Courses

This course introduces some of the major questions about existence and what it is to be human while providing some of the foundational philosophical responses to these questions. Topics to be discussed include: the relation between perception and knowledge (appearance and reality); the existence and nature of God; human freedom and determinism; the meaning of human existence; the nature of moral judgments; the mind-body problem; artificial intelligence; feminist philosophy; the problem of suffering; and whether humans are capable of selfless motivation. Students will be encouraged to interpret and reflect upon the meaning of the relation between reason and faith as the joint foundation for addressing these questions in a logical and ethical manner.

An historical overview of the western philosophical tradition from Socrates to the present day. Considerable discussion will be devoted to the distinct approaches of ancient, medieval, and modern thinkers to the relation between reason and faith. Additionally, there will be extensive attention devoted to the history of logical and ethical reasoning as we evaluate the impact of these ideas on the present day. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged not only to analyze but also interpret these ideas in a respectful yet critical manner.

A survey of the teachings of the great philosophers of the West, from the discovery of physics by the Pre-Socratics, to the culmination of medieval Scholasticism (i.e. in John of St. Thomas), with a special emphasis upon developments in the philosophy of religion.

An examination of key contributions to Greek philosophy, especially the writings of Plato and Aristotle. In the process of dialoguing about these ideas, we shall also study the importance of ancient Greek philosophy in the history of thought as well as the original intent of the philosophers in question with attention to their historic context. We shall also assess the enduring relevance of ancient Greek philosophy to the modern age.

A critical study of some of the most influential philosophies originating from South and East Asia, including but not limited to Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Students will analyze selected writings of significant Asian philosophers from these philosophical traditions, including both primary texts and commentaries, with a particular focus on metaphysics, philosophical anthropology, and ethics for the purpose of exploring and evaluating these authors’ approaches to philosophical questions about reality, happiness, wisdom, the soul, morality, and the Divine. Understanding the historical importance of these Asian philosophies will help students to evaluate their ongoing contributions to the contemporary world.

An introduction to the philosophy of society and law in Canada and around the world. In this exploration of the relation between society and the law, the first half of the course begins with an historic survey of the debates over the meaning of the law from antiquity to the present. The second half of the course reviews legal cases which have provoked, or are still provoking, debates over the meaning of law and society.

Through readings and class-discussion, this course introduces students to the foundational moral frameworks of western civilization and requires them to bring these frameworks to bear on some of the most important ethical issues arising in contemporary society: consumerism, technoculture, environmental ethics, responsibility to distant peoples, genetic engineering and cloning, and the promise and peril of nanotechnology.

This course explores questions such as: What is feminism? What are the main schools of feminist thought? What is patriarchy? What is gender and does it differ from sex? Are there only two sexes? Are there only two genders? What is homosexuality? What are the different views on how same-sex attraction arises? Do feminism and Christianity have convergent trajectories? Is there a place in the church for those from the LGBTQ community? What are the cultural forces that format the thinking about these questions?

This course explores philosophical issues in the West from the second to the 14th century, in particular the impact of Greek philosophy on the development of Christian thought. There are three natural stages of this interaction: 1) Defensive philosophy (apologetics): responses to rational objections brought to bear against Christianity; 2) Methodology: reflection on the interaction between faith and reason, and, in particular, the nature of theology as a science; and 3) Constructive philosophy: struggles from within over a systematic metaphysics and ethics. A central theme of the course is the role of the doctrine of creation in the image of God.