Learning Outcome: Demonstrate an understanding of philosophical questions and traditions.

Philosophical learning promotes informed reflection on various areas, topics, and figures in philosophy. Students should become familiar with influential philosophical questions, positions, and methods of inquiry, and they should develop intellectual attitudes that enable them to identify and assess implicit presuppositions, and to formulate and defend solutions to philosophical issues, including ethical issues.

Competencies: By way of example, Loyola graduates should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of major philosophical questions with careful attention to the historical and conceptual development of these questions and to the contributions they make to human understanding.
• Articulate some of the major problems and responses central to philosophical inquiry, including questions concerning truth and knowledge, reality, and moral values and social justice.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of philosophical inquiry for examining and assessing the theoretical foundations and assumptions underlying major disciplines of knowledge (such as, for example, in the areas of philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, and social and political philosophy).
• Demonstrate the ability to provide reasoned argument in support of their ideas, to assess judiciously the underlying assumptions of their positions, and to provide fair and reasonable evaluations of alternative positions.

 

Philosophical Knowledge Courses (2 courses required)

COMM 215: Ethics and Communication*

This course introduces students to the study of the ethical choices inherently involved in every intentional act of communication. Outcome: Students will be able to discern ethical communication issues, describe how moral principles play out in actual situations, and articulate and understand the thinking process in such matters.

PHIL 130: Philosophy and Persons

The course examines the way philosophy looks for fundamental characteristics that identify life as a properly human life, asks about its ultimate meaning or purpose, and raises questions about what counts as a good life. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches of the philosophical question of what it means to be human.

PHIL 181: Ethics*

This course is a general introduction to ethics or moral philosophy. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of criteria for chosing between conflicting ethical theories, moral disagreement, the justification of moral judgments, and the application of ethical standards to practical decision-making and ethical questions that arise in everyday life.

PHIL 182: Social and Political Philosophy*

This course will investigate one of the central questions of philosophy and social theory: how we, as human beings, should live together.  Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the major philosophical questions in the area of social philosophy with attention to the historical and conceptual development of these questions, and be able to articulate some of the major problems and responses central to this area of philosophy.

PHIL 262: Social and Political Philosophy* (Formerly PHIL 162)

This course will investigate one of the central questions of philosophy and social theory: how we, as human beings, should live together. Because it includes a service learning experience it satisfies the civic engagement core requirement. Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the major philosophical questions in the area of social philosophy with attention to the historical and conceptual development of these questions, and be able to articulate some of the major problems and responses central to this area of philosophy.

PHIL 264:  Health Care Ethics* (Formerly PHIL 164)

This course studies philosophical ethics as practiced in the health care setting. It includes a service learning experience and satisfies the Engaged Learning Core requirement. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of traditional moral theories in a health care framework, as well as the varieties of ethical challenges facing contemporary health care.

PHIL 267:  Aesthetics  (Formerly PHIL 167)

The course explores philosophical issues in aesthetics like the nature of art and beauty through, in part, service-learning in retirement communities and theaters, as examples. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of aesthetics and the value of leadership development and civic engagement.

PHIL 271: Philosophy of Religion (Formerly PHIL 171)

This course explores the development, not only of some classic positions within the philosophy of religion, but also of how these views have affected the formulation of more contemporary discussions Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the enterprise of using reason, broadly construed, to articulate issues arising out of religious belief and practice and to formulate and defend positions with respect to those issues.

PHIL 272: Metaphysics (Formerly PHIL 172)

This course examines the fundamental principles by which the nature of reality can be explained. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the central issues surrounding the field of metaphysics.

PHIL 273: Philosophy of Science (Formerly PHIL 173)

This course examines the nature of scientific knowledge and its claim to possess a distinctive method of inquiry. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the mode of inquiry which is the scientific method.

PHIL 274: Logic (Formerly PHIL 174)

This course is a detailed study of the deductive methods and principles of correct reasoning, from both the traditional and modern point of view. Outcome: Students will be able to formally analyze, evaluate, and demonstrate the various aspects of argumentation.

PHIL 275: Theory of Knowledge (Formerly PHIL 175)

This course examines both the nature and the reliability of human knowledge. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the study of knowledge.

PHIL 277: Aesthetics (Formerly PHIL 177)

This course will explore one or more of the following philosophical questions in aesthetics: What is art? What is good art (art evaluation or critical theory)? What is beauty? What is it about human nature that allows us to experience beauty? Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the philosophical study of beauty and the arts.

PHIL 279: Judgment and Decision-making (Formerly PHIL 179)

This course examines the philosophical and psychological foundations of decision-making. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the principles of reasoning and decision-making.

PHIL 283: Business Ethics* (Formerly PHIL 185)

This course is an introduction to ethics which focuses on ethical issues in the world of business and commerce. Outcome: Students will be able to examine and assess various ethical theories and apply those theories to ethical issues in business.

PHIL 284: Health Care Ethics* (Formerly PHIL 184)

This course studies philosophical ethics as practiced in the health care setting. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of traditional moral theories in a health care framework, as well as the varieties of ethical challenges facing contemporary health care.

PHIL 286: Ethics and Education* (Formerly PHIL 186)

This course examines philosophical ethics as it informs and guides the activity of teaching. Outcome: Students will be able to examine and assess various ethical theories, and apply those theories to ethical issues in teaching.

PHIL 287: Environmental Ethics*(Formerly PHIL 187)

The course will look at various philosophical and ethical views on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Topics may include: pollution, animal rights, and natural resources. Outcome: Students will develop critical thinking skills and gain knowledge in the areas of philosophy and ethics. Students will have opportunities to analyze, evaluate, work as team members, and engage with the community on environmental topics and so will be able to engage civic and leadership activities.

PHIL 288: Culture and Civilization (Formerly PHIL 188)

This course examines the nature, causes, and possible future development of human culture and civilization. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the philosophical study of human culture and civilization.

PLSC 100: Political Theory

This course introduces students to the study of the perennial questions, traditions and concepts in the history of political thought. Outcome: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the major concepts that organize and inform theoretical reflection on politics: human nature and the human good, theory and practice, natural law and natural rights, power and authority, consent and obligation, and so on.

*Courses approved to satisfy Ethics requirement, as well as Philosophical Knowledge.