Philospophy Course Descriptions

Elementary Courses

153 Introduction to Philosophy (3). F and S, core. A one semester introduction to philosophy which aims to give the student a Christian philosophical framework, along with some awareness of important alternative philosophical perspectives. Staff.

171 Introduction to Logic (3). F and S. A course in elementary deductive and inductive logic with emphasis upon the use of logic in evaluating arguments. Suitable for firstyear students; not recommended for students aiming toward graduate study of philosophy. Mr. D. Ratzsch.

173 Introduction to Symbolic Logic (3). S. A course in elementary symbolic logic, including some modal logic. This course is recommended especially for science and mathematics majors, and for those intending to study philosophy on the graduate level. Open to qualified firstyear students. Mr. S. Wykstra.

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Intermediate Systematic Courses
All intermediate courses presuppose one course in philosophy and (after 153) satisfy core.

201 Philosophy of Social Science (3). F. A study of philosophical problems arising out of the methods and results of the social sciences.

202 Law, Politics, and Legal Practice (3). S. A consideration of such topics as: the nature and types of law; sources of law; and the basis of a legal system, of legal and political authority, of obedience to law, and of human rights.

203 Understanding Natural Science: Its Nature, Status, Limits (3). S. A study of philosophical problems arising out of the methods and results
of the physical sciences. Mr. D. Ratzsch, Mr. S. Wykstra.

204 God and Philosophy (3). S. A study of some philosophical questions arising from religious belief. Mr. K. Clark.

205 Ethics (3). F. A course designed to deal both historically and situationally with the persistent problems of the moral life. Mr. J. Hare.

207 Justice and the Common Good: Studies in Political Philosophy (3). F. A historically-oriented study of the problems of social and political thought, with emphasis on political and social ideals such as justice; equality and the law; the basis of authority; rights and obligations. Mr. D. Hoekema.

208 Philosophy of the Arts and Culture (3). F and S. A study of the nature of art and aesthetic judgments. Mr. D. Hoekema, Mr. J.K.A. Smith.

209 Philosophy of Education (3). S. A study of the nature, aims, and principles of education. Mr. G. Mellema.

211 Philosophy of Gender (3). F. A study of the ways in which feminist theory and the newer "men's studies" interact with traditional topics in philosophy. Particular attention will be paid to research and theory concerning men's vs. women's moral reasoning, questions about group vs. individual rights, feminist theorizing on human nature and the nature of knowledge, and the impact of gendered theorizing on religious thought. Ms. R. Groenhout, Ms. Christina Van Dyke.

215 Business Ethics (3). F. A systematic examination of ethical concepts as they relate to business conduct, designed to be of interest to all students who are concerned about justice and fairness in the marketplace. Issues such as discrimination and affirmative action, the ethics of advertising, protection of the environment, responsibilities of employees to the firm and the firm to employees, and the rights of other stakeholder groups will be examined in the light of current debates in ethical theory. Mr. G. Mellema.

218 Minds, Brains, and Persons (3). S. An introduction to contemporary analytic philosophy of mind. Central topics include the relation between mental states and the brain, the nature of consciousness, questions of identity. Mr. K. Corcoran.

225 Chinese Thought and Culture (4). S. A study of the relationships among Chinese philosophy, art, social life, and society, examining the expressions of Chinese thought in the writings of Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and Mao-Tse Tung. Staff.

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Intermediate Historical Courses
All intermediate courses presuppose one course in philosophy and (after 153) satisfy core.

251 History of Philosophy I (3). F and S. A survey of the major Western philosophers and philosophical movements of the ancient and medieval periods. Ms. R. DeYoung, Ms. C. Van Dyke.

252 History of Philosophy II (3). F and S. A survey of some of the major Western philosophers and philosophical movements from the seventeenth century to the present. A continuation of 251, which is a recommended preparation. Mr. D. Billings, Mr. L. Hardy.

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Advanced Historical Courses
All advanced courses presuppose two or more philosophy courses, or one philosophy course plus junior or senior standing. All satisfy core (after 153).

312 Plato and Aristotle (3). F. Advanced study of Plato and Aristotle.

322 St. Thomas Aquinas (3).F. An intensive study of selected passages from Aquinas' Summa Theologiae dealing with the topics of God, human knowledge, and virtue. Ms. R. De Young.

331 Kant (3). F. A study of the Critique of Pure Reason. Mr. L. Hardy.

333 Kierkegaard (3). S. A study of selected philosophical works of Kierkegaard, focusing primarily on his philosophy of religion. Mr. M. Rempel.

334 Marx and Marxism (3). S. A critical study of the thought of Karl Marx and his most important interpreters. Not offered 1998­99.

335 Nineteenth Century Philosophy (3). A study of some major figures in nineteenth Continental philosophy.

336 Studies in Modern Philosophy (3). S. A study of major European rationalist thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Mr. L. Hardy.

340 Contemporary Continental Philosophy (3). S. A study of major European figures in postmodern thought such as Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault, and Derrida. Mr. L. Hardy, Mr. J.K.A. Smith.

341 Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy (3). F. An indepth study of some of the major figures and schools of twentieth century AngloAmerican philosophy, beginning with the birth of analytic philosophy in the works of Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Mr. K. Clark, Mr. J. Hare.

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Advanced Systematic Courses

365 Ethical Theory (3). S. An examination of the concepts of moral obligation and moral responsibility, with special emphasis upon collective responsibility, supererogation, and the divine command theory. Ms. R. De Young, Mr. J. Hare.

371 Epistemology (3). F. A study of the nature, sources, types, and limits of human knowledge. Mr. S. Wykstra.

375 Philosophical Anthropology (3). S. A critical examination of major philosophical discussions of the nature of human existence, with special attention to selected topics such as gender, culture, society, mind, and body.

378 Philosophy of Language and Interpretation (3). F. A study of the nature and sources of language, and of the most prominent theories and methods of interpretation. Special attention will be given to the basis in philosophies of language for recent controversies in linguistics and literary criticism. Mr. J.K.A. Smith.

381 Advanced Logic (3). Topics include the formalization of propositional and quantificational logic. Taught jointly with the Mathematics Department and also listed as Mathematics 381.

383 Metaphysics (3). S. A study of selected topics of metaphysics. Mr. K. Corcoran.

390 Readings and Research. F, I, S. Prerequisite: permission of chair. Staff.

395 Philosophy Seminar (4). F. An advanced seminar on topics of current interest in philosophy, culminating in the preparation and presentation of a research paper. Prerequisite: three courses in philosophy. Staff.

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Graduate Courses

501 The Educational Enterprise: A Philosophical Perspective (3). F, summer. An examination of factors presently operative in the educational enterprise from the perspective of the history of Western philosophy. Mr. G. Mellema.

590 Independent Study (graduate). F, I, S. Staff.

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