Course Descriptions
All students pursuing a bachelor's degree at Saint Peter's College are required to take six credits in philosophy. They may do this in either OPTION I or OPTION II.
OPTION I: Pl100-101 Introduction to Philosophy and Its History, I and II (6)
Origins of the principal philosophical problems in Western Civilization and of various speculations to resolve them. The principal topics: knowledge, nature, being, God, Man, and values. Required of all students, normally in sophomore year.
OPTION II: Pl100 Introduction to Philosophy and Its History, I, or Pl110 Ancient Philosophy
A survey of Greek philosophy centered on the thought of Plato and Aristotle. One additional course selected from the following:
Pl113 Medieval Philosophy
A survey of Western philosophy from the 4th to the 14th century.
Pl116 Modern Philosophy
A survey of philosophy from Descartes to Kant.
Pl120 Contemporary Philosophy
A survey of twentieth century philosophy.
Pl125 Asian Philosophy
A survey of the philosophy of India and China.
Pl153 Logic (cf. below).
(Pl100 or Pl110 is prerequisite for Pl113, Pl116, Pl120, Pl125.)
ELECTIVES
Those philosophy courses which also satisfy the three credit requirement in –moral or religious values for all students are listed with an asterisk. Naturally, they further satisfy major and minor requirements within the department. These include all courses whose numbers are 200 and higher. Pl100 or Pl110 is a prerequisite for all these courses. For good reasons, the Chairperson or the individual professor may excuse a student from the second half of the introductory course as a prerequisite for a values elective, although there still remains the obligation to take that core course.
Pl151 Contemporary Ethical Issues*
Contemporary ethical decisions related to the economic, political, religious, sociological dimensions of human existence: euthanasia, sterilization, abortion, corporate rights and responsibilities, genetic research, punishment versus rehabilitation, reverse discrimination, sexual morality.
Pl153 Logic
Investigation of the basic human cognitive processes, with emphasis on traditional verbal logic and critical thinking. Questions such as fallacies, definition, syllogistic reasoning, induction and deduction will be considered.
Pl231 God*
The existence, nature, and operation of God as He is known to natural human reason. How God is relevant to our world and, more importantly, how to make ourselves relevant to Him.
Pl232 Philosophy of Human Nature*
This course will investigate some ancient and modern theories that offer explanations for the nature, meaning, and purpose of human beings.
Pl240 General Ethics*
A study of the various approaches to ethical thinking: natural law theory, Kantian deontology, utilitarian consequentialism, and modern rights theory. These general normative theories will then be applied to contemporary moral issues.
Pl243 Ethics in Business and in the Economic Community*
General ethics and the individual's obligations to others in society; our obligations and rights concerning material things; the establishment of an economic society; the ownership and control of material resources, capitalism and socialism, government and economics.
Pl247 Philosophy of Law*
A philosophical investigation of both analytic and normative jurisprudence. An examination of the debate between –higher law” theory and legal positivism, the nature of law, the relationship between law and morals, theories of rights, constitutionalism, crime and punishment, law and economics.
Pl248 Political Philosophy*
A philosophical investigation of the person's relationship to the state and civil society. An analysis of the concepts of law, rights, justice, political obligation and authority, civil disobedience, anarchism and revolution.
Pl251 Critical Moral Thinking*
Conscience is a matter of right reason. This course explores the correct thinking that is necessary in order to form a sound, conscientious judgment concerning matters of personal and/or social morality.
Pl252 Justice and Human Rights*
A philosophical investigation of what constitutes a fair distribution of benefits and burdens, rights and duties, within a truly just society. Discussion of historical and contemporary theories of justice and individual rights.
Pl254 Contemporary Issues in Bioethics*
Intended to enable students to develop skill in making sound decisions as they encounter the moral dilemmas that accompany control over birth and death, genetic engineering, human experimentation, the AIDS crisis, and the allocation of scarce medical resources.
Pl/Cu255 Ethics in Communication*
This course considers both the rational basis for good human action and, in particular, the application of those principles to the personal and social dimensions of communication. Topics such as truth speaking, fairness in reporting, truth in advertising, selection of data, bias in professional judgment, and so forth, will be considered.
Pl258 Criminal Justice Ethics*
The course examines the justice system from the ethical point of view: the human treatment of human beings. It is concerned with such matters as police procedures, the conduct of trials, operations of correctional institutions, and how they might justly achieve their ends.
Pl265 Plato and American Democracy*
An investigation into Plato's theory of law, his conception of justice, and the ideal of American democracy. Attention will be given to the moral assumptions underlying these three areas of investigation.
Pl284 Medieval Christian Philosophy*
Pl285 American Philosophy*
Pl287 Humanoids, Morals, and Machines*
An investigation of the charge that technology is ideology. An analysis of the problems created for human values by the fact that humans are increasingly understood in terms of, and human relations are more and more mediated by, machines. An evaluation of arguments for and against technological development.
Pl288 Recent European Philosophy*
Pl296 The Thinking Self*
The one thing humans cannot stop is their thinking, so long as they are conscious at all. This is true both in this life and in the better life to come. In this sense, at least, thinking is your life. This course aims to help your thinking self-life perform its activities in a more satisfactory way.
Pl306 Existentialism From Dostoevsky to Sartre*
Existential values as mirrored in selected texts including Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Rilke, Kafka, Jaspers, and Camus.
Pl309 Conversions: Overcoming the Inner Void*
Explores the writings of thinkers who overcame their dissatisfaction with this world by turning to a more –real” realm of truths. Figures include: Augustine, Kierkegaard, Frankl, Unamuno and Merton.
Pl330 Beauty and the Beast*
Beauty once constituted a central theme for both artist and public alike. Now, in the wake of the shock aesthetics of modernism and the –anything goes” attitude of postmodernism, we have trash as art and the obscene as social commentary. What is the relation of artistic or aesthetic values to standards of truth and decency?
Pl332 Conscience and the Good*
The basis of any sound ethics is the identification of truth and goodness, wisdom in theory and wisdom in practice, conscience and moral value. This course establishes this identity against those who attempt to separate the intelligent from the moral and helps students to find those principles that will enable them to lead the genuinely –good life.”
Pl333 Mysticism and Its Values*
The basic meaning of mysticism is the realization that truth is found in the act (the judgment) rather than simply in words or ideas. One must live wisely in order to understand wisdom because it is in the living that one genuinely knows. This course explores some basic mystic paths from saints to sages and astrologers to shamans and challenges both professors and students to test their truth by the living act of their own self-determining judgments.
Pl340 Women's Ways of Knowing*
An investigation of trends in feminist philosophy, with close attention given to the influence of gender considerations on philosophical theory. Topics for discussion include feminist epistemology and political theory, and patriarchy.
Pl353 Psychology and the Philosophers*
Throughout history philosophers have studied the spiritual dimension on human nature, mankind's soul or animus. Topics to be discussed include the existence of spirit, its natural immortality; the role of intelligence in human knowing and its relation to sensation; the character of will and human freedom; mankind's infinite dimension.
Pl388 Philosophical Issues on Film*
Pl390 Special Projects in Philosophy*
Able students and willing teachers may design special courses or other projects for credit in philosophy. Proposals are to be submitted, for review, through the chairperson of the Philosophy Department. Credit is also available to students who wish to enroll in the Cooperative Education Program.
Pl393 Modern Moral Theory*
The course investigates the work of English and Scottish moral theorists (1650-1850) who attempt to provide a rational justification for ethics.
Pl425 Symbolic/Mathematical Logic
A systematic investigation of mathematical and logical structures. The primary areas of study are the logic of connectives, the logic of quantifiers, and key issues in metalogic.
Hp/Pl440 Thinking and Thought*
–Thought is God the Father” says the Emerald Tablet of the ancient Corpus Hermeticum. This course investigates the import and purport of that sentence, and unfolds what can be done with the limitless power of mind. It investigates the logic of consciousness, the different levels of mind, the logic of our mental processes, the guarantees of truth and certitude, and the techniques of concentration.
Pl448 Plato's Dialogues
Since Plato chose to present his philosophy in conversational, or –dialogue,” form rather than the now standard treatise or argumentative essay, it is necessary to learn how to read and interpret a Platonic dialogue. Through close study of selected longer dialogues, students will examine the values Plato conveys in his writings as a way of further exploring moral theory.
* satisfies the values requirement of the core curriculum
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