Academic Bulletin 2020-22

Requirements for the Philosophy Major and Minor The philosophy major, which requires a student to take 30 credit hours in upper division courses, deepens his understanding of what is studied in the core. It also prepares students for graduate studies in philosophy or theology. The philosophy department requires that every major be competent in Latin or Greek, which is demonstrated by passing at least Latin 202 or Greek 304, and take the following courses: 301 History of Medieval Philosophy and 302 History of Modern Philosophy, required of all students PHIL 401: Recent Philosophy PHIL 404: Philosophy of God PHIL 512 Senior Seminar and Thesis: Each student completes his studies by writing an original senior thesis requiring independent research on a philosophical topic.

The philosophy minor offers students choosing to major in another discipline the ability to deepen their philosophical knowledge. There is no language requirement for the minor. Each student minoring in philosophy must take 12 credit hours of upper level philosophy courses beyond the core curriculum. A course grade of at least C-minus is necessary for a course to fulfill the department’s major or minor requirements.

Students who complete a major in the PHIL department: 1. will be able to articulate basic principles of Thomistic philosophy in dialogue with other philosophical thinkers.

Foundational Curriculum PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy An introduction to the philosophical project through a consideration of key themes of Ancient Western philosophy. The course will include some preSocratic thought, but will emphasize the thought of Plato and Aristotle. Roughly half of the course will focus on Aristotelian logic. This may be done either by splitting the course into two halves or by working the logical material into the treatment of the thinkers covered. Required of all students.

PHIL 102 Philosophy of Human Nature A systematic investigation of the nature of man, including a demonstration of the immateriality of the intellectual soul, the unity of the human person, his subsistence, freedom of the will, sensory and intellectual knowledge, and his natural end: God. The study will be based largely on texts of St. Thomas Aquinas and will include a consideration of contrasting positions. Required of all students.

PHIL 201 Ethics A systematic investigation of Aristotelian/Thomistic ethics, the subject of which is human action ordered to an end. The good human life is understood in terms of 94