This course explores divisions of philosophy and the perspectives of major philosophers and movements. Emphasis is placed upon central philosophical problems such as the relationship between mind and body, the possibility of human freedom, the existence of God, and the scope and limits of human understanding.

This course is an introduction to ethical reasoning, theories of morality, and questions related to the good life. Potential topics of discussion include moral duty, virtue, pleasure, and happiness, the religious ethic of St. Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, and contemporary ethical issues. Topics may be approached from religious/theological or philosophical perspectives. Crosslisted with RS-103

Critical inquiry is the process of gathering and evaluating information, ideas, and assumptions from multiple perspectives to produce well-reasoned analysis and understanding, and leading to new ideas, applications and questions. This course is intended to introduce new students to intellectual inquiry at the university by engaging them in in-depth study of a single topic utilizing a variety of perspectives and methods. The course emphasizes the essential role of critical and creative thinking to their lives as students, citizens, future professionals, and productive members of their communities.

Critical inquiry is the process of gathering and evaluating information, ideas, and assumptions from multiple perspectives to produce well-reasoned analysis and understanding, and leading to new ideas, applications and questions. This course is intended to introduce new students to intellectual inquiry at the university by engaging them in in-depth study of a single topic utilizing a variety of perspectives and methods. The course emphasizes the essential role of critical and creative thinking to their lives as students, citizens, future professionals, and productive members of their communities. The lab for the course is an interdisciplinary application lab, wherein students work in teams to demonstrate what they learned in the didactic portion of the course through the creation of a project, presentation, art object/installation, play, podcast, short film, co-authored reflection (debrief) on a simulation experience, etc. Faculty who design the didactic portion of the course together will design this portion as a 5-week experiential component of the course, which might include community partnerships or field trips. Students who take the course and lab will be invited to display their project results in a one-afternoon presentation at the end of each semester (to be arranged by college events personnel).

This course is a study of formal reasoning methods through informal fallacies, class logic and introduction to propositional logic.

This course explores themes and issues in existentialist philosophy and literature through a reading of primary source texts. Special emphasis is placed on the ideas of freedom, death, and meaning. The course addresses such issues as the nature and meaning of freedom, the role of mortality in human life, and the possibility of meaningfulness and individuality in the modern world.

This course is a philosophical exploration of the nature of technology and the political and social effects of technological change. The course addresses issues relating to the nature of technology and the ethical challenges it poses. Special emphasis is placed on the role and effects of information technologies and computers in modern society.

This course examines the ways that death challenges human meaning and action. Topics include the meaning of suffering and death, challenges of death to morality, psychological spiritual processes of dying and bereavement are considered.

This course explores the birth of Western philosophy in Ancient Greece and Rome through a reading of primary source texts. The course addresses such issues as the reliability of sensory experience, the nature of happiness, and the meaning of justice. Special emphasis is placed on the conceptions of character and virtue in the works of Plato and Aristotle.

The first part of this course explores important philosophical questions about the nature of reality: Is causation only a kind of regularity? Is everything in nature physical? Do selves exist or are they just an illusion? In the second part of the course, we will consider various problems surrounding the nature and possibility of knowledge: Is knowledge best understood as justified true belief? Can we acquire knowledge about the world if we are just brains in vats? And is self-knowledge possible? We will also investigate the cognitive and motivational forces that sometimes cause us to believe and act irrationally.

This course explores metaphysical and epistemological theories in their relation to a study of the main philosophical controversies in the 16th and 17th centuries. Students read works from Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume, and are given a background on Kant.

This course is a study of social and political theories in their relation to philosophical problems;the nature of the social and political institutions and obligations, the basis of knowledge of social and political obligations,the grounds for sound social and political decisions.

This course deals with traditional and contemporary theories of reality and change, being, transcendentals and causality.

This course explores themes and issues in Eastern philosophy and religion through a reading of primary source texts in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The course addresses such issues as the nature of the self, the path to enlightenment, and the proper means of moral education. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of compassion and selfless action in the Eastern philosophical and religious traditions.

This course explores important themes and issues in philosophy in the 19th Century through a reading of primary source texts. The course addresses such issues as the basic structure of consciousness, the limits of human knowledge, and the possibility of historical progress. Special emphasis is placed on the conception of rational freedom in German Idealism.

This course analyzes ethical dilemmas and problems posed by developments in the biosciences. Problems discussed include choices for life or death, allocation of resources, human experimentation, reproductive technologies and professional-client relationships.

The course deals with the syntax of propositional calculus and first order quantification theory.

This is an applied ethics course that examines policy decisions made in business and their ethical implications in society. Emphasis is placed on the theories of ethics and economic justice in relation to decisions made in business.

This is an interdisciplinary course that examines how sociopolitical conditions have contributed to the self image and value crisis in the health professions. A variety of problem-solving techniques are studied in order to offer alterative social policies that would reconstruct the identify of the professions.

This course examines the human person and personality in its philosophical context as well as the individual and society, alienation and self affirmation.

This course deals with the development of American philosophical thought from the 17th century to the present.

This course explores themes and issues relating to human nature and personhood through a reading of historical and contemporary primary source texts. The course addresses issues relating to the fundamental features of human biology and psychology. Special emphasis is placed on the moral status of the human person and the experience of exploitation and alienation in the contemporary world. Prerequisite:

This course deals with the development of American philosophical thought from the 17th century to the present.

This course explores historical and contemporary conceptions of nature through a reading of primary source texts. The course addresses issues relating to ancient and modern cosmologies and conceptions of nature and the emerging field of environmental ethics. Special emphasis is placed on ethical issues relating to the exploitation and despoliation of nature and the centrality of humans in the universe.

This course traces important trends and movements in contemporary philosophy through a reading of primary source texts. The course addresses issues such as the role of philosophy in relation to modern empirical science, the relationships between experience, thought, and language, and the development of capitalism and mass society in the 20th Century. Special emphasis is placed on the postmodern condition and its effects on our political and ethical self-conceptions.

This course investigates a series of problems concerning the mind and its place in the natural world. Students in the course will have an opportunity to read and discuss works of philosophy that deal with issues such as the mind-body problem, the nature of consciousness, artificial intelligence, self-knowledge, and mental causation.

This course analyzes ideas relevant to religious belief through a discussion of these ideas and the philosophical studies deriving from them.

This course defines mysticism, the history, theory, phenomena and practices of selected mystical schools and the positive and negative aspects of the mystical experience.

This course investigates and assesses the value dimensions of fine art endeavors. These endeavors include but are not limited to theater arts, drawing, painting, photography, architecture, dance and music. It explores the fundamental question of "What is Art?" and analyzes a range of aesthetic works for their instrumental or intrinsic worth.

The philosophy internship is a variable credit (3-12 hours), required course that encourages juniors/seniors to investigate a career through a placement in a professional setting or in development of future projects (graduate study). This allows students to work under the guidance of an immediate supervisor and/ or a college faculty sponsor.

This course consists of individualized or small seminar research and reading projects under the instructor's supervision. Students have the option to apply for admission to PHI 600, Philosophical Theories, as a substitute for this requirement.

This course is presented in a seminar format. Philosophical problems or a major figure in philosophy are studied and are determined by student and faculty interest.

This course examines the historical development of metaphysical and epistemological methods: existentialism, phenomenology, and analytic philosophy.

This course focuses on three major theories in ethics: consequentialism/utilitarianism; deontology; and virtue ethics. These theories are foundational and arise out of the philosophical heritage of dominant ethical research. Discussions of moral issues in contemporary society are analyzed and guided by these theories. Among the ethicists that will be read are, Aristotle, J.S. Mill, Immanuel Kant, W.D.Ross, Stephen Darwall, and Thomas Nagel.

This course addresses ethical issues frequently encountered by health care managers. Topics considered include bioethical theory, policy formation and decision making in the professional setting. Specific problems discussed include such issues as the right to health care, allocation of scarce resources, human experimentation and choices regarding death.

This course is an advanced introduction to ethical dilemmas and problems posed by developments in the biosciences. Problems discussed include choices for life or death, allocation of resources, human experimentation, reproductive technologies and professional-client relationships.