Philosophy
Our graduate programs prepare students to be scholars and teachers who are grounded in the history of philosophy as well as contemporary philosophical methodologies. Our programs support specialization in a variety of contemporary fields, including those that expand the purview of philosophical inquiry beyond its traditional boundaries. Our department values philosophical pluralism, and our faculty represent diverse philosophical schools and perspectives, offering students a uniquely well-rounded education. We also take seriously the commitment of our Jesuit institution to social justice, providing opportunities to pursue philosophical inquiry that is socially engaged, interdisciplinary, and oriented toward the betterment of the world.
Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 400 Philosophy Research Tools (3 Credit Hours)
This course introduces students to several methodological approaches to philosophical issues.
PHIL 401 Plato (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Plato
Course equivalencies: X-PHIL401/CLST412
PHIL 402 Aristotle (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on some aspect of the philosophical thought of Aristotle.
PHIL 403 Ancient Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on a particular philosophical theme or problem in ancient philosophy.
PHIL 405 Augustine (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Augustine.
PHIL 406 Aquinas (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Aquinas.
PHIL 407 Medieval Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in medieval philosophy.
PHIL 408 Late Medieval Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on one or more late medieval philosophers such as Scotus and Ockham.
PHIL 410 Descartes (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Descartes.
PHIL 411 Classical Rationalism (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in early modern rationalism, typically with reference to Descartes, Leibniz, and/or Spinoza.
PHIL 412 Classical Empiricism (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in early modern empiricism, typically with reference to Locke, Berkeley, and/or Hume.
PHIL 415 Kant (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Kant.
PHIL 416 17th-18th Century Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in early modern philosophy from Descartes to Kant.
PHIL 417 Classical German Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Pre-requisites: Graduate student status
Classical German Philosophy begins with Kant and his immediate predecessors, and extends to the early mid-19th century, including figures such as Herder, Fichte, Schelling, Goethe, Schiller , and Hegel, Feurebach, and Marc, among others. This course may include critiques of developments out of classical German philosophy. Students will become conversant with the major projects and schools of thought in the wake of Kant's Critical Philosophy. Students will also become competent in engaging basic research in the philosophy of this era.
Students will become conversant with the major projects and schools of thought in the wake of Kant's Critical philosophy
Outcomes
Students will become conversant with the major projects and schools of thought in the wake of Kant's Critical philosophyPHIL 419 Aesthetics (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work in philosophical issues and/or figures in aesthetics.
Students will become conversant with the major projects and schools of thought in the field of aesthetics; Students will also gain knowledge of contemporary scholarship and develop basic research skills in this field
Outcomes
Students will become conversant with the major projects and schools of thought in the field of aesthetics; Students will also gain knowledge of contemporary scholarship and develop basic research skills in this fieldPHIL 420 Hegel (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Hegel.
PHIL 421 Marx (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on Marx and Marxist philosophy.
PHIL 422 Nietzsche (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Nietzsche.
PHIL 425 19th Century Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in nineteenth century philosophy.
PHIL 430 Husserl (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the phenomenology of Husserl.
PHIL 431 Marxism (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Marx and/or philosophers working in the Marxist tradition.
PHIL 432 Heidegger (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the thought of Heidegger.
PHIL 433 Phenomenology/Existentialism (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in either phenomenology and/or existential philosophy.
PHIL 434 Hermeneutics & Critical Theory (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in either philosophical hermeneutics and/or the critical theory of the Frankfurt School.
PHIL 436 Contemporary French Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in recent French philosophy.
PHIL 437 Contemporary German Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in recent German philosophy.
PHIL 438 Topics in Continental Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in some aspect of European philosophy from Kant to the present.
PHIL 439 Chinese Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on Chinese philosophy.
PHIL 440 American Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the American philosophical tradition.
PHIL 441 Wittgenstein (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the philosophical thought of Wittgenstein.
PHIL 442 Anglo-American Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on some aspect of the pragmatist and/or analytic philosophical traditions.
PHIL 443 Anglo-American Epistemology (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to a specialized topic in analytic epistemology.
PHIL 444 Studies in Logic (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to some aspect of formal logic, such as formal systems, axiomatic set theory, mathematical logic, modal logic, tense logic, epistemic logic, deontic logic, formal semantics, and philosophical logic.
PHIL 445 Philosophy of Mind (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues concerning the problem of consciousness and the nature of mental functions.
PHIL 446 Philosophy of Perception (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues pertaining to perception.
PHIL 447 Issues in Cognitive Science (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to specialized topics in the philosophy of cognitive sciences.
PHIL 449 Philosophy of Language (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues about the relationship between language, thought, meaning, and reference.
PHIL 450 Epistemology (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues concerning the nature of belief and knowledge.
PHIL 451 Metaphysics (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues about the nature of reality.
PHIL 452 Philosophy of Science (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues pertaining to the natural sciences.
PHIL 454 Philosophy of Religion (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues concerning religious practices and beliefs.
PHIL 455 Philosophical Theology (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work in philosophical issues and/or figures in philosophical theology.
PHIL 457 Aesthetics (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues pertaining to the nature of art and aesthetic judgment.
PHIL 458 Philosophy of History (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues pertaining to history and historiography.
PHIL 459 Philosophy of Law (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on philosophical issues concerning legal institutions and practices.
PHIL 462 Kant's Moral Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the practical philosophy of Kant.
PHIL 463 Virtue Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on classical and/or contemporary themes in the virtue tradition in moral philosophy.
PHIL 464 Utilitarianism (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to classical and contemporary formulations of utilitarian ethics.
PHIL 466 Major Authors in Moral Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on the ethical theories of one or more key figures in the history of philosophy.
PHIL 467 Contemporary Ethical Theories (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on issues in contemporary moral philosophy.
PHIL 468 Topics in Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to specialized topics in ethical theory.
PHIL 469 Ethics and Rationality (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to philosophical issues concerning the relationship between rationality and moral thinking.
PHIL 470 Ethics & Economic Justice (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work on ethical and social-political issues concerning economic practice and theory.
PHIL 474 Principles of Business Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to philosophical approaches to ethical issues concerning the relationship between business and society.
PHIL 475 Philosophy of Nursing: Nursing as a Moral Practice (3 Credit Hours)
This course provides an opportunity for students to analyze ethical issues and personal, institutional/organizational, societal and global values and beliefs that have an impact on nursing practice, the nursing profession, and healthcare delivery. Students will clearly and carefully articulate their thinking and approach to moral reasoning about various contemporary issues and justify their responses. Presuppositions about clinical practice, education, administration, and their impact will be explored. The realities of the social context and the effects on moral/ethical practice will be discussed.
Course equivalencies: X-GNUR540/PHIL475
PHIL 477 Social Health Care Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work in philosophical approaches to social issues in health care.
PHIL 478 Research Methods in Social Justice (3 Credit Hours)
Pre-requisites: Limited to graduate students only
This course looks at several different methodological approaches to social justice issues: broad ethical frameworks; specific ethical issues, such as intent and volition; quantitative analysis; US law; and international law.
Students are expected to know how to conduct literature reviews, how to use these approaches in analyzing social justice issues, and how to write up and present their research
Outcomes
Students are expected to know how to conduct literature reviews, how to use these approaches in analyzing social justice issues, and how to write up and present their researchPHIL 479 Issues in Applied Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to specialized topics in applied ethics.
PHIL 480 Social & Political Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to specialized topics in social and political philosophy, such as theories of justice, social contract theory, human rights, and issues pertaining to race, class, and gender.
PHIL 481 Philosophy of Action (3 Credit Hours)
This course deals with the distinction between action and mere behavior. Related topics: causal vs. teleological views, intention, reasons for action (as distinct from causes of action), practical identity, free agency, practical reason, deliberation and choice, the relationship between emotional capacities and responsible agency.
Students will understand the basic features of human agency
Outcomes
Students will understand the basic features of human agencyPHIL 482 Philosophy of Social Science (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to philosophical issues concerning the social sciences.
PHIL 483 Philosophical Questions in Human Rights (3 Credit Hours)
Pre-requisites: Limited to graduate students only
This course addresses questions in human rights such as the concept of rights and its critics, sovereignty and its relation to global governance, the role of intent, and how human rights are gendered.
Students are expected to have an overview of the major legal frameworks for human rights, as well as an understanding of several of the major philosophical issues and related literature
Outcomes
Students are expected to have an overview of the major legal frameworks for human rights, as well as an understanding of several of the major philosophical issues and related literaturePHIL 484 Philosophical Anthropology (3 Credit Hours)
Prepares students for advanced work about philosophical conceptions of human existence.
Interdisciplinary Option: Women & Gender Studies
PHIL 485 International Ethics (3 Credit Hours)
Pre-requisites: Limited to graduate students only
This course is intended to give students an overview of some of the major frameworks for addressing ethical issues in the international arena. This includes Just War doctrine, economic rights, and global governance.
Students are expected to be familiar with the major treaties, international law doctrines, and institutions relevant to international ethics, as well the pertinent secondary literature
Outcomes
Students are expected to be familiar with the major treaties, international law doctrines, and institutions relevant to international ethics, as well the pertinent secondary literaturePHIL 487 Moral and Legal Issues of Economic Sanctions (3 Credit Hours)
Pre-requisites: Limited to graduate students only
This course will provide an introduction to economic sanctions in the context of foreign relations and global governance. We will look closely at the issues of effectiveness and humanitarian impact. We will also look at legal issues, such as the problem of extraterritoriality.
It is expected that students will have an overview of how sanctions interact with international law, institutions of global governance, and human rights law
Outcomes
It is expected that students will have an overview of how sanctions interact with international law, institutions of global governance, and human rights lawPHIL 490 Current Philosophical Issues (3 Credit Hours)
Introduces students to specialized topics in some area of contemporary philosophy.
PHIL 500 Directed Readings and Research (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a directed reading focused on an advanced topic in philosophy. The student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the topic and nature of the work.
PHIL 501 Directed Readings & Research (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a directed reading focused on an advanced topic in philosophy. The student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the topic and nature of the work.
PHIL 502 Directed Readings & Research (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a directed reading focused on an advanced topic in philosophy. The student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the topic and nature of the work.
PHIL 503 Directed Readings & Research (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a directed reading focused on an advanced topic in philosophy. The student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the topic and nature of the work.
PHIL 505 Teaching Internship I (3 Credit Hours)
This course introduces students to best practices in philosophical pedagogy.
PHIL 510 Clinical Ethics Practicum (3 Credit Hours)
This course will include some combination of academic and non-academic work, involving some aspect of clinical ethics. The student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the scope of the project and the nature of the work.
PHIL 511 Social Ethics Practicum (3 Credit Hours)
This course will include some combination of academic and non-academic work, involving some aspect of social ethics. the student and the faculty supervisor will agree on the scope of the project and the nature of the work.
PHIL 550 Integrative Seminar (3 Credit Hours)
This course prepares students for advanced work in philosophy, and emphasizes ways in which philosophy can play an integrative role.
PHIL 590 Dissertation Proposal Seminar (0 Credit Hours)
This semester-long, non-credit, pass/non-pass course is intended for Ph.D. students in their third or fourth years. Our purpose consists in taking students from their initial, general ideas on a dissertation to a developed proposal.
The class will culminate in producing a final dissertation proposal and a community of researchers who are able and willing to support each other in the development and writing up of dissertation proposals
Outcomes
The class will culminate in producing a final dissertation proposal and a community of researchers who are able and willing to support each other in the development and writing up of dissertation proposalsPHIL 595 Thesis Supervision (0 Credit Hours)
This course allows continuing master's students to continue work on their master's thesis or paper. Please consult with philosophy department graduate program director before registering.
PHIL 600 Dissertation Supervision (0 Credit Hours)
This course is intended for students who have completed their dissertation proposal and are currently working on their dissertation. Please consult with department graduate program director before registering.
PHIL 605 Master's Study (0 Credit Hours)
This course allows continuing master's students to continue work on their master's thesis or paper. Please consult with philosophy department graduate program director before registering.
PHIL 610 Doctoral Study (0 Credit Hours)
This course is intended primarily for students who are currently working on their dissertation proposal. Please consult with philosophy department graduate program director before registering.