Undergrad. Catalog 07: Philosophy

Revised May 2007

Department of Philosophy

103 Main Hall
610-436-2841
Fred Struckmeyer, Chairperson

PROFESSOR: Struckmeyer

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Hoffman, Porritt

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS: Pierlott, Schroepfer, Woolfrey

The Department of Philosophy offers two concentrations leading to the bachelor of arts degree.

1. The philosophy concentration surveys the history of philosophy, explores its major disciplines, and focuses on selected topics of perennial interest. The purpose of the program is to develop the organizational, analytic, and expressive skills required for law school, the seminary, graduate work in philosophy, and the wide range of careers in government, business, and industry.

2. The religious studies concentration is a valuable preparation for careers in fields where an understanding of religious cultural background and diversity is crucial, such as education, public relations, international affairs, and business. Undergraduate work in religious studies can also enrich students' personal lives and may be used to prepare students for seminary study at the graduate level.

Majors in the B.A. program should consult the department handbook and their adviser for current requirements.

REQUIREMENTS COMMON TO THE B.A. PROGRAMS

120 semester hours

1. General ed. requirements, see pages 37-41 (48 semester hours)

2. Foreign language/culture requirement (0-15 semester hours)

3. Major requirements (30 semester hours)

4. Free electives (27-42 semester hours)

BACHELOR OF ARTS - Philosophy Concentration

1. Required core courses (21 semester hours)
PHI 101, 190, 270, 272, 350, 412, and 499

2. Philosophy electives (9 semester hours)

BACHELOR OF ARTS - Religious Studies Concentration

1. Required courses (27 semester hours)
PHI 101, 102, 202, 203, 204, 205, 271, 349, 414

2. Elective in religious studies (3 semester hours)
As advised

Minor Programs

Students may minor in either philosophy or religious studies. A minimum of 18 semester hours is required. Elective courses are selected in consultation with the student's minor adviser. Either of these minors may be taken as a concentration in the bachelor of arts in liberal studies general degree program.

Philosophy Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required courses (12 semester hours)
PHI 101, 150 or 190, 174 or 180, and 270, 271, or 272

2. Philosophy electives (under advisement) (6 semester hours)

Religious Studies Minor (18 semester hours)

1. Required courses (12 semester hours) PHI 102, 202 or 203, 204 or 205, and 349

2. Religious studies electives (under advisement) (6 semester hours)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
PHILOSOPHY

Symbol: PHI, unless otherwise noted.

INTRODUCTORY COURSES IN PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

101 Introduction to Philosophy (3) The chief problems and methods of philosophic thought, with a survey of some typical solutions. The place and influence of philosophy in life today.

102 Introduction to Religious Studies (3) The role of religion in human life. Illustrations drawn from various traditions, rituals, and belief patterns, both ancient and modern.
Approved interdisciplinary course

125 Theology and Science: Enemies or Partners (3) An inquiry into the relationship of theology to the natural sciences. Team taught by both a physicist and a philosopher, the course investigates how ideas of God have been affected by advances in physics and biology. Crosslisted as PHY 125.

174 Principles of the Arts (3) A critical examination of traditional and contemporary aesthetic theories from diverse cultural perspectives to extend students' thinking about the "concept" as well as the "experience" of art. Visual and literary arts are emphasized, as well as how to live a more artful life.
Approved interdisciplinary course

180 Introduction to Ethics (3) Introduction to major theories and contemporary work in moral philosophy and offers tools for ethical decision making in our daily lives with an emphasis on the influence of culture, power, and privilege.
Diverse communities course

207 Philosophies of Nonviolence (3) An examination of the concepts of violence and nonviolence, especially as seen by recent thinkers. The course attempts to link theory with practice by considering the contributions of Tolstoy, Gandhi, Thoreau, and other philosophers, religious thinkers, and activists.

SSC 200 Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies (3) An interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature and causes of social conflict. The aim throughout is to find ways of avoiding destructive conflict, whether through negotiation or other means. The issue of justice as a factor in conflict receives special attention.
Approved interdisciplinary course

COURSES IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

270 History of Ancient Philosophy (3) A survey of the major figures of ancient philosophy, from the pre-Socratic period through Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and Stoics, to the Skeptics and Neo-Platonists.
Culture cluster

271 History of Medieval Philosophy (3) The history of philosophy from the early Church fathers to the late Middle Ages. St. Augustine, St. Thomas, mysticism, Jewish and Islamic influences, humanism, and the rise of science.

272 History of Modern Philosophy (3) From Descartes to Hegel. The social, political, and scientific impact of the philosophers.
Culture cluster

273 19th-Century Philosophy (3) Hegel and German Idealism; decisive influences on European and American literature and thought. Survey of the chief themes of Schopenhauer, Comte, Mill, Peirce, Marx, Kierkegaard, Darwin, and Nietzsche.
Culture cluster

284 American Philosophy (3) Leaders in science, literature, religion, and government who have shaped American thought. Philosophers of Puritanism, the Revolution, Transcendentalism, and native schools of Realism, Idealism, and Pragmatism.

350 Philosophical Topic: The 20th Century and Beyond (3) A historical survey of the main trends in late 20th century philosophy and contemporary philosophy. The topic may vary from semester to semester.
This course may be taken again for credit.

405 Feminist Theory (3) Designed to introduce and discuss basic questions in contemporary feminist theory, the course will explore different philosophies of feminism and include such issues as motherhood, intersections with other theories of oppression, and body politics. PREREQ: WOS 225 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted with WOS 405.
Approved interdisciplinary course.

411 The Problem of War (3) An examination of war and the "war system," including terrorism. Alternatives to war are also considered.

415 Existentialism (3) An exploration of important texts in 19th and 20th century existentialism and their influence on contemporary currents in philosophy and the social sciences. PREREQ: Two prior philosophy courses or instructor approval.
Culture cluster

COURSES ON OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS

150 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (3) An introduction to the principles needed for effective thinking and evaluation of arguments in practical situations. Topics include procedures and guidelines for identifying and evaluating arguments, recognizing and eliminating fallacies, and writing and criticizing argumentative essays.

190 Logic (3) Introduction to deductive and inductive logic, with emphasis on classical syllogistic and symbolic logic. Topics include arguments, categorical propositions and classes, immediate inferences, Venn diagrams, rules of syllogism, propositional functions, truth tables, and predicate logic.

201 Contemporary Issues (3) Discussion and analysis of contemporary philosophical issues. The topic varies from semester to semester.
This course may be taken again for credit.

330 (also LIN 330) Introduction to Meaning (3) Discussion of the analysis of meaning given by various disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, linguistics, communication studies, and the arts.
Approved interdisciplinary course

360 (also LIN 360) Philosophy of Language (3) A discussion of our use of language in the acquisition of knowledge. We will use material from philosophy, linguistics, psychology, art, music, and literature.

371 Biomedical Ethics (3) The study of philosophical concepts and ethical criteria as applied to health care practice and clinical research. Issues examined and analyzed include problem-solving methods, the theory and practice of informed consent, end-of-life decision making, resource allocation, and problems posed by managed care, research ethics, and environmental concerns.
Approved interdisciplinary course

412 Ethical Theories (3) An inquiry into the meaning, interpretations, and function of ethical theory in our lives. The course will explore some combination of classic, modern, and contemporary ethical theories. PREREQ: PHI 101, 180, or permission of instructor.

413 Aesthetic Theories (3) Interpretation of beauty and art. Effects of motivation, and problems in media and in goals. A background of meaning for the evaluation of specific works of painting, sculpture, music, and architecture.

414 Philosophy of Religion (3) Religion and the religious experience as viewed by major Western thinkers. The concepts of God, immortality, religious knowledge, evil, miracles, and science and religion.

422 Philosophy of Science (3) The nature of scientific method and scientific theory, with reference to presuppositions, inference, explanation, prediction, applications, and verification. PREREQ: At least one 200-level PHI course (PHI 272 recommended) and one other PHI course or permission of instructor.

436 Symbolic Logic (3) Principles and methods of symbolic logic. Practice in determining validity of sentential and quantificational arguments. The algebra of classes. PREREQ: PHI 190 or permission of the instructor.

480 Environmental Ethics (3) Study of arguments and principles surrounding moral questions about the environment: Who and what deserves moral consideration? What are our moral obligations to the environment? What if our obligations to the environment and human beings conflict? Do animals have rights? PREREQ: Three PHI credits or permission of instructor.

482 Social Philosophy (3) The relationship between the individual and the social/political order. The good society and the just state as seen by modern and recent Western thinkers, such as Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Nozick, and Rawls. Cutting-edge issues of the present day are also explored. Course is conducted in seminar format.

COURSES IN RELIGION

130 Religion in America (3) This course will explore the rich diversity of religions in the United States and the impact of religion on our culture.

202 Religions of the West I (3) A survey of the thought of Christianity and Judaism to the year 500.

203 Religions of the West II (3) A survey of the thought of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, from the year 500 to the present. Emphasis on theological development, with attention to social, economic, and historical factors.

204 Philosophies and Religions of India (3) The religious and philosophical heritage of India, from Vedic times to the present. Examination of major classics, such as Rig Veda, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, and Yoga-sutras; recent writers such as Tagore, Gandhi, and Radhakrishnan.

205 Philosophies and Religions of the Far East (3) A survey of Far Eastern philosophy, religion, and scientific thought. Confucianism, Taoism, and the various schools of Mahayana Buddhism, including Zen, are given primary emphasis.

349 Ideas of the Bible (3) An introduction to Biblical concepts of revelation, God, man, nature, and redemption in light of Hebrew and Greek thought.

351 Ideas of the Old Testament (3) Core religious and philosophical concepts of the Hebrew Bible: God, creation, evil, community, moral law, and others. Genesis, wisdom literature, and prophetic writings are given special attention.

352 Ideas of the New Testament (3) Major themes in teachings of Jesus, Paul, and other figures. Ethical motifs receive special attention, as does on-going influence of these ideas on Western literature, religion, and philosophy.

414 Philosophy of Religion (3) See "Courses in Philosophical Topics," above.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES AND SEMINARS

410 Independent Studies (1-3)
This course may be taken again for credit.

499 Philosophic Concepts and Systems (3) An intensive study of the major works of one philosopher or philosophic approach, emphasizing comparison with other views. Required of all philosophy majors. PREREQ: Six hours of philosophy and senior standing, or permission of instructor.
This course may be taken again for credit.