Philosophy

This course introduces the student to the primary branches and subsequent problems, questions, and schools of thought identified within western philosophy. Students are exposed to a number of influential philosophers and learn how to evaluate and identify inductive and deductive claims regarding philosophical arguments. There are focused emphasis on historical development and evolution of ideas over time.

This course is an introduction to the principles of logic. Students are exposed to the formal techniques of evaluating arguments within both inductive and deductive systems. Although there is some coverage of informal logic, the thrust of the course focuses on formal logic.

Students in this course will engage in a critical examination of a number of contemporary seminal ideas central to the human experience of both Eastern and Western thinkers. Students will study the writings of three major thinkers in the history of ideas. The three will be announced before pre-registration each semester and will vary from semester to semester, so the course will never be the same. Students will explore the ideas in the course for internal consistency and for the historical contexts in which they arose, as well as the actual consequences those ideas have had in human affairs.

This course provides students with an introduction to the philosophy of existentialism. There is a profound focus on the themes of existentialism including questions pertaining to the meaning and purpose of human existence and being in the world. Additionally, this course emphasizes historical and current societal issues and how social and cultural norms contribute to the philosophical movement known as existentialism.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that investigates human morality. This course provides an examination of the major ethical theories of western philosophy. The early part of the course focuses on Metaethics. The body of the course involves an examination of the moral arguments within both consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories.

This course will serve as a vehicle to either deepen students' knowledge of subjects addressed in Philosophy introductory courses or explore issues outside the traditional curriculum.