Department of Philosophy

PHIL 1700 - The Examined Life: Ultimate Questions

0 or 3 Credits

This course, PHIL 1700, invites students to explore enduring philosophical questions and to reflectively evaluate the various answers given them by thinkers from a range of social, historical, and religious contexts. Students will tackle ultimate questions in a range of philosophical domains, including issues such as the nature of self and ultimate reality, morality and human meaning, rationality and the pursuit of truth. The aim of the course is to give students an opportunity to critically examine their own beliefs and commitments in dialogue with each other and with great thinkers past and present. (Offered Fall, Spring, and Summer)

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Elective, Urban Poverty - Social Justice, UUC:Philosophy

PHIL 1705 - The Big Questions in Philosophy

3 Credits

This course focuses primarily on the more interesting and profound ways in which people have considered the key philosophical questions all people encounter in their lives. Contemporary writings as well as the writings of Plato and Aristotle will figure prominently in the course as they show how to use reason systematically as an instrument for understanding the world. Students will be introduced to epistemology, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of God, and ethics all from the perspective of cura personalis.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in the Schl for Professional Studies college.

Attributes: Prof. Studies Students Only, UUC:Philosophy

PHIL 1707 - The Examined Life: Philosophy as a Way of Life

3 Credits

This course combines exploration of ultimate questions about the nature of self, morality, rationality, and human meaning with practical questions about how to live and what makes for a good life. Because learning how to live is as much a practical as a theoretical endeavor, the course design includes a number of experiential or lived activities. In this way, students encounter philosophy not only as an academic discipline, but also as an art of living; one that involves, among other things, practicing contemplation and the focusing of attention, recognizing unhealthy attachments, moderating appetites, and cultivating virtue. (Offered Fall and Spring)

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Philosophy BA Requirement(A&S), UUC:Self in Contemplation, UUC:Philosophy

PHIL 1753 - Life Examined through Writing and Dialogue

3 Credits

This course, PHIL 1753 Life Examined through Writing and Dialogue, invites students to explore enduring philosophical questions and to reflectively evaluate the various answers given them by thinkers from a range of social, historical, and religious contexts. The course tackles significant questions in a range of philosophical domains, including issues such as the nature of self and ultimate reality, morality and human meaning, rationality and the pursuit of truth. The course's tutorial method of instruction emphasizes writing and dialogue with both the instructor and peers, allowing for an enhanced opportunity to explore personal and scholarly dimensions of philosophy.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: UUC:Philosophy

PHIL 1757 - Philosophical Disputations: Ultimate Questions in Philosophy

3 Credits

PHIL 1757 provides a distinctive approach to the exploration of ultimate questions in philosophy. The course is designed not only to introduce students to enduring philosophical questions, but to challenge them to actively and creatively explore answers to such questions by engaging in structured debate and disputation. To this end, written assignments and in-class activities will invite students to formulate (both in writing and in oral dialogue) arguments for and against various philosophical positions, and to practice the art of listening to and even reporting the arguments of others. In this way, students will begin to shape their own answers.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: UUC:Philosophy

PHIL 1930 - Special Topics

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 1980 - Independent Study

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 2030X - Art and Philosophy

3 Credits

This course is about the nature of art. What is it? Are there any objective features of art such that anything that is art has to have? Or is something art just because someone says it is art? If there are objective features, what are they? And why does it matter that we attempt to figure out answers to these questions? Through the introduction to specific artists’ works, and philosophical theories of art, we will begin to understand how artists create and the impact art can have on the way we think, act, and organize society.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1900

Attributes: Art History-20th and 21st Cent, Fine Arts Requirement (CAS), UUC:Writing Intensive

PHIL 2050 - Ethics

0 or 3 Credits

An introduction to the philosophical study of morality, this course tackles questions like "What is a good human life?" "What makes an action right?" and "What makes a social practice just?" We explore major ethical theories including deontological ethics, consequentialist ethics, and virtue ethics, considering the potential strengths and weaknesses of each theory. We also consider how these theories direct us to behave in real-life situations. By applying ethical theories to living questions, students learn to evaluate both the morality of their individual actions and the justice of the systems and practices that structure our society.

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Health Care Ethics Minor Elec, IPE - Ethics, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc

PHIL 2055 - Ethics, Justice, & the Person

3 Credits

This course undertakes a systematic analysis of fundamental problems and issues involved in questioning whether and how moral discourse can be rationally grounded; the utilitarian-deontological debate; questions concerning different levels of moral discourse; competing notions of justice and the relationship between morality and religion.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1005

Attributes: Health Care Ethics Minor Elec, Prof. Studies Students Only, UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc

PHIL 2150 - Writing Intensive Ethics

3 Credits

At least two major ethical theories are covered (e.g. deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics). Through writing exercises and tutorial workshops, students learn to apply these theories to particular situations (including some from their own lives) in order to make reasonable ethical decisions. (Offered occasionally)

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050 or CORE 1700)

PHIL 2930 - Special Topics

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 2980 - Independent Study

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 3050X - Computer Ethics

3 Credits

This course examines the moral, legal, and social issues raised by computers and electronic information technologies for different stakeholder groups (professionals, users, businesses, etc.). Students are expected to integrate moral theories and social analysis to address such issues as intellectual property, security, privacy, discrimination, globalization, and community.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc

PHIL 3250 - Philosophy of Religion

3 Credits

What is God's nature? What reasons are there for believing God exists? In this course, we approach these sorts of questions using tools and methods of philosophical investigation in order to engage students in reasoning about God. The course draws on classic texts of Western thought and on contemporary philosophical discussions.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Service Learning

PHIL 3300 - Philosophy of the Human Person

3 Credits

Systematic or historico-systematic treatment of main philosophical problems, such as the mind-body problem; the unity of man; survival and immortality; sensation and intelligence; the emotions, their interplay with intelligence and volition; freedom vs. determinism; the person in and with or against society.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Madrid Course, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Service Learning

PHIL 3360 - Medical Ethics

3 Credits

Ethical problems of medicine, nursing and the life-sciences. Every semester.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: BHS-Theology/Philosophy, Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Health Care Ethics Minor Elec, IPE - Ethics, Medical Humanities, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy

PHIL 3380 - Business Ethics

3 Credits

Reflection on ethical issues relating to contemporary business practices and institutions.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050 and PHIL 2050)

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy

PHIL 3400 - Ethics & Engineering

3 Credits

This course examines the moral and social issues that arise in the practice of engineering, e.g., risk assessment, use of proprietary information, whistle-blowing, environmental impact. The course applies moral theories and casuistic analysis to cases. (Offered every Fall.

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy

PHIL 3420 - Environmental and Ecological Ethics

3 Credits

This course will survey a number of environmental problems, looking at philosophical and ecological approaches to the issues. Topics may include: the moral status of animals, plants, ecosystems and species: poverty vs. the environment; global justice; consumerism; motivating people to care for the environment; mass extinctions; global climate change.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Global Citizenship (CAS), International Studies-Health, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy

PHIL 3430 - Philosophy of Law

3 Credits

A critical survey of the major Western conceptions on the nature of law and on the relationship between law and morality.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Global Local Justice-Elective, Law, Religion and Politics, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3450 - Disaster Narratives

3 Credits

To help students reflect on the nature and implications of disasters, including disease, climate change, and war. We will consider disasters from the standpoint of their real-life effects upon human beings, both with respect to innocent victims caught by forces beyond their control and with respect to perpetrators of disasters.

Prerequisite(s): (ENGL 1900 or ENGL 1920); (PHIL 1050 or PHIL 2050)

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3480 - Jewish Life: Bible to Middle Ages

3 Credits

This course offers a study of the concept of peoplehood during the Biblical period, the response to the rise of Christianity, the destruction of the Second Temple and the use of Rabbinic law and lore. Students will also have the opportunity to experience Jewish life through an understanding of the holiday cycle, the life cycle and attendance at a local synagogue for Sabbath worship. (Offered every Fall) Cross-listed with THEO 3730.

Attributes: Classical Humanities, Middle East Studies, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3490 - Jewish Life: Middle Ages to Modern Times

3 Credits

This course offers a study of the Golden Age of Spain, Jewish Mysticism, the Enlightenment, 19th century Nationalism, Zionism, the Holocaust and the rise of Modern Israel. Students will examine how these historical phenomena shaped the modern Jewish concepts of Torah, God, Israel and ritual observance. Jewish philosophers from Maimonides to Martin Buber will be studied and students will have an opportunity to attend a local synagogue to experience Sabbath worship. (Offered every Spring) Cross-listed with THEO 3730.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Global Citizenship (CAS), International Studies, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3510 - Philosophy in Film

3 Credits

This course examines the intersection between standard academic treatments of philosophical themes and their representation in film and visual media. Such themes may include, but are not limited to: God and evil; memory and personal identity; the moral burden of history; the nature of reality; the scope and limits of human knowledge; race, ethnicity, gender, and human diversity; angst and anxiety; technology and the human condition; and meaning in life. This course will make use of film and visual media as well as written philosophical texts as a means of engaging students in the life of the mind.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3600 - Science and Religion

3 Credits

This course surveys the relationship between scientific and religious thought from the perspective of major developments in the history of science.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); Minimum Earned Credits of 60; (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: BHS-Theology/Philosophy, Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, UUC:Collaborative Inquiry

PHIL 3700 - Sustainable Happiness

3 Credits

This course explores the connections between human happiness, or well-being, and the environment, bringing together two major topics of current concern that are usually treated separately. Topics will span multiple disciplines, including philosophy, biology, psychology, and economics, with topics including the nature and sources of happiness, the ways our welfare depends on connections with the rest of life, issues of environmental justice and racism, the role of individual versus collective action, and solutions such as making cities better for people and the environment. Activities will include field work as well as collaborative work to explore solutions to particular issues.

Prerequisite(s): (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500^*; Minimum Earned Credits of 60

^* Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Global Citizenship (CAS), Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Moral/Social Philosophy, Sustainability Focused, Sustainability Related, UUC:Collaborative Inquiry, UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc, Diversity in the US (A&S)

PHIL 3910 - Internship

1-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Prerequisite(s): (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Philosophy Elective, UUC:Reflection-in-Action

PHIL 3930 - Special Topics

3-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 3980 - Independent Study

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4040 - Symbolic Logic

3 Credits

This course develops a theory of valid reasoning. The logic (and semantics) of propositions, quantifiers, properties, relations and identity are covered. It also examines the concepts of consistency, logical truth, logical form, logical equivalence, validity, and related notions. The student should emerge more attuned to how deductive arguments work in actual use and able to evaluate them.

Prerequisite(s): ((PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1705, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, or PHIL 1757); PHIL 2050); ((0 Course from MATH 1200-4999, Math Waiver per Advisor with a minimum score of 1200, or SLUMP with a minimum score of 1200); (0 Course from MATH 1200-4999, Math Waiver per Advisor with a minimum score of 1200, or SLUMP with a minimum score of 1200))

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, UUC:Quantitative Reasoning

PHIL 4090 - Topics in Advanced Logic

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This course examines some non-classical systems of logic. Examples include one or many of the following: modal, intuitionistic, paraconsistent, free, fuzzy, and multi-valued logics and their metatheories. The course may cover probability theory, computability theory, or the philosophy of logic. Such topics in the philosophy of logic include possible worlds, necessity, existence, logical consequence, logicism, and theories of conditionals.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 4040

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4120 - Topics in Epistemology

3 Credits

In this course we concentrate on an epistemological topic, such as skepticism, contextualism, virtue epistemology, or the value of knowledge.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Medieval (Major) - Philosophy, Medieval (Minor) - Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4130 - Perspectives on Knowing: Gender, Race, and Beyond

3 Credits

This course explores how social identities—such as race, gender, class, ability, and more— shape our understanding of knowledge and influence who is considered a credible knower. This course examines key themes in social epistemology, including standpoint theory, epistemic injustice, testimony, intersectionality, and feminist epistemology. Students will critically analyze how knowledge is produced and validated within social structures, how power relations shape identity formation, and how personal biases impact interactions within diverse communities. By reflecting on their own experiences and engaging with contemporary issues, students will develop a deeper understanding of the ethical and social dimensions of knowing in an interconnected world. This course fulfills the "Identities in Context" requirement in the SLU Core and encourages students to think critically about the relationships between identity, power, and knowledge.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700)

Attributes: Philosophy BA Requirement(A&S), Philosophy Requirement (A&S)

PHIL 4150 - Philosophy of Science

3 Credits

This course explores some of the most prominent themes in recent philosophical studies of the sciences. Students should emerge with a deeper understanding of the meaning and status of scientific research and knowledge. Readings include discussions of particular endeavors from a range of scientific disciplines.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); Minimum Earned Credits of 60; (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), UUC:Collaborative Inquiry

PHIL 4160 - Philosophy and Physics

3 Credits

In this course we will survey the philosophical dimension of physics through its historical development, its methods, and the content of its theories. The course should be accessible to diligent students from both humanities and science backgrounds. The course's mathematical content is self-contained.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4190 - Gender and Science

3 Credits

This course examines science, both as a body of knowledge and as a human enterprise, from historical, social scientific, and especially from philosophical perspectives. Investigation will center on the ways in which gender concepts and gender beliefs enter into the institutions, processes, and products of scientific activity. Students will strive to become well-informed about and critically reflective on the scientific enterprise as it incorporates but also transforms gender conceptions in the pursuit of knowledge.

Prerequisite(s): Minimum Earned Credits of 60; (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S); CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, UUC:Collaborative Inquiry

PHIL 4210 - Topics in Metaphysics

3 Credits

Through an examination of one or more topics in contemporary metaphysics (including but not limited to: universals; individuation of concrete particulars; propositions, facts and events; necessity and possibility; persistence through time; realism versus anit-realism; vagueness; free will; personal identity; material constitution).

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Medieval (Major) - Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4260 - Philosophy of Mind

3 Credits

In this course, we will survey a range of topics in the philosophy of mind, including: the mind-body problem; physicalism; dualism; mental causation; consciousness; mental representation.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4280 - Biology and Mind

3 Credits

Courses in physiological psychology say little about higher-level cognitive capacities, whereas cognitive psychology courses often ignore their neural underpinnings. In contrast, Biology and Mind employs a framework that combines neurobiological and cognitive considerations. Employing this framework, we first examine visual perceptual and imaging capacities, after which we explore philosophical issues concerning the conscious, causal, and creative aspects of such cognition.

Attributes: BHS-Theology/Philosophy, Neuroscience - Humanities, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4310 - Topics in Ethics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

An in-depth examination of one or more topics in ethics. Topics might include: virtue ethics; metaethics; moral realism and anti-realism; well being; happiness; moral evil; moral responsibility; ethics and human nature; recent work in deontological ethics (and/or consequentialism); theories of practical reason; morality and the emotions; moral relativism; moral psychology; and God and morality.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy

PHIL 4315 - Applying Ethics: Reflecting on Particular Moral Issues

3 Credits

This is a course in applied ethics, which (along with normative ethics and meta-ethics) is one of the three main subfields of ethics. Hence, the point of this course is to seek answers to comparatively narrow ethical questions about particular moral issues. Examples of such issues are freedom of speech, world poverty, sexual morality, procreation, animal rights, the death penalty, abortion, immigration, and parent-child relations. Accordingly, this course may delve into questions such as the following. What duties do we have toward the destitute? Should I have children? Is the death penalty immoral?.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Moral/Social Philosophy, Philosophy & Letters

PHIL 4320 - Feminism and the History of Ethics

3 Credits

An examination of classic texts in moral philosophy and their authors' writings on women, with feminist responses to each. A fundamental guiding question is to what extent do views about gender matter for moral theory.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy, Diversity in the US (A&S), WGST Elective

PHIL 4350 - Survey of Social and Political Philosophy

3 Credits

This course will read and consider critically the works of selected major figures in the history of social-political philosophy.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4360X - Renaissance and Modern Political Theories

3 Credits

This course is a survey of modern political thought. Issues addressed include the rise of humanism, individualism, and liberalism; changing interpretations of natural law; constitutionalism and checking of absolutism; the Enlightenment. Among writers considered are Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, Nietzche, and Mill. Alternate years.

Attributes: Global Local Justice-Theory, UG Pol Sci Thought, Social Science Req (A&S), UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc

PHIL 4400 - History of Ancient Greek Philosophy

3 Credits

This course engages classical philosophical problems through close study of one or more of the main figures or issues in ancient Greek thought.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Classical Humanities, Confluence - Elective, History of Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4500 - Medieval Philosophy

3 Credits

This course introduces students to some of the central texts and thinkers of the medieval period (c. AD 400-1500). The aim of the course is to engage students in the scholarly work of reading and interpreting medieval philosophical texts and in the philosophical work of evaluating the arguments and positions such texts contain.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Italian Culture, Medieval (Minor) - Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4570 - Latin Paleography

3 Credits

Introduction to palaeographic investigation of ancient and mediaeval manuscripts inscribed in the Roman alphabet. History of book-hands from Mediterranean antiquity to the beginnings of the Renaissance in Europe, with some attention to Tironian Notes. An account will also be given of topics in codicology and of basic principles of textual criticism. Special attention to analytical and editorial techniques for reconstructing texts copies of which have survived in manuscripts that were inscribed at different times and in different locales.

Attributes: Medieval (Major) - Philosophy, Medieval (Minor) - Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4600 - History of Modern Philosophy

3 Credits

A survey of developments in Western philosophy from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. The course examines Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Hume, and Kant, and may cover other figures (e.g. Spinoza, Berkeley, Hobbes, or Hegel) at the instructor's discretion.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: International Studies, History of Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, UUC:Aesthetics, Hist & Culture

PHIL 4720 - Topics Continental Philosophy

3 Credits

This course takes up major topics discussed within continental philosophy, such as: intentionality; phenomenological methodology; freedom; the life-world; consciousness; intersubjectivity; deconstruction; ethics; the body; death; being; temporality; and transcendental foundations.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4740 - Philosophy of Karl Marx

3 Credits

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4750 - Latin American Philosophy

3 Credits

Survey of Latin American philosophy, with an emphasis on twentieth-century works. Themes include the origins of Latin American thought, the philosophical repercussions of political independence, positivism in Latin America, the question of Latin American identity, and the possibility of a distinctive Latin American philosophy.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050; (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700)

Attributes: IAS-Latin American Studies, International Studies, International Studies-Latin Am, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Urban Poverty - Immigration, Urban Poverty - Social Justice

PHIL 4760 - Spanish Philosophy

3 Credits

Systematic analysis of two 20th century Spanish philosophers: Ortega y Gasset and Unamuno. Major themes in Ortega: fundamental reality, perspectivism, vital and historical reason, the I and the world. Major themes in Unamuno: the tragic sense of life, the polarities: life vs. death, reason vs. will; and personal immortality. (Offered every Fall)

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: Cultural Diversity in the EU, IAS - Iberian Studies, International Studies, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4800 - Topics and Movements in Contemporary Philosophy

3 Credits

Specific theme and focus of course to be determined by instructor. Course offered at Departmental discretion.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700)

Attributes: Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4810 - Philosophy of Feminism

3 Credits

A critical examination of the feminist challenge to traditional conceptions of law, morality and epistemology. The philosophical and methodological assumptions underlying the feminist challenge will be explored.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Confluence - Elective, Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Global Local Justice-Elective, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Moral/Social Philosophy, UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc, UUC:Identities in Context, Diversity in the US (A&S), WGST Elective

PHIL 4820 - Philosophy and Race

3 Credits

A critical examination of the philosophical bases of multiculturalism; the biological and socio-cultural significance of race; varied philosophical approaches to racial identity; the epistemic and ethical dimensions of interracial interpretation and prejudice; and the questions posed about the philosophical tradition by its relationship to victims of racial prejudice. Cross-listed with AAM 4810.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2050

Attributes: African American Studies, Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Global Local Justice-Domestic, Global Local Justice-Theory, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Philosophy & Letters, UUC:Identities in Context, Urban Poverty - Cycles Exclusn, Urban Poverty - Social Justice, Diversity in the US (A&S)

PHIL 4825 - Philosophy & Whiteness

3 Credits

This course examines the problem of racism from the standpoint of whiteness & its role in establishing & maintaining racist social systems. We will discuss topics such as the nature of whiteness & white identity; its historical development; its legacy of injustice; & potential strategies for addressing its impact.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, or PHIL 2050)

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), UUC:Dignity, Ethics & Just Soc, UUC:Identities in Context, Diversity in the US (A&S)

PHIL 4835 - Philosophy of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender

3 Credits

In this course, we’ll explore various philosophical topics related to sex, sexuality, and gender.

Attributes: UUC:Identities in Context

PHIL 4840 - Catholic Social Thought

3 Credits

This course focuses on understanding the meaning of social justice as it has developed in the Catholic intellectual tradition, especially as expressed in the social encyclicals of the last 100 years.

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Global Local Justice-Elective, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective, Urban Poverty - Social Justice

PHIL 4845 - Power and Reality

3 Credits

In this course, we'll explore traditional topics in metaphysics (such as existence, time, and possibility) before turning more specifically to questions about the "nature" of the social world (such as intersectionality and social construction).

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, or PHIL 1757); PHIL 2050

PHIL 4850 - Topics in Philosophical Anthropology

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This course is an intensive treatment of a topic or topics within the ongoing discussion about what it means to be a human person. For example: human nature and uniqueness; immortality; embodiment; love and friendship; freedom; and other topics related to the quest to understand what it means to be human.

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050 and PHIL 2050)

Attributes: Catholic Studies-Philosophy, Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4880 - Senior Inquiry: Project

3 Credits

This course guides philosophy majors through the completion of a substantive philosophy research project on a topic of their interest. Students will meet with a supervising faculty member to carry out the project, in addition to meeting with other majors completing the senior project. In addition to completing a paper, students will make a public presentation.

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S)

PHIL 4910 - Internship

1-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500^*; (CORE 1000 or UIS with a minimum score of S)

^* Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: Philosophy Elective, UUC:Reflection-in-Action

PHIL 4930 - Special Topics

3 or 4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Prerequisite(s): (PHIL 1050, PHIL 1700, PHIL 1707, PHIL 1753, PHIL 1757, or CORE 1700); PHIL 2050

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 4980 - Advanced Independent Study

0-4 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Attributes: Philosophy Requirement (A&S), Philosophy Elective

PHIL 5100 - Problems in Epistemology

3 Credits

Topics such as the meaning of truth and knowledge, and the diversity of kinds and contexts of knowing.

Attributes: WGST Elective

PHIL 5200 - Problems in Metaphysics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Topics such as substance, identity, time, space, and being.

Attributes: Phil-Metaphysics Graduate

PHIL 5250 - Philosophy of Religion

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

Traditional and contemporary philosophy of religions. Topics include existence and nature of God, evil, religious experience, rationality of belief.

Attributes: Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 5300 - Problems in Ethical Theories

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Questions such as how ethical claims are distinctive and whether and how they can be rationally based.

Attributes: Phil-Ethics Graduate, Grad Pol Sci Skills, Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 5400 - Problems in Social & Political Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Topics such as the state, rights, sovereignty, democracy, freedom, property, and the meaning of justice.

Attributes: Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 5450 - Ancient Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

This course introduces students to some of the central texts and thinkers of the ancient period (up to c. 400 A.D.).

PHIL 5500 - Medieval Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

This course introduces students to some of the central texts and thinkers of the medieval period (c.400-1500 AD).

Attributes: Medieval Philosophy Graduate

PHIL 5600 - Modern Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

This course introduces students to some of the central texts and thinkers of the modern period (c.1500 – 1900).

PHIL 5700 - Contemporary Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This course introduces students to some of the central texts, thinkers, and philosophical movements in contemporary philosophy (late nineteenth century to present). (Offered annually)

PHIL 5930 - Special Topics in Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 5970 - Research Topics

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 5980 - Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 5990 - Thesis Research

0-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 6000 - Seminar in Major Philosopher in Ethics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

A philosopher who has made significant contributions to the field of ethics, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Mill, Hare.

Attributes: Phil-Ethics Graduate, Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 6200 - Philosophy of Science

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Major figures and issues in the philosophy of science such as the nature of scientific theory, scientific objectivity, relativism in science.

Attributes: Grad Pol Sci Skills

PHIL 6220 - Advanced Logic

3 Credits

An axiomatic survey of the first-order predicate calculus, and of first-order theories in general, terminating in proofs of Gdel's theorems.

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 4040

PHIL 6260 - Problems in Philosophy of Religion

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Explores problems such as the nature of God, proofs for God's existence, divine properties, etc.

Attributes: Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 6300 - Advanced Ethics

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 12 credits)

Extensive examination of such questions as how ethical claims are distinctive and whether and how they can be rationally based.

Attributes: Phil-Ethics Graduate, Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 6320 - Advanced Metaphysics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Thorough exploration of such topics as substance, identity, time, space, and being.

Attributes: Phil-Metaphysics Graduate

PHIL 6340 - Advanced Epistemology

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Examination in depth of topics such as the meaning of truth and knowledge and the diversity of kinds and contexts of knowing.

Attributes: Phil-Epistemology Graduate

PHIL 6360 - Seminar in Political Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

Exhaustive study of such topics as the state, rights, sovereignty, democracy, freedom, property, and the meaning of justice.

Attributes: Social & Political Ph Graduate, Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 6380 - Seminar in Aesthetics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Analyses of the meaning of beauty and the character of aesthetic judgments.

Attributes: Phil-Value Theory Graduate

PHIL 6400 - Ancient Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

An advanced level seminar in which major figures and topics in the ancient period are examined.

Attributes: Ancient Philosophy Graduate

PHIL 6450 - Medieval Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable up to 12 credits)

Seminar study on a sophisticated plane of major philosophers and issues of the medieval era.

Attributes: Medieval Philosophy Graduate

PHIL 6500 - Modern Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Major philosophers and issues of the modern period.

Attributes: Modern Philosophy Graduate

PHIL 6550 - Contemporary Philosophy

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Major philosophers and issues in contemporary philosophy. Cross-listed with WGST 6300.

PHIL 6800 - Prospectus

3-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

A survey of the area of proposed dissertation research. Research questions are posed. Interest in the topic is focused. Culminates in a written prospectus and its oral defense before the potential dissertation committee.

PHIL 6920 - Philosophy Pedagogy

0 Credits (Repeatable up to 9 credits)

TBD.

PHIL 6930 - Special Topics

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 6970 - Advanced Research Topics in Philosophy

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 6980 - Graduate Independent Study in Philosophy

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

PHIL 6990 - Dissertation Research

0-9 Credits (Repeatable for credit)