Philosophy Course Catalog

PHIL – 101: Philosophy and the Human Being (3 credits)

An introduction to philosophy focusing on various themes pertaining to human existence. The subjects treated include knowledge, community, beauty, love, freedom, justice. Also examined are questions concerning body and the soul, the meaning of life and death, and the individual’s relation to God. The figure of Socrates is prominent, but philosophers from a variety of historical periods and traditions are also studied. (ATTR: ARTS, CDP)

All students are required to take PHIL – 101 in fulfillment of the college Core Disciplinary Requirement.

PHIL-101 is the prerequisite for all other courses in philosophy except logic courses.

The department recommends that this course be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

PHIL – 150: Basic Logic (3 credits)
Students will be introduced to informal logical techniques and the analysis of arguments. The course stresses critical thinking, the recognition and construction of valid arguments, the identification of mistakes in reasoning. Practice is stressed, including skills relevant to standardized testing, e.g. LSAT and GRE. (ATTR: ARTS, PLG)

PHIL – 155: Symbolic Logic (3 credits)
Introduces the techniques and results of modern formal logic. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of arguments in propositional and quantificational logic. Philosophical problems discussed include existential import, material implication, and applications of logic to other fields. (ATTR: ARTS, PLG)

PHIL – 202: Philosophy and Reality  (3 credits)
This course extends and widens the scope of philosophy presented in PHIL—101. It deals with what are called “ultimate questions,” including the nature of reality and the existence of an absolute being (God). (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 210: Ethics (3 credits)
A philosophical study of ethical questions such as, how are we to live? What kind of people should we become? Typically examines virtue ethics, Kantianism, natural law theory, justice and rights theories, utilitarianism. Applies theories to contemporary moral and political concerns. (ATTR: ARTS, CAP, HSMR, ISP)

PHIL – 220: Philosophies of Love (3 credits)
This course examines an idea that has fascinated philosophers for all time. The subject of love will be studied historically, with readings from ancient, modern, and contemporary sources. Literature and films may be used along with philosophical texts. (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 230: The Democratic Idea (3 credits)
This course examines an important idea in political philosophy, that of democracy. It does this both by studying the idea as it manifests itself in various epochs of the history of philosophy, and by exploring controversial questions in contemporary democratic theory. (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 240: Philosophy of Art (3 credits)
This course examines works of art from several perspectives: What is the meaning of art? What does art tell us about human existence? What is the relationship between art and society? Examples will be drawn from the various arts: painting, sculpture, dance, motion pictures, music, literature, and architecture. Thinkers typically considered are: Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Aquinas, Kant, Freud, Tolstoy, Langer, Collingwood, Hegel, and Dewey.  (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 260: Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)
An examination of fundamental questions about the nature and significance of religion. Central issues to be studied: religion as reasonable form of life, religious skepticism, pluralism in religion, arguments for the existence of God, the impact of science on religious belief, the place of ritual and symbolism in human life, religious language. Traditional and contemporary texts will be read.  (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 270: Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
This course provides a general introduction to philosophical questions concerning law. Among these questions are: Why does law exist? Can laws be broken morally? Why should anyone obey laws? What kinds of laws are there and how do they differ from rules and regulations? What makes punishing criminals right? These issues will be examined through a variety of writings from great historical figures like Plato, Aquinas, Locke, and Mill, and contemporaries like Hart and Dworkin. (ATTR: ARTS, CAP, JMN)

PHIL – 285: Philosophy and the Feminine (3 credits)
This course focuses on the question of the feminine and how it has been represented by past and present philosophers. It explores issues of the definition of the body, sex, gender, desire, family, and reproduction. It investigates how the representations of the feminine offered by traditional and contemporary philosophers relate to their theorization of topics such as the self, identity, morality, science, religion, beauty. (ATTR: ARTS, WSTU)

PHIL – 290: Greek and Roman Philosophy (3 credits)
The philosophy of the Greeks and Romans. Main figures: Pre- Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Epicurus, and the Stoics. Prerequisite: PHIL—101. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 294: Early Modern Philosophy (3 credits)
European philosophy of the early modern period. Main figures are Descartes, Locke, Hume, Leibniz, and Kant. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 300: Philosophy and Knowledge (3 credits)
A philosophical study of human knowing: its possibility, justification, foundation, limits, and definability. An examination of skepticism, dogmatism, empiricism, rationalism, and theories of truth, certainty, and probability. Readings range from Greek to contemporary philosophers, emphasizing the modern period. (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 310: Genetic Explosion and its Moral Implications (3 credits)
An interdisciplinary course integrating scientific and moral dimensions of the world. The course examines the present state of genetic knowledge, moral issues raised by present and future eugenic proposals, and the source and meaning of the ethics that ought to govern all human solutions. (ATTR: ARTS, HSMR)

PHIL – 320: Philosophy of Nature (3 credits)
Examination of the idea of nature in historical and contemporary perspective, including theories of humanity’s place in and transformation of the natural world. Some points of emphasis are the legacy of ancient cosmology, the development of the scientific view of nature, modern technology, and current ecological theory. (Same as ENVA— 320.) (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 330: Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
This course examines various aspects of science from a philosophical perspective. Typical issues include how to adjudicate between competing scientific theories, questions of methodology and objectivity, how theories change over time, and how science is related to culture, art, and religion. Thinkers to be considered include Descartes, Wittgenstein, Hempel, Popper, and Kuhn. (ATTR: ARTS, CAP)

PHIL – 333: Special Topics in Philosophy (3 credits)
Explores areas and topics not covered in the regular philosophy offerings. Subject matters will be provided in the official announcements that precede registration. This course may be taken more than once with different content. (An additional fee may be required, depending on the topic offered.) (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 342: Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)
The philosophy of the Medieval period. Main figures are St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Duns Scotus.  (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 346: Late Modern Philosophy (3 credits)
European philosophy of the late modern period. Main figures are Hegel, Marx, Mill, Comte, and Nietzsche. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 348: Existentialism (3 credits)
The philosophy of 20th century Existentialism and its 19th century origins. Main figures are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Jaspers, Sartre, and Marcel.  (ATTR: ARTS, CAP, PHY)

PHIL – 350: Philosophical Influences on Theology (3 credits)
A survey of selected philosophers and philosophical schools of thought and their influence on Christian Theology, Christian beliefs and practices. Selection will generally follow a time period, e.g. Ancient, Modern, Contemporary. This course may be repeated for credit when the selected material differs. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 400: Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy (3 credits)
The philosophy of the 20th century in England and America. Main figures are Moore, Russell, Wittgenstein, Carnap, Ayer, Ryle, Austin, Strawson, and Quine. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 420: Classic American Philosophy (3 credits)
American philosophers of the classic period. Main figures are Peirce, James, Dewey, Royce, Santayana, and Whitehead.  (ATTR: AMSC, ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 440: Phenomenology (3 credits)
The 20th century European philosophical movement dedicated to the descriptive analysis of the fundamental features of conscious experience. Main figures are Husserl, Heidegger, Scheler, and Merleau-Ponty. (ATTR: ARTS, PHY)

PHIL – 450: Great Figures in Philosophy (3 credits)
This course is devoted to the study of individual thinkers whose work has contributed to shape the Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.  Based on primary texts, its goal is to reconstruct the genesis of key ideas, the lines of continuity and rupture in the corpus of a single author, and the impact those have had on other thinkers. Samples of possible figures include Confucius, Parmenides, Aristotle, Plotinus, Spinoza, Kant, Nietzche, Kierkegaard, Marx, Wittgenstein, Levinas, etc.  Students may take this course for credit more than once if the content differs. (ATTR:ARTS)

PHIL – 490: Seminar (3 credits)
Either a special philosophical problem, a philosophical tradition, or the works of an individual philosopher will be selected for intensive study, with special emphasis on primary sources. (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 491: Symposium on Living Philosophers (2 credits)
A yearlong seminar extending through the Fall and Spring semesters and focusing on the work of a major contemporary philosopher.  The course is taught by a team of Siena faculty and includes the regular participation of an external scholar, a Lecture Series open to the public, and visitations by the invited philosopher that culuminate in a Panel Discussion.  Students are expected to produce a substantive research paper, give oral presentations, and belong to a community of research with facutly. The course entails four credits (two credits repeatable one time for full credit) and can be counted as the seminar requirement towards majoring in philosophy.  Permission of the Program Director is required to participate.  The Symposium may be taken more than once for credit.  (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 495: Directed Research (1 - 3 credits)
A qualified student, with the approval of a faculty mentor and the department, may work under close supervision to join a research project conducted by a faculty member. Participating in research will include activities such as the following: conducting extensive library research, providing annotated summaries, attending local colloquia, reviewing manuscripts. Students will be required to keep a log of their activities and to prepare a narrative report upon completion of the semester. This course can be taken only on a pass/fail basis. (ATTR: ARTS)

PHIL – 499: Independent Study (1 - 3 credits)
Senior Philosophy majors work independently on a topic of special interest with the approval of an instructor and the department. The topic will be pursued through private discussion, independent reading, an extensive written report, and an oral examination by two members of the department. (ATTR: ARTS)