Courses in Philosophy

PHL 110.Introduction to Philosophy. Examination of major philosophical issues and the ways major philosophers have dealt with them.   Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 6 (Religion and Philosophy). 3 credits.

PHL 120.Basic Logic. An introduction to the rules of clear and effective thinking. Attention is given to the logic of meaning, the logic of valid inference and the logic of factual inquiry. Main emphasis is upon deductive logic. Students are introduced to the elements of symbolic logic as well as to traditional modes of analysis.  3 credits.

PHL 210.Ethics. An inquiry into the central problems of values applied to human conduct, with an examination of the responses of major ethical theories to those problems.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Liberal Studies Area 6 (Religion and Philosophy). 3 credits.

PHL 222.American Philosophy. A survey of philosophical thought in the United States from colonial period to present, with emphasis on the work of Peirce, James, and Dewey.  Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 6 (Religion and Philosophy). 3 credits.

PHL 229.Culture and Conflict in Modern America. An examination of the social, political, economic and cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s in the historical context.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Social Diversity Studies. 3 credits.

PHL 230.Philosophy of Religion. A study of the issues raised for philosophy by contemporary religious thought. The course examines such topics as faith and reason; faith and culture; and interpretations of revelation, symbolism and religious language.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Liberal Studies Area 6 (Religion and Philosophy). 3 credits. [This course is cross-listed with REL 230]

PHL 270.Seminar in the History of Philosophy. An examination of major periods in the history of philosophy, this requirement for the major will introduce students to both the figures and the methodology of each time period. The specific focus of the course will vary from semester to semester, rotating through the various historical periods. Seminars will include: Ancient Philosophy, Modern Philosophy, the Enlightenment, 19th Century, 20th Century.  This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes.Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisite: one prior course in philosophy. 3 credits.

PHL 301.Key Authors. Intensive studies of individual great philosophers or principal schools. Potential authors include Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, etc.  This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes.Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission. 3 credits.

PHL 311.Key Issues. An intensive study of individual issues within the discipline of philosophy. Topics will vary from semester to semester. Potential issues include: "Nothing," "Women in Philosophy," "God," "Post-modern Philosophy and Theology," "Existentialism," etc.  This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes.Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisite: One prior course in Philosophy. 3 credits.

PHL 345.Political Philosophy. Students in this course study the development of Western political thought from Classical Greece to modern times, examining the conceptual evolution of citizenship, civic obligation, and the nature of justice and exploring the connection between moral and positive law in the western tradition.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. 3 credits. [This course is cross-listed with PSC 345]

PHL 349.The Holocaust: a Case Study in Social Ethics. This course examines the moral responsibility of institutions in German society, 1939-1945, for acquiescing to and perpetrating the state- sanctioned killing of European Jews and others.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Disciplinary Perspectives. 3 credits.

PHL 417.Seminar in Law. This capstone seminar examines the historical and philosophical development of constitutional law in the United States; the seminar emphasizes the dynamic relationship between the law and moral and political philosophy.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisites: PSC/PHL 345 and junior or senior standing. 3 credits. [This course is cross-listed with PSC 417]

PHL 499.Senior Seminar. This is an advanced seminar course for senior philosophy majors. Students will complete a major paper, integrating their research, writing, and analytical skills.  Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. 3 credits. [This course is cross-listed with REL 499]