*All courses at 200 level or higher require PHI 105, Introduction to Philosophy, or permission of instructor. Students in the mid-degree program are exempt from this requirement.  Unless otherwise noted, all courses are three credits.

PHI 105 Introduction to Philosophy

Historical introduction to fundamental problems and methods of philosophy based on readings in ancient, medieval and modern literature.

PHI 200 Ethics: Values and Quality of Life

Systematic study of ethics with the aim of arriving at objective values and principles of moral conduct as the means to genuine happiness. Normative ethics is compared and contrasted with descriptive ethics and meta-ethics. Cultural, philosophical and historical approaches to ethics are also considered.

PHI 205 Topics in Ethics

As a discussion and analysis of ethical issues and topics from diverse perspectives of moral philosophy, this course fulfills the general education ethics requirement. Topics vary from semester to semester and may be repeated under different topics.

PHI 206 BioMedical Ethics

Discussion, explanation, and analysis of major issues in biomedical ethics. Issues such as biomedical research ethics, medical professional ethics, reproductive genetic engineering, end of life decision-making, maternal-fetal relationships and right, biological and cognitive enhancements, and justice issues in health care will be discussed from the perspective of philosophical viewpoints of ethics, i.e.,  natural law theory, Kantian deontology, utilitarianism, social contract theory, and virtue ethics.

PHI 207 Ethics and Community Engagement

Investigates the relationship between ethics and community engagement. Inquires into the nature of social responsibility and moral dimensions of community improvement activities. Introduction to various theories of social change including but not limited to theories of citizenship, social movements, moral leadership, social justice, civil discourse, and conflict resolution. Discussion of the various roles of civic, nonprofit, governmental and for-profit organizations in contributing to the public good.

PHI 210  Professional Ethics

Study of ethical issues in the professions. Inquires into the nature of professional responsibility and the social role of the professions. Topics include an examination of professional codes of ethics, legal regulation of the professions, the relation between professional rights and social responsibilities, and professional ethics in a global society.


PHI 215 Environmental Philosophy

Investigation of the human relation to the natural world from the different philosophical perspectives and exploration of human ethical duties with regard to nature including environmental problems. Examination of environmental issues and policies regarding concerns such as economic impact, population, biodiversity, sustainability, climate, and consumption. Fulfills the general education ethics requirement.

PHI 220 Ethics and Law

Examination and evaluation of principal theories of the nature and purpose of law: natural law, legal realism and legal positivism. Foundations of the American legal system are examined in relation to these theories.

PHI 230 Introduction to Logic

Introduction to traditional and modern logic designed to develop analytical and critical thinking skills in formulating definitions, analyzing arguments, and evaluating hypotheses. Topics include sentential calculus, the syllogism, formal/informal fallacies, and issued of inductive logic.

PHI 235 Existentialism

Exploration of the threat of nihilism and the attempt to find or create meaning in contemporary life. Topics include central existentialist themes such as absurdity, alienation, anxiety, responsibility, freedom, engagement, and authenticity. This course considers both Christian and secular approaches to existentialism. Prerequisite: PHI 105.

PHI 240 Philosophy of Art and Beauty

Investigation of the nature and function of art, as well as the cognitive and moral import of the experience both of natural and artistic beauty. Readings in ancient philosophy, in the tradition of aesthetics, in phenomenology and in analytic and post-modern thought; artistic works and the writings of artists themselves will also be considered. Pre-requisite: PHI 105.

PHI 245 Eastern Philosophy and Religion

Exploration of philosophical and religious traditions of Asia. Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Daoism will be discussed and compared to Western Traditions (Judeo-Christian Tradition and Ancient Greek Philosophy). Satisfies the diversity requirement. Cross-listed with THE 245.

PHI 250 Feminist and Gender Theory

Feminist and Gender Theory provides theoretical foundation for interdisciplinary  lines of inquiry concerning women, gender and sexuality. This course examines philosophical discourses emerging from feminism and gender studies. The purpose is to deepen our understanding of gender, and its intersections with race, class, sexuality and nationality, and to examine the influence of power, privilege, and hierarchies in determining social relations. This course fulfills the human diversity graduation requirement.

PHI 310 Metaphysics

Introduction to some of the main problems in the tradition of Western metaphysics. Issues considered include the nature of time and becoming, free will and determinism, the relation between mind and body, and the nature and existence of God. Discussions focus on the value and significance of humanity’s efforts to provide a unified understanding of reality with respect to perennial philosophical problems.  Maybe repeated for credit under different topics. Prerequisite: PHI 105

PHI 332 Minds, Brains, And Computers

Study of philosophical and foundational issues and basic concepts of cognitive science, including information processing, computation, representation, and the mind-body problem. Cognitive science is the scientific study of cognition, integrating contributions from the study of minds, brains, and computers. The idea that binds these different studies together is that the mind is a computational device run by the brain. The course will examine and evaluate this research program.

PHI 335 Philosophy of Love and Friendship

A study of love and friendship in western philosophy and literature. The course will examine some basic questions about the nature of love and friendship that have been raised in the history of Western thought. Prerequisite: PHI 105 or 345.

PHI 345 Problems of Philosophy

A study of the fundamental problems of philosophy. Readings in Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and contemporary Philosophy. This personal development of a unified con- is designed as an introduction to philosophy for students in the Innovative Degree Programs (Plus Two, Mid-Degree, Degree Completion). Other students must have permission of the instructor.

PHI 351 Ancient Philosophy

A study of the history of philosophy from Thales to Plontinus. Readings include selected works of the Pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicureans, and Neo-Platonic philosophers.

PHI 352 Medieval Philosophy

A study of the history of philosophy from Boethius to William of Oakham. Reading include selected works of Boethius, Augustine, Abelard, Maimonides, Avicenna, Averroes, Aquinas, Bonaventure, and others.

PHI 353 Modern Philosophy

Survey of the history of Western philosophy from the renaissance to the 19th century. Readings from thinkers such as Desartes, Pascal, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, Berkeley, Kant, and Nietzche. Pre-requisite: PHI 105.

PHI 354 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy

Study of selected developments and controversies in 19th, 20th, and 21st Century philosophy. Topics could include German idealism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, philosophy of language, analytic philosophy, philosophy of the subject, American pragmatism, postmodernism, post-structuralism, critical theory, feminist philosophy. Course may be repeated for credit. Pre-requisite PHI 105.

PHI 420 Social and Political Philosophy

Readings from major historical sources in social and political philosophy. Focus on issues such as the grounds of political obligation, nature of justice, and relation between freedom and human rights.

PHI 440 Great Thinkers

Intensive study of the thoughts of outstanding philosophers from the ancient, medieval, modern or contemporary periods.

Contact Information

Corey Harris, Ph.D.

Chair of the Humanities

Francis Hall 245

610.796.1922

corey.harris@alvernia.edu

 

Philosophy