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Courses whose number ends in a number between 10 and 29 are Religion courses.

Click on the course title to view the description.

  • PHIL-100 / Introduction to Philosophy / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An introductory examination of many of the central issues in philosophy. Among the topics that may be discussed are: free will and determinism, skepticism about knowledge, the existence of God, the nature of the mind and its relation to the body, the ground of moral judgment, and the relation of language and thought to each other and to the world. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for PHIL-101 or PHIL-102 may not enroll in PHIL-100

  • PHIL-101 / Knowledge, Value and Reality / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An introductory study of ideas about knowledge, morality, and what is real in their historical context. Attention will be given to texts from both Western and non-Western cultures. Short analytical papers will be required in which students develop their own thoughts on an issue. PHIL-101 and 102 need not be taken in sequence. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-102 / Minds, Science, and Religion / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An introductory study of ideas about religion, consciousness, and science in their historical context. Attention will be given to texts from both Western and non-Western cultures. Short analytical papers will be required in which students develop their own thoughts on an issue. PHIL-101 is not a prerequisite. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-106 / The Meaning of Life / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      A philosophical examination of whether life has a purpose or is absurd and meaningless. Particular attention is given to what it means for something to have a purpose, what are possible sources of a purpose, and the issues of the afterlife and God. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-107 / Philosophical Issues in Gender and Sexuality / Dr. Florka, Prof. Rice

      A philosophical exploration of gender and sexuality, including an examination of the nature of sexual desire and behavior, of whether gender and sexuality are natural features or social constructions, and of the controversies surrounding same-sex marriages, sexual harassment, pornography and other topics. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-140 / Applied Ethics / Prof. Rice

      An examination of the virtues of compassion, gratitude, and love, and the application of ethics to concerns of social justice such as just war, animal rights, and capital punishment. The course includes a preparatory overview of major ethical theories. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-211 / World Religions / Dr. Rein

      An introduction to five major living religions, namely Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. An examination of the leading problems of religious traditions, their history and cultural context, and the approaches of world religions to ultimate questions concerning the meaning of human life. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-212 / Hebrew History and Scriptures / Dr. Rein

      Foundations of the Judeo-Christian tradition in the literature and thought of the Hebrew scriptures (the Christian Old Testament). Attention is given to the archeological and historical background of the Old Testament, as well as to the biblical materials themselves. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-214 / Introduction to Judaism / Faculty

      Attention is given to the history, traditions, and literature of the Jewish people from their origins in the second millennium B.C.E. to the present day. Stress is given to specific religious concepts and teachings which are pertinent to modern times. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-215 / The New Testament: The Gospels / Dr. Rein

      By means of various methods of study, the life and teachings of Jesus as set forth in the four Gospels are examined. Attention is given to the geography, politics, sociology, and religion of the first century A.D. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-216 / The New Testament: Pauline Epistles / Dr. Rein

      Attention is given to the life, ministry, and writings of Paul. The doctrinal, pastoral, and personal epistles of Paul are studied with reference to their historical settings, the organization of the Apostolic church, and the development of Christian doctrine. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-220 / Philosophy of Religion / Dr. Goetz, Dr. Rein

      A philosophical study of both belief itself as a psychological attitude and what has been believed about God. Particular attention is given to such questions as whether or not belief is a matter of choice and whether or not one must have a reason to believe in God. Questions about the natures of God and man, evil and immortality are also addressed. (Formerly PHIL-302.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-302 may not enroll in PHIL-220

  • PHIL-221 / Religion in American Culture / Faculty

      A systematic examination of religion in the United States as a philosophy of life, attitude, tradition, and organization. The beliefs and thoughts of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews from the colonial period to modern times are studied. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-225 / African American Religious Experience / Prof. Rice

      This historical, theological, and contextual study of religion examines the African American religious experience, including: the African Background, slavery in America, the struggle for freedom and identity, the development of the Black Church, the Black Muslims, the Civil Rights movement, and the emergence of Black and Womanist theologies. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-237 / Political Philosophy / Dr. Stern

      (Same as POL-237.) This course examines the nature of justice through a careful reading of major works in the history of political philosophy. Specifically, we will consider selected political writings of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Marx. Prerequisite: POL-100. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-240 / Ethics / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz, Prof. Rice

      A study of the theories of ethical relativism, psychological and ethical egoism, altruism, utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, and virtue theory, and of various views on the human good, virtue, the role of motive and consequences in determining right and wrong conduct, and the like. (Formerly PHIL-204.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-204 may not enroll in PHIL-240

  • PHIL-260 / Logic / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      (Same as MATH-260.) An introduction to the concepts and techniques used in symbolic reasoning, primarily through the study of first-order logic, the translation of sentences of ordinary English into a formal language, and the construction of derivations. Topics include: formalization, proofs, mathematical induction, propositional and predicate logic, quantifiers, and sets. (Formerly PHIL-202.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for MATH-236 or the former PHIL-202 may not enroll in PHIL-260

  • PHIL-274 / Philosophy of Mind / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An examination of various arguments for and against different views of what a person or self is. Attention is given both to the claim that a person is a soul or mind which is distinct from its physical body and to the conflicting assertion that a self is identical with its body or brain. (Formerly PHIL-303.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-303 may not enroll in PHIL-274

  • PHIL-276 / Freedom and Determinism / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An examination of what human action is, how it is explained, and whether it is free or determined. The examination raises such issues as how explanations in science are related to explanations of human behavior in terms of reasons, whether there is a science of human behavior, and for what, if any, behavior human beings are responsible. (Formerly PHIL-305, Philosophy of Action.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-305 may not enroll in PHIL-276

  • PHIL-278 / Theory of Knowledge / Dr. Florka, Dr. Stern

      An examination of competing theories of knowledge and epistemic justification (foundationalism, coherentism, and externalism) with special attention to the problems of skepticism and the riddle of induction. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-309 / Selected Topics / Faculty

      Content for the course will be drawn from either philosophy or religion, concentrating on special issues, movements and leaders in both areas. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-323 / The Christian Religious Tradition / Dr. Rein

      A survey of important thinkers, literature and movements typical of the Christian tradition from the early church period through the 20th century. Careful study of such writers as Clement, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Ockham, Bernard, Luther, Edwards and others is included. (Formerly PHIL-223.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-223 may not enroll in PHIL-323

  • PHIL-324 / Literature and Religious Idea / Dr. Rein

      An analysis of the significant themes common to works of imaginative literature exploring the interrelation of religion and artistic creativity. Attention will be given to Camus, Eliot, Faulkner, Kazantzakis, Waugh, and others. (Formerly PHIL-224.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-224 may not enroll in PHIL-324

  • PHIL-325 / The Protestant Reformation / Dr. Rein

      An examination of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation through the writings of Luther, Calvin, representatives of the Radical and Catholic reforms, and others, with attention to their social, cultural, and political context. Topics include the crisis of medieval culture, Luther’s biography and teachings, the theology of faith and grace, the creation of a Protestant culture, the radical reformers, and international Calvinism. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-337 / Classical Political Philosophy / Dr. Stern

      (Same as POL-337). This course examines the classical understanding of politics through a careful reading of selected works of Plato and Aristotle. We will consider such issues as the nature of justice, the meaning of moral and intellectual virtue, and the relation between philosophy and politics. Prerequisite: POL-237. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-338 / Modern Political Philosophy / Dr. Stern

      (Same as POL-338.) This course examines and evaluates the world-revolutionary challenge to classical and medieval political philosophy posed by such writers as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Rousseau and Hegel. Prerequisite: POL-237. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-339 / Contemporary Political Philosophy / Dr. Stern

      (Same as POL-339.) This course examines selected authors and issues in contemporary political philosophy. We will read the works of such authors as Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kojeve, Rawls and Foucault. We will consider such issues as historicism, contemporary liberalism, feminism, and Marxism. Prerequisite: POL-237. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-340 / Advanced Ethics / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      A close examination of one or more controversial issues and theories in moral philosophy. Among the possible topics are: the nature of moral theory, the foundations of normative judgment, the "internalism" or "externalism" of practical reasoning, realism vs. anti-realism in ethical theory, the roles of reason and emotion in morality, moral skepticism, virtue theory, utilitarianism, and Aristotelian or Kantian moral views. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-346 / Biomedical Ethics / Faculty

      An examination of ethical decision-making procedures available to health care professionals who face dilemmas caused by acute medical problems and the technological advances in the delivery of health care. Opportunity is given to apply decision-making processes to the major issues in biomedical ethics. Students present papers exploring a dilemma, its empirical and evaluative elements, and proposing an ethical resolution. Prerequisite: Permission of the department. (Formerly PHIL-314.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
      Note: Students who have received credit for the former PHIL-314 may not enroll in PHIL-346

  • PHIL / ENV-348 / Environmental Ethics / Faculty

      The central issue in environmental ethics concerns what things in nature have moral standing and how conflicts of interest among them are to be resolved. After an introduction to ethical theory, topics to be covered include anthropocentrism, the moral status of non-human sentient beings, preservation of endangered species and the wilderness, holism versus individualism, and the land ethic. (Formerly PHIL-315.) Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-351. / Topics in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy / Dr. Florka, Dr. Stern

      An examination of one or more philosophers of the classical and medieval periods (for example, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Ockham), or a study in a single area such as metaphysics, ethics, or the theory of knowledge in several of the philosophers. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-354 / Topics in Modern Philosophy / Dr. Florka, Dr. Stern

      An examination of one or more philosophers of the period from 1600 to 1900 (for example, Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche), or a study in a single area such as metaphysics, ethics, or the theory of knowledge in several of the philosophers. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-360 / Advanced Logic / Dr. Florka

      A continuation of Phil-260. Includes: further study of the logic of quantifiers and appropriate methods of proof, and working through the proofs of the Completeness and Soundness Theorems for propositional logic and first-order logic. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-364 / Philosophy of Language / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz

      An examination of the notions of truth, meaning, reference, and language use, including the distinctions between sense and denotation, synonymy and analyticity, direct and indirect discourse, and natural and non-natural meaning. Prerequisite: PHIL-260 (Logic) or permission of instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-370 / Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology / Dr. Florka, Dr. Goetz, Dr. Stern

      An intensive investigation of a few topics in metaphysics—such as personal identity, possibility and necessity, universals and particulars, causality—or in epistemology—such as skepticism, a priori knowledge, the problem of induction, knowledge as justified true belief. Three hours per week. Four semester hours..

  • PHIL-374 / Consciousness and Thought / Dr. Florka

      An exploration of past and present philosophical studies of the nature of conscious awareness and the relation of the mind to the world. May include consideration of problems about perception, intentionality, representation, and rationality. Four semester hours..

  • PHIL-381 / Internship / Faculty

      An off-campus academic / work experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Eleven to 14 hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-404W / Senior Seminar: Current Issues and Movements in Philosophy and Religion / Faculty

      The aim of this capstone course is threefold: 1) A comprehensive grasp of the interrelatedness of the various courses in the major field; 2) an overview of the relation of the major field of study to the liberal arts program; 3) a study of the relevance of philosophy and religion to the contemporary situation. There will be several papers and oral presentations. Open only to philosophy and / or religion majors or by departmental permission. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.

  • PHIL-437W / Seminar in Political Philosophy / Faculty

      Same as POL-437W. Intensive study of a special topic in political philosophy emphasizing original research and substantial oral and written work. Prerequisites: ENGL-100, junior or senior status and one 300-level course in political philosophy. Three hours per week. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-491W / Research / Independent Work / Faculty

      This course is open to candidates for departmental honors and to other students with the permission of the departmental chair. Four semester hours

  • PHIL-492W / Research / Independent Work / Faculty

      o A continuation of PHIL-491. Prerequisite: PHIL-491. Four semester hours.


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