Professors Hinlicky,Wisnefske,Zorn;Associate Professor B.Adkins (Chair),Vilhauer;Teaching Associate M. Larson-Harris
The study of philosophy examines certain unavoidable questions for human existence:“What does it mean to be a human being?”“What is the best kind of life to live?”“What is the difference between right and wrong?” “Is life meaningful or meaningless?”“What is truth?” Being a good philosopher does not mean having ready-made answers to these questions but having the ability to ask and answer them self-consciously, self- critically, and with clarity and consistency. The skills essential for being a good philosopher are not unique to philosophy, and so are useful in every aspect of life. In particular, the philosophy program at Roanoke College teaches the core skills of analytic reading, thinking, and writing, which involve breaking down ideas, discovering their interrelation, and evaluating their worth in such a way that they may be clearly communicated to others.
A major in Philosophy requires completion of 9 units:
One course in Logic:
PHIL 122 Logic
PHIL 215 Symbolic Logic
Two History of Philosophy survey courses, including at
least one of Philosophy 251 or 255:
PHIL 213 Philosophies
PHIL 218 Religions and Philosophies of
China
PHIL 251 Early Western Philosophy
PHIL 253 Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 255 Modern Western Philosophy
One Senior Thesis:
PHIL 410, 411, 412 (1/2, 1, ½) Senior Thesis
PHIL 495, 496, 497 (1/2, 1, ½) Honors Project
A minimum of 5 additional courses in Philosophy, at least two of which must be at the 300 level or above. Only one course at the 100 level in addition to PHIL 122 may be counted toward the major.
Courses in other disciplines that address philosophical topics may be substituted for Philosophy courses with the approval of the department.
Since the skills and subject matter of philosophy are foundational to many other academic subjects, students who major in philosophy are encouraged to enrich their education by pursuing minors, concentrations, or second majors in other disciplines. Students who plan to do graduate work in philosophy will find it helpful to take PHIL 215, 251, and 255, along with more than the required number of advanced (300 level) courses. They should also attain competence in French or German at the advanced intermediate (202) level. Students whose primary interest is classical philosophy should consider taking Greek.
Minor in Philosophy
A minor in philosophy requires completion of 6 units:
One course in Logic: PHIL 122 or 215
One History of Philosophy survey course: PHIL 213, 218,
251, 253, or 255
A minimum of 4 additional courses in philosophy, at least
two of which must be at the 300-level or above. Only
one course at the 100-level, other than PHIL 122, may be
counted toward the minor.
Courses in other disciplines that address philosophical topics may be substituted for Philosophy courses with the approval of the department.
105 Socrates, Jesus, and the Buddha
A survey of the main figures in the philosophical and religious
traditions of the Western world, as well as major figures in
Eastern philosophy and religion. All members of the department
of Religion and Philosophy will contribute lectures. (1)
(Cross-listed with RELG 105)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
122 Logic
This course seeks to develop skills in formulating and evaluating
arguments. Topics covered include the nature and types of
arguments, patterns of fallacious reasoning, inductive logic, and
systems of deductive logic. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
205 Moral Philosophy
An introduction to the most influential ethical thinkers of
Western philosophy. The course follows the search for a common
ethical standard from its beginnings in Ancient Greece
with Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, to the modern period of
Hume, Kant, and Mill, and finally into the overarching critique
of this long tradition and attempt to rethink ethics with
Friedrich Nietzche. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
206 Social Philosophy
An introduction to social-political philosophy. Taking the
social nature of human life as its basic premise, this course aims
to investigate who we are as political animals, what effect the
social order in which we live has upon us, and what type of
social order would enable us to achieve our highest human
potential. The course considers such issues as: the fit ruler and
the just state; the social contract; rights, laws, and duties; individual
freedom; equality, diversity, and tolerance; representation
and participation in political life. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
208 Buddhism
This course will encounter the varieties of one of the oldest
and most diverse religions as it developed in India, China,
Japan, Tibet, and the United States. The course will examine
Buddhism’s history, philosophy, ethics, Art, literature, and ritual
practices. First, we will study the life and awakening of the
Buddha, how the Buddha’s perception of reality transforms
our relationships to ourselves and to each other, and how it directs us to live a life of compassion for others. Second, we
will see how the Buddha’s core teachings changed as they
spread to other countries. The course is divided into three
parts: Foundations, which provides an introduction to the Buddhist
world view; Development, which charts the changes and
elaborations made to that world view under the Mahayana
philosophers; and Literature, which explores how Buddhist
ideas have been expressed in poetry, the novel, and film. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
212 Environmental Philosophy
An introduction to environmental philosophy. It will focus on
philosophical questions germane to the relationship between
humans and the environment. What is the environment? What
is the appropriate relation between humans and the environment?
Does technology help or hinder this relationship? What
responsibilities do humans have with regard to natural resources?
(1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
213 Philosophies of India
An examination of the philosophical traditions of South Asia.
Topics include the central ideas of these traditions, their historical
development, their styles of reasoning, and the relationship
between religion and philosophy. (1) (Cross-listed with RELG
213).
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
215 Symbolic Logic
An introduction to truth functional logic including truth tables,
and natural deduction in propositional and predicate logic. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
218 Religions and Philosophies of China
An interdisciplinary examination of the philosophical and religious
traditions of East Asia. Topics include the central ideas
and practices of these traditions, their historical development,
their styles of reasoning, and the relationship between religion
and philosophy. (1) (Cross-listed with RELG 218).
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
221 Faith and Philosophy
An examination of fundamental questions concerning rationality
and religious belief. The course addresses questions such as
whether it is rational to believe in God and whether we can
know anything about God, along with different ways of
answering these questions and the different views of reason
and religious faith the answers imply. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
222 Business Ethics
An examination of normative questions arising from business
practice and decision-making, focusing on the analysis of theories
of ethical action and character, and their application to
contemporary business issues. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
223 Ethics and Medicine
An examination of ethical issues in medicine and the moral
principles that might be employed to resolve ethical dilemmas.
(1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: SOCI 101.
(Cross-listed as SOCI 223.)
231 Religion, Philosophy, and Science
An examination of the confrontations, compatibilities, and
cooperation among religious thought, philosophy, and scientific
inquiry. Topics will include philosophical analyses of science,
the debates between the natural sciences and Western religion,
recent developments in the social sciences, and insights from
Eastern religions. (1) (Cross-listed with RELG 231).
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
251 Early Western Philosophy
An analysis of the history of Western thought from the rise of
classical philosophy with the pre-Socratic philosophers and the
pivotal figures of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, through the
evolution of classical thought in Hellenistic philosophies and
medieval thinkers such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.
(1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
253 Medieval Philosophy
An examination of the way in which thinkers in the middle
ages developed the heritage of the classical world, produced a
sophisticated intellectual heritage of their own, and laid the
groundwork for modern philosophy. The course follows the
development of medieval thought with special attention to the
work of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as the
pivotal work of Arabic-speaking philosophers such as Ibn Sina.
(1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
255 Modern Western Philosophy
A study of the attempts of thinkers such as Bacon, Hobbes,
Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, and Kant to come
to terms with the scientific, political, and religious changes in
the modern world. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
260 Selected Topics in Philosophy
The study of a particular issue, theme, or philosopher of
current interest. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
265 American Philosophy
The development of American philosophy from the colonial
period to contemporary thinkers. Particular emphasis will be
placed on the pragmatist tradition, including 19th-century
thinkers such as Peirce, James, and Dewey, and contemporary
figures such as Quine, Davidson, and Rorty. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
266 Contemporary French Philosophy
An examination of contemporary French thinkers, such as
Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, and Jacques Derrida. Each of
these thinkers represents an important aspect in the development
of what has been variously called post-structuralist and
postmodernist discourse as it has developed in France since the
May 1968 student riots. The purpose of this course is to introduce
the student to some important trends in French thought
since 1968. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
267 Philosophy and Film
An introduction to the interaction between philosophy and
film. Whether implicitly or explicitly every film makes claims
about the nature of reality, human nature, society, politics,
ethics, and aesthetics. This makes film an excellent place to
explore philosophical questions. The course will focus on a
director, theme, or genre of film with the goal that film and
philosophy mutually explicate one another. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
301 Plato
An introduction to Plato. Through an examination of key
texts in Plato’s corpus, students will be exposed to major issues
in Plato’s thought. These include Socratic method and education,
dialogue and dialectic, philosophy and rhetoric, the
Forms, recollection, justice and the good life, love and friendship,
art and images, myth and reason. As Plato’s corpus is
quite large, the particular selection of texts and the thematic
lens through which these major issues in Plato are examined
may vary. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
302 Aristotle
A detailed examination of a topic or theme in Aristotle’s philosophy.
Specific topics might include logic, theory of knowledge,
natural philosophy, metaphysics, psychology, ethics, or
political philosophy. This course will be an elective within the
“Advanced” category of the Philosophy, Religion and Christian
Studies majors and minors. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
310 Kant’s Critical Philosophy
A consideration of the philosophical questions Kant addressed
his answers to them, and their impact on existentialism, pragmatism
and language philosophy. Focusing on his major works
it considers the viability of Kant’s philosophy today. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
315 Hegel
An introduction to the thought of G.W.F. Hegel. Through
examination of his central writings, students will encounter the
major questions of his thought: Where does philosophy begin?
Does it have any presuppositions? What is the method appropriate
to philosophy? What is the purpose of philosophy? (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
320 Nietzsche
An introduction to the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche. Through
an examination of key texts in Nietzsche’s corpus students will
be exposed to the major questions of Nietzsche’s thought.
What is life? What is the relationship between art and life?
Where do values come from? What is power? What is interpretation?
(1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
321 Topics in Philosophy of Religion
A detailed examination of a topic in the philosophy of religion.
Topics for any given semester will be chosen from among such
issues as the problem of suffering, the epistemology of religious
belief, religious language, and philosophical theology. May be
repeated for credit. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
325 Heidegger
An introduction to the thought of Martin Heidegger. Through
an examination of key texts in Heidegger’s corpus students will
be exposed to the major questions of Heidegger’s thought.
What is existence? What is time? What is death? What is
truth? What is interpretation? (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
330 Wittgenstein
An introduction to Wittgenstein. Through an examination of
key texts in Wittgenstein’s corpus, students will be exposed to
major issues in Wittgenstein’s thought. In his early work these
include the picture theory of language, what can be said versus
what can only be shown, sense, truth and falsity, and about
what we must remain silent. In his late work these include the
use theory of language, language games and forms of life, rule
following, privacy, nonsense, and therapy. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisites: Previous PHIL course or permission of instructor.
332 Topics in Metaphysics
A detailed examination of a topic in metaphysics. Topics for
any given semester will be chosen by the instructor from
among such issues as idealism and realism, language, the philosophy
of mind, substance, and time. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
340 Topics in Contemporary European Philosophy
A detailed examination of a topic or single thinker in 20th and
21st Century European Philosophy. Depending on the focus
of the professor, topics or thinkers might include (but are not
limited to): Hermeneutics; Critical Theory; Deconstruction;
Gadamer; Habermas; Derrida. May be repeated for credit. (1)
Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.
Prerequisite: Previous PHIL course or permission.
405, 406, 407 Independent Study and Research
Selected topics in philosophy carried out under the direction
of a member of the departmental staff. Enrollment with the
approval of the department. (1/2, 1, 1/2)
410, 411, 412 Senior Thesis
At the end of the junior year every major will register with a
member of the department to study and write a major paper
in the final year. Guidelines, requirements and dates are
explained in “The Senior Thesis.” (1/2, 1, 1/2)
495, 496, 497 Honors Project
A program of independent study culminating in a paper.
Prerequisite: To qualify for consideration to receive honors in the major,
a student in his/her senior year or in the Summer prior to the senior
year, must work under the guidance of his/her committee .A written
proposal and application must be approved by the committee and
department. A minimum GPA of 3.4 in the major is required. 495
Honors Project is prerequisite for 497 Honors Project. (1/2, 1, 1/2)