Course Descriptions

OT 361 - Occupational Therapy Practice II: Psychosocial Rehabilitation

3 cr.

An overview of theoretical frames of reference, evaluation, and treatment intervention strategies used to enhance the function of individuals with psychosocial dysfunction.  Methods of clinical observation, assessment, and treatment approaches are introduced and practiced in lab simulations and field trips to area facilities. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week and ten hours of community based learning.

OT 380 - Occupational Therapy Level I Clinical - I: Pediatrics

1 cr.

Directed observation and supervised participation in the occupational therapy process in a pediatric/developmental disabilities setting.  Emphasis on the integration of theory and practice. Intersession, two weeks, full time.

OT 381 - Occupational Therapy Level I Clinical - II: Psychosocial Rehabilitation

1 cr.

Directed observation and supervised participation in the therapeutic process in a psychosocial rehabilitation setting. Emphasis is placed on the integration of theory and practice. Summer, two weeks, full time.

OT 393 - (EPW) Research Methods in Occupational Therapy

3 cr.

This course provides an introduction to understanding how professionals contribute to the knowledge base that supports the field of occupational therapy. The student learns the language of scientific inquiry and how to critically examine research-based literature. The guiding principles that support sound research practices are examined throughout the course.

OT 440 - Management and Supervision of Occupational Therapy Services

OT 451 - Hand Rehabilitation

2 cr.

An in-depth review of the functional anatomy of the hand and arm, with emphasis on rehabilitation principles and basic splinting techniques.  Theoretical concepts, evaluation, and fabrication procedures are integrated in lab experiences. One hour lecture, two hours lab/week.

OT 460 - Occupational Therapy Practice III: Physical Rehabilitation

3 cr.

A study of the occupational therapist’s complex role in providing services to individuals with physical dysfunction.  Theoretical frames of reference and various intervention approaches are integrated as techniques and strategies to enhance functional performance are introduced, observed and practiced. Emphasis on safe clinical practice and development of sound clinical reasoning skills. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week and ten hours of community based learning.

OT 461 - (D) Occupational Therapy Practice IV: Geriatrics

3 cr.

 An overview of frames of reference, evaluations, and interventions used to enhance elder’s well-being. Emphasis is placed on understanding the biopsychosocial changes and environmental contexts of elders.  The ability to provide holistic and humanistic elder care is facilitated through lab simulations, completion of a program needs assessment, and via service learning. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week and ten hours of community based learning.

OT 475 - Advanced Therapeutic Techniques

3 cr.

An in-depth examination of selected concepts and approaches in physical rehabilitation, with an introduction to certain specialized areas of occupational therapy practice.  Topics will include standardized assessments, industrial rehabilitation, pain and soft tissue management, neurodevelopmental treatment, adaptive positioning and seating, cognitive-perceptual rehabilitation, and reimbursement issues. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week.

OT 480 - Occupational Therapy Level I Clinical – III: Physical Rehabilitation

1 cr.

Directed observation and supervised participation in the therapeutic process in a physical rehabilitation setting.  Emphasis is placed on the integration of theory and practice. Intersession, two weeks, full time.

OT 494 - (W) Evidence Based Research

3 cr.

This course provides an in-depth study of evidence-based practice. It is a course for occupational therapy students designed to develop essential skills for conducting evidence-based research.  It includes the basic steps of the evidence-based practice process and how to apply those steps to examine clinical questions.

OT 501 - Leadership in Occupational Therapy

3 cr.

Extensive analysis of the profession’s historical influences, current, and emerging trends in occupational therapy leadership, and possibilities for personal leadership evolution.   Emphasis is placed upon examining the link between professional ethics, personal values, and leadership.   Systemic challenges to ethical leadership and professional supports for sustaining ethical practice are presented. Three hours lecture/week.

OT 502 - Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory

3 cr.

A review of how occupational therapy paradigms have been established and changed over time, and how these changes have influenced occupational therapy practice will be presented.  Particular attention will be paid to the cultural, economic, and demographic motivators of theory development and application. Three hours lecture/week.

OT 503 - Evaluation Intervention for Visual Impairment in Older Adults

OT 560 - Advanced Interpersonal Dynamics

3 cr.

A review of the concepts and aspects of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and group dynamics provides a foundation for the student to understand the meaning of illness and how that impacts the human condition.  An in-depth analysis of disability from the perspective of the disabled is explored. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week or equivalent.

OT 575 - Community-Based Practice

3 cr.

In-depth exposure to selected areas that represent the current focus of advanced practice in occupational therapy.  The areas of practice examined in the course will include community-based programs, non-medical settings, alternative care, and natural environments. Two hours lecture, two hours lab/week or equivalent.

OT 581 - OT Level II Fieldwork – I

6 cr.

Level II fieldwork is designed to provide opportunities for the student to integrate academically acquired knowledge with occupational therapy practice in physical, psychosocial, and developmental contexts.  Level II experiences are mentored to facilitate student clinical reasoning in current and emerging areas of practice.  During Level II fieldwork the student will design and implement occupational therapy services for individuals, groups and populations across the lifespan.  OT certification examination eligibility requires 24 weeks total Level II fieldwork (minimum). 

 Offered: Summer, following the fourth or fifth year of the program, twelve weeks, full time.

OT 582 - OT Level II Fieldwork – II

6 cr.

Level II fieldwork is designed to provide opportunities for the student to integrate academically acquired knowledge with occupational therapy practice in physical, psychosocial, and developmental contexts.  Level II experiences are mentored to facilitate student clinical reasoning in current and emerging areas of practice.  During Level II fieldwork the student will design and implement occupational therapy services for individuals, groups and populations across the lifespan.  OT certification examination eligibility requires 24 total Level II fieldwork (minimum). 

 Offered: Summer, following fourth or fifth year of program, twelve weeks, full time.

OT 583 - OT Level II Fieldwork – III: Specialty (Optional)

4-6 cr.

Level II field-work is designed to provide opportunities for the student to integrate academically acquired knowledge with occupational therapy practice in physical, psychosocial, and developmental contexts.  Level II experiences are mentored to facilitate student clinical reasoning in current and emerging areas of practice.  During Level II fieldwork the student will design and implement occupational therapy services for individuals, groups and populations across the lifespan.  Arranged on an availability basis. 

 Offered: Fall, following the fifth year of the program, eight to twelve weeks, full time.

OT 597 - Faculty Research Internship I

1 cr.

This course represents a mentored internship experience on a faculty-led research project in order to develop beginning-level research skills.  Internship may involve preparing DRB/IRB proposals, literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, grant investigations, and dissemination activities.  The importance of professional collaboration is emphasized.

OT 598 - Faculty Research Internship II

2 cr.

This course represents a mentored internship experience on a faculty-led research project in order to develop beginning-level research skills. Internship may involve preparing DRB/IRB proposals, literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, grant investigations, and dissemination activities.  The importance of professional collaboration is emphasized.

PCPS 408 - Self Care and Resiliency in the Helping Professions

3 cr.

This course will explore issues in the healthcare, counseling and education professions that occur in individuals and who have prolonged interactions with students, clients, patients and their families. Issues of work related loss, grief, stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout will be explored. Techniques to maintain psychological well-being will be demonstrated. Suggestions on how to practice rigorus self-care and maintain a supportive work environment will be addressed.

PCPS 501 - Interdisciplinary Developmental Assessment in Pediatrics

PCPS 540 - Allied Health Seminar Series I

2 cr.

This course develops advanced skills in clinical practice, research, leadership, or advocacy. Aiding student’s transition to practitioner, it provides technical expertise as well as practice in collegial engagement and self-directed professional development.  Seminar topics offer in-depth exploration of emerging or ‘specialty’ areas of occupational therapy practice or areas of significance to the interdisciplinary health care team.

PCPS 541 - Allied Health Seminar Series II

1 cr.

This course develops advanced skills in clinical practice, research, leadership, or advocacy.  Aiding student’s transition to practitioner, it provides technical expertise as well as practice in collegial engagement and self-directed professional development.  Seminar topics offer in-depth exploration of emerging or ‘specialty’ areas of occupational therapy practice or areas of significance to the interdisciplinary health care team.

PHED 101 - Weight Training

PHED 138 - Physical Fitness Training

PHED 412 - CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer Instructor Trainer

PHIL 120 - Introduction to Philosophy

PHIL 120J - Introduction to Philosophy

PHIL 210 - Ethics

3 cr.

An examination of moral issues through close readings of important historical texts such as the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Kant or Mill.  Themes will include happiness, virtue, the nature of justice, free choice, conscience, natural law and obligation, God and morality.

PHIL 210J - Ethics

PHIL 211 - (P) Business Ethics

3 cr.

This course is an application of standard philosophical principles and theories to the critical study of questions, issues, and problems that surround the moral conduct of business. Recommended for business majors.

PHIL 212 - (P) Medical Ethics

3 cr.

Considering nine ethical methodologies, this course views health care holistically in terms of human biological and psychological needs to show that ethical action must intend to satisfy them. Ethical principles are applied to such issues as professional communication, sexuality, procreation, experimentation, bodily modification, and death. Recommended for health care students.

PHIL 213 - (P) Environmental Ethics

3 cr.

A study of various philosophical frameworks that allow us to think about environmental problems and our moral obligations.  Includes a critical examination of nature and humans’ relation to it and a study of specific environmental problems such as climate change, waste, agricultural and food ethics, and water pollution and policy.

PHIL 214 - (P) Computers and Ethics

3 cr.

Ethical aspects of hacking, software, piracy, computer-aided decision making, protection of software by copyright, patent, trade secret laws, unauthorized use of computer resources, privacy and database security, program warranties and programmer responsibility, artificial intelligence, the interface between human and computer.

PHIL 215 - (P) Logic

3 cr.

An introduction to logic as the science of argument including the nature of arguments in ordinary language, deduction and induction, truth and validity, definition, informal fallacies, categorical propositions and syllogisms, disjunctive and hypothetical syllogisms, enthymemes, and dilemmas.

PHIL 217J - (FYW, FYOC) The Trivium

PHIL 218 - (P,D) Feminism: Theory and Practice

3 cr.

What is feminism? What is the relationship between feminist theory and practice? This course focuses on these and related philosophical questions. Special attention will be paid to the interrelationship of gender, class and race. This course also fulfills a requirement in the Women’s Studies Concentration.

PHIL 220 - (P) Ancient Philosophy

3 cr.

The Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle and their immediate successors. Special emphasis on the theory of knowledge, the metaphysics and philosophical anthropology of Plato and Aristotle.

PHIL 221 - (P) Medieval Philosophy

3 cr.

A survey of philosophy in the European Middle Ages, including the connections between medieval philosophy and its classical and Christian sources; questions concerning nature/grace, reason/faith, theology/philosophy, and the nature and ethos of scholasticism.

PHIL 222 - (P) Modern Philosophy I

3 cr.

Machiavelli and the break with the Ancients. Modern political thought and social contract. Hobbes with an appeal to the passions. Locke and theoretician of capitalism. Rousseau and the crisis of modern political thought. Foundations of modern epistemology. Descartes and the search for absolute certainty. Hume and empiricism.

PHIL 223 - (P) Modern Philosophy II

3 cr.

The development of idealism in the thought of Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, with its influence on Feuerbach, Marx, Engels, and Kierkegaard. Special consideration of dialectical thinking in its resolution of the antitheses of reality and appearance, freedom and necessity, infinite and finite, and faith and knowledge.

PHIL 224 - (P) Foundations of Twentieth-Century Philosophy

3 cr.

A study of some of the key figures that have set the tone for the 20th-century philosophy. Buber, Marx, Kierkegaard, Hume and Russell are studied in detail.

PHIL 225 - (P,D) Asian Philosophy

3 cr.

This course will introduce students to the various systems of Asian philosophy including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto with special emphasis on the metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy of these systems.

PHIL 226 - (P,D) Chinese Philosophy

3 cr.

An introduction to the classical Chinese understanding. The course examines Daoist teachings and vision, the thought of Confucius and Buddhism.

PHIL 227 - (P) Political Philosophy

3 cr.

Examines Western political philosophy in the works of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Marx, and Adorno.  Topics include justice, freedom, equality, slavery, authority, consent, political economy, and the state.

PHIL 229 - (P,D) Philosophy of Religion

3 cr.

An investigation of the main topics in philosophers’ reflections on religion: arguments for the existence of God; meaningful statements about God; assessment of religious experience; notions of miracle, revelation, and immortality; the problem of evil; relations between religious faith and reason; religion and ethics. Readings from classical and contemporary authors.

PHIL 230 - (P) German Philosophy

PHIL 231 - (P,D) Philosophy of Women

3 cr.

This course reviews the philosophies of woman in western thought from Plato and Aristotle to Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Beauvoir. It concludes with an interdisciplinary selection of readings, to be addressed philosophically, on women in art, anthropology, literature, politics, theology, psychology, etc.

PHIL 234 - (P) Existentialism

3 cr.

A critical study of selected works of Kierkegaard, Jaspers, Marcel, and Sartre, with special emphasis on the existentialist themes of selfhood, freedom, dread, responsibility, temporality, body, limited and unlimited knowledge and reality, and fidelity to community.

PHIL 238 - (P) Wealth and the Human Good

3 cr.

What is wealth? Is wealth the key to happiness? Is it possible for individual human beings and human society to flourish without wealth? What does it mean to say that the measure of success in contemporary consumer society is wealth? These and other questions related to life in modern capitalist commercial society will be addressed in the course.

PHIL 240 - (P,W) Logic and Written Discourse

3 cr.

PHIL 240 is to equip students with an understanding of the conditions that constitute good reasoning, and also the skill to construct good arguments in writing.   It covers the following four areas: the nature of logical arguments, deduction (e.g., syllogism, propositional logic), induction (e.g., analogical reasoning, causal inference), and fallacies.

PHIL 242 - (P,D) Latin American Thought

3 cr.

This course is a survey of the texts and ideas that help to define Latin America from pre-Conquest to the present day.  There will be a special focus on the hermeneutical issue of encountering and understanding the other and the theme of philosophy being shaped by its cultural context.

PHIL 250 - (P) Philosophy of Love

3 cr.

The purpose of this course is to develop a better understanding of the nature of love by engaging in a close reading of a range of philosophical texts in which different notions of love - modern romantic love, eros, philia, and agape - are developed and explored in detail.

Offered alternate years.

PHIL 295 - (P,D) Chinese Philosophy and Culture in Contemporary Taiwan

3 cr.

This is a travel course to Taiwan that explores Chinese philosophy and culture with Taiwanese characteristics.  It aims to expand students’ philosophical imagination through a real cultural encounter with the East.  The course will include: (1) lectures and discussion on Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist philosophy and culture and its development in Taiwan, (2) guest speakers, (3) field study, (4) hands-on cultural lessons, and (5) cultural excursions.  The selection of sites will be based on what’s available and what enhances the lectures and discussions delivered in class.  Depending on availability, overnight stay at a Buddhist monastery and service work at NGO/NPOs may be arranged.  Travel expenses and material fees apply.

PHIL 305 - (P) Symbolic Logic

3 cr.

A study of symbolic logic in the larger context of philosophical analysis, this course covers the propositional calculus, quantification theory, the logic of relations and identity, modal logic, and, if time permits, some aspects of deontic, doxastic, and fuzzy logic. Though not a prerequisite, successful completion of PHIL 215 - (P) Logic  is recommended.

PHIL 306 - (P) Philosophy of Education

3 cr.

An examination of representative modern systemic philosophies of education with a critical analysis of the answers that each system of philosophy provides to the important questions concerning the nature of knowledge, value, man and society.

PHIL 310 - (P) Epistemology

3 cr.

An introduction to the theory of knowledge ranging from ancient to contemporary philosophy. Topics include sensation, perception, memory, recollection, reason, truth, science and language.

PHIL 311 - (P) Metaphysics

3 cr.

A textual inquiry into the adequacy of philosophers’ answer to the fundamental question, “What is?” Special attention will be given to Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant’s critical philosophy and the issues of nature and history.

PHIL 311J - Metaphysics

3 cr.

A textual inquiry into the adequacy of philosophical responses to the fundamental question, “What Is?” Special attention will be given to Aristotle, Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche.

PHIL 312 - (P) Modern Philosophy III

3 cr.

A study of 19th-century European philosophers such as Hegel, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Marx. We will consider the place of philosophy in history and society, the theme of conflict in life and thought, and the simultaneous spread and decay of humanism in Europe.

PHIL 313 - (P) Philosophy and Friendship

3 cr.

An historical survey of primary texts which discuss friendship. Readings in the course include authors of the ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary periods in the history of philosophy. Some of these authors are, Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, de Montaigne, Bacon, Kant, Emerson, Nietzsche, Gray, Arendt and Sartre.

PHIL 314 - (P,D,W) Philosophy and the City

3 cr.

This course explores philosophical issues connected to urban and public policy. Students will analyze the relationship between philosophy and public life and will develop a deeper understanding of their own relation to the city and their roles as citizens.

PHIL 315 - (P) Twentieth-Century Political Philosophy

3 cr.

This course is a survey of recent social and political theory dealing with issues such as human rights, ethnicity in the nation-state, bio-environmental and security challenges to political sovereignty, and the implications of globalization for technology, the function of media and the role of the market.

PHIL 316 - (P,W) American Perspectives on Health-Care Ethics

3 cr.

This course will consider basic ethical issues in the practice and distribution of health care in the United States. Topics covered will include the physician-patient relationship, clinical issues such as transplants or end-of-life concerns, the nature of professionalism, just distribution, ethics in health-care institutions, and biomedical research. Recommended for those interested in the health-care professions.

PHIL 317 - (P) American Philosophy

3 cr.

This course surveys currents of philosophy rooted in North America, with emphasis on Transcendentalism, Pragmatism, and Native American Thought. Authors may include Emerson, Pierce, James, Dewey, and Black Elk.

PHIL 318 - (P) Sex, Love, and God: Augustine and His Philosophy

3 cr.

St. Augustine of Hippo is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Western history of philosophy.  His influence reaches far beyond the Christian tradition and has impacted the thinking of such noted thinkers as Rene Descartes, Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Marion, and others.  This course will examine some central themes of Augustine’s thought while paying special attention to his struggle as a young man riddled with existential anxiety and how he matured as a thinker and a person in his understanding of faith and reason, the meaning of human community and its relation to God, and the tension and the complexity surrounding the issues of embodiment, sexuality, and the sexes.  Arendt’s existential interpretation of Augustine and the contemporary feminist appropriations of his view on women and sexuality will also be explored.

PHIL 319 - (P) Philosophy of Law

3 cr.

A study of the various justifications of law and their implications. Special consideration will be given to the problems of civil disobedience and the force of law in private institutions.

PHIL 320 - (P) Aesthetics

3 cr.

The main theories of the essential character of beauty or art, how they are judged, how they are related to the mind and the whole person, how they are created and how this creativity expresses a commitment to oneself and to the world. (May be used for Art History minor.)

PHIL 321 - (P) Great Books in Philosophy

3 cr.

This course consists of a careful examination of an important text in the history of philosophy. Attention will also be paid to the selected text’s historical significance as well as to its relevance to contemporary philosophical debates. The text examined may vary from semester to semester, and may be drawn from such authors as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Mill, Kierkegarde, Nietzsche, Moore, Ross, Ayer, Stevenson, Rawls, Smart, Williams, Finnis, Grisez, and MacIntyre. This course may be repeated by students as the text changes from semester to semester.

PHIL 322J - Philosophy of Conscience

3 cr.

Studies the role of conscience in moral judgment and considers its metaphorical and narrative elements. Explores the difference between clarity and community, truth and wisdom, principle and prudence as we study possible links between conscience, reason, eros, imagination and education in some of the works of Plato, Kant and Marx.

PHIL 323 - (P) Natural Law: True Guide or Grave Error?

3 cr.

(Prerequisites: Completion of Philosophy/Theology GE requirements)
This course will consist of a careful examination of Natural Law, perhaps the most enduring theory in the history of moral thought.  The arguments of both its proponents and its critics will be examined as we consider whether objective moral truths are discernable in the nature of things and, if so, how these truths might be action-guiding for us today.

PHIL 325 - (P) Literature and Ethics

3 cr.

This course examines the “old quarrel between philosophy and literature,” the dispute between Plato and Ancient Athenian poets regarding the best and truest source of moral knowledge, and examines the impact of this quarrel on contemporary moral theory and practice.

PHIL 326 - (P,D) Advanced Topics in Feminist Philosophy

PHIL 327 - Readings in the Later Plato

3 cr.

A survey and contextualization of the dialogues usually said to be “Later” in Plato’s intellectual development will precede a textually based examination of those dialogues in which Plato’s dialectic turns on the “concept” of difference. Thaetetus, Sophist, and Parmenides will be emphasized.

PHIL 328 - (P) Philosophy of Literature

3 cr.

This course examines the nature of literature, and its relation to philosophy and political life. Students will study both classical texts on literature and contemporary Anglo-American examinations and appropriations of them, as well as recent European literary theory.

PHIL 329 - (P) Advanced Topics in Biomedical Ethics

PHIL 330 - (P) Philosophy of Crowds and Violence

3 cr.

At trial Socrates asserts ‘friendship with wisdom’ in the face of an angry crowd, making the question of crowds and violence a founding one for philosophy.  PHIL 330 revisits this question after a century of novel self-assertions by crowds as agents of history armed, finally, with weaponized social media.

PHIL 331 - (P) Feminist Philosophy of Science

3 cr.

A feminist critique of both the alleged value-free character of modern science and the positivist philosophy of science supporting this view. The course thus focuses on feminist arguments for the contextual, i.e., social, political and economic, nature of science and the resulting need to rethink such key concepts as objectivity, evidence, and truth in light of androcentrism and gender bias. Consideration is also given to critical responses from feminist and nonfeminist defenders of more traditional accounts of science.

PHIL 333 - (P) The Seven Deadly Sins

3 cr.

A conceptual and moral-psychological analysis of pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, gluttony and sloth. The works of such philosophers from the history of philosophy as Aristotle, Aquinas, and Spinoza will be considered as well as contemporary thinkers in philosophy, theology, psychology, and sociology.

PHIL 334 - (P) Hannah Arendt: Human Existence

3 cr.

Examines Hannah Arendt’s twentieth-century political thought in the broader context of her philosophy of human existence.  Topics include history, revolution, totalitarianism, technology, thinking, conscience, and the banality of evil.

PHIL 335 - (P, W) Philosophy of Interpretation

3 cr.

This course explores twentieth century theory of interpretation or hermeneutics. It deals with the interpretation of texts and with methods of understanding that allow for the emergence of meaning. It examines the philosophies of such thinkers as Heidegger, Gadamer, Derrida, Ricoeur, and Kearney.

PHIL 336 - (P) Religion After God

3 cr.

This course considers the question of the possibility of religious experience and the idea of God as it is explored in contemporary phenomenology and hermeneutics, in the wake of the “death of God” and the “demise of metaphysics.” It studies the thought of such thinkers as Ricoeur, Heidegger, Levinas, Marion, Chretien, and Henry.

PHIL 337 - (P) The Art of Living

3 cr.

A philosophy survey course in which issues of perennial and contemporary human concern are addressed by way of a study of contemporary thinkers and texts that bring the History of Philosophy into conversation with and to bear on analyses of such matters as, forgiveness, commitment, illness, deception, love, work, hope, distraction, money, fame, well-being, personal identity, death, science and sport.

PHIL 339 - (P) Philosophy of the Person

3 cr.

This course will investigate the nature of the person and conditions for personhood. Such concepts as human being, soul, self, ego, consciousness, substance, mind, rationality, intentionality, sentience and reciprocity will be examined. Questions about self-same personal identity, divine personhood and the personhood of animals will be addressed.

PHIL 340 - (P,D) Philosophy and Judaism

3 cr.

A study of several Jewish thinkers who lived and wrote in the context of two “endings”: the end of European Jewry in the Holocaust and the end of the Jewish Diaspora through the creation of Israel.

PHIL 341J - The Subject & Medieval Thought

3 cr.

Using Umberto Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose as a guide, along with primary medieval texts, this course investigates the rise of the subject as the focal point of medieval metaphysics, epistemology, and political theory.  We will trace the historical development of our modern notion of the subject and subjectivity as rooted in medieval debates.

PHIL 350 - (P) Science, God, Philosophy

3 cr.

The purpose of this course is to engage in a critical examination of a recent movement in philosophy known as “naturalism.” Naturalism appeals to the natural sciences to reject non-natural or transcendent entities such as God.  Readings include works by contemporary naturalists, but then also those, such as Alvin Plantinga, who reject naturalism on philosophical grounds.

Offered alternate years.

PHIL 401J - Philosophy, Politics, Economics

3 cr.

This course explores the philosophical underpinnings of and relationship between politics (democracy) and economics (free-market capitalism) and uses this understanding to reflect on what it means to be a citizen of the United States and the world as well as a man or woman for and with others.

PHIL 410 - (P) Philosophy of Culture

3 cr.

Examines the meaning of the term “culture.” Explores the notions of civilization and barbarism, common principles in cultural development, and the interaction of such cultural forces as myth, magic, language, art, religion, science, and technology. Special attention will be given to the question of “progress” and “regress” in culture.

PHIL 411 - (P) Thomas Aquinas: Philosophy and Controversy

3 cr.

PHIL 411 is a contextual study of Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy, a great thinker in the 13th century. Selections from his metaphysics, ethics, and anthropology will be examined. His dispute with the Averroists on the status of the intellect, the condemnation of some propositions of his in 1277, and his later canonization in 1323 will also be discussed.

PHIL 412J - (P) Art and Metaphysics

3 cr.

The course utilizes the work of Martin Heidegger as well as several contemporary American novels to explore the philosophical problem of nihilism as it manifests itself today in the relationship between modern technology and art. Special attention is given to modern architecture.

PHIL 413J - The End of Philosophy

PHIL 414 - (D,P) Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas

3 cr.

This course is a study of the twentieth-century Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas.  We will focus on Levinas’ theory of ethical experience, an account that takes its categories from both Greek and Hebrew sources, thereby enriching the dialogue between Jewish and Christian traditions in philosophy.

PHIL 415 - (P,W) Nietzsche

3 cr.

This course is an in-depth study of the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche.  It treats a number of his works in chronological order and delves into his views on ontology, epistemology, God, time, value, and morality.

PHIL 418 - (P) Phenomenology

3 cr.

An introduction to this 20th-century European movement through selected works of Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty. Topics include the nature of the self, lived experience, history, social reality, sense perception, technology and science, space and time, the lived body, and the theory of intentionality.

PHIL 419 - (P,D) Philosophy East and West

3 cr.

This course brings non-Western philosophy and philosophers into a dialogue with Western philosophy and philosophers on major philosophical topics.

PHIL 420 - (P) Philosophy of Rhetoric

3 cr.

A systematic investigation of the form, meaning and influence of rhetoric. Explores the relationships between topic and metaphor, logic and narration, ethos and logos, conscience and persuasion. Special attention is given to the various relationships between rhetoric and philosophy.

PHIL 425 - (P) Postmodern Philosophy

3 cr.

An examination of the transition from modernist culture and thought to postmodernist culture and thought. Derrida’s method of deconstruction will serve as the paradigm example of postmodernism. Recommended for those interested especially in literature and fine arts.