Ancient Philosophy
This course spans the beginning of philosophy in Greece, from the PreSocratics to Plotinus, with readings taken primarily from Plato and Aristotle.
Medieval Philosophy
A sampling of Christian and Islamic thought from late antiquity through the thirteenth century, with emphasis on the continuity, the development, and the interplay of the Platonic and the Aristotetlian traditions. Such themes as knowledge, the existence of God, the problem of evil, the relation between divine and natural causes, and the soul will receive special attention, always through primary sources.
Early Modern Philosophy
Major issues in modern thought beginning with Descartes are discussed. Selected texts might include figures such as Montaigne, Pascal, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, and Kant.
Later Modern Philosophy
A study of the period of philosophy initiated by Kant, this course deals with some of the crucial thinkers of the nineteenth century such as Hegel, Feuerbach, Kierkegaard, Marx, Mill, and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: PHIL 302 or instructor's permission.
Contemporary Philosophy
This course concentrates on philosophy from 1900 to the present and covers the methods of selected twentieth-century movements. Prerequisite: 302, 304, or instructor's permission.
Philosophical Roots of Psychology
This course investigates the philosophical roots of psychology in order to better understand and evaluate the contemporary psychological paradigms to which they gave rise. The investigation begins with the rationalism of Descartes, the empiricism of Hume, and their synthesis in the more circumscribed Kant. We next see how behaviorism and cognitive psychology grew out of these philosophical precursors. In the last part of the course, we look at “alternative psychologies, particularly the existential phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and the genealogy of Nietzsche, inspirer of Freud and psychoanalysis. Which of these two branches, the mainstream or alternative, seems best supported by the philosophical considerations we review?
Concentrated Philosophical Readings
This is a private tutorial arranged with an individual professor. It is intended for a student who needs to concentrate on a philosophical topic which is not offered in a regular course.
Elements of Thomistic Thought
An introduction to the philosophical thought of St. Thomas Aquinas through his own writings, especially those on the relation between faith and reason, the existence and attributes of God, knowledge, and language. Students will learn how to interpret his works in light of their sources, historical context, and literary forms.
Advanced Courses
Advanced Courses are designed for majors, minors, and other serious students of philosophy. Prerequisites: at least one 100 or 200-level course and two 300-level courses or instructor's permission. Many 400-level courses are also 500-level graduate courses. A list of specific courses taught is available each semester at preregistration. The following are a small sample from courses taught recently.
Plato's Republic
This textual study focuses on universally important questions in western philosophy's most basic work: ontology, epistemology, politics, the soul, aesthetics, ethics, and religion. The Republic requires social responsibility. It challenges the cynicism of our time, such as current types of egotism, sophistical ideologies, and overevaluation of power.
The Philosophy of Saint Augustine
The early dialogues and the Confessions will be discussed. Possible topics: skepticism, truth, free will, the existence of God, faith and reason, the soul, memory, and time.
Saint Thomas Aquinas: Treatise on Man
This course presents Aquinas' view of human nature -- body/soul, immortality, cognition, free will, emotions, etc. -- as stated in his Treatise on Man and his Treatise on the Passions.