PHL 105 Introduction to Philosophy
3 credits
A survey of central philosophical issues and problems. Consideration will be given to such topics as the nature, sources, and validity of knowledge; the relationship of philosophy to science; the nature of the mind and its place in the universe; and the meaning of moral and aesthetic values. A survey of representative schools of philosophy is included.
PHL 106 Logic
3 credits
A study of the principles of correct reasoning in ordinary language, in deductive logic, and in the inductive methods of science.
PHL 107 History of Philosophy
3 credits
A study of basic ideas and trends in the history of Western philosophy. Readings from important works of major philosophers from Plato to Hegel. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit)
PHL 205 Ethics
3 credits
A study of moral values, moral reasoning, and ethical choice.
PHL 207 Revolution, Evolution and the Unconscious
3 credits
A study of key texts in the works of Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche and Freud. Some variations on this course ay also include the works of Kierkegaard and William James. The relevance of nineteenth-century thought to our present-day situation will be emphasized.
PHL 208 Aesthetics
3 credits
A philosophical analysis of art, aesthetic values, and criticism; a study of significant theories of art; and an examination of the relationship of art to truth and morality. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.)
PHL 209 Philosophy of Religion (Cross-listed as BMS 209)
3 credits
A philosophical reflection on religious experience and conceptions of the divine. Topics to be discussed include: the existence of God, faith and reason, religious language and symbolism, the human condition, and the religious situation in our time. Readings from both classical and contemporary authors. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.)
PHL 215 Science and Faith (Cross-listed as BMS 215)
3 credits
This course will consider many of the important issues in the relation of science to faith. The central issue will be the implications of Darwinian evolution for faith but will also consider some of the wider implications for faith from this touchstone. For example: Are science and faith compatible? If God is God then why is there such apparent waste and cruelty in nature? Students will develop a coherent theology of nature in response to Darwin’s challenge. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.)
PHL 216 Health Care Ethics
3 credits
This course introduces the student to ethical issues that arise in health care practice. Students will gain an understanding of the various theoretical frameworks employed in analyzing those issues and determine whether certain practices are ethical or unethical.
PHL 217 Environmental Ethics and Sustainability (Cross-listed as BIO 217)
1 credit
A survey of human perspectives on nature and the environment from a historical perspective. Various philosophers will be studied to explore their ideas on stewardship and environmental ethics. One hour of lecture per week. (Spring of odd numbered years)
PHL 195, 295, 395, 495 Special Topics
3 credits
Special topics courses for the study of philosophy. Prerequisite: permission of the department chair. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit)
PHL 299 Seminar in Philosophy
3 credits
The reading and discussion of some of the important works of a major philosopher, aiming at a comprehensive grasp of a great philosophical mind. (In recent years: Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre.) Prerequisite: PHL 105 or 107, or permission of the department chair. (Offered when interest is expressed and departmental resources permit.)