PHL 101 LOGIC
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of the principles, standards, and rules for analyzingand evaluating arguments.

PHL 103 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
This course provides an introduction to the principle problems and questions of philosophy as they have been formulated from ancient times up through the present day. Emphasis is placed on critical understanding of significant problems.

PHL 200 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF ST. THOMAS
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
The purpose of the course is to introduce the student to the basic principles and themes required for further study in Thomistic philosophy and theology. To meet this goal, the course will rely heavily on selections from St. Thomas’ Summa Contra Gentiles and Summa Theologica as well as other Thomistic writings.

PHL 202 GENERAL ETHICS
1 semester, 3 credits (Ethics Core)
A study of happiness and of the means used by men and women to attain it. Law, morality, and virtue are studied as contributing to the growth of each person to one’s full intellectual, moral, and spiritual stature.

PHL 206 THE WISDOM OF SOCRATES
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
The course seeks to achieve an understanding of the personality, spirit, and thought of the man who gave Western philosophy its distinctive character. An examination of how Socrates, by force of personality and argumentation, stirred and, in some cases, transformed the religious and political perceptions of his contemporaries. The course will then seek to examine the present contemporary relevance of the criticisms of Socrates.

PHL 207 PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A critical analysis of the two classical theories of human nature (Plato’s and Aristotle’s) as the basis of the Medieval views of Augustine and Aquinas. Contemporary theories of human nature are then critically analyzed from this perspective.

PHL 211 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of Greek philosophy, from its beginnings through late forms which survived into the Christian era. Emphasis is placed upon analysis and critical understanding of key philosophical problems which developed within Greek culture, and which are of permanent relevance. The foremost of these problems, and the focal motif of the course, is the question of what constitutes a genuinely good life for a human being. Formerly PHL 111.

PHL 212 MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
This course provides a critical examination of perennial philosophical issues, such as the existence of God, the process of human knowledge, the relation of intellect to the will, the source of values and meaning in creation, etc., by drawing from philosophers of the Medieval period. Sources include, but are not limited to, Augustine, Anselm, Averroes, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Ockham.

PHL 301 ETHICS, MORAL LEADERSHIP, AND THE COMMON GOOD
1 semester, 3 credits (Ethics Core)
A study of the philosophical foundations for an ethics of public service. The course will include the study of ethical principles as a foundation for moral life and moral decision making; a study of moral leadership as a means of transforming society; and a reflection on the common good and the call to service. Includes practical experiential component. Formerly PHL 201.

PHL 304 CURRENT PROBLEMS IN ETHICS
1 semester, 3 credits (Ethics Core)
The application of ethical principles to the areas of social work, business, law, medicine, and other fields of endeavor.

PHL 306 BUSINESS ETHICS
1 semester, 3 credits (Ethics Core)
The focus of this course is threefold: First, it is to introduce students to the principles that are relevant for resolving moral problems and to assist them in developing the reasoning and analytical skills needed to apply those principles. Second, it is to expose students to the important moral issues that arise in various business contexts. Third, it is to provide students with firsthand experience of morality in business situations through case studies and/or seminars with business leaders.

PHL 309 BIOMEDICAL ETHICS
1 semester, 3 credits (Ethics Core)
An analysis of the ethical issues related to contemporary biomedical advances and health care delivery. Among the topics considered are: abortion, euthanasia, health care rationing, patients’ rights, and dilemmas of health care professionals.

PHL 315 INTRODUCTION TO SYMBOLIC LOGIC
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of the development and fundamentals of contemporary symbolic logic. Formerly PHL 307.

PHL 316 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A historical and critical examination of the core institutions of our society—those within which all of us, including people in business and the professions, will act—and of the ideas that have shaped and continue to inform them. We will examine such ideologies as liberalism, conservatism, communitarianism, feminism, and multiculturalism. The course will also include a consideration both of the classics of Catholic political thought and of contemporary teachings by the pope and the Catholic bishops. Formerly PHL 308.

PHL 317 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
An analysis of the world religions and a metaphysical, psychological, and epistemological study of the religious phenomena.

PHL 318 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A systematic study of the principal philosophical problems raised by the natural sciences.

PHL 319 PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWLEDGE
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of classical and modern theories concerning the nature, origin, and validity of human knowledge.

PHL 321 AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A critical study and analysis of the writings of outstanding American philosophers.

PHL 325 ASIAN PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
An introduction to several of the major philosophical traditions of Asia, including Buddhist philosophy, Vedanta, Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen. The course begins with a brief study of cross-cultural understanding. The emphasis falls upon analysis and critical understanding of philosophical problems within the Asian tradition—e.g. the nature of God, knowledge, and the human person.

PHL 326 CONTEMPORARY WOMEN PHILOSOPHERS
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
An in-depth investigation of selected women philosophers and their contributions to contemporary thought. The course may include the study of philosophers such as Elizabeth Anscombe, Simone de Beauvoir, Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Edith Stein. Same as WMS 326.

PHL 330 THE WISDOM OF AQUINAS
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
The reading and discussion of selected texts from the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.

PHL 339 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
In this course students learn to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various philosophical positions on the relationship of human beings to the nonhuman world. Topics may include: mechanism, land rights, animal rights, deep ecology, stewardship, preservation, and conservation. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature of environmental concerns. The course includes practical experience.

PHL 342 SOURCES OF PHILOSOPHICAL ERRORS
1 semester, 3 credits
This course is designed to engage students in the activity of philosophy by examining certain key philosophical problems from a different vantage point: as mistakes that have been made.

PHL 352 MIND, BRAIN, COMPUTER
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
This course will investigate contemporary interdisciplinary attempts to understand the nature of human intelligence, consciousness, and thought processes. A unifying theme will be the philosophical implications of contemporary research in the field of artificial intelligence.

PHL 360 MODERN PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A critical study of major philosophical themes of the 17th and 18th centuries, through an investigation of the works of Descartes, British empiricism, continental rationalism, Kant, and Hegel. The course includes a special emphasis on the implications of the Scientific Revolution for theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics. Formerly PHL 411.

PHL 375 COLLOQUIUM I
1 semester, 4 credits
See Liberal Arts Honors Program.

PHL 376 COLLOQUIUM II
1 semester, 4 credits
See Liberal Arts Honors Program.

PHL 407 PHILOSOPHY OF ART
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A philosophical consideration of the nature of art and beauty, their relationship, and their functions in society.

PHL 412 CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
This course will critically examine the principal schools of 20th century philosophy. Central issues include the nature and future of philosophical inquiry and the question of communication among rival intellectual and cultural traditions.

PHL 422 CONTEMPORARY EXISTENTIALISM
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
An analytical study of the main themes in current existentialist thought with emphasis on Sartre, Camus, and Marcel.

PHL 423 LAW AND MORALITY
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of the various kinds of law and the obligations they impose in the area of morality. Formerly PHL 442.

PHL 425 READINGS IN PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits
A course of select readings for upperclass students directed by a member of the department.

PHL 426 METAPHYSICS
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A study of being in its primary determinations, properties, classifications, and causes. Formerly PHL 301.

PHL 460 TUTORIAL
1 semester, 3 credits
Directed study for upperclass students. Permission of the department chair required. Formerly PHL 428.

PHL 470 SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY
1 semester, 3 credits
This course will afford students the opportunity to study topics in philosophy which are not currently covered or not ordinarily treated in depth. The format of the course may vary with instructor and the topic chosen. Open to juniors and seniors only.

PHL 475 COLLOQUIUM III
2 semesters, 4 credits each
See Liberal Arts Honors Program.

PHL 476 COLLOQUIUM IV
2 semesters, 4 credits each
See Liberal Arts Honors Program.

PHL 480-481 SEMINAR
2 semesters, 3 credits each
A required course in special problems for all seniors majoring in philosophy. Formerly PHL 409-410.

PHL 482 SEMINAR: ARISTOTLE’S POETICS AND RHETORIC
1 semester, 3 credits (Philosophy Core)
A close reading of Aristotle’s two treatises, with emphasis on the text rather than on the opinions of commentators.  Class method will be primarily discussion, some lectures. Formerly PHL 408.