Department of Philosophy
The Philosophy Department offers courses that enable students to grapple with the major issues confronting today’s society in the light of the history of philosophical thought, the methods of philosophical analysis and the Christian world and life view. The major in philosophy is appropriate for students looking forward to professional training or employment in fields that emphasize clarity in detailed analysis. It is particularly appropriate for students interested in such areas as law and theology, as well as those aspiring to a teaching career in philosophy. There are numerous options for combining a major in philosophy with majors in other disciplines.
Students selecting philosophy as a major for the bachelor of arts degree will complete 36 hours, including PL 240, 260, 311, 321, and nine additional hours in philosophy; with the remaining hours selected from additional philosophy courses, BT 331, 333CCT, 333PT, 333TB, 341, EN 374, HS 322, 434, MA 205, or other courses approved by the department.
The minor in philosophy requires 23 hours in philosophy including PL 240, 260, 311 and 321.
Courses in Philosophy
An approach to philosophy by the reading and discussion of classical and contemporary essays dealing with selected problems. Topics considered will include theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics and philosophy of religion.
The study of logic as a tool of exact reasoning. Major emphasis will be placed on modern deductive logic and its applications, with some consideration of traditional syllogistic logic and of induction.
A consideration of various problems in philosophical ethics on the basis of historical and contemporary readings, with an attempt to establish a philosophical framework for moral decision making. Certain topics in Christian ethics will also be discussed.
The history of philosophy from the Greeks to the close of the Middle Ages, with major emphasis on Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
A study of the major philosophers from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century, with a survey of twentieth-century developments.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
A detailed examination of a selected philosophical subject, problem, historical movement or individual philosopher.
May be repeated for credit in different topics.
Provides a critical survey of the various ways, both historical and contemporary, that people have understood art, aesthetic experience and the associated values.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
Provides a systematic study of the theory of knowledge. Primary attention will be given to recent developments focusing on the Internalism/Externalism debate, attempts to solve the Gettier problem and theories such as Coherentism and Reliabilism.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
Addresses the following questions: Is God necessary for morality? If yes, what is God's relationship to morality? If no, what kind of morality can exist without a God? Do ethical systems have to be separate from a God? Are there objective moral truths if there is no God? As part of this course, students will discuss the voluntarist/intellectualist debate regarding the nature of God, how Christians have argued for the existence of God based on the existence of values like good and evil, and what makes a life meaningful.
Identical with BT 333GE.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
Includes a study of the fundamental things that make up reality and how our basic concepts of substance and identity play a role in shaping our theories. Historical attempts to clarify the basic categories of reality will supplement an examination of issues such as the nature of numbers, propositions and truth.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
Will introduce problems with accounting for meaning reference and related concepts. These are at the heart of contemporary discussions of truth and the mind. Independent nature of reality and different approaches impact how we approach science, theology and philosophy.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
Provides an advanced study of what philosophers and theologians have said about the nature of God. The course includes a discussion of the historical development of the "God" concept from the pre-Socratics through its apex in classical theism to the critique of this concept in modern atheism. The tools of contemporary analytic philosophy will be utilized to examine specific attributes of God.
Identical with BT 333PT.
Prerequisites: One course in Bible and PL 220 or 260
Explores the nature of time and the corresponding implications of different views. Students will gain understanding of the nature of time as it relates to our views of change, the physical structure of the universe (the space-time continuum) and the relationship between our tensed use of language and our view of the reality of the past and present. The class will examine arguments about the reality of time and whether there is a fundamental distinction between the past, the present and the future.
Prerequisite: 300 or 400 level course in philosophy
This course provides a study of the nature of scientific thought and scientific method; consideration of historical and contemporary views, concerning the relationship between science and religion; and of current issues resulting from the interaction of modern science and the Christian worldview.
Identical with BT 440.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
A consideration of various attempts to provide a philosophical formulation and defense of the basic tenets of the theistic worldview, with particular attention to recent analytic philosophy.
Identical with BT 460.
Prerequisite: PL 220 or 260
The study of a problem, a research paper or a project related to the philosophy major.
Prerequisite: Consent