PHIL2010: Introduction to Philosophy
Credits 3A study of the major problems with which philosophy deals and an introduction to the major philosophers of the Western world. Students will be introduced to critical thinking and writing.
Philosophy
Courses
PHIL2020: Ethics
Credits 3An introduction to the concept of good, involving a study of the major ethical theories of the West and their applications to contemporary moral problems.
PHIL2030: Quest for the Good Life
Credits 3In Quest for the Good Life, you'll have the opportunity to wrestle with the big questions about how to live and what makes your life meaningful. The course tackles such issues as personal identity (who am I?), how do I know what I know, what moral obligations do I have, how can I live a purposeful life, what does the good life look like and what sacrifices should I make for others? We will learn what the Greats like Aristotle, Plato, and Descartes have to say about how to live well. We'll reason through real-world case studies where philosophical considerations underlie major business and life decisions. We will talk in small intensive dialogue groups and in large, raucous debates about how we answer these questions.
PHIL3010: Deconstructing the Western Mind
Credits 3A chronological study of the foundations of Western thought from the early Greeks through the medieval period, concentrating on the primary source material from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas.
PHIL3020: Systems of the World
Credits 3A survey of the major philosophers of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries with special consideration for the influence of their thought upon the modern world.
PHIL3080: Critical Reasoning
Credits 3An introduction to the science of logic and reasoning, including both deductive and inductive reasoning processes. Basic concepts such as validity, soundness, strength, and argument evaluation will be covered. The course will also cover fallacies (both formal and informal), truth trees, biases within argumentation, and symbolic logic.
PHIL3094: Special Topics in Philosophy
Credits 1 3An examination of a specific area in philosophy. Topics will be announced as the course is scheduled and may include: applied ethical theory, philosophy of education, philosophy of logic, philosophy of nature, etc.
PHIL3410: Philosophy and Literature of Existentialism
Credits 3A study of the major concepts of existential philosophy along with the literary styles that are used by the major existential thinkers. The study will include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Tillich, and Buber. (See THEO3410.)
PHIL3520: Philosophy of Science
Credits 3A survey of the major theories in epistemology as they relate to scientific and philosophical investigation. The primary objective is to enhance the interdisciplinary dialogue taking place at the interface between science and philosophy. The course will also focus on some of the ethical and metaphysical implications of current scientific investigation.
PHIL3600: Clinical Ethics
Credits 3A review of the traditional theories of and the contemporary ethical applications to health care. The focus is the integration of ethical responsibility and the medical environment. Theorists and practitioners will contribute insight about methodology and motives that determine decisions made in modern medical care.
PHIL3620: Science and Christian Faith
Credits 3The primary objective of the course is to enhance the interdisciplinary dialogue taking place between science and theology. To accomplish this, the course will explore several core scientific theories (cosmology and the big bang, macroevolution, and quantum physics) and how these theories impact Christian theology. Key questions undergirding the course are: How does modern science aid the theological process? How has Christian faith aided the rise of modern science? How does modern science challenge some theological views? What are the limits of natural science in relation to the Christian faith? (See THEO3620.)
PHIL3700: Political Philosophy
Credits 3This course is designed to introduce you to the history of political thought. This course seeks out the truths discovered in political thought, truths about human nature and governance. In reading, answering questions and writing, you will critically examine the tenets of the philosophers; in doing so, you will develop a better understanding of the world we live in and its history; you will learn to respect the depth of the ideas surrounding political discourse; and you will recognize basic social structures that seem to be present in every ‘polis’. Finally, your own self-understanding should develop as you recognize yourself as an integral part of a larger political body, with roots in the ideals of previous centuries.
PHIL4210: Relativity and Disaster
Credits 3A survey of the philosophers of the 20th century and the trends in natural, social, and political science that have impacted their thought. Both the analytic and continental streams of thought will be addressed with special attention given to positivism, existentialism, linguistic analysis, and postmodernism.
PHIL4430: Metaphysics
Credits 3An investigation of the ultimate philosophical commitments about reality. Topics selected may include the basic constituents of ontology, the nature of space and time, causality, freedom and the self. Representative figures in the history of philosophy may be considered and analyzed.
PHIL4520: Experiencing God
Credits 3A constructive study of religious claims, thoughts, and practices from the philosophic point of view. Special attention is given to problems such as: the idea of God, immortality, evil, freedom and determinism.
PHIL4900: Philosophy Capstone
Credits 1A course designed to bring to completion a student's NNU education, with an eye toward philosophical integration of the student's entire study. The course will involve systematic reflection of university outcomes and will seek to further refine a student's ability to read and write philosophy.
PHIL4980: Seminar in Philosophy
Credits 3A study of topics will be announced as the course is scheduled and could include: personality, social philosophy, philosophy of science, and aesthetics. May be repeated for credit.
PHIL4990: Philosophy and Aesthetics
Credits 3A senior level capstone course integrating philosophy and the visual arts. Students will gain a working knowledge of basic theories in aesthetics with an aim to understanding assessment of the visual arts. The culminating project will include a piece of group artwork displaying robust synthesis of aesthetic theory and basic art practice. The project will include a ten-page paper articulating the group's process.