Philosophy ...............................................................Bachelor of Arts

PHILOSOPHY

FR. JASON MITCHELL, Ph.D., Chairperson FACULTY: Associate Professors: William Haggerty, Aaron Kerr, Michael Latzer. Assistant Professors: David Nordquest, Fr. Jason Mitchell, Assistant Teaching Professors: Dominic Prianti. Adjunct Faculty: Stephanie Barnhizer, Tyler Perkins, Bryan Prior.

Aims and Objectives

Philosophy is the love and pursuit of wisdom. An essential part of a person’s education should be the serious and personal exploration of the “ultimate questions”—issues of human nature and human destiny, of how we should live, of the nature of the world around us and of the being and nature of God on whom we are dependent for our existence. Human beings cannot be satisfied with merely knowing the “what” of things happening around them; they want to understand the “why” of the human condition. In studying philosophy students not only experience major philosophers at work on these important human issues, but they also participate in this activity by developing their own skills for creative thinking, rational argument and responsible judgment. Philosophy is studied for its own intrinsic value, since, as Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Nevertheless, the study of philosophy can also lead to successful careers as well. It is very suitable preparation for careers in law, journalism, government, politics, teaching, religion and counseling. Students who are majoring in philosophy are obliged to take a minimum of ten upper level courses (30 credits). The following nine courses are obligatory: (a) the entire history of philosophy cycle – PHIL 271: Ancient Philosophy; PHIL 273: Medieval Philosophy; PHIL 280: Modern Philosophy; PHIL 286: Contemporary Philosophy; (b) PHIL 210/212: Logic; (c) PHIL 101: Philosophy and the Good Life; (d) PHIL 233: Philosophy of God; (e) PHIL 237: Philosophy of Ethical Responsibility; (f) PHIL 400: Senior Seminar. Those majoring in philosophy are encouraged to take more than the minimum ten courses, especially if they are intending to continue to work in philosophy in graduate school. Those who are majoring in philosophy, of course, must take the requirements of the Liberal Studies Core Program. Students may have to take beginning and/or intermediate language courses depending on their background. Students will also be encouraged to take a course in a classical language.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

PHIL 101: Philosophy and the Good Life

The foundational course Philosophy and the Good Life develops critical thinking, explores the fundamental questions of human existence, and examines ethical living. The course provides students the opportunity to engage the philosophical ideas that have shaped human history and global cultures. Through engagement with the foundational branches of philosophy and ideas of the key philosophers, students will develop critical thinking skills, inquire into existential questions, and reflect on what constitutes a meaningful and good life. 3 credits

PHIL 210: Logic

An introduction to the theory and practice of good reasoning. Students learn practical techniques for constructing and evaluating arguments, based on both traditional Aristotelian logic and modern formal logic. 3 credits

PHIL 212: Contemporary Symbolic Logic

An introductory course in deductive reasoning using the methods of symbolic formal logic. 3 credits

PHIL/COMM 225: Philosophy of Communication

An analysis of the epistemological foundations underlying all forms of communicative processes from individual gestures to the electronic world-wide media. 3 credits

PHIL 233: Philosophy of God

An introduction to the philosophical study of God, based largely on the tradition of Christian philosophy. 3 credits

PHIL 235: Philosophy of Knowledge, Certitude and Truth

A study of the possibility and validity of human knowledge, together with the criteria of truth. 3 credits

PHIL 237: Philosophy of Ethical Responsibility

The subject matter of ethics is “the good life and how to live it.” Students will examine a variety of influential approaches to ethics, and will gain skill in applying ethical theory both to practical ethical issues in daily life, and to some of the urgent ethical issues in contemporary society. 3 credits

PHIL 239: Philosophy of Science

A philosophical survey of the various understandings of science and scientific method. Students will examine the role philosophy has played in formulating and critiquing models of scientific investigation, and will pay attention to the impact science has had on religion, society, and views of human nature. 3 credits

PHIL 240: Philosophy of Education

A critical examination of the goals and methods of education, especially as they relate to ethics and politics. Readings will be drawn from historical philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau and Dewey as well as contemporary philosophical analysis of educational institutions. 3 credits

PHIL 246: Philosophy of Mind and Emerging Artificial Intelligence

An introduction to the study of key theories of mind as related to the brain, the body, self, and emerging artificial intelligence. The course explores key concepts like consciousness, self- awareness, intentionality, thought, and the meaning of creating sentient robots. 3 credits

PHIL 248: Women in Western Philosophy

This course is an introduction to, and a critical examination of, women philosophers who are contemporaries of key male Western philosophers. Traditional philosophical issues will be examined in light of both the traditional viewpoints, and of the significant contributions made by these women. 3 credits

PHIL 250: Comparative World Philosophy

An introduction to the classics of world philosophy. Students will have a survey of some of the greatest contributions of both Western and Non-Western approaches to the major questions concerning issues like the good life, the self, theories of knowledge, reality versus appearance, and philosophical theology. Students will also compare and contrast the answers of these major questions, using a unified standard of critical though and a unified goal of seeking insight into answers to these major philosophical issues. This course fulfills the Philosophy II Series requirement. 3 credits

PHIL 255: Travel Course Philosophy of Place

An overview of the philosophy of place which examines the topological and constructed development of environments. Philosophical categories of space, time, ontology, value theory, ethics and a sense of the global in relation to the local will be explored. Particular attention will be paid to the Catholic Social Teaching tradition’s emphasis on private property and the universal destination of goods. This is a GIFT course (Gannon Inspired Faculty Led Travel) and travel is required for completion of course. 3 credits

PHIL 271: History of Ancient Philosophy

A critical presentation of the rise of Western Philosophy in Greece in the seventh century before Christ and its development in the fourth century B.C. up to the third century of the Christian era. 3 credits

PHIL 273: History of Medieval Philosophy

A study of Augustine and the great synthesis of Thomas Aquinas, analyzed in the context of the philosophic-theological intellectual atmosphere of the thirteenth century. Non-Thomistic syntheses of Bacon, Bonaventure, and Duns Scotus are evaluated. Then the decline of scholasticism is studied with emphasis on Ockham, Suarez and the Electives. 3 credits

PHIL 280: History of Modern Philosophy

A critical presentation of philosophers and philosophical trends from the Italian Renaissance of the XV century to the early XIX century. 3 credits

PHIL 286: History of Contemporary Philosophy

A survey of some of the most important philosophical movements and thinkers of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, both in the Anglo-American and the Continental traditions. 3 credits

PHIL 290: Philosophy and Law

A discussion of the philosophical foundations of law and an investigation into the scope of legal philosophy. Questions such as: what is law? what is a legal system in a society? do the criteria for the existence of law include a moral element? how shall legal obligations be understood? will be discussed. In addition, the relationship between law and morality, and the common good must be reviewed. 3 credits

PHIL 260: Environmental Ethics

An overview of ethical approaches to conservation and preservation in their historical, cultural and social contexts. Philosophies of nature, culture and economics will inform a contemporary analysis of the common goods of air, soil and water. Case studies in public health will be examined with particular attention paid to individual and collective aspects of the stewardship of the earth in a global perspective. 3 credits

PHIL 270: Bioethics

Bioethics examines and applies ethical principles relating to human life: its beginning, its continuation, and its end. 3 credits

PHIL 272: Healthcare Ethics

An introduction to the study of key ethical values and frameworks as the bases for application to moral concerns, and the decisions that must be made in the various health care fields, such as nursing, physician assistant, and occupational and physical therapy. 3 credits

PHIL 274: Critical Thinking

This course focuses on the logical skills needed for building, identifying, analyzing, and evaluating arguments. Topics include: identifying conclusions and premises, deductive and inductive reasoning, identifying assumptions, informal fallacies. These skills will be applied toward making rational and ethically responsible decisions in the health care fields. 3 credits

PHIL 243: Philosophy of History

Critical examination of the philosophers of history and their concern with the nature of history and the meaning of historical knowledge. 3 credits

PHIL 244: Introduction to Metaphysics

The nature of metaphysics as the study of being is examined in the philosophy of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. The study of essence and existence, potency and act, substance and accident, matter and form, is developed systematically. 3 credits