Philosophy
Faculty
Dr. Steven Gable, Associate Professor of Philosophy (program chair)
Description
Philosophy explores the ideas, values, principles, and arguments through which we shape our lives and our learning. The study of philosophy engages students in living the examined life and in developing intellectual abilities important for life as a whole beyond the knowledge and skills required for any particular profession. It supports graduate studies in philosophy as well as certain professions, like law, the ministry, and government service. Philosophy also complements other interests, such as literature, political science, sociology, and education. It develops the analytical, critical, and interpretive capacities needed to pursue other disciplines and to engage with life in general. It develops discipline and motivation to confront problems for which there are no easy answers. A strong education in philosophy thus enhances the human capacity to respond wisely and prudently to the challenges of personal, professional, and public life.
Trinity’s mission as a Catholic university committed to the empowerment of women and to the advancement of social justice calls for an in-depth analysis of the ways in which philosophical ideas both contribute to and militate against the human flourishing of people of all genders, races, classes, and ethnic groups. The Philosophy Program offers the opportunity for such analysis.
The Philosophy Program supports Trinity’s general education curriculum with its emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of human knowledge. The courses offered emphasize the foundational assumptions of the traditional disciplines and examine the ways in which these assumptions are interrelated.
The Philosophy Program also supports the College’s majors and allows for students to construct an individualized or interdisciplinary major.
Minor Requirements
The minor requires the completion of ANY six philosophy courses (18 credits).
Program Policies
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the philosophy minor.
Grades in Minor Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Pass/No Pass:
With the exception of practica and internships, courses fulfilling minor requirements may not be taken pass/no pass.
Study Abroad:
Students may meet minor requirements with courses taken during their study abroad.
TELL Policy:
The Philosophy Program supports and encourages the College’s TELL Policy. Students applying for experiential learning credits should consult with the program faculty.
Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit from appropriately accredited institutions of higher learning may be counted for minor requirements (subject to program review and approval). Associations recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEA) confer appropriate accreditation; these associations include but are not limited to regional accreditors.
Course Descriptions
PHIL 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral ArgumentationThe course is designed to improve the capacity for reasoning and to gain the strategies necessary for assessing the variances in messages in everyday interactions. The course also assists students to construct convincing arguments and critically evaluate the claims and premises in written and oral communication. The course fits into the larger first year curriculum by giving a set of methodological tools with which to critique complex arguments, assess the sufficiency and relevance of social scientific evidence, and prepare creative and well-reasoned arguments in a variety of written and oral communicative contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
PHIL 211 Ancient PhilosophyIntroduces the students to the beginning of philosophical reflection through the writings of Plato and Aristotle, paying particular attention to the problems that have engaged philosophers from the start. The primary objective of the course is to generate in the student an appreciation of why the questions philosophers perennially raise are problematic for the human being.
3 credits
General Education: Values and Beliefs
PHIL 226 Phil, Prot,& Resist Race&Gen InequalityThis practical philosophy course will explore the application of philosophical theories of inequality to three contemporary social and political issues: incarceration and reentry, housing, and immigrant rights, and consider current policy and public discourse debates around these issues. This course will include a service learning component at a local non-profit. Students will consider the three course themes in a broader context and ask how the marginalization and erasure of some bodies threatens not only individuals from oppressed groups but justice for the broader society.
PHIL 227 Truth, Information, and (Dis)InformationThis course explores the nature of truth, fact, and falsehood as reflected in news reports, government press releases, and historical accounts. Students will investigate public mistrust of both the media and government. The course seeks to identify the nature of disinformation and the rationale underlying its creation. To ground these various inquiries, the course will examine notable clashes between apparent government deception and attempts to uncover the truth. The course will also review conservative and liberal news sources and determine the degree of accuracy and honesty in their reporting. Finally, students will evaluate public commentary about news reports as posted on web-sites and Twitter threads.
General Education Requirement: Civic Knowledge.
PHIL 231 Current Issues in Social and Political PhilosophyExamines the theories of justice that inform our political and civic institutions, particularly contractarianism, libertarianism, and communitarianism. The course provides opportunities for analysis of these theories in light of critical perspectives on the social significance of race, class, and gender. We will also examine contemporary social problems through the lens of political philosophy.
3 credits
Gen Ed Applications
PHIL 235 Philosophy of ReligionExamines some of the principal questions in the philosophy of religion, including arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, the relation of faith and reason, and the attributes of God. Formerly PHI 330 Philosophy of Religion.
3 credits
General Education: Values and Beliefs
PHIL 237 Women and PhilosophyPresents a theoretical framework for examining the significance of gendered perspectives on history, culture, and contemporary society and examines the philosophical voice of woman in the classical, medieval, and modern accounts of human nature.
3 credits
PHIL 241 Introduction to Theoretical EthicsExamines Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals in order to see how these texts expose the influence and direction of our consciousness of obligation on our actions. The focus is on what kind of agency human beings must have in order to be in a moral domain and on what the influence of socialization and biology might be on our understanding of this domain. Formerly PHI 210 Introduction to Theoretical Ethics.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
PHIL 245 Ethics IIntroduces the student to social ethics and the concepts of person and community by examining the moral traditions that inform our understanding of the individual. The course traces the focus of ethics from a concern about what kind of person to be to the more modern and narrow concern in how to act in both the public and private domains, acknowledging the ways in which our cultural and historical practices help shape our vision. Formerly PHI 212 The Moral Dimension: Persons and Community.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
Core Area III: Ethics and Moral Reasoning
PHIL 251 BioethicsExamines the legal and moral issues in areas dealing with the biology of human health and development, for example, experimentation on human subjects, organ transplants, euthanasia, abortion, fetal tissue use, contraception, and other aspects of human reproduction, as well as questions regarding rights to health care. Formerly PHI 211 Applied Ethics: Bioethics.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs
PHIL 253 Business and Professional EthicsThis course engages the students in an analysis of cases in business and other professions that appear to present a conflict between the demands of institutional practices and the demands of morality. The course presents a Kantian theory of e thics and investigates the cases within the framework of this theory. Formerly PHI 213 Applied Ethics II: Business and Professional Ethics.
3 credits
Core Area III: Ethics and Moral Reasoning
Gen Ed Values and Beliefs
PHIL 260 Ethics of International Conflict & PeacemakingThis course begins by exploring the principles that justify the limited use of force in international relations. We will discuss the elements of just war theory and test their application to a variety of international conflicts. Students will investigate whether just war theory can accommodate preemptive strikes. We will subsequently contrast just war theory and realism, exploring the ways in which both concepts could be applied to specific historical conflicts involving resources, human rights violations, and political ideologies. The course also examines the pacifist alternative to both just war theory and realism. Students will then discuss the rationale behind and the limits to humanitarian intervention, an armed response to the violation of human rights. The course also investigates the conditions under which just military action should be concluded. We will examine the ideal foundations for lasting peace versus the conclusion of coercive treaties subjecting the losing side to the political will of the victor. Finally, the course will treat the moral quandaries related to the use of advanced technology on international battlefields.
3 credits
PHIL 341 Moral PsychologyAddresses the relation between obligation and motivation. The traditional analysis raises two questions: What kind of answer is it appropriate to give an agent when she asks why she should do what she is obliged to do? And, how does this answer make the action psychologically possible?
3 credits
PHIL 353 Business Ethics: Corporate Social ResponsibilityThis course explores the ethical dimensions of corporate social responsibility within the framework of capitalism as a global system for the production and distribution of goods. The course critically evaluates the legitimacy of CSR, as well as its relationship to standard business practice, through the critical examination and discussion of the ideas of leading thinkers in the field. The course also carefully considers the desirability of CSR from the vantage points of the eudaimonian, deontological, and utilitarian ethical systems. The course also investigates the on-going discussion about both the meaning and future prospects of CSR within the world of business.
3 Credits
PHIL 491 InternshipOffers the student an opportunity for service learning by special permission of the program faculty and under the supervision of a faculty member. This class is taken for a letter grade.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
PHIL 498 Independent StudyOffers the student an opportunity to pursue an intensive research project under the direction of a faculty member.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor