Michael Pace, Ph.D., Chair
Professors: M.W. Martin, Warren;
Associate Professors: Hughes, Pace.
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
Studying philosophy enables students to think for themselves while learning from the insights of great thinkers from the past. It helps students to reason logically, analyze and solve problems, state and defend views clearly, make moral decisions more effectively, and integrate the personal and professional aspects of life.
Philosophy seeks to unify our lives, and to clarify the values that give life meaning. It illuminates such perplexing issues as what makes a society just, how the mind and body are related, whether actions are free or determined, and whether God exists.
Majoring in philosophy provides an excellent preparation for careers and graduate study and in fields such as law, journalism, education and business. Since philosophy is inherently interdisciplinary, many philosophy majors find it natural to double major (that is, to major in two disciplines). Philosophical questions arise in all disciplines, including law, psychology, political science, natural science, English, business, art and religion.
A philosophy minor educates one in critical reasoning and the history of Western philosophy, and provides insights into a wide range of practical and theoretical topics within philosophy (usually including issues relating to one's major discipline).
We have a chapter in Phi Sigma Tau, the International Honor Society for Philosophy.
Members of the philosophy faculty are active scholars whose research focuses on issues in applied ethics, religion, epistemology and philosophy of mind.
Departmental Honors
The philosophy faculty awards departmental honors to graduating senior philosophy majors who have demonstrated outstanding academic work in philosophy. To be considered for departmental honors, students must have achieved a grade point average of 3.500 or higher in their philosophy courses, and have completed a substantial independent research paper in philosophy, judged to be excellent, as part of PHIL 398 Junior/Senior Seminar (or who have otherwise demonstrated to the philosophy faculty that they have written a substantial philosophical research paper, judged to be excellent).
Departmental Award
The philosophy department bestows its annual William James Award on an exceptional philosophy student selected by the philosophy faculty.
A minimum of 21 credits in the major must be upper-division.
core requirements (12 credits)
Logic, or |
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|
Symbolic Logic |
3 |
|
From Socrates to Aquinas |
3 |
|
Descartes to Kierkegaard |
3 |
|
Junior/Senior Seminar |
3 |
metaphysics and epistemology (6 credits)
two of the following
Philosophy of Religion |
3 |
|
Metaphysics |
3 |
|
Games and Decisions |
3 |
|
Religion, Knowledge and Evil |
3 |
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Belief, Truth, and Knowledge |
3 |
|
Philosophy of Science |
3 |
|
Philosophical Theology |
3 |
|
Philosophy of Mind |
3 |
ethics (6 credits)
two of the following
Introduction to Ethics |
3 |
|
Global Ethics and Religion |
3 |
|
Environmental Ethics |
3 |
|
Medical Ethics |
3 |
|
Business and Professional Ethics |
3 |
|
Political and Legal Philosophy |
3 |
|
Philosophy of Women/Women of Color |
3 |
electives (6 credits)
two philosophy courses, either listed above or from other courses listed in the catalog |
6 |
If PHIL 398 is repeated for credit, one will count as a core requirement. The other PHIL 398 may then be counted as an elective or, if appropriate and if approved by the chair, the other PHIL 398 may be counted as either ethics or metaphysics/epistemology. |
total credits |
|
30 |
Program Learning Outcomes and Educational Effectiveness Evaluation Plans for BA Philosophy.
A philosophy minor is designed for those who are majoring in departments with numerous requirements, making it difficult to double major in philosophy. A minimum of 9 credits in the minor must be upper–division.
logic core requirement (3 credits)
one of the following
Logic |
3 |
|
Symbolic Logic |
3 |
|
Games and Decisions |
3 |
history core requirement (3 credits)
one of the following
From Socrates to Aquinas |
3 |
|
Descartes to Kierkegaard |
3 |
electives (12 credits)
four philosophy courses (9 credits must be upper-division) |
12 |
Any member of the philosophy department may be consulted in choosing the courses most suited to the individual student's needs. Students are strongly encouraged to take PHIL 398 as one of their electives. |
|
total credits |
|
18 |
An introduction to approaches and issues in fundamental areas of philosophy such as ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and metaphysics. As part of the course, students explore how philosophy can help to shape and to justify personal values. Not a prerequisite for other philosophy courses. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
Students examine some of the most urgent contemporary moral problems, based on the insights of major thinkers in the history of philosophical thinking about morality. Practical topics may include abortion, the death penalty, world hunger, and the environment. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 120.) An introduction to ethical issues from the perspective of the world religions: What is the relationship between religion and ethics? Why do people suffer? How do the religions differ on ethics? Are there universal religious ethical values? (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 125.) An introduction to philosophical issues in the world religions. Comparisons and contrasts between Western and Asian philosophy of religion are emphasized: What is the meaning of life? How do resurrection and reincarnation differ? Does God exist? How could a good God allow evil? Could only one religion be right? (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
An introduction which teaches the skills necessary for distinguishing between correct and incorrect reasoning. Methods will be taught which can help one to reason more persuasively and to write more clearly. A focus on interpreting arguments in everyday English plus a study of conclusive methods for testing the correctness of reasoning. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
A study of methods to distinguish good and bad deductive reasoning. Students will learn to “translate” English sentences into the formal language of sentential and predicate logic, to construct proofs in the language, and to understand the semantics (or model theory) for the language. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
How to understand and evaluate moral issues related to the environment. Topics include, environmental justice, property rights, individualism vs. “deep ecology,” global warming, use of wilderness, non-human animals, sustainability, and Schweitzer's “reverence for life.” (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
An inquiry into the promises and perils of a multicultural society. Main topics include ethical theory from international perspectives, the nature of prejudice, and the culture wars. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
Metaphysics deals with what exists and, ultimately, with what is real. Topics include: the relationship of God to time, whether or not our language refers to reality, and whether humans have free will or are determined to act as they do. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
Prerequisite, A philosophy course, or an upper-division course in economics or mathematics, or consent of instructor. Decision theory and game theory are formal apparatuses for analyzing preferences and choices. Students will learn the basics of the formal theories and then examine their foundations and philosophical implications. Some attention will be paid to psychological studies suggesting how people actually make decisions. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 309.) In this course, students will examine important contemporary theories of knowledge that support the rationality, justification, and warrant of religious beliefs. Students will also assess the merits of those religious epistemologies in the face of arguments based on evil and suffering. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 310.) An interdisciplinary study of philosophical and religious thinkers from the earliest Greek philosophers through the Middle Ages. We see how the ideas of the Pre–Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Anselm, Maimonides, and Aquinas change through time, and inform our contemporary search for moral and religious values. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 311.) An interdisciplinary study of the great philosophical and religious thinkers from the Reformation to the 20th century whose ideas form the basis for modern thought. Major thinkers include René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Søren Kierkegaard. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits.
A systematic examination of ethical principles applied to moral dilemmas in health care. Topics include: euthanasia, abortion, informed consent, the professional–patient relationship, human and animal experimentation, and allocating scarce medical resources. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
An exploration of volunteering and philanthropy (voluntary giving for public purposes). This interdisciplinary course serves as an introduction to ethics at the upper–division level. Topics include the moral aspects of caring and helping, and of responsibilities concerning world hunger, and case studies of people like Albert Schweitzer. (Offered every three years.) 3 credits.
A study of pressing moral issues generated today in business and the professions. Topics include the special responsibilities of professionals, the obligations of corporations concerning the environment and product safety, the rights of employees, and honesty in advertising. Relevant to all students with career interests. (Offered every semester.) 3 credits.
An examination of significant moral issues in politics, society and law, illuminated by contemporary and historical writers. Topics include punishment, defending a guilty client, moral rights, theories about the just society, liberty, war, and terrorism. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
A study of philosophical issues concerning sex roles and gender, focusing on women of color — especially African–American, Mexican–American, and Asian–American women. Topics include stereotypes, beauty, women as 'Other,' gender and the law, and such moral values as autonomy, empowerment, equality, and justice. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
An examination of fundamental issues about the origin, nature, and validity of knowledge. Topics include the nature of truth, the problems which arise concerning the reliability and objects of perception, how our beliefs can be justified, whether skepticism can be avoided, and whether there can be certain knowledge. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
An introduction to the classic issues in the philosophy of science: the nature of scientific explanation, the confirmation of scientific theories, the nature of scientific laws, the distinction between science and pseudoscience, and the "unity of science". (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
(Same as REL 322a.) This course uses philosophical methodology to examine major issues in modern theology. Students consider issues such as whether God can be understood by human reason, whether there is only one correct understanding of God, the relevance of talking about God in the modern scientific world, and how the religious person should view contrary faiths of other religions. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.
A study of intriguing philosophical ideas and themes as dealt with by novelists, poets, and dramatists. The unifying theme of the course varies. The most recent ones were love, self–deception, and achieving an authentic self, individual freedom and the authority of the state, and the concept of the self. (Offered every three years.) 3 credits.
(Offered as needed.) 3 credits.
A study of classical and contemporary philosophical issues concerning the mind and mental phenomena — e.g., the concept of a person, mental images, dreams, minds and machines, philosophical presuppositions in psychology. (Offered alternate years.) 3 credits.
In–depth study in a specific area. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.
Prerequisites, junior standing and 6 credits in philosophy, or consent of instructor. In their junior or senior year, all philosophy majors must enroll at least once in this seminar on a significant topic in philosophy. Students will complete a substantial philosophical essay. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes. (Offered every year.) 3 credits.
(Offered as needed.) 1–6 credits.
Prerequisites, 6 credits completed in philosophy, consent of both instructor and philosophy department chair. P/NP. May be repeated for credit. (Offered every semester.) ½–3 credits.
Prerequisites, junior standing, 6 credits in philosophy, must be arranged with the instructor and approved by department chair. Directed reading and an independent research paper are designed to meet the needs of superior upper–division philosophy students. (Offered as needed.) 1–3 credits.