HIST 1XX History Transfer Credit (0 Credits)

HIST 2XX History Transfer Credit (0 Credits)

HIST 114 Immigration In American History (3 Credits)

This course is a study and analysis of the impact of immigration on the development of the modern US. The experiences and contributions of immigrant/ethnic groups will be stressed. (Cross listed with Ethnic and Immigration Studies.)

HIST 115 The Asian-American Experience (3 Credits)

This introductory survey deals with Asian-Americans, particularly immigration and countries of origin; problems encountered; integration into the broader American society; relations with other ethnic groups; achievements and aspirations. (Cross listed with Ethnic and Immigration Studies.)

HIST 131 Metropolitan New York (3 Credits)

This course examines the history of NYC and its surroundings, beginning with Native Americans and ending with 9/11. Focusing on topography, trade, and transit, this history course challenges students to think regionally using G.I.S. software. Students will engage with rich primary sources representing women, Native-Americans, African-Americans, immigrants, and many others.

HIST 133 Cranks, Critics, and Communards (3 Credits)

This course looks at various efforts to create and live the perfect life. Were the people behind these efforts cranks and weirdos? Absolutely. But their nonconformity and critique of materialism gives us a chance to reflect on what it means to be happy and live on one's own terms.

HIST 150 American History to 1865 (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the United States from colonization through the Civil War period emphasizing the diplomatic, political, economic and social achievements of each. (Cross-listed with Political-Science.)

HIST 152 American History since 1865 (3 Credits)

As a continuation of American History to 1865, this course looks at the United States from the post-Civil War period to the present day emphasizing political, economic and social developments. (HIST 150 is not a pre-requisite for HIST 152.)

HIST 154 U.S. Women's History (3 Credits)

The role and status of women in U.S. society from the colonial period to the current women's movement, with the emphasis on women's contributions to and participation in the various national social institutions is studied in this course. (Cross-listed with Women's and Gender Studies.)

HIST 156 Western Civilization 1648 (3 Credits)

This course surveys major topics in western civilization from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Treaties of Westphalia. Readings from original documents are also utilized.

HIST 162 Introduction to Latin American Civilization (3 Credits)

This course offers a survey of the colonial and national periods in Spanish America and Brazil. Also studied are Indigenous civilizations, their overthrow by conquest, the rise of new economies, the wars of liberalization, the civil wars and the problems of modernization. (Cross-listed with Latin American, Caribbean and Latino)

HIST 164 Introduction to African Civilizations (3 Credits)

A survey of the vast mosaic of African civilizations of Ancient Egypt and the Sudan as well as sub-Saharan Africa is presented in this course. Special emphasis is placed on those aspects of African Civilizations that have had the greatest effects on modern Africa and the larger world. (Cross-listed with AFRO 164)

HIST 166 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations (3 Credits)

This course is a survey of some of the major historical and cultural developments in East Asia. The focus is on China and its influence on as Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.

HIST 168 Middle East, Past and Present (3 Credits)

A cultural, political and historical approach is used to explore this vital region. Topics include selected ancient civilizations, the Byzantine period, the rise of Islam, and specific studies of modern Turkey, Iran, Israel and Egypt.

HIST 202 Renaissance and Reformation (3 Credits)

The beginning of modern Western civilization as seen in such developments as recovery of classical culture, the crisis of the church, the establishment of nation-states, and the origins of modern science.

HIST 203 History through Film (3 Credits)

A selected - topics approach to studying history utilizing the visual in the form of film as the primary medium is used in this course. The historic content of feature films, documentaries, newsreels and videotapes are subjected to criticism and methodology.

HIST 205 Ancient Civilizations (3 Credits)

A selective coverage of those ancient civilizations that have had the greatest influence on the development of Western and modern world civilization - including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome - is offered in this course.

HIST 209 History of Punishment (3 Credits)

Against its European background this course examines the changing nature of crime and punishment from colonial America to the present. Special emphasis is on penal institutions and the effect of environment upon personality.

HIST 211 American Military History (3 Credits)

The American military experience from the colonial period to the present is studied in this course. Emphasis is placed on the changing relationship between military policy, organization and technology and the nation's political, social and economic institution.

HIST 212 History of New Jersey (3 Credits)

The History of New Jersey is a survey of the history of the state and its people from the colonial era to the present. Political, economic and social events of the state are emphasized as well as its development.

HIST 213 Select Topic in American History: (3 Credits)

In this course, students will look at American history through a specific thematic lens. In the past, instructors have examined the history of 9/11, American popular culture, and the concept of self-help.

HIST 215 World War II: Pacific and Asia (3 Credits)

This course is a survey of World War II with emphasis on the war between the United States and Japan. Political, diplomatic, and military events are emphasized in conjunction with important social topics such as the American homefront, the role of minorities and women, and the use of nuclear weapons.

HIST 216 World War II: Europe (3 Credits)

World War II: Europe and North Africa is a survey of World War II with emphasis on the involvement of the United States, total war and the Holocaust. Political, diplomatic and military events will be emphasized in conjunction with important social topics such as the American homefront, the role of minorities and women.

HIST 225 Introduction to Public History (3 Credits)

How do academic historians reach the broader public? How successful are their efforts? What goes into creating museum exhibits? This course addresses these questions. It blends traditional lecture and discussion with an experiential component, providing students with a hands-on opportunity to create their own museum - quality exhibit.

Pre-Requisite(s): Declared History Major/Minor +9 credits of history courses

HIST 229 The Long 1960s: A History (3 Credits)

In this course students will engage with the turbulent history of the long 1960s, beginning with the Cuban Revolution and JFK, and concluding with Richard Nixon and America's failure in Vietnam. Students will analyze the Civil Rights movement, counterculture, environmentalism, popular culture, politics, youth protest, women's history, and lesbian/gay history.

HIST 231 The US in the World (3 Credits)

What happens in the United States affects people, governments and institutions outside the nation. The reverse is also true. This course explores the value of a global approach to US history, especially in terms of political democracy, capitalism, and human rights.

HIST 233 World History: 1400 CE to Present (3 Credits)

This course explores globalization as a cultural interchange subject to divergence, convergence, contagion, and systemization. Students will build empathy skills and detect biases in sources through close reading of sources and historical inquiry. The subject matter of the course will balance regional developments in the “Global South” (Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia) with events in Europe and North America. In emphasizing the interconnected of these places, students will gain greater understanding of the historical processes behind the creation of the contemporary world.

HIST 245 Cities in History (3 Credits)

In this course students will analyze case studies of ancient, Greek and Roman, medieval, renaissance, imperial, industrial and global cities. Spanning continents and centuries, and case-study cities correlating to the instructor's expertise, this course helps students explore city influence through natural resources, cultural and political imperialism, economics, and natural disasters.

HIST 255 The Emergence of Modern Europe (3 Credits)

This course is an examination of European history from 1648 through World War I with particular emphasis on revolutionary changes in politics, science, intellectual currents and industry. The "isms" of the nineteenth century, liberalism, socialism, feminism, nationalism and imperialism will be considered.

HIST 305 Civil War and Reconstruction (3 Credits)

A topical approach is used not only to understand the main developments of these significant US historic events but also to comprehend their larger role in shaping subsequent US History, socially, politically, and economically.

HIST 307 History of Modern Russia (3 Credits)

In this survey of Russian history from Tsar Alexander I (1801-1825) to the present, continuity and changes between the Tsarist autocratic and the Soviet totalitarian systems are examined and analyzed as well as selected political, cultural, socio-economic and intellectual themes.

HIST 308 The West in American History (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the more important political, social and cultural developments in US history that had their primary origins in the American west, especially the frontier. Emphasis is on those values and traditions that have become part of American culture.

HIST 309 History of Modern France (3 Credits)

A cultural and political approach is used to study the main themes of French history from the accession of Francis I (1515) to the suppression of the Commune (1871)—the period of the zenith of French power and influence.

HIST 310 Diplomatic History of the United States (3 Credits)

This course presents a topical and chronological examination of US diplomacy from the early Federalist period to the present, stressing such aspects that have affected the transition of the US from a regional to a global power.

HIST 311 History of Modern Germany (3 Credits)

This course offers an in-depth coverage of less than century of German history - a century that has changed the course of Western and world history: from the beginning of the movement toward national unity in 1848 to the collapse of Hitler's "Thousand Year Empire" in 1945.

HIST 312 Political Dissent in Modern America (3 Credits)

This comparative study explores some of the more vocal and even violent voices and movements of dissent in the US largely from the post-Civil War period - ranging from the far right to the far left. Extensive videotapes and speakers are used in this course.

HIST 313 Urban America: The City in American History (3 Credits)

A historical examination of the rise of the City in the United States, from the infant cities of the seventeenth century to the metropolis of the present.

HIST 316 American Sports History (3 Credits)

An examination of the origins, development and changing nature of contemporary American sports, including the roles of violence, the fan, commercialism, ethics, amateurism, and professionalism is presented in this course. (Cross-listed with Sports and Leisure Studies)

HIST 318 History and Culture: Cuba and Puerto Rico (3 Credits)

A survey approach to the histories and cultures of these two Caribbean states from their establishment as colonies to their present-day status. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of great power and imperialism and their development. (Cross-listed with Latin American Studies).

HIST 319 Presidential Elections (3 Credits)

This course is offered on a rotation basis coinciding with the election of the U.S. President. Included is background history with the role of the Electoral College, the development of parties, the influence of pressure groups and partisan politics.

HIST 321 Colonial America (1550-1789) (3 Credits)

This survey explores the major political, social, economic, and intellectual developments in America from the early colonial settlements through the making of the Constitution. The emphasis is on formative institutions.

HIST 322 Early America (3 Credits)

This course surveys the early national period from the launching of the new nation under the 1789 Constitution through the Age of Jackson. The emphasis is placed on the beginnings of American politics, diplomacy, social reforms and westward movement.

HIST 323 American Industry and Empire (3 Credits)

This course examines the turbulent and productive period from the end of the Civil War through World War I -a period which shaped much of the modern American ideology.

HIST 324 Twentieth Century America (1945 to Present) (3 Credits)

This is a survey of postwar American history, including the Cold War, the 1960s, the Civil Rights movement and political developments of the mid and late twentieth century.

HIST 326 The Age of Jackson (3 Credits)

This course will examine the political, social, and economic changes that took place during the presidency of Andrew Jackson.

HIST 329 Progressivism (3 Credits)

Study and critical analysis of the political, economic, social, and religious developments in the US from the post-Civil War period to World War I, such as populism, social gospel, social Darwinism, university settlement movement, suffrage movement and progressive reform.

HIST 330 Early England (3 Credits)

This course is a study of England from the time of the Celts to the War of the Roses; Medieval England will be emphasized. Political, social, and cultural themes will be examined through the lens of primary sources.

HIST 331 History of the Dominican Republic (3 Credits)

The course will examine the historical development of the Dominican Republic and its neighbor Haiti from the Pre-Columbian era to the 21st century; focus will be on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Emphasis will be placed on European colonialism, slavery, United States' intervention and the rise of dictatorship.

HIST 332 History of Modern England (3 Credits)

The significance of the political, social, and cultural factors that have shaped English society and character in its transformation to an industrial democracy are is studied.

HIST 333 The History of Mexico (3 Credits)

Through this course students will gain an appreciation of the development of Mexican society. It challenges simplistic concepts of Mexico, analyzing diverse influences and sources of society, including indigenous cultures; Spanish colonialism; enslaved Africans and their descendants; and European immigrants. It will look at Mexico's relationship with the United States.

HIST 335 Modern India (3 Credits)

This course looks at major themes in Indian history from British colonialism in the 19th century to the reemergence of India as a global player in the 21st century.

HIST 338 History of Ireland (3 Credits)

This course will analyze the major political, social, economic, and cultural movements of Ireland from the medieval period to the Twentieth Century.

HIST 345 Comparative Histories of Slavery in the Americas (3 Credits)

The course will examine the historical development of the institution of slavery in the Western Hemisphere from the Conquest until abolition in the late nineteenth century. Emphasis will be placed on variants of the institution among European colonies and the southern United States.

HIST 346 The Historian's Craft (3 Credits)

This course is required for all history majors. In it, students will sharpen their information literacy skills, hone research and writing abilities, and gain insight into some of the major historiographical debates that have had a profound influence on the shaping of the discipline.

Pre-Requisite(s): 9.0 credit hours of History courses

HIST 347 Making History (3 Credits)

Despite claims we live in an era of historical amnesia, attendance at museums and other historical sites has never been higher. This course covers the theory and practice of public history. It features a class project in which you will work with your colleagues to create a public history exhibit.

Pre-Requisite(s): 8 Gen Ed Courses across Tier 1 and Tier 2.

HIST 350 Making of the Middle Ages (3 Credits)

A study of the political, social, religious, intellectual and economic currents from the fall of Rome to the developed civilization of the High Middle Ages. Examined will be the conflict of cultures and the blending of the Roman heritage, Christianity and Germanic institutions into medieval civilization.

HIST 357 The Ottoman Empire (3 Credits)

This course explores the rich history, folklore, and culture of one of the world's largest and most influential empires. The course begins on the Central Asian steppe with the conversion of Turkic pastoralists to Islam and ends with the collapse of the empire at the end of World War I.

HIST 359 The Silk Road (3 Credits)

This course explores pre-modern globalization to 1500 CE by studying conquest and cultural exchange across the trade corridors of Eurasia. The effects of such trade were as much regional and local as intercontinental. Main themes include the interaction of nomadic and sedentary peoples, the spread of religions, and syncretism.

HIST 361 The Culture of the European Enlightenment (3 Credits)

This course addresses the revolutionary 18th century Enlightenment from Rousseau in France to Catherine the Great in Russia. Students will evaluate the Republic of Letters, the literary underground, and the Rococo as conduits of reason, reform, and freedom. This course will elucidate how philosophes questioned authority through print and image.

HIST 363 Medieval Heritage (3 Credits)

This course explores the political, social, economic, and intellectual developments of Europe between 1050 and 1350. Topics include the emergence of national monarchies, the crisis of church and state, the crusades, and the evolution of the university.

HIST 364 Medieval Spains (3 Credits)

This course examines the history of Iberia from the Roman conquest to the reigns of Isabel and Fernando. Readings will focus on the interrelationships of Christians, Jews and Muslims, and the role of the frontier.

HIST 365 Boom and Bust, The US:1870-1940 (3 Credits)

This course examines the major economic changes that took place in American history from the rise of the modern corporation through the Great Depression. Students will not only learn about how and why these economic changes occurred, but the impact that they had on American society at all levels.

HIST 376 The Twentieth Century Middle East (3 Credits)

This course examines how Middle Eastern societies adapted to social, economic, and political changes from the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 to the Arab Spring. Major topics include World War I, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Pan-Arabism, the Iranian Revolution, political Islamism, and developments in literature, law, art, and family life.

HIST 401 Intellectual History of US (3 Credits)

This course examines the values, institutions, ideas, and ideals held by the American people from the colonial period to the present. Recommended: Two previous courses in US History.

HIST 402 America Social History (3 Credits)

An interdisciplinary exploration of selected themes in U.S. social history such as religious experience as social phenomenon; patterns of political leadership in a democracy; the changing role of women and the family; the development of social structure and modes of response to racial and ethnic diversity.

HIST 418 Capstone Seminar (3 Credits)

An introduction to historiography, techniques of historical research and writing. Major historians of the West will be studied as well as the nature of historical change and recurrent problems of historical meaning and knowledge.

Pre-Requisite(s): Instructor's Permission

PHIL 1XX Philosophy Transfer Credit (0 Credits)

PHIL 2XX Philosophy Transfer Credit (0 Credits)

PHIL 101 Philosophy: Persons & Problems (3 Credits)

This course is an introduction to the main issues in philosophy, such as good and evil, mind and body, life and death, justice and freedom, creation and evolution. The focus is on philosophical concepts and methods. Topics include: the nature of being and reality, the right and the good, knowledge and belief, personal identity, and beauty and truth.

PHIL 102 Critical Thinking (3 Credits)

Course introduces students to basic critical thinking skills. It discusses good and bad arguments, informed and uninformed beliefs, analyzes fallacies, distinguishes between deductive and inductive reasoning, and applied these skills to real-life cases. Analyzing readings about current issues, accessing online sources, and writing summaries and analyses complete the course.

PHIL 103 Contemporary Moral Issues (3 Credits)

This course is an exploration of the ways to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad and importance from triviality. It addresses conceptions of justice, views of human nature, and standards of moral judgment. Classical and contemporary ethical theories will be considered and applied to contemporary problems in politics, environmental policy, medicine, business, and personal relations.

PHIL 105 Issues in Religion (3 Credits)

This course is a philosophical examination of the nature and the significance of religious thought and practice. Topics include: the nature of faith, the role of reason, the ethical significance of religious belief, and the existence of God.

PHIL 106 Comparative Religion (3 Credits)

The objective of this course is to study the religions of the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The emphasis is on the origin of the universe, the concepts of divinity and the Supreme Being, the nature of ultimate reality, and visions of the good life.

PHIL 109 Bioethics (3 Credits)

In this course students study major ethical theories and apply them to moral issues in the life sciences. They discuss various topics important to the medical professions, patients, policy-makers, and philosophers, such as euthanasia, abortion, doctor patient relationship, stem cell research, and genetic modification of organisms.

PHIL 110 Mythology (3 Credits)

All cultures have created myths as ways of interpreting the whole of nature and the inner world of man. There is an affinity between civilizations transcending space and time. The origins of myths are buried in the shifting sands of time, but our present understanding of the significance of the myths establishes continuity. The insights in myths have found expression in art, literature, and philosophy. The central themes in mythology are: the origin of the cosmos, the conflict of good and evil, free will and destiny, and the quest for eternal Life.

PHIL 112 Bioethics and Technology (3 Credits)

This course explores advances in medicine and biology from an ethical perspective. A brief introduction to the major approaches ethics will be followed by an exploration of the bioethical topics such as cloning, stem cell research and genetics. With the expansion of research in cloning, stem cells, and genetic modification there is a pressing need to introduce students to the ethical consequences of this research in order to make informed and intelligent decisions.

PHIL 113 Environmental Ethics (3 Credits)

This course focuses on the ethical implications of current environmental issues such as climate change, recycling, farming practices, sustainable technologies, ecoliteracy, animal rights, and clean energy. It also asks 'what is nature?' and explores various answers that have been offered by ethicists, writers, and scientists.

PHIL 125 Ethics in Everyday Life (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to basic ethical reasoning. Starting out from real-life situations, students analyze ethical problems by conceptualizing the moral intuitions and beliefs they already possess. With the help of short philosophical readings, they develop methods of applying ethical theories to moral decision-making in their disciplines and own lives.

PHIL 135 World Religions (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to a cross-cultural study of major religious traditions, for example, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It presents a historically informed consideration of similarities and differences and transcultural structures that can be discerned from these traditions of religious life.

PHIL 140 The Examined Life (3 Credits)

This course teaches students to identify and evaluate those beliefs that guide their thoughts and actions. Reflecting on different sources, students identify those philosophical beliefs that play a role in their own lives. By developing their critical thinking skills, they learn how to clarify, systematize, and assess these beliefs.

PHIL 203 Philosophy of Religion (3 Credits)

A systematic philosophical examination of the major issues in religious experience and history, such as the problems of the relation of faith and reason, the nature and existence of God, morality and immorality, good and evil, and human values and destiny.

PHIL 204 Introduction to Logic (3 Credits)

This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and history of formal and Informal logic, with the aim of honing analytic and critical reasoning skills. At the heart of clear thinking is the ability to see and recognize logical form. As John Locke wrote. “Logic is the anatomy of thought.”.

PHIL 205 Metaphysics: Appearance and Reality (3 Credits)

This course probes the nature of ultimate reality. Topics include appearance versus reality, being and becoming, essence and existence, space and time. Is there knowledge beyond the reach of science? How can we know what really exists?.

PHIL 206 Epistemology: Theory of Knowledge (3 Credits)

Course examines the nature and the scope of knowledge. What does it mean to know, and what is the nature of truth? What can be known, and can we be justified in our beliefs about what goes beyond the evidence of our senses? Is all knowledge innate or acquired in experience? What are the grounds and the limits of knowledge?.

PHIL 207 Ethics (3 Credits)

This course is chiefly a study of moral concepts and principles. Topics include: happiness, friendship, virtue, intention, and duty. Ethics asks: Is there a supreme good that all rational beings seek? Are there universal moral values? What is the difference between judgments of value and judgments of fact?.

PHIL 208 Great Philosophers: Voices of Wisdom (3 Credits)

The course is a systematic study of the ideas of the great philosophers: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. Philosophy is a continuous dialogue about ideas of enduring interest, such as: truth, goodness, beauty, the nature of mind, the basis of right action, conceptions of happiness and the good life.

PHIL 215 On Love (3 Credits)

This course is a philosophical examination of the nature, aim and activity of love and desire. How does this most intimate of emotions shape us as moral agents? This course will explore why the object(s) of love inform one's identity as much as the way one loves.

PHIL 216 Aesthetics: Creativity & Imagination (3 Credits)

This course is concerned with theories of art and beauty, philosophical ideas within the various forms of art, and concepts in the interpretation of art: meaning, intention, style, purpose, and value. It addresses various ideas of art as representation of reality, imitation of appearances, significant form, and expression of feeling. Guest artists, visits to museums, and attendance at concerts are features of the course.

PHIL 217 Eastern Philosophy and Religion (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the historical development of philosophical ideas of India and China. The perspectives of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism on the nature or reality, knowledge, and the moral life will be discussed. The main themes are the knowledge of ultimate reality, the cultivation of the individual life as the basis of harmony in the world, and being one with reality.

PHIL 226 Religion in the City: When Faith Encounters Urban Life (3 Credits)

This course examines the role of religion in urban environments through its formative impact on culture, political action, public policy, social relationships and institutions, and the media and society.

PHIL 227 Symbolic Logic (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the elements of formal logic. Topics are propositional and predicate logic, set theory, foundations of mathematics, and formal semantics. Readings include Frege, Russell, Goedel, and Tarski.

Pre-Requisite(s): PHIL 102

PHIL 231 The Philosophy of War and Peace (3 Credits)

This course explores historical and contemporary philosophical and religious perspectives on war and peace. It investigates philosophical, anthropological, religious, social and political reasons why the human species fights wars, critically examines traditional and contemporary views on the morality of war, and reflects on the possibility of peace.

PHIL 232 African(a) Philosophy (3 Credits)

This course introduces the histories and origins of African and Africana philoso- phies. It asks whether African(a) philosophy is a monolithic field of study. Issues covered include race, racialization, gender, identity, colonialism, morality, epistemology, and liberation. Major scholars and schools of African(a) philosophical thought are introduced and discussed.

PHIL 234 Ancient Philosophy (3 Credits)

This course provides a history of ancient Western philosophy covering the period from its first beginnings in the Pre-Socratics, through Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, to later Greek and Roman thought.

PHIL 235 Perspectives on Death (3 Credits)

The phenomenon of death is studied from the points of view of philosophy, religion, psychiatry, literature, and parapsychology.

PHIL 236 Philosophy of Mind (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the philosophical study of mind. Students will learn how their unique psychologies play a role in distinguishing themselves from others, as well as consider how their psychologies are shaped by their environment and biology. The course also focuses on the relationship between mind and body.

PHIL 239 On Evil: Early Modern Philosophy (3 Credits)

This course examines the problem of evil in Western philosophical and religious traditions. Starting with an exploration of the classical roots of various conceptions of evil, it traces these conceptions through history, culminating in discussions of the pervasiveness of evil in reaction to modern experiences of war and genocide.

PHIL 240 Philosophy and Film (3 Credits)

This course combines the philosophical analysis of classical and contemporary films - popular as well as art-house - with the close reading of some seminal texts of the philosophical tradition, tracing the philosophical content of movies, but also thinking from a philosophical perspective about film as a medium that philosophizes on its own and film as an art form.

PHIL 244 Political and Social Philosophy (3 Credits)

A systematic study of the foundations and the history of political and social thought and practice. The topics include: the role of the state in the development of moral nature of man, the relation of the individual to society, forms of government, natural law, the internalization of social norms, political authority, and the values of representative government. Readings will be drawn from Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Locke.

PHIL 245 The Philosophy of Social Justice in the United States (3 Credits)

This course will provide an overview of social justice topics including: poverty, unemployment, the welfare state, racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and income inequality. The readings for the course will include contemporary philosophic, sociological, and economic writings. Contemporary data sources will also be utilized.

PHIL 246 Food, Philosophy, and Global Health (3 Credits)

Food, Philosophy and Global Health explores our relationship with food through the lens of philosophy. Using ethics, logic and critical thinking, we investigate current debates and examine how collective choices impact the health of the planet. Using these insights, we develop a community action program that empowers an underserved community.

PHIL 260 Philosophy of Education (3 Credits)

This course will introduce students to the essential concepts, precepts and methods of philosophy of education. Students will use these foundations to reflect on the basic aspects of human learning as well as become effective participants within the milieu of modern education.

PHIL 290 Myth, Magic, and Mysticism (3 Credits)

This course will focus on the search for meaning and value in mythological, magical, and mystical experiences. The origin, structure, function, and the genre of myth, magic, and mysticism will be studied in an interdisciplinary framework of philosophy, art, and religion. The significance of these topics in creating a synthesis of reason and imagination in individual and social sphere will be investigated.

PHIL 302 Philosophy of Technology (3 Credits)

Beginning with an introduction into the historical interplay of science and technology, this course analyzes the social, political, cultural and moral effects of modern technologies, such as bio-and-nano-technologies, or humanity from a philosophical perspective. It also studies the phenomenon of technology itself from an analytical-philosophical perspective.

Pre-Requisite: PHIL 125 and PHIL 140

PHIL 303 Existentialism and Phenomenology (3 Credits)

This course is an examination of the human predicament: What are we doing on this earth? If God does not exist, is everything permitted? Are we condemned to be free? Are anguish, dread, fear and trembling, and despair inescapable? Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Jaspers, Marcel, Heidegger, and Sartre answer these questions in our survey of the origin and development of existentialism, and its impact on psychology, religion, literature, and the arts.

PHIL 313 Time: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (3 Credits)

The measuring of time is both essential to us and the societies we live in. But what exactly is it that we are measuring? This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary study of time. Readings will be drawn from historical and contemporary work in the social and natural sciences, philosophy, and literature.

PHIL 314 Great Philosophical Texts (3 Credits)

This course teaches the methods used by the historian of philosophy in the study of a great philosophical text. One text will be read in its entirety. Particular emphasis is placed on appropriate use of patterns of reasoning in reconstructing the text's argument and adjudicating philosophical interpretative problems about it.

PHIL 317 Philosophy and Literature (3 Credits)

This course is a study of philosophical ideas in literature and how literature gives visible from to truths discovered in philosophical reflection. Readings are drawn from Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Shakespeare, More, Hobbes, Pope, Blake, Kant, Keats, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Sartre. Topics include truth, beauty, goodness, and free will.

PHIL 320 Philosophy of Psychology (3 Credits)

This course is a study of psychological theories, principles, and concepts bearing on the nature of the mind and its complex structures. The central questions are: Are thoughts and sensations related to neurological processes? Are mental states identical to brain events? Is there room for free will together with psychological causality? Responses to these questions elucidate the concept of the self and the continuity of consciousness, the problem of other minds, the nature of intention, perception, and cognition. The course involves an examination of the methodology of social, experimental, and cognitive psychology, as well as developments in cognitive science.

PHIL 324 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (3 Credits)

An intensive and methodical study of the scriptural foundations, original doctrines, historical development, and the present status of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Pre-Requisite: PHIL 135

PHIL 390 Pandemic Ethics (3 Credits)

This course examines ethical issues connected with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the fair allocation of medical resources, discrimination against minorities and the disabled, tensions between protecting senior citizens and allowing children to flourish, limitations on liberty, immunity passports, and various issues raised by vaccines.

PHIL 397 Animals and Philosophy (3 Credits)

This course investigates the way society's attitudes towards animals have changed during the last decade by making use of Thomas S. Kuhn's notion of paradigm shift. Students reflect upon changes in particular disciplines, such as cognitive sciences, and changing attitudes towards human use of animals in all spheres of society.

Pre-Requisite(s): ENGL 102 and 8 Gen Ed Courses across Tier 1 and Tier 2.

PHIL 401 Philosophy of Science (3 Credits)

An inquiry into the form and function of concepts, laws, and theories, and into the character of explanation and prediction in the natural and social sciences, and an examination of some philosophical problems concerning scientific knowledge and scientific method.

Pre-requisite: PHIL 204 or PHIL 205

PHIL 405 Advanced Seminar in Philosophy (3 Credits)

This seminar is an exploration of a central topic in metaphysics (i.e. being and reality), epistemology (truth and knowledge), ethics (the meaning of morality), or aesthetics (art and beauty).

PHIL 500 Selected Topics in Philosophy (3 Credits)

This course is an exploration of the great visions of the universe as articulated by ancient and contemporary thinkers. The readings represent a full range of perspectives and voices from all cultures. The topics for the course are intended to encourage a dialogue among diverse intellectual traditions and cultural heritages, with the aim of achieving a unified philosophical experience.

PHIL 510 Ethics Values & Society (3 Credits)

How can we arrive at a theory of justice, rights, and responsibilities which will give differing parts of the world with distinct needs and in stages of economic development and divergent goals, a meaningful role and participation in contributing to the whole? Exploring the ideas of justice, liberty, equality, law, responsibility, and rights across the boundaries of civilizations from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, and Greece, we trace the evolution of the central concerns in political thought which continue to shape the course of history.

PHIL 520 Contemporary Search for Meaning (3 Credits)

The search for truth and meaning spans human history and consists of the achievements of many minds. This continual pursuit has been referred to as "the perennial philosophy." The aim of this course is to inspire students to develop a sense of greater humanity and wholeness of self, and to cultivate intellectual autonomy. The readings are drawn from both philosophical and literary texts.