Philosophy

A study of being, nature, knowledge, man and the state, as developed by the pre–Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, the Stoics and Plotinus.

Freshman-level special topics course.

A second course in ethics with emphasis on the moral issues that arise in modern business life. Among issues to be considered are the role of profits, property rights, workers’ rights, fairness in hiring, truth–telling and whistle–blowing.

A study of being, nature, knowledge, man and the state, as developed by the pre–Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and other significant figures.

A study of significant philosophical thinkers of the medieval period, such as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, and others.

A study of philosophical issues concerning human nature, knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics as treated by the more significant figures of the modern period, such as Descartes, Hume, and Kant.

A second course in ethics with emphasis on the moral issues that arise in modern health care. Issues to be discussed include patient autonomy, life issues, the right to refuse treatment and the right to health care.

A study of major approaches to dealing with the nature of mind, mental causation, mental content and consciousness. Prerequisites" PHIL 2314 or PHIL 2316/3316.

This course will examine the fundamental question: What is nature? The course treats fundamental principles like substance, form, matter, causality, motion, and the soul. Consideration will be given to the comparison of ancient and modern perspectives of nature and science.

A practical study of the rules of correct reasoning, both inductive and deductive, together with analysis of the concept, the proposition and fallacies.

An evaluation of the historically significant political theories in the Western tradition: classical, medieval and modern.

A study of the teachings of some of the major philosophers, including St. Thomas Aquinas, concerning the existence and attributes of God, divine action, evil, and religious experience.

This course will be a required gateway course for the minor in Catholic Social Thought. It explores the Catholic philosophical pillars of the political and economic life in the Western tradition. The main topics are human nature, natural law, virtue, providence and salvation, common sense, and free-market. Authors discussed: Aristotle, Aquinas, Maritain, Novak, Weber. Students will be asked to apply this knowledge to contemporary public life.

A survey of some of the most important philosophical topics and thinkers of classical Islamic civilization. This philosophical tradition reflects the distinctive cultural environment of the Muslim world from the 7th century until the 15th century or so. Includes major Muslim figures such as Al-Kindi¯, Al-Fa¯ra¯bi¯, Avicenna (Ibn Si¯na¯), al-Ghaza¯li¯, and Averroes (Ibn Rushd). May also include Christian figures such as Yahya ibn Adi, and Jewish figures such as Saadya Gaon and Moses Maimonides.

This course aims to introduce students to the significant philosophical advances made in the past 150 years in the field of logic. Some of this material can be grouped under the rubric of symbolic logic, but this course will go beyond the field of mathematical logic by discussing theories of modal and tense logic, and, more generally, by discussing why 20th– century philosophers see such formal logic as the most suitable tool for the discovery and development of logical truth. Prerequisites: PHIL 2314 or PHIL 2316/3316.

A special study of the philosophical thought of Aristotle based on selected texts from his works.

A study of the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas based on selected texts from his works. This course functions as a Junior Seminar for philosophy majors and is required of philosophy majors and minors.

This course examines the nature of AI and the ethical implications of its development and use. The first part discusses the nature of intelligence and the difference between human and artificial intelligence. It surveys philosophical theories about living beings, the human person, artifacts, and technology. The second part raises ethical questions about AI: the dignity of the human person, moral agency, the common good, copyright, safety, work, and education.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Prerequisite: Completion of either the systematic or the historical sequence.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Prerequisite: Completion of either the systematic or the historical sequence.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to the faculty member and students. Prerequisite: PHIL 2314 or 2316/3316

A study of the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge. Includes topics such as a priori and a posteriori knowledge, justification, truth, skepticism, abstraction, demonstration, first principles, and revelation. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

A study of recent philosophical developments from Kant and Hegel to the existentialists and pragmatists.

A study of major streams in contemporary continental philosophy, and their influence on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition: existentialism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, and deconstruction (Husserl, Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida).

A study of the relationship between faith and reason. Examines possible conflicts between what reason (or science) discovers and what faith believes. Considers classical, modern, and contemporary authors.

This course explores fundamental themes in the philosophy of art and beauty: the metaphysics of beauty and its relationship with goodness and truth, aesthetic categories and representation, and moral and political aspects of art.

A study of major topics and figures in Analytical philosophy. May include topics such as developments in logic and philosophy of mathematics made by figures such as Frege, Russell, Goedel, Quine, and Kripke; logical empiricism; philosophy of mind; causation; the rehabilitation of metaphysics via the Kripke-Barcan revolution in modal semantics; and Analytical approaches to historical figures such as Aquinas. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

An introduction to the philosophy of law and the natural law tradition. Considers Thomas Aquinas’s formulation of the traditional natural law theory and select contemporary discussions concerning the nature and function of law.

A study of philosophical issues in natural science, with emphasis on questions about scientific knowledge and the metaphysical commitments of science. May include topics such as the scientific method, the Demarcation Problem, causation and explanation, laws of nature, induction, scientific models, realism/anti-realism, and cosmology. Instructors may take a topical or historical approach.

An introduction to the philosophical thought of St. Augustine based on selected texts from his work. Prerequisite: PHIL 2314 or PHIL 2316/3316.

The course will present a holistic understanding of the thought of Karol Wojtyla (Saint John Paul II). Although the emphasis is placed upon the philosophical aspect of his work, the course will allow the student to explore the literary, mystical, and theological contributions to his philosophical thinking and writing, as well to consider the social and political applications of his thought as well. The special philosophical achievement of Karol Wojtyla pertains to his blending of the philosophy Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas with the phenomenological approach of Max Scheler and the personalism of Kant. His philosophical synthesis brings great insight and argument for the dignity of the person, the special character of love and marriage, work and society, politics and human rights, the existence of God and humanism. Readings will include selections from his drama and poetry, his writings on John of the Cross, essays on Scheler, Kant, and Thomism, and portions of his great works the Acting Person, and Love and Responsibility.

Research, with oral and written presentations, as a culmination of the philosophy major. Required of philosophy majors and open to them exclusively.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Prerequisite: Completion of either the systematic or the historical sequence.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to the faculty member and students. Prerequisite:

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Prerequisite: Completion of either the systematic or the historical sequence.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to the faculty member and students. Prerequisite: PHIL 2314 or 2316/3316

This course examines the nature of AI and the ethical implications of its development and use. The first part discusses the nature of intelligence and the difference between human and artificial intelligence. It surveys philosophical theories about living beings, the human person, artifacts, and technology. The second part raises ethical questions about AI: the dignity of the human person, moral agency, the common good, copyright, safety, work, and education.