Course Descriptions

Courses numbered 1000-1999 are open to freshmen; 2000-2999 to sophomores; 3000-3999 to juniors; 4000-4999 to seniors. It is recommended that students elect courses in the years for which they are listed. Freshmen will be admitted to courses above the 2000 level only with the consent of the instructor and the student’s advisor. Juniors and seniors taking freshman courses may be expected to do additional work. Any course above 4999 is a graduate course.

NOTE:
The number in parentheses following the course title indicates the semester hours of credit assigned to the course.
An H following the course number indicates an honors level course.

PHIL 2100
The Case for God [Course] (2 - 3) (Liberal Arts)
The student develops an understanding of what it means to have knowledge and to believe and live rationally. This understanding is applied to belief in God as students explore direct ways of knowing, theistic and Christian arguments, challenges to theistic and Christian belief, and resources for responding to these challenges. Students from every religious and non-religious background are welcome, including those who are seeking, doubting, or even disinterested.

PHIL 2101
Ministry to the Doubting [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
The student learns how to interact effectively with non-believers and with Christians who are experiencing doubts in their faith, through study, discussion and practice (role-play and/or interactions with guests who are experiencing doubts). Students learn how to argue for the reasonability of the Christian faith, and how it is that we can know that Christ is real. The foundation for this involves understanding individuals as whole persons with backgrounds, emotions, desires, and biases. Students work towards developing and expressing in interactions with others the virtues of intellectual and spiritual humility grounded in love. The class covers direct ways of knowing, theistic and Christian arguments, challenges to theistic and Christian belief, and resources for responding to these challenges. It also addresses various approaches to doctrinal issues that parishioners often struggle with.

PHIL 2202
Philosophical Ethics [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
In this course, students study the traditional systems of ethical decision-making, including a number of Christian perspectives, and apply what they learn to the analysis of vexing ethical and social issues in contemporary society such as abortion, affirmative action, capital punishment, cloning, constitutional freedoms, euthanasia, pacifism and just war, and extreme poverty. The goal of this course is for students to develop a familiarity with ethical argumentation, some sophistication in developing and articulating justifiable ethical perspectives, and a well-founded, internalized ethical sensibility to guide them in their lives. Prerequisites for Business Management major: PSYC 4410, SOCS 3410, PSYC 4520, and BUAD 4350.

PHIL 2413
Bioethics [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
This course is designed to help the student understand the traditional systems of ethical decision-making and learn to utilize this knowledge in the analysis of some of the relevant ethical issues which arise in medical and environmental contexts. Prerequisites for Health Administration major: PSYC 4410, SOCS 3410, PSYC 4520, and BUAD 4350.

PHIL 2800
Critical Thinking [Course] (2 - 3) (Liberal Arts)
The student develops skills for evaluating arguments through an applied study of the formal and informal components of language and reasoning. The course is preparation for a thoughtful, informed, and attentive life.

PHIL 3000
Topics in Philosophy [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
This is an advanced seminar-style class that explores topics in philosophy not covered in the rest of the curriculum. (May be repeated if topic differs.) (Offered on demand)

PHIL 3010
Ancient Philosophy and Early Christian Thought [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
The intent of this course is to discuss comparatively the following philosophical figures or schools: the Pre-Socratics, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, post-Aristotelian philosophers, and Augustine.

PHIL 3020
Modern Philosophy [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
Consideration is given to Western philosophy from Bacon through the eighteenth century, with special attention to Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. (Offered alternate years)

PHIL 3030
Recent and Contemporary Philosophy [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
This course is designed to acquaint the student with philosophical thought since the beginning of the 19th century. Emphasis is on Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Marx, James Moore, Russell, and Wittgenstein. (Offered alternate years)

PHIL 3050
Epistemology and Religious Belief [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
Students gain an understanding of the concepts, issues, and approaches prevalent in epistemology (the theory of knowledge) since Gettier's ground-breaking work in 1963 and apply this understanding to the particular case of religious knowledge. (Offered alternate years)

PHIL 3400
Skepticism, Atheism and Religious Faith [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
What does it mean to attain depth in life and to become authentically human? What are obstacles to doing so? And is religious faith (a) inimical, (b) irrelevant, or (c) essential to reaching this goal? The aim of this course is to think about these closely related questions through a study of Friedrich Nietzsche and Soren Kierkegaard, two 19th century thinkers whose relevance and importance today is even greater than it was in their own time.

PHIL 4020
Philosophy of Religion [Course] (2) (Liberal Arts)
This course is a philosophical analysis of religious belief. Students will analyze a selection of the following issues: faith and reason, religious language, divine omniscience, divine omnipotence, divine goodness, petitionary prayer, miracles, divine immutability, arguments for and against God's existence, and personal immortality.

PHIL 4950
Independent Study [Course] (1 - 3) (Liberal Arts)
Independent study provides opportunity to pursue advanced or special-interest topics not covered in the curriculum. Prerequisites: 1. Junior standing. 2. A minimum of 9 semester hours in the discipline of the Independent Study. 3. A minimum grade point average of 2.50 in the discipline. 4. Proof of motivation and ability to work independently. 5. Approval of the department in which the study is to be taken. 6. Permission from the student's advisor, the course instructor, the Department Chair, the School Dean, and the Registrar.