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Department of Philosophy
Ronnie Littlejohn (chair), Mike Awalt, Ginger Osborn

Vision:

The Belmont Philosophy Department is a community of learners that invites its students to join in the active pursuit of philosophical thinking and the exploration of profound philosophical questions raised in the tradition as part of the quest for an enriched life.

Purpose:

The study of philosophy contributes to an enlightened understanding of the fundamental beliefs which guide thought and action, thereby helping one construct an enriched and humane life. Philosophical studies also form an excellent preamble to careers in law, theology, business, and politics, as well as the scholarly fields which depend upon extraordinary critical reflection. For students interested in advanced study in philosophy, the department has a fine record of placing students in highly recognized graduate programs across the nation.

Goals:

Note: Majors and minors in Philosophy must take PHI 160 as part of their B.A. or B.S. core requirements.

Philosophy and the General Education Core Requirements

The following courses will meet the general education core humanities requirement: PHI 1510, PHI 1520, PHI 1600, PHI 2310, PHI 2330, PHI 2340, PHI 2350, PHI 2950, PHI 3200, and PHI 3950.

The following courses are not approved for the general education core humanities requirement: PHI 1990, PHI 2250, PHI 2350, PHI 2990, PHI 3110, PHI 3150, PHI 3160, PHI 3220, PHI 3330, PHI 3990, PHI 4050, PHI, 4100, PHI 4250, PHI 4400, PHI 4900, PHI 4990.

Courses with the HUM prefix can count toward the philosophy major or minor with approval of the philosophy faculty.

Introductory Courses (PHI)

Any one of these 3 courses will meet the core curriculum requirement. They will also count as elective credit toward a major in philosophy.

PHI 1510. Logic (3). This course seeks to develop the student’s ability to recognize, evaluate and create arguments. The goals of the course are to sharpen critical thinking skills, to enhance the ability to make informed decisions, and to focus on the practical effects of critical thinking in everyday experience. This course may have both traditional classroom sections and distant learning sections.

PHI 1520. Ethics (3). This course offers a philosophical description of moral practice and an analysis of the theoretical questions which arise from the study.

PHI 1600. Introduction to Philosophy (3). This course is an introduction to philosophy, its questions, topics and issues. .

History of Philosophy Courses (PHI)

PHI 2330. History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval (3). A critical study of selected works in the history of ancient and medieval philosophy from the Pre-Socrates to William of Occam. Some of the major philosophers who will be studied are Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas.

PHI 2340. History of Philosophy: Modern (3). Prerequisite: PHI 233. A critical study of selected works in the history of modern philosophy from the breakup of scholasticism to the end of the nineteenth century. Some of the major philosophers who will be studied are Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant and Hegel.

PHI 2350. History of Philosophy: Contemporary (3). Prerequisite: PHI 233 and PHI 234. A critical study of selected works in the history of contemporary philosophy from reaction to Hegelian philosophy to neo-Pragmatism and Deconstructionism. Some of the major philosophers who will be studied are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Mill, Heidegger, Sartre, Carnap, Russell, Moore, Derrida, Foucault, Wittgenstein, James, Rorty.

Philosophers and Philosophical Movements (PHI)

PHI 3220. Existentialism and Phenomenology (3). Prerequisite: PHI 2350 or permission of instructor. The study of the basic thinkers, themes, and contemporary directions of Phenomenology and Existential thought. Some of the major thinkers covered will include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Gadamer, and Derrida. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 3330. Analytical Philosophy (3). Prerequisite: PHI 2350 or permission of instructor. A survey of the themes and figures associated with the contemporary shift in philosophy toward issues of logical and linguistic concern. Attention is given to Realism (Moore); Logical Analysis (Russell); Positivism (Carnap, Ayer); Ordinary Language (Wittgenstein); and Conceptual Analysis (Ryle and Austin). The actual philosophers studied may vary. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 4050. American Philosophy (3). A study of major American philosophers (i.e. Dewey, James, Santayana, Quine, Rorty) of the 19th and 20th centuries. The major emphasis will be on Pragmatism, American Analytical philosophy, and recent Post-Analytical thought. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 4080. Philosophies of China (3). This course is an overview of the thinkers and movements which have shaped philosophical reflection in China from classical to the modern period. Texts and thinkers which are studied in the course vary with each offering. Sometimes the focus is on classical texts (Yi Jing; the Zhongyong; Laozi; Lun Yu; Zhuangzi; the Mencius; the Xunzi; Zhu Xi), and other times it is on contemporary work (e.g., Boston Confucianism and the New Confucians), still other emphases are tradition directed: Confucian tradition; Taoist tradition; Buddhist tradition; Contemporary Social Philosophy in China.

PHI 4100. Wittgenstein (3). In this course, students study the philosophical writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein and make assessments of his contribution to the story of philosophy. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 4250. Contemporary Continental Philosophy (3). Prerequisite: PHI 2350 or permission of instructor. A careful reading of the work of one or two major continental philosophical thinkers from the late 19th and 20th centuries. Possible candidates for consideration include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, and Derrida. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

Topical Philosophy Courses (PHI)

PHI 2250. Applied Ethics (3). This course focuses on the ethical analysis of topics of major current interest in the arenas of business; medicine; media; sports; law; environment; race, gender and ethnicity; sexual ethics and orientation; animal rights; politics and public policy; and criminal justice. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 3110. Moral Theory (3). An in-depth analysis of key theoretical issues arising from a study of moral practice. The content varies among topics such as Comparative Moral Theory and Practice, The Origins of Morality, and Moral Themes in Literature.

PHI 2310. Philosophy of Religion (3). A philosophical investigation of the nature of religion. Special attention is given to contemporary problems associated with such concepts as God, faith, immortality, and the nature of religious language.

PHI 3110. Moral Theory (3). An in-depth analysis of key theoretical issues arising from a study of moral practice. The content varies among topics such as Comparative Moral Theory and Practice, The Origins of Morality, and Moral Themes in Literature. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 3150. Epistemology (3). Examines the skeptical impulse residing deep in the question, ÒHow do you know?Ó from antiquity to the present in an attempt to discover the relationship between knowing (believing, certainty, understanding) and doubt. Study to include Pyrrhonian skeptics, Descartes, Polyani, Hume, and Max Black, among others. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 3160. Metaphysics (3). Study of four basic questions that puzzle philosophers: What is a self? (Who am I?) What is time? (How long do I have?) What is causality? (How did this happen?) What is reality? (Who are you?). Study to include Aristotle, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Plato, and Kant, among others. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 3200. Philosophy and Film (3). An examination of major American and European films as sources for philosophical discussion. Sometimes a particular philosophical work will be discussed in conjunction with a film portrayal of a similar item or issue (i.e. Kant's Ethics and High Noon, Kierkegaard's Diary of the Seducer and Dangerous Liaisons).

PHI 3260. Environmental Ethics (3). A study of how the principles of ethical theory can be applied to contemporary environmental controversies. The class will examine a variety of theoretical approaches to environmental ethics, comparing human-centered (anthropocentric), animal-centered (zoocentric), and nature-centered (biocentric/ecocentric) value systems and their philosophical foundations.

PHI 4200. Special Topics (3). A seminar devoted to selected topics determined by both faculty and student interest and announced at least one semester prior to its being offered. The course will be interdisciplinary in nature and will usually be team taught with someone from another discipline. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

Writings and Research Philosophy Courses (PHI)

PHI 1990-4990. Special Studies (1-3). Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement

PHI 2950-3950. Studies Abroad (3-12). Study in a foreign country. Individual course titles and locations are assigned for each course taken. See Studies Abroad program for details.

PHI 4400. Directed Studies (1-3). An individualized course in which a student develops an independent research or reading program in consultation with a philosophy instructor. Prior arrangement with the instructor is required. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.

PHI 4900. Senior Seminar in Philosophy (3). A seminar required of all Philosophy majors and minors. Does not fulfill general education humanities requirement.