literature on the philosophy of religion. Topics include proofs
of God's existence, science and religion, the problem of evil, reason and religion
experience, religious pluralism, freewill, and life after death. Completion of CRIT 1101
andAreaC recommended.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1102 (C).
