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Philosophy and Natural Science |
English | History
| Modern Languages | Mathematics/Science
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Philosophy Philosophy, as its name suggests, is the love of and search for wisdom, understood as knowledge about the ultimate principles and causes of all that exists. The high point of philosophy, according to St. Thomas, is metaphysics, the study of being as being. Yet philosophy, even in St. Thomas, is an umbrella term covering a number of disciplines today taught, in part at least, in other academic departments. How are these disciplines to be integrated into the student's education? St. Thomas Aquinas, on whose magnificent philosophical synthesis the Christendom College philosophy curriculum is based, says that sapientis est ordinare –the office of the wise man is to order things. Agreement between thought and action is essential to wisdom; the wise man orders all things–his understanding, the knowledge he has from other disciplines, and his life–in accordance with his knowledge. The core philosophy curriculum, required of all Christendom College students, consists of six elements: (1) an introduction to philosophy by way of classical Western thought, (2) the philosophy of human nature, (3) ethics, (4) metaphysics, (5) a study of ancient and medieval philosophy, and (6) a study of modern philosophy. The purpose of these basic courses is to help students to integrate their college studies, to acquire the rudimentary habits of philosophical thinking, to acquaint them with the main intellectual landmarks of Western culture, to support other elements of the core curriculum (especially Theology), and to prepare those intent upon advanced work in philosophy. These core courses are PHIL 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, and 302. The advanced program offers the philosophy major, and any student who elects to take further courses in philosophy, the opportunity to advance himself in wisdom, and it provides an excellent preparation for any field of study or area of work which demands disciplined and rational thought. For example, a philosophy major may be recommended for those interested in pursuing a career in law or any area of management. Requirements for the Philosophy Major The foreign language requirement for philosophy majors is scholastic Latin or philosophical Greek. Ten upper level courses in Philosophy (30 semester hours) are required of majors–six designated and four elective. A course grade of at least C-minus is necessary for a course to fulfill the department's major or minor requirements. The designated courses are PHIL • 301 Ancient
and Medieval Philosophy The philosophy minor
requires 18 credit hours of advanced courses, including PHIL 301 and 302.
A course grade of at least C-minus is necessary for a course to fulfill
the department's major or minor requirements. Basic
Curriculum PHIL 102 Philosophy of Human Nature A systematic investigation of the nature of man, including a demonstration of the immateriality of the intellectual soul, the unity of the human person, his subsistence, freedom of the will, sensory and intellectual knowledge, and his natural end: God. The study will be based largely on texts of St. Thomas Aquinas and will include a consideration of contrasting positions. Required of all students. PHIL 201 Ethics A systematic investigation of Aristotelian/Thomistic ethics, the subject of which is human action ordered to an end. The good human life is understood in terms of achieving the ultimate end of contemplative union with God through growth in virtue, with the instruction of law. Other topics include the voluntary character of human action and moral good and evil. Primary texts include the Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle and the Prima secundae of St. Thomas' Summa Theologiae. Other major contemporary ethical systems will also be considered. Required of all students. PHIL 202 Metaphysics An introduction to an elementary Christian metaphysics of being based on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Topics covered include an analysis of being in terms of essence and existence, a demonstration of the existence and nature of God based on that analysis, the categories, the transcendental modes of being, and cognitional being. Required of all students. Advanced
Courses PHIL 301 History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy The history of Western Philosophy from the early Greeks to the late Middle Ages. Original sources are referenced, and their role in the development of thought is identified.Required of all students. PHIL 302 History of Modern Philosophy A survey of modern Western philosophy from the 16th to the 20th century. Required of all students. PHIL 315 Society and the Common Good An investigation of the social nature of man and his ultimate end as a common good. Based upon readings from the primary texts of philosophers including Plato, Aristotle, and St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as those of twentieth century Thomistic commentators. PHIL 321 Philosophy of Nature An enquiry into the nature of the physical world based on the philosophy of nature of St. Thomas Aquinas. Includes readings from St. Thomas's Principles of Nature and his Commentary on Aristotle's Physics. PHIL 322 Plato A reading of several dialogues from different periods of Plato's development, with reference to Plato's influence on later philosophy. PHIL 323 Aristotle Reading and analysis of extensive selections from the Organon, Physics, On the Soul, Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics. The magnitude of Aristotle's philosophical achievements, his profound influence on later ages, and the extent to which his work was used by the medieval schoolmen also will be considered. PHIL 324 Philosophy of St. Augustine The background, life, and writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, with special reference to his contributions to philosophy and his influence on Western thought. PHIL 325 Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas The background, life, and writings of St. Thomas, with special reference to his contributions to the various branches of philosophy. PHIL 327 Philosophy of Psychology An investigation of the rise of modern psychology in the thought of Freud, the way it differs from a Thomistic philosophy of man and the way certain modern thinkers have placed the insights of Freud on a Thomistic basis. Other prominent modern psychologists will also be considered. PHIL 328 Philosophy of Education An investigation of the nature of teaching and learning with special emphasis on classical and Christian thinkers and a consideration of contemporary problems. PHIL/MATH 353 Symbolic Logic Introduction to symbolic logic and the theory of formal systems. Topics include the traditional logic of categorical sentences, truth functional logic, the first order predicate calculus, higher order systems, the notions of decidability and completeness, and some typical applications. (Cross-listed in Mathematics) PHIL/MATH 354 Modal Logic An introduction to the structure and techniques of the logic of necessity and possibility from an axiomatic standpoint. Topics include sentential modal logic and the systems T, S4, and kS5; validity; decision procedures and completeness; and quantified modal logic. Prerequisite: PHIL 353 or permission of the instructor. (Cross-listed in Mathematics) PHIL 401 Recent Philosophy A study of philosophy in the 19th and 20th centuries, with selected readings in primary sources, dealt with either topically or historically. This course or PHIL 403 is required of Philosophy majors. Prerequisite: PHIL 302 or permission of the Chairman. PHIL 403 Epistemology An investigation into the nature of human knowing based on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The course may compare and contrast material from other thinkers. This course or PHIL 401 is required of Philosophy majors. PHIL 404 Philosophy of God An advanced metaphysical study of the existence, nature, and attributes of God, based on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas with consideration of other philosophies. Required of Philosophy majors. PHIL 412 Modern Moral Theories An investigation of some of the major moral theories of the modern era beginning in the 16th century. Theories are examined in themselves and analyzed from the viewpoint of the Aristotelian/Thomistic tradition. PHIL 421 The Will and the Virtues A systematic study based on the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas of the nature of the will, the relation between intellect and will, the nature of habit and virtue, the types of virtue, and particular virtues, especially the cardinal virtues. PHIL 422 Aesthetics A Thomistic philosophical investigation of art, both fine and useful art, the nature of beauty and its perception, the roles of the intellect and the will in aesthetic enjoyment, and different theories of the nature of art and of the artistic act. PHIL/LATN/THEO 423 Latin Readings in St. Thomas Aquinas An advanced study of scholastic Latin and an in-depth reading of selections from St. Thomas's Summa Theologiae and other treatises. The portions of the Summa studied will vary. This course may be repeated for credit. (Cross-listed in Latin and Theology.) PHIL 425 Contemplation and the Philosophical Life An investigation of the nature and nobility of contemplation and the contemplative life, as well as of issues related to the pursuit of wisdom, such as discipleship, tradition, and philosophy as a craft. PHIL 427 Issues in Contemporary Philosophy A special study of some current theme, movement, or style of philosophizing, such as the thought of Karol Wojtyla, philosophy of science, philosophy of war, phenomenology, linguistic analysis, or contemporary Catholic philosophical movements. PHIL 428 Ethics of John Paul II An analysis of the ethical thought of John Paul II. The objective is to understand not only how the late Holy Father brings together different traditions in ethics, but also and primarily what he has to say about the truth about human beings and the goodness of their behavior, especially in their relations with one another, and especially in the relations of man and woman with each other. Readings will be taken from Love and Responsibility and Person and Community: Selected Essays. PHIL 489 Honors Seminar A seminar on a special topic in philosophy to be determined by the department chairman in consultation with interested and qualified students. Prerequisites: Minimum 3.25 GPA and permission of the Department Chairman. (4 credit hours) PHIL 490-99 Special Topics or Directed Studies in Philosophy A special study of some area such as axiology, cosmology, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, mathematics, moral philosophy, natural law, or philosophy of history. PHIL 512 Senior Seminar and Thesis Direction of the student with his senior thesis, a major scholarly paper on a philosophical topic of his interest. The student receives instruction and individual assistance in development of a topic, research methods, outlining, organizing, and writing a philosophical paper. The student may be required to defend his thesis in an oral presentation. |
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