Full-Time Faculty: George Boger, Chair; Marianne Djuth, Michael J. Forest, Ladislaus F. Juhasz, S.J., John E. Kelly, Tanya Loughead, Janice L. Schultz-Aldrich, Stanley L. Vodraska, John Zeis.
The objective of the philosophy program is to develop reflective and analytical skills to help students understand, articulate and evaluate the values, principles and assumptions on which major individual and social decisions rest.
By studying the perennial issues of 2500 years of philosophy and analyzing the underlying philosophical issues facing today’s persons and societies, students can attain the perspective, knowledge and skills important to anyone who expects to make significant personal, professional, or public decisions. In view of this, the Canisius College Core Curriculum includes three courses in philosophy: Introduction to Philosophy (PHI 101) and two other courses selected from Area V.
Further study of philosophy — as a major program, as a minor program, as half of a dual major, or as an elective concentration — is a good preparation for students with personal or professional goals in business, law, medicine, religion, government, or education. For example, a well-designed philosophy program can serve as an excellent undergraduate component in Canisius College’s Dual Degree program, which leads to the M.B.A. or M.B.A.P.A. degree. Coupled with the appropriate pre-professional concentration, philosophy provides a strong undergraduate preparation for subsequent professional training in law, medicine, or theology or for certain civil service positions in state or federal government.
With the approval and assistance of the chair of the Department of Philosophy, the major program in philosophy can be tailored to the needs and plans of the individual student. Normally, programs will include courses in the central issues of philosophy, the history of philosophy, some major philosophers and ethics. Seminar experience is an ordinary part of a philosophy program.
Admission
Admission to the major program in philosophy is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of PHI 101 and two additional courses in philosophy with a grade of C. The approval of the Department of Philosophy is required.
Philosophy Curriculum
| 1. | ENG 101, ENG 102, PHI 101, RST 101 (4 courses) | (12 credits) | |
| 2. | Area Studies: Two courses from each of these areas: I, II, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII (14 courses) | (42 credits) | |
| 3. | Major course requirements: (12 courses) | ||
| PHI 300 Logic | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 340 Ethics | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 350 Ancient Philosophy | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 352 Medieval Philosophy | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 354 Modern Philosophy I | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 356 Modern Philosophy II | (3 credits) | ||
| PHI 401-402 Topics in Philosophy | (6 credits) | ||
| PHI 403-404 Philosophy Capstone Senior Seminar | (6 credits) | ||
| Philosophy electives: two courses | (6 credits) | ||
| 4. | Electives (10 courses) | (30 credits) | |
| Total | (40 courses) | (120 credits) | |
Recommended Schedule:
| Fall | Spring | |||||
| Freshman Year | ||||||
| ENG 101 | 3 credits | ENG 102 | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | PHI 101 | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| Elective | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Total | 15 credits | Total | 15 credits | |||
| Sophomore Year | ||||||
| RST 101 | 3 credits | Philosophy elective | 3 credits | |||
| PHI 300 | 3 credits | PHI 352 | 3 credits | |||
| PHI 350 | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| Elective | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Total | 15 credits | Total | 15 credits | |||
| Junior Year | ||||||
| PHI 340 | 3 credits | PHI 356 | 3 credits | |||
| PHI 354 | 3 credits | Topics course | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | AS | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Total | 15 credits | Total | 15 credits | |||
| Senior Year | ||||||
| PHI 403 | 3 credits | PHI 404 | 3 credits | |||
| Topics course | 3 credits | Philosophy elective | 3 credits | |||
| AS | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Elective | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Elective | 3 credits | Elective | 3 credits | |||
| Total | 15 credits | Total | 15 credits | |||
| TOTAL | 120 credits |
Philosophy Minor:
| PHI 350 Ancient Philosophy | (3 credits) | |
| OR | ||
| PHI 352 Medieval Philosophy | (3 credits) | |
| PHI 354 Modern Philosophy I | (3 credits) | |
| Topics course: one course (Topics courses are PHI 401, 402, 403, 404) | (3 credits) | |
| Philosophy electives: (3 courses) selected in consultation with Philosophy adviser | (9 credits) | |
| Total (6 courses) | (18 credits) | |
Other Programs
The Philosophy Department routinely offers a dual major with any of the other departments in the humanities. Special arrangements can be made to accommodate students in any curriculum. Philosophy majors may also take a minor in another department or program (e.g., Catholic Studies).
COURSES: 2007 - 2009
PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy 3 credits
A thoughtful examination of several representative philosophical issues. Emphasis on logical and critical analysis of claims and arguments proposed by some prominent classical and modern philosophers. Summer, Fall, Spring
PHI 300 Logic 3
Introduction to the principles of sound reasoning and the art of evaluating arguments. (AS V) Summer, Fall, Spring
PHI 301 Philosophy of the Person 3
Examination of several theories of human nature, and of the relation of human beings to the social and natural environment. (AS V) Fall, Spring
PHI 302 Reality and Knowledge 3
Consideration of basic pre-suppositions about the world of reality and human understanding of it. (AS V) Fall, Spring
PHI 303 Philosophy of Mind 3 credits
Examination of contemporary philosophical approaches to the explanation of consciousness and cognition as they relate to the interdisciplinary fields of cognitive science. (AS V) Fall
PHI 304 God and the World 3 credits
Critical examination of key contemporary and classical discussions of the existence and nature of God. (AS V) Summer, Fall, Spring
PHI 305 Time and the Human Condition 3 credits
Examination of major theories of time and temporal processes. Discussion of implications of these theories for study of human nature. (AS V) (ICD) Fall
PHI 325 Philosophy of Art and Beauty 3 credits
Examination of various responses to the questions, “What is Art?” and “What is Beauty?” Topics may include the artistic process, art for life, beauty as objective, and the impact of society on aesthetic theories. Accepted for art history major and minor credit. Spring
PHI 335 Philosophy of Law 3 credits
Examination of nature, source and sanctions of law; analysis of legal positivism, natural law, rights, and justice; discussion of relationship between law and morality. Formerly PHI 463. (AS V) Fall
PHI 340 Ethics 3
Reflection on the nature of moral values and principles, and examination of the basis for making moral decisions. (AS V) Summer, Fall, Spring
PHI 342 Medical Ethics 3 credits
Consideration of current problems in medicine and the life sciences. (AS V) Fall
PHI 344 Ethical Issues in Business 3
Examination of some ethical problems in business and related issues in ethical theory. (AS V) Fall, Spring
PHI 348 Environmental Ethics 3 credits
Examination of various theories of environmental ethics that treat the issue of what ethical responsibilities human beings ought to have in their relationship with the natural world. (AS V) Spring
PHI 350 Ancient Philosophy 3
Early philosophical thought in the West with special emphasis on the Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. (AS V) Fall
PHI 352 Medieval Philosophy 3 credits
From St. Augustine in fifth century A.D. to Renaissance of 15th century. Principal figures, ideas, and influences. Basic texts analyzed. (AS V) Spring
PHI 354 Modern Philosophy I 3 credits
Development of early modern philosophical thought from Descartes in the early 17th century to Kant at the end of the 18th century. (AS V) Fall
PHI 356 Modern Philosophy II 3 credits
Survey of 19th and early 20th century philosophical thought, especially Kant, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard, Mill, Nietzsche. (AS V) Spring
PHI 358 Contemporary Philosophy 3 credits
Study of several major twentieth-century philosophers (e.g., Dewey, Wittgenstein, Heidegger) and a sampling of recent philosophical work. (AS V) Fall
PHI 360 American Philosophy 3
Survey if American philosophical thought usually with special emphasis on Peirce, Royce, James and Dewey. Fall
PHI 365 Existentialism 3
Introduction to major concepts of existentialism. Consideration of 19th and early 20th century background. Detailed examination of such figures as Camus, Sartre, and Marcel. (AS V) Fall, Spring
PHI 372 Catholic Social Thought 3 credits
Analysis of Catholic social principles and their time-conditioned application through examination of papal social encyclicals from Leo XIII to John Paul II. (AS V) Fall
PHI 376 Philosophy of the Family 3 credits
Readings and discussions of texts representative of a traditional Western philosophy of the family; covers from Xenophon and Aristotle to Engels and Marcel. (AS V) Spring
PHI 380 Political Philosophy 3 credits
Analysis of the political theories and concepts of power, authority, and law operative in Western civilization. Formerly PHI 465. (AS V) Summer, Fall, Spring
ZAP 300 Logic and Rhetoric 3
Evaluating, constructing and effectively presenting arguments using cogent reasoning. Spring
ZPR 351 Contemporary Catholic Social Ethics: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives 4 credits
Examination of the religious and philosophical principles underlying modern Catholic social thought. Special attention given to issues of contemporary concern in the U.S., e.g., racism, sexism, economic justice, and human rights Spring
PHI 401-404 Topics in Philosophy 3 credits each
Critical examination of selected important thinkers in the history of philosophical thought or of selected philosophical topics in areas such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. Subject matter determined by the instructor.Prerequisite: Three courses in philosophy. Fall, Spring
PHI 499 Directed Readings in Philosophy 3 credits
Tutorial. Personally designed with a member of the Philosophy Department. Topics and terms mutually determined by student and mentor. Prerequisite: Three previous courses in philosophy. Fall, Spring