|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
||||
SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY
FACULTY ROSTER
Lars Aagaard-Mogensen, Ph.D., Aarhus
University
Brian J. Copeland, D.Phil., University of Oxford
Nader N. Chokr, Ph.D., Rice University
Anthony J. DeLuca, Ph.D., Fordham University
Oleg Georgiev, Ph.D., Sofia University
Serghey Gherdjikov, Ph.D., D.Ph.Sc., Sofia University
Joseph Ghougassian, Ph.D., University of Louvain; J.D., University of San Diego
Nikolai Gochev, Ph.D., Sofia University
Alexander L. Gungov, Ph.D., Sofia University
Chris Herrera, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
Amir Horowitz, Ph.D., Tel-Aviv University
Jay E. Kantor, Ph.D., Graduate Center, City University of New York
Georgi Kapriev, Ph.D., Sofia University
Aneta Karageorgieva, Ph.D. Sofia University, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Anthony Khoury, Ph.D., Universities of Heidelberg and Hanover
Marvin Kohl, Ph.D., New York University
Dinev Kostov, Ph.D., D.Sc., Sofia University
Plamen Makariev, Ph.D., Sofia University
Odysseus Makridis, Ph.D., Brandeis University
Fred S. Michael, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Michael McDonald, Ph.D., University of Hawaii
V. Rev. Vaso Rajak, Ph.D., Catholic University of Chile
Paul A. Sauer, Ph.D., Syracuse University
Lyuben Sivilov, Ph.D., D.A., Sofia University
Joachim Stolz, Dr.Phil., Rheinisch-Westfalische Techische Hochschule Aachen
Nedyalka Videva, Ph.D., Sofia University
Constantin Yanakiev, Ph.D., Sofia University
The Study of Philosophy
Back
We are living in a time when the professional study of philosophy is essential for living. The word philosophy is a combination of two Greek words, philo = loving and sophia = wisdom. Unfortunately, in the twenty-first century, we may still have the stereotype of the philosopher as one spending most of the day contemplating ideas with little relevance to the real world and day to day living. This has never been the case. The philosopher engages in thinking, contemplating, reflecting and reasoning because of the very fact that the stimulating, depressing, confusing, orderly, ecstatic, tragic, boundless, finite, intelligible, mysterious, living world provokes such activity. In a way, the philosopher acts both divinely like Yahweh giving form to chaos and humanly as Adam giving names to things. This is the way the chapter opens, has continued for some three thousand years of organized thought and invites the initiate to add to its writing.
The world as given to us today is no less overwhelming, in spite of our organized technology, than it appeared to the early primitives. In fact, it never appears organized for long to any one - no matter how erudite. And we have heard so frequently that whoever weds a world view of today becomes a widow tomorrow. Whatever level of sophistication human beings arrived at, the world before them was all the more startling, confusing and mysterious. Old solved problems merely opened many more new ones.
At the threshold of the twenty-first century, we are quite aware of humanity's problems and are in an agitated depression over the apparent lack of solutions. Apparently, neither sex, drugs, rock and roll nor the traditional platitudes have provided much of a remedy. Onto this stage, comes the philosopher. It is paradoxical that at a time when philosophers are most needed, the university is not swamped with students wishing to embark on this endeavor. There was a time when the university was not primarily concerned about preparing the students for a job but rather preparing them how to live.
Those of us who take life's problems very seriously, who struggle with finding meaning and order amidst apparent meaninglessness and disorder, who are driven to acquire and proclaim truth above all else in spite of personal risk and sacrifice, usually become philosophers. In recent times, we have seen the collapse of several world systems; they might have appeared political, ideological, religious or whatever. But what is clear is that they have changed, if not disappeared. So we hear terms like the post Christian era, or better, the post Death of God era, the post Communist era, etc.. Nature abhors a vacuum ; and we imagine that other systems have slipped into place, perhaps not as monumental. Or there may be a new system that we are thus entwined but too close to see. Or we may be in the midst of another collapsing system and the birth of others. Only time will tell. But in the meantime, we have serious work to do. "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty took a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again." But in our study of philosophy we will do it or, at least, we will make a valiant effort.
The New York Times, Sunday April 6, 2008
"In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life
Examined," by Winnie Hu
New Brunswick, N.J.- When a fellow student
at Rutgers University urged Didi Onejeme to try Philosophy 101 two years ago,
Ms. Onejeme, who was a pre-med sophomore, dismissed it a "frou-frou."
"People sitting under trees and talking about stupid stuff - I mean who
cares?" Ms. Onejeme recalled thinking at the time.
But Ms. Onejeme, now a senior applying to law school, ended up changing her
major to philosophy, which she thinks has armed her with the skills to be
successful. "My mother was like, what are you going to do with that?"
said Ms.Onejeme, 22. "She wanted me to be a pharmacy major, but I
persuaded her with my argumentative skills."
Once scoffed at as a luxury major, philosophy is being embraced at Rutgers and
other universities by a new generation of college students who are drawing
modern-day lessons from the age-old discipline as they try to make sense of
their world, from the morality of the war in Iraq to the latest political
scandal. The economic downturn has done little, if anything, to dampen this
enthusiasm among students, who say that what they learn in class can translate
into practical skills and careers. On many campuses, debate over modern issues
like war and technology is emphasized over the study of classic ancient texts.
[One university has 100 philosophy majors graduating, up from 50 in 2002;
another 322 philosophy majors, up 51 percent over 2002.]
"If I were to start again as an undergraduate, I would major in
philosophy," said Matthew Goldstein, the CUNY chancellor who majored in
mathematics and statistics. "I think that subject is really at the core of
just about everything we do. If you study humanities or political systems or
sciences in general, philosophy is really the mother ship from which all these
disciplines grow."
Nationwide, there are more colleges offering undergraduate philosophy programs
today than a decade ago (817 up from 765) according to the College Board. [
Certain schools have doubled the number.]
David E. Schrader, executive director of the American Philosophical
Association, a professional organization with 11,000 members, said that in an
era in which people change careers frequently, philosophy makes sense.
"It's a major that helps them become quick learners and gives them skills
in writing, analysis and critical thinking," he said. ....
Some...see it as a pre-law track because it emphasizes the verbal and logic
skills prized by law schools...
majors score high on the LSAT.
Other students said that studying philosophy, with its emphasis on the big
questions and alternative points of view, provided good training for looking at
larger societal questions, like globalization and technology.
How to Get a Job With a Philosophy Degree
New York, Nov 18 2010 12:10PM
The United Nations marked
<"http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/human-rights/philosophy/philosophy-day-at-unesco/philosophy-day-2010/">World
Philosophy Day today with a call for greater efforts to guard against the
politics of polarization and the rejection of stereotypes, ignorance and
hatred.
“Let us instead fortify our societies through reason and dialogue – the lifeblood of philosophical debate,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a video message for an event marking the Day at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “And let us recognize the critical role that the age-old tradition of philosophy can play in our modern, interconnected world.”
World Philosophy Day is celebrated every third Thursday of November since 2002, with the aim of making philosophical reflection accessible to all – professors and students, scholars and the general public – thereby enlarging the opportunities and spaces for the stimulation of critical thinking and debate.
“Philosophy deals routinely in universals – in broadly shared questions about human existence, beliefs and behaviour. That gives it uncommon power to help build bridges between people, and to open channels of communication among cultures,” Mr. Ban said.
“So let us use this essential expression of the human mind to change the minds of men and women – for that is where, as UNESCO’s own Charter so memorably states, true peace begins.”
Celebrations to mark the Day were organized by academics in more than 80 countries, in all regions of the world. A special event was held at UNESCO Headquarters, interweaving philosophy, cultural diversity and the rapprochement of cultures – with the latter tying in to the 2010 celebration of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.
Since its creation, UNESCO has used philosophy to implement the ideals that inspired its Constitution; these ideals stem from philosophical tradition.
UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, inaugurated the Paris event, which included an international forum on the topic “Philosophy, Cultural Diversity and Rapprochement of Cultures,” with the participation of internationally-renowned philosophers and eminent figures, in addition to a series of symposia and round-table discussions.
“Philosophy actually teaches diversity lessons through its numerous schools of thought in all eras and on all continents,” Ms. Bokova said in her <"http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001899/189970e.pdf">message for the Day. “In view of the intricacies of current issues, we should tap into that wealth in order to build our capacity to analyse reality.”
She also called for intensified efforts to provide everyone with quality education and an enabling environment in which every man and woman can express his or her ideas and enrich public debate in furtherance of justice and peace.
BACHELOR OF PHILOSOPHY, (B.Phil)
Philosophy
101 Introduction to Philosophy
Philosophy 102 Ancient Philosophy
Philosophy 103 Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
Philosophy 104 Modern Philosophy
Philosophy 105 Contemporary Philosophy
Philosophy 106 Logic
Philosophy 107 Philosophy of Knowing
Philosophy 108 Philosophy of Being
Philosophy 109 Philosophy of Uncreated Being
Philosophy 110 Moral Philosophy
Philosophy 111 Philosophy of the Mind
Three credits for each course.
After the completion of Philosophy 101 and any other four courses with at least a " B " average, the student may take graduate level courses with the instructor's permission.
GRADUATE STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY
Back
The Ignatius student is offered the option of simultaneously enrolling in the master / doctorate program of Sofia University (Bulgaria) while in the master/ doctorate program at Ignatius University.The courses are the same but both universities operate autonomously . The Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) is awarded by IU to all students when all course work is completed fro the doctorate and before the dissertation.
At Ignatius University, there is a diversified international faculty of
philosophers thus allowing for the exploration of a wide range of studies. From
the catalog, it is apparent that no area of philosophical inquiry seems to be
overlooked. Or, if something has been left out, a new and bright student will
bring it to our attention. Thus there is great flexibility in the program. For
example, a student may wish to concentrate on Political Philosophy or
Philosophy of Peace. In such case, an attempt is made to broaden the
philosophical inquiry with the insights of those faculty affiliated with the
United Nations in our School of Diplomacy. The School of Philosophy at Ignatius
offers the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil) in philosophy. The Master of
Arts in Philosophy (M.A.Phil.) in philosophy is not a terminal degree but is
awarded to all who are accepted into the D.Phil. program and complete all the
requirements for the master's degree. There is no residency requirement for
either of these degrees. However, students are welcome to attend colloquia with
faculty in New York, Indianapolis, United States and Sofia, Bulgaria.
From the outset, the student should understand that Distance Learning is no
less, and perhaps, more demanding than the traditional classroom experience.
Students in the philosophy program are required to join the national philosophical
organization in their own country and to attend each year its annual convention
e.g. American Philosophical Association in the United States. This provides the
opportunity for an exchange of ideas with other philosophers though the spoken
word
rather than through written communication. We will also keep you informed of
"chat rooms" on the web that are hosted by professional philosophers.
Philosophical thinking is free of any particular theological position. Students
submit the identical program requirements to both universities and upon
graduation receive the Ph.D.(Sofia) and the D.Phil.(Ignatius).
The Master of Arts in Philosophy (M.A.Phil.) is a 60 credit program which includes a 15 credit thesis. It is suggested that the student explore in the thesis an area which may become a dissertation topic later. All students are required to complete the following six courses as part of the master's program: Ancient Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Culture, Philosophical Anthropology, and Epistemology. The additional 9 courses may be selected from any in the catalog. The subject of the thesis is discussed with a faculty adviser.
A 3.0 average is required in course work in order to receive the master's degree and to be eligible to continue on for the doctorate.
In the work for the doctor's degree, those admitted are required to take 6 additional courses (18 credits) including Philosophy of Religion and Psychology of Religion, if these last two specific courses have not already been taken. There is also required a successful dissertation writing and oral defense (12 credits) and a minimum 3.0 overall average in course work.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Back
Application is made to Ignatius University.
1. Successful completion of the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 index from an accredited institution.
2. A total minimum score of 1500 on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) including Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical.
3. Since there is no philosophy subject examination on the GRE, students are required to have a minimum of 12 credits in philosophy with a B+ average.
4. Three excellent letters of recommendation from faculty (two from philosophy).
5. A personal interview locally arranged.
6. TOEFL of 550 for non-native English speaking students. All non-native English speakers and those who have not graduated from an English speaking institution must take the TOEFL.
MASTER OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY (M.A.Phil.)
The master's degree is not a terminal degree but on the way to the
doctorate. A "B" average is required for the degree. To enter the
doctoral program, the student must have a minimum of a 3.0 average in the
master's program.
All single courses are three credits. A&B indicates a two semester course (
3 + 3 ).
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, (D.Phil.) Back
All courses in philosophy are 3 credits except Philosophy 598 and 599 ( 6
credits each ). A minimum of a 3.0 average is necessary in the doctoral courses
in order to qualify for the degree. When all course work is completed, the
candidate will meet with the Dean to discuss the proposed Dissertation.
Subsequently, a mentor and two readers will be selected as well as two
additional committee members. The student will be provided a handbook for
writing an acceptable dissertation in philosophy. The D.Phil is awarded upon
successful defense of the dissertation.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, (D.Phil.) IN PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY
This program may be obtained through Philosophical Theology courses listed in
the School of Philosophy but cross referenced with the School of Theology.
Basically, the Theology course outline is followed with the addition of the
philosophy texts cross referenced in the School of Theology. The specified
philosophy texts become the basis of the critique of the theological material
by way of an extensive term paper.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, ( D.Phil. ) IN PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY
There is a certain richness, satisfaction, importance and depth of thought
in bridging the disciplines of philosophy and psychology.
Graduate credits may be obtained through approved courses in the SCHOOL OF
PSYCHOLOGY.
These courses may include Psychology 303 Psychopathology, Psychology 305
Approaches to Counseling, Psychology 311 Graduate Statistics and Design 1,
Psychology 401 Graduate Statistics and Design 2, Psychology 404 Physiological
Psychology, Psychology 601 Multivariate Statistics in Psychological Research,
Psychology 602 Research Methods and Design 1, Psychology 606 Research Methods
and Design 2, Psychology 515 Theories of Personality, Psychology 516 History of
Psychology, Psychology 517 Systems of Psychology, Psychology 518 Theories and
Explanations in Psychology, Psychology 519 Neuropsychology, Psychology 511
Sensation and Perception, Psychology 512 Motivation, Psychology 513
Conditioning and Learning, Psychology 514 Cognition and Memory and any other
approved courses pertinent to the student's research.
In the SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY, the student should select from Philosophy 421
Philosophy of Social Science, Philosophy 422 Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy 428
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy 415 Philosophical Psychology, Philosophy
415 Philosophy of Psychology, Philosophy 417 Phenomenological Psychology,
Psychology 431 Computational Theories of Mind, Philosophy 434 Philosophy of
Psychoanlysis and others.
The student should work closely with the adviser in order to select other
courses from the Philosophical Disciplines that bear upon the research.
Philosophy 501 Existentialism and Philosophy 502 Phenomenology may also be
pertinent. Almost all of the Specific Philosophers have had something important
to contribute to psychology. In addition, certain of the History of Philosophy
courses may provide further illumination by displaying a wider context.
DOCTOR OF PSYCHOANALYSIS (Psa.D) in PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS)
Course
Work consists of eight three credit courses: Each course consists of the
history of philosophy with a particular emphasis and its research application
to Psychoanalysis:
Ancient Philosophy 1 with emphasis on Applied Ethics and research application
of Applied Ethics to Psychoanalysis.
Ancient Philosophy 2, / Epistemology/ Psychoanalysis.
Medieval / Renaissance Philosophy / Social Philosophy./ Psychoanalysis.
Seventeenth Century Philosophy / Time & History / Psychoanalysis.
Eighteenth Century Philosophy / Philosophy & Culture / Psychoanalysis.
Nineteenth Century Philosophy / Philosophy & Intercultural Relations /
Psychoanalysis.
Twentieth Century Philosophy 1 / Continental Philosophy / Psychoanalysis.
Twentieth Century Philosophy 2/ Philosophy of Psychoanalysis.
Dissertation (12 credits). A research project in an area of interest aimed at
forwarding the field of psychoanalysis theoretically and / or clinically.
DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSES
( c = co requisite; p = prerequisite )
COURSE TITLES
The following listings are the courses usually offered. The student may request a new area that he/she wishes to explore or a listing of possible other selections. The School of Philosophy will then subsequently provide a course outline of the proposed study.
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY COURSE TITLES
Philosophy 201 Ancient Philosophy: 7-5 century
Philosophy 202 Ancient Philosophy: 5-4 century
Philosophy 203 Ancient Philosophy: 3 BC - 4 AD century
Philosophy 204 Early Christian: 1-5 century
Philosophy 205 Early Medieval Philosophy:600-1100
Philosophy 206 Twelfth Century
Philosophy 207 Thirteenth Century
Philosophy 208 Fourteenth Century
Philosophy 209 Fifteenth Century
Philosophy 210 Sixteenth Century
Philosophy 211A&B Seventeenth Century
Philosophy 212A&B Eighteenth Century
Philosophy 213A&B Nineteenth Century
Philosophy 214A&B Twentieth Century
Philosophy 215 Twenty-first Century
Philosophy 302A&B Plato
Philosophy 303A&B Aristotle
Philosophy 306A&B Augustine
Philosophy 311A&B Aquinas
Philosophy 320 Descartes
Philosophy 330A&B Kant
Philosophy 331A&B Hegel
Philosophy 351 Heidegger
Philosophy 401 Cosmology
Philosophy 402 Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy 403 Natural Theology
Philosophy 404 Metaphysics
Philosophy 406 Traditional Logic
Philosophy 407 Symbolic Logic
Philosophy 408A&B Ethics (Moral Philosophy)
Philosophy 414 Philosophical Anthropology (Philosophy of Man)
Philosophy 415 Philosophical Psychology
Philosophy 418 Political Philosophy
Philosophy 419 Aesthetics
Philosophy 420 Philosophy of Natural Science
Philosophy 421 Philosophy of Social Science (Social Philosophy)
Philosophy 424 Epistemology (Philosophy of Knowing; Theory of Knowledge)
Philosophy 435 Philosophy of Culture
PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY COURSE
TITLES
All courses in the School of Theology may be open to further philosophical
examination. A student wishing to explore philosophically a theology course,
may request an outline from the School of Philosophy for the proposed area of
inquiry.
Doctoral
Dissertation: Required
Philosophy 598 Dissertation Seminar (6 credits)
Philosophy 599 Dissertation Seminar (6 credits)
UNDERGRADUATE
Back
Philosophy 101: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
A probing of fundamental philosophical questions, such as : Are there rational
grounds for the existence of God ? Can the notion of God be reconciled with the
presence of evil ? How do we know what we know ? What is a cause ? Could there
be disembodied thoughts ? Is human behavior free or is it determined ? Are
there objective grounds for values ? What makes a society just ? What counts as
a good explanation ?
Philosophy 102: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
Major periods or movements in history of ancient philosophy; Pre-Socratic
philosophy, Plato and the Academy, Socrates and the Socratic schools, Aristotle
and the Lyceum, Stoics and Epicureans, Roman philosophy, Neoplatonism and
Plotinus; philosophical foundation of ancient science; relationship between
development of philosophy in period and historical context including political,
social, religious and scientific developments.
Philosophy 103: MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE PHILOSOPHY
Survey of thought from St. Augustine through the sixteenth century;
introduction to the major medieval thinkers such as Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas,
Duns Scotus and Ockham; topics include God, freedom, immortality, universals,
nominalism, essence, existence.
Philosophy 104: MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Survey of the main philosophical movements from the seventeenth through the
nineteenth centuries; rationalism, empiricism, French Enlightenment, Kantian
revolution, idealism, romanticism.
Philosophy 105: CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
Survey of the major philosophical thinking of the twentieth century; analytic
movement, existentialism; British, Continental and American philosophers are
considered.
Philosophy 106: LOGIC
Introduction to symbolic logic with consideration given to major areas of
traditional logic.
Philosophy 107: PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWING
A philosophical examination of the nature, objects and certainty of knowledge.
Philosophy 108: PHILOSOPHY OF BEING
A systematic and historical examination of metaphysical approaches to reality.
Philosophy 109: PHILOSOPHY OF UNCREATED BEING
A survey of approaches to God by unaided reason from the Pre-Socratic through
the twentieth century.
Philosophy 110: MORAL PHILOSOPHY
Introduction to some fundamental concepts, issues and major works in ethics and
morality; topics such as good and evil, moral principles of justice, pleasure,
self interest, self fulfillment.
Philosophy 111: PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Emotion, will, motive, imagination, learning, perceiving, dreaming, in light of
current philosophical analyses of these concepts and current psychological
research and theorizing.
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORY OF
PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Back
Philosophy 201: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY , 7 TO 5 CENTURY B.C.
Survey of primary source material where available for the Earlier Ionian, Pythagorean,
Eleatic, Later Ionian Schools; the Atomists, Sophists, Socrates and the
Socratic Schools.What does it mean to struggle with the problem of the one and
the many ?
Philosophy 202: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY, 5 TO 4 CENTURY B.C.
Plato, Platonic Schools, Aristotle, Peripatetic School, Hippocrates,
Democritus, Sophists.Survey reading of representative texts.
Philosophy 203: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY, 3 CENTURY B.C. TO 4 CENTURY A.D.
An attempt to grapple with this long period of time with many entwining schools
of thought into which Christianity found itself; Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics,
Eclectics, Cynics, Cicero, Neo-Pythagoreanism, Neo-Platonism, Plutarch,
Plotinus, Porphyry, Lucretius, Seneca, Aurelius, Jewish Hellenistic philosophy.
Was there a radical break in contemporary thought with Christianity or was it
business - thinking as usual ?
Philosophy 204: EARLY CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY, 1 CENTURY TO 5 CENTURY
Consideration of Patristic philosophy, Gnosticism, Manicheism, Clement, Origen,
St. John Damascus, Greek and later Fathers, St. Augustine. Could Mani be found
in the DSM IV today ? Could we have an Augustine without Mani ?
Philosophy 205: EARLY MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
This is the time between the sixth through the eleventh century popularly known
as the Dark Ages. How really dark were they ? Readings of Boethius, Alcuin,
Fredegis, Pseudo-Dionysius, Rhabanus Maurus, Erigena, Gerbert, Alfarabi,
Avicenna, Avicebrol. How did St. Anselm quiet the monks in his monastery ? Why
did Erigena's students stab him to death with their pens ?
Philosophy 206: THE TWELFTH CENTURY
Attention will be given to the philosophical ideas of the School of Chartres,
School of St. Victor, William of Champeaux, Abelhard, St. Bernard of Clairvaux,
John of Salisbury, Peter Lombard, the Mystic School, Maimonides, Averroes. Why
couldn't Bernard leave Heloise and Abelhard alone ?
Philosophy 207: THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY
What was happening with students and faculty at the University of Paris ?
William of Auvergne, Albert the Great, Alexander of Hales; after reading Roger
Bacon you will know why a Franciscan was the detective in Eco's Name of the
Rose; other Franciscans, St.Bonaventure; did ice run in St. Thomas Aquinas'
veins ? Connect the terse writings of the "Big Ox" with the passion
of his Mass of Corpus Christi; God, freedom, immortality, universals, essence,
existence; Grosseteste, Giles of Rome, Henry of Ghent; looking beyond the words
to the real issues.
Philosophy 208: THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY
In spite of the Black Death, scholarship still carried on. John Duns Scotus,
Aureolus, Ockham, Ockhamist movement: John of Mirecourt and Nicholas of
Autrecourt; Durandus, nominalism; the scientific movement; Marsilius of Padua,
Petrach.
Philosophy 209: THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Consideration is given to speculative mysticism, the Renaissance, revival of
Platonism. Plethon, Ficinus, Pico della Mirandola, Savanarola, Aristotelianism,
Pomponazzi, Nicholas of Cusa, Brethren of the Common Life.
Philosophy 210: THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Philosophy of Nature. Why was Giordano Bruno burned at the stake ? Paracelsus,
Bohme; scientific movment of the Renaissance, Galileo, Copernicus, Francis
Bacon; the Reformation; political philosophy: Machiavelli, Thomas More, Hooker,
Grotius; Francis Suarez.
Philosophy 211A & 211B: THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
The Rationalists believed that we could come to know significant truths about
God, nature and ourselves by reason alone: Descartes, Malebranche, Spinoza,
Leibniz; Pascal; British Empiricists: Locke, Berkeley, Hume; Newton; Cambridge
Platonists; scientific knowledge; the nature of reality and the will, Hobbes,
religious and ethical problems.
Philosophy 212A & 212B: THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
The French Enlightenment, Deistic controversy, Voltaire, the Encyclopaedia
materialists: Diderot and d'Alembert; the British Moralists, Montesquieu and
law, d'Holbach, natural history, Rousseau, the German Enlightenment, Lessing;
break with Enlightenment, rise of philosophy of history, Vico, Condorcet;
position of Kant and major themes in his works.
Philosophy 213A & 213B: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Immediate effects of the Kantian revolution, post-Kantian Idealist systems,
Romantic movement, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Schleiermacher; reaction against
Metaphysical Idealism, Schopenhauer; transformation of idealism, Feuerbach,
Marx and Engels; Kierkegaard; non-dialectical materialism, Haeckel; Neo-Kantian
movement, revival of metaphysics, Fechner, Wundt; Nietzsche; British
empiricism, utilitarian movement, Bentham, Mill; Darwin, Huxley, Spencer;
idealist movement in Britain; traditionalist reaction in France to the
Revolution, the ideologists, Maine de Biran, eclecticism, social philosophy,
Comte, positivism in France, idealism, spiritualist movement.
Philosophy 214A & 214B: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Consideration of Bergson, Blondel, Thomism in France, Marechal, philosophy of
science, Poincare, philosophy of values, metaphysics, personalism, Teilhard de
Chardin, Marcel, existentialism of Sartre, the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty,
Levi-Strauss, Husserl, Scheller, Heidegger; in Britain the revolt against
idealism, Whitehead; Moore and analysis, Russell; Wittgenstein; Santayana;
Freud.
Philosophy 215: THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
In the making.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC
PHILOSOPHER COURSES
Back
Philosophy 302A&B: PLATO
On his return to Athens in 388, Plato founded his famous Academy, the first
true university. Some one said the history of philosophy has been footnotes on
Plato. Selected primary readings based upon instructor and student interest: Apology,
Euthyphro, Ion, Protagoras, Gorgias, Meno, Cratylus,
Phaedo, Republic, Symposium, Parmenides, Sophist,
Theaetetus, Phaedrus, Politicus, Philebus, Timaeus,
Critias, Laws. c/p: Phil. 202
Philosophy 303A&B: ARISTOTLE
Aristotle was tutor to Alexander the Great, graduate of the Academy and founder
of the Lyceum. The corpus of Aristotle's writings touch upon almost all
philosophical problems of his time and ours. Depending upon interest,
selections from certain works will be read while other works will be read in
their entirety. On Logic, Organon, Categories, Topics, On
Sophistical Refutations; on Psychology, On the Soul, Parva
Naturalia; on Metaphysics, The Metaphysics; in Ethics and Social
Psychology, Nichomachean Ethics, Magna Moralia, Politics;
in Aesthetics, Rhetoric, Poetics. c/p: Phil. 202
Philosophy 306A&B: ST. AUGUSTINE
Professor Robert Pollock said " that without Christianity, Augustine would
have been nothing but a 'two bit' rhetor." The basic elements and
orientations of Augustine's thought; its importance for subsequent
philosophical and cultural development. Life and writings; knowledge, God, the
world, moral theology, the state; consideration of the following works and
others in whole or in part: On Free Will, Concerning the Teacher,
Confessions, On Christian Doctrine, Enchiridion, On Faith,
Hope and Love, City of God, On the Trinity J.L Chretian,
italics: St. Augustine; J.F. Lyotard, italics: The Confessions of St.
Augustine; C. DePaulo, italics: The Influence of Augustine on Heidegger; J.L.
Chretian, italics: Unforgettable and the Unhoped For, (See Theology 831 A &
B) . c/p: Phil. 204.
Philosophy 311A&B: ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
Aquinas baptized Aristotle: centering his philosophic activity around the
determination, interpretation, and defense of Aristotle's system of thought
while adapting it to the needs of the 13th century; life, philosophy, theology,
mysticism; principles of created being, proofs of God's existence, God's
nature, creation, metaphysics, psychology, knowledge, moral theory, political
theory; aesthetics: three factors are associated with the beautiful, harmony,
perfection brilliance; On Being and Essence, On Truth, Summa Contra
Gentiles, Divine Names, Summa Theologica, On the Eternity of the World, On
Separate Substances. c/p: Phil. 207.
Philosophy 320: DESCARTES
Life, works, a reading of the central texts, method, innate ideas, methodic
doubt, existence of bodies, substances, relation between mind and body,
subjectivity, sovereignty of construction, God, matter, space, infinity, mind,
idea, will, freedom; Discourse on Method, Geometry, Meditations, Principles
of Philosophy, Passions of the Soul, Letters, The World, or Treatise on Light,
Rules for the the Direction of the Mind. c/p: Phil. 211A
Philosophy 330A&B: KANT
Life, writings; Newtonian Physics, the problems of the Critique of Pure
Reason, its significance in context of general problem in philosophy:
scientific knowledge; metaphysics under fire; morality and religion; aesthetics
and teleology; Remarks on the Opus Postumum; Dissertation Concerning the
Form and Principles of the Sensible and Intelligible Worlds, Prolegomena to Any
Future Metaphysics, Idea of a Universal History, Foundations of the Metaphysics
of Morals, Metaphysical Principles of Natural Science, Critique of Practical
Reason, Critique of Judgment, Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone.
c/p: Phil. 212B.
Philosophy 331A&B: HEGEL
An intensive study of some of Hegel's writings with special emphasis on the
nature of Hegelian dialectic and philosophical method. Phenomenology of
Spirit, tracing the Hegelian dialectic as it develops into a complete
system: a movement from consciousness through self-consciousness to reason - as
individual and historical phenomenology; the working out of a complete ontology
through the dialectic of thought; System of Science, Science of Logic,
Objective Logic, Subjective Logic, Philosophy of Right, Philosophy of Religion,
History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Fine Art, Philosophy of History. c/p:
Phil. 213A.
Philosophy 351 HEIDEGGER
A rediscovery of the meaning of being via an understanding of human nature;
human existence ( Dasein ) , rediscovery of Being (Sein); uses of freedom;
authentic, inauthentic; care, anxiety; conscience; eksistenz, extases of time;
past, present, future; Verstehen, Zuhandenen; nothingness; "why is there
anything at all and not rather Nothing ?" word as revelatory. In
Ek-sistenz poet and thinker support each other: the thinker pronounces Being;
and the poet names the Holy. Being and Time, On the Essence of Reason, What
is Metaphysics ?, On Essence of Truth, Introduction to Metaphysics, What is
Thinking ?, On Question of Being, What is Philosphy ?, Identity and Difference,
Composure, On Way to Speech, Question Concerning the Thing, Phenomenology of
Theology, Views.
c/p: Phil. 214A or B.
DESCRIPTION OF
PHILOSOPHICAL DISCIPLINE COURSES
Back
Philosophy 401: COSMOLOGY
Origin, structure of universe, creation, everlastingness, vitalism or
mechanism; nature of space, time, and causality; historical approach,
Scholastic, Wolff, Hegel, A.E.Taylor, Whitehead; more recently cosmologists
have tended to be astronomers, theoretical physicists, mathematicians, Bondi,
Gold, Hoyle, Gamow et al.
Philosophy 402: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Philosophical arguments for and against religion; belief; rational,
anti-rational conceptions of faith; the will to believe in the ethics of
belief; evil, omnipotence; myth, miraculous; to what extent can belief in God
be rationally justified ? What if anything, does the fact of evil tell us about
God's nature ? Is religious discourse ordinary sppech or in some way
metaphorical or symbolic ? Aquinas, Pico della Mirandola, Thomas Paine,
Jefferson, Holbach, Kant, Herder, Schleiermacher, Feuerbach, Comte,
Kierkegaard, Ritschl, Troeltsch, Haeckel, Hoffding, Freud, Durkheim, Santayana,
Otto, Cassirer, Barth, Brunner, Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Niebuhr, Suzuki, Tillich,
N.Smart, Braithwaite, Hare.
Philosophy 403: NATURAL THEOLOGY
Traditional arguments for and against the existence of God from the
Pre-Socratics through the Twentieth century. Philosophical attempts at the
nature and attributes of God. This course presupposes that the student has the
historico-philosophical background to appreciate the arguments and the systems
from which they arise.
c/o: several courses in the history of philosophy; Phil. 404 is recommended.
Philosophy 404: METAPHYSICS
Investigation of theories of being, causation, ontology, necessity,
possibility, substance, identity, freedom and determinism, reality, experience,
order of universe, universals and particulars; notion of being in general; the
transcendentals, categories, types, relations; hierarchy of being.
Consideration of philosophers most concerned with ontology; questions raised by
Carnap, Quine et al.
Philosophy 406: TRADITIONAL LOGIC
This
course give the fundamental notions in logic; topics include signification,
concepts and terms; categories and predicables ; forming definitions;
propositions; propositional properties and compound propositions; argumentation
and the syllogism; fallacies; square of opposition; some consideration is given
to comparison with modern views.
Philosophy 407: SYMBOLIC LOGIC
Translating from English into formal languages and testing arguments for
validity; the meta-theory of first order logic; logical properties and
relationships of sentences studied by means of the construction of a symbolic
language for sentential and predicate logic; meta-theory for both sentential
and predicate logic; limitations of predicate logic; tense logic and modal
logic.
Philosophy 408 A ETHICS- THEORETICAL
What is the good life ? What principles should guide actions ? Can we reach
agreement on the answers as we can in scientif questions ? Subjective factors
in moral life: ethics, conduct, responsibility, conscience; the objective good
in moral life: good, pleasure, convenience, consequences, intuition, reason,
law, duty, freedom, situation, love, habit, happiness.
Philosophy 408 B ETHICS- PRACTICAL
Rights, life, health, truthfulness; social life: society, family, sex;
political life: state, government, protest; socioeconomic life: property,
contracts, work, Capitalism, Marxism, earth; international society: nations,
war, peace. c/p: Phil. 408A
Philosophy 414: PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN (Philosophical Anthropology)
Contemporary theories of human nature; social and political animal; theories of
human nature and the conception of the natural world; human considered as a
living organism, endowed with sense knowledge and sense appetite possessing an
immortal intellect; free will, immortality; data will be drawn from
experimental and clinical psychology.
Philosophy 415: PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Emotion, will, motive, imagination, learning, perceiving, dreaming, in the
light of current philosophical analyses of these concepts and current research
and theorizing.
Philosophy 418 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
This course covers such topics as to how people should be governed; human
nature and political consequences; major philosophical positions concerning the
nature and purpose of the state. the major political philosophers from the
Greeks to the present will be surveyed and critiques from various perspectives.
Philosophy 419: AESTHETICS
What is a work of art ? How does one know if it is good or bad ? What is the
purpose of art? Philosophical interpretation of aesthetic experience both
creative and appreciative; aesthetic value, nature of art, interpretation,
imagination, creativity, style, artistic truth; nature of beauty and the
sublime; philosophy of Western and non-Western art; genius.
Philosophy 420: PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL SCIENCE
Methodological issues; study of methods, assumptions, and limits of natural
science with examples from the history of science; explanation, laws,
prediction, confirmation, theories; status of theoretical entities; theoretical
reduction; concept formation and problem of demarcation; deductive and
inductive models; indeterminism, probability and induction; functional
explorations; wave particle debate and theories of the atom.
Philosophy 421: PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Problem of concept and theory formation in social science; nature of social
reality; logic of explanation in social sceince; conditions of objectivity and
validity of social knowledge; basic concepts of the social sciences such as
causation and functional explanation, prediction, rationality , reduction,
objectivity; origins of society and its proper organization as well as
perspectives on justice, rights and obligations.
Philosophy 424: EPISTEMOLOGY
Examination of the nature, objects, and certainty of knowledge; theories of
knowledge; what knowledge is and how, if at all, we know things; skepticism,
perception, problem of meaning and truth; rationalism, empiricism; coherence
theory; naive and critical realism; foundationalism versus contextualism;
genetic epistemology (Piaget).
Philosophy 435: PHILOSOPHY OF CULTURE
An exploration of the creative expressions of mankind over time from a
philosophical standpoint. The critique of various thinkers on culture will be
considered.
Related Links: http://www.parmenideum.com
>