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 Minor in Philosophy

ruth
Sister Ruth Stuckel,
Associate Professor of Philosophy


Sr. Ruth Stuckel presents at Oxford Roundtable!
Sr. Ruth Stuckel presented her paper “St. Teresa of Avila: 16 th Century Feminist” at the Oxford Roundtable from August 7-12, 2005 at St. Antony’s College. The topic of the five-day conference was on Women’s Leadership. Sr. Ruth joined 35 presenters and commentators as she presented her research.

18 hours in philosophy including PL 111 and at least 9 hours of upperdivision philosophy courses (300 or above). Philosophy minors must receive a grade of “C” or higher in all courses taken in the minor.Click here to view the courses for a minor in philosophy.

Outcomes: Philosophy minors will be expected to meet the following program outcomes:

  1. Identify the most important philosophers and understand their influences upon the development of Western civilization in light of the Judeo-Christian tradition. (All philosophy Courses, except Pl 113)
  2. Employ skeptical, evaluative and logical approaches in processing information and drawing conclusions. (All Philosophy Courses)
  3. Explain, compare and contrast, and critically analyze important philosophical theories concerning the four major branches of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and logic. (All Philosophy Courses)
  4. Clarify and articulate a personal value system as a framework for ethical decision-making and behavior. (PL 111, PL 255 and PL/IS 312)
  5. Analyze one’s own thinking processes, including how one’s experiences, feelings, ideas, and intuition affect one’s own personal philosophy of life. (All Philosophy Courses )
 
Course Requirements:
PL 111   Introduction to Philosophy (3)
Critical examination of Eastern and Western answers to eternal questions, such as, How should I live? What is really real? Is there a God? The students reflect upon their own life experiences in light of the philosophies studied and articulate their own philosophy of life. CORE-II.

PL 113   Logic (3)
The study of informal logic: how to argue cogently and to detect fallacious reasoning. Basic elements of symbolic logic are introduced.

PL/RS 221   The Existence of God (3)
Classical and contemporary arguments for establishing the existence of God. Contemporary concepts of God and other related issues such as evil and immortality.

PL/WS 226    Women Philosophers (1-3)
Critical examination of contemporary women philosophers on a wide variety of subjects: nature and values, social and political philosophy, law, religion, and ethics. These writings present a woman’s perspective and encourage women to value and trust their experiences and ideas.

PL 238    Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy (3)
This course examines the political ideas of important philosophers such as Plato, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill, as well as concepts such as freedom, justice, and equality. The course is intended to give students an introductory overview of important issues in social and political philosophy, how philosophy assists us in evaluating current issues, and will assist students in developing their own views on these topics. CORE-II, I,II.

PL 255   Ethics (3)
Critical examination of contemporary moral issues in light of underlying values, components of moral decision-making, and standard ethical theories. The students reflect upon their own life experiences in light of the ethical theories and articulate their own ethical system. CORE-II.

PL 311    Existentialism (3)
Critical examination of the ideas of existence, freedom, relationships, and anxiety in the works of contemporary existentialists. Prerequisite: one lowerdivision philosophy course.

PL/IS 312   Bioethics (3)
Critical examination of the major bioethical issues from the perspective of biology and philosophy. The multiple viewpoints are studied and weighed in light of one’s own value system. Research and discussion are essential components of the course. Prerequisites: BI 110 or 111, or 211 or 212 or 220; PL 111 or 255. CORE-II and CORE-III.

PL/IS 338    Knowing Reality (3)
This course continues the search of philosophers and scientists to “know reality.” Three questions are critically examined: 1) How do we know what we know? 2) What standards are used to judge “knowing?” 3) How is “knowing” related to “reality?” Students are encouraged to ponder anew the complexities and contradictions in “knowing reality” and to articulate their own view of what it means to know what is real. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy and one course in natural science. CORE-II and CORE-III.

PL 355    Philosophy of the Human Person (3)
Critical examination of the philosophical theories of human nature as presented in the works of specific philosophers from the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary world. Prerequisite: one lower-division philosophy course.

PL 380    Special Topics (1-3)
Selected topics to be determined by the department.