MICHAEL LATZER, PH.D., Chairperson
FACULTY: Professor: Thomas Upton. Associate Professors: William Haggerty, Michael Latzer.
Assistant Professor: David Nordquest.
Aims and Objectives:
Philosophy is the love and pursuit of wisdom. An essential part of a person's education
should be the serious and personal exploration of the "ultimate questions" —issues of human
nature and human destiny, of how we should live, of the nature of the world around us, and
of the being and nature of God on whom we are dependent for our existence.
Human beings cannot be satisfied with merely knowing the "what" of things happening
around them; they want to understand the "why" of the human condition. In studying
philosophy students not only experience major philosophers at work on these important
human issues, but they also participate in this activity by developing their own skills for
creative thinking, rational argument, and responsible judgment.
Philosophy is studied for its own intrinsic value, since, as Socrates said, "the unexamined life
is not worth living." Nevertheless, the study of philosophy can also lead to successful careers
as well. It is very suitable preparation for careers in law, journalism, government, politics,
teaching, religion, and counseling.
Students who are majoring in philosophy are obliged to take a minimum of ten upper level
course (30 credits). The following nine courses are obligatory: (a) the entire history of
philosophy cycle - PHIL 271: Ancient Philosophy; PHIL 273: Medieval Philosophy; PHIL 280:
Modern Philosophy; PHIL 286: Contemporary Philosophy; (b) PHIL 210/212: Logic; (c) LPHI
131: Introduction to Philosophy; (d) PHIL 233: Philosophy of God; (e) PHIL 237: Philosophy of
Ethical Responsibility; (f) PHIL 400: Honors Seminar. The tenth required course may be
chosen with the advice of the department among the other upper level philosophical courses.
Those majoring in philosophy are encouraged to take more than the minimum ten courses,
especially if they are intending to continue to work in philosophy in graduate school.
Those who are majoring in philosophy, of course, must take the requirements of the Core of
Discovery Program. Thus if they take LPHI 233, 235, 237, 239, they are fulfilling what above
was designated as the required courses: PHIL 233, 235, 237, and 239 respectively.
A major in philosophy at Gannon University is obliged to take eight prescribed cognates (24
credits).
Students may have to take beginning and/or intermediate language courses depending on
their background. Students will also be encouraged to take a course in a classical language.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
LPHI 131: Introduction to Philosophy is a prerequisite for all Philosophy Courses.
LPHI 131: Introduction to Philosophy
3 credits
An introduction to the study of philosophy. Beginning with the dawn of philosophical
awareness among the ancient Greek philosophers, the course surveys both traditional and
modern approaches to the philosophical understanding of the human condition.
PHIL 210: Logic
3 credits
An introduction to the theory and practice of good reasoning. Students learn practical
techniques for constructing and evaluating arguments, based on both traditional Aristotelian
logic and modern formal logic.
PHIL 212: Contemporary Symbolic Logic
3 credits
An introductory course in deductive reasoning using the methods of symbolic formal logic.
PHIL 233: Philosophy of God (also listed as LPHI 233)
3 credits
An introduction to the philosophical study of God, based largely on the tradition of Christian
philosophy. Some of the topics include: the concept of God; the evidence for God's existence;
the meaningfulness of religious language; analysis of God's attributes, such as omnipotence
and omniscience; the possibility of miracles; life after death; the problem of reconciling divine
foreknowledge and human freedom; and the problem of reconciling the existence of a loving
God with the world's evils.
PHIL 235: Philosophy of Knowledge, Certitude and Truth (also listed as LPHI 235)
3 credits
A study of the possibility and validity of human knowledge, together with the criteria of
truth.
PHIL 237: Philosophy of Ethical Responsibility (also listed as LPHI 237)
3 credits
The subject matter of ethics is "the good life and how to live it." Students will examine a
variety of influential approaches to ethics, and will gain skill in applying ethical theory both
to practical ethical issues in daily life, and to some of the urgent ethical issues in
contemporary society.
PHIL 238: Business Ethics
3 credits
Business dealings are subject to the same norms and criteria which govern other human
activities. This course analyzes the ethical dimensions of business transactions and
consumerism, addressing itself to such problems as profits, advertising, free enterprise,
discrimination, trade secrets, unions, and bribery.
Prerequisites: LPHI 131 and PHIL 237
PHIL 239: Philosophy of Science (also listed as LPHI 239)
3 credits
A historical and philosophical survey of the various understandings of science and scientific
method from ancient times to the present. Students will examine the role philosophy has
played in formulating and critiquing models of scientific investigation, and will pay attention
to the impact science has had in each historical period on religion, society, and views of
human nature.
PHIL 240: Philosophy of Education
3 credits
A critical examination of the goals and methods of education, especially as they relate to
ethics and politics. Readings will be drawn from historical philosophers, such as Plato,
Aristotle, Rousseau and Dewey as well as contemporary philosophical analysis of educational
institutions.
History of Philosophy Cycle
Attention should be paid to the fact that the history of philosophy is expounded systematically
in a four semester cycle with one of the histories of philosophy being offered in each semester.
PHIL 271: History of Ancient Philosophy
3 credits
A critical presentation of the rise of Western Philosophy in Greece in the seventh century
before Christ and its development in the fourth century B.C. up to the third century of the
Christian era.
PHIL 273: History of Medieval Philosophy
3 credits
A study of Augustine and the great synthesis of Thomas Aquinas, analyzed in the context of
the philosophic-theological intellectual atmosphere of the thirteenth century. Non-Thomistic
syntheses of Bacon, Bonaventure, and Duns Scotus are evaluated. Then the decline of
scholasticism is studied with emphasis on Ockham, Suarez and the Electives.
PHIL 280: History of Modern Philosophy
3 credits
A critical presentation of philosophers and philosophical trends from the Italian Renaissance
of the XV century to the early XIX century.
PHIL 286: History of Contemporary Philosophy
3 credits
A survey of some of the most important philosophical movements and thinkers of the late-
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, both in the Anglo-American and the Continental
traditions.
PHIL 290: Philosophy & Law
3 credits
A discussion of the philosophical foundations of law and an investigation into the scope of
legal philosophy. Questions such as: what is law? what is a legal system in a society? do the
criteria for the existence of law include a moral element? how shall legal obligations be
understood? will be discussed. In addition, the relationship between law and morality, and
the common good must be reviewed.
PHIL 295: Oriental Philosophy
3 credits
The philosophies of the East are attempts to answer ultimate questions about the universe &
human life. The primary aim of the course is an exposition of the various schools/systems &
their inherent disciplines i.e. metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, & social
philosophy. We will also compare Eastern & Western thinking by way of tradition &
contemporary thinkers.
PHIL 345: Philosophy of History
3 credits
Critical examination of the philosophers of history and their concern with the nature of
history and the meaning of historical knowledge.
PHIL 350: Introduction to Metaphysics
3 credits
The nature of metaphysics as the study of being is examined in the philosophy of Aristotle
and Thomas Aquinas. The study of essence and existence, potency and act, substance and
accident, matter and form, is developed systematically.
PHIL 365: Modern Existentialism
3 credits
Critical analysis of nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers. Concentration will be upon the
following themes: The Individual, Dehumanization and Alienation, Authenticity and
Inauthenticity, Communication and Structures. Authors studied will include: Kierkegaard,
Sartre, Camus, Jaspers, and Marcel.
PHIL 383: American Philosophy
3 credits
An investigation of the contributions made by American thinkers to traditional philosophical
problems and the interrelationship of American ideas and American life.
PHIL 390-394: Special Topics in Philosophy
1-3 credits
PHIL 395-399: Independent Study in Philosophy
1-3 credits
PHIL 400: Honors Seminar in Philosophy
3 credits
Each spring semester, a member of the philosophy department conducts a special seminar on
an individual philosopher or philosophic trend or theme in depth, using primary sources and
allowing time for deeper discussion and analysis that enhances an intellectual insight. The
specific topics is announced prior to registration for the coming semester.
Completion of the following courses (15 credits) will satisfy the requirement for a minor in
Philosophy.
3 Introduction to Philosophy/LPHI 131
3 Philosophy of God, Knowledge, Ethics or Science/PHIL 233, 235, 237, or 239
9 May be taken in any Philosophy courses 200 level or above
15 credits
Philosophy Curriculum (128 credits)
1st Semester - Freshman
3 College Composition/LENG 111
3 Introduction to Philosophy/LPHI 131
3 Sacred Scriptures/LTHE 121
3 Speech/SPCH 111
3 Introduction to Psychology/PSYC 111
15
2nd Semester - Freshman
3 Critical Analysis & Comp/LENG 112
3 Hist of West & World/LHST 111
3 Natural Science
3 Elective
3 Elective
15
1st Semester - Sophomore
3 Philosophy of God/LPHI 233
3 Theology II Series/LTHE
3 Psyc of Human Development/PSYC 222
3 Advanced Composition/ENGL 211
6 Elective
18
2nd Semester - Sophomore
3 Philosophy of Knowledge/LPHI 235
3 Philosophy of Science/LPHI 239
3 Literature Series/LENG
3 Cultural Anthropology/SOCI 292 or Political Theory I/POLI 360
3 Math
15
1st Semester - Junior
3 Philosophy of Ethical Responsibility/LPHI 237
3 Logic/PHIL 210
3 Ancient Philosophy/PHIL 271
3 Language/FREN 211 or GRMN 211
3 Fine Art Series/LFIN
3 Elective
18
2nd Semester - Junior
3 Medieval Philosophy/PHIL 273
3 Modern Philosophy/PHIL 280
3 Language/FREN 216 or GRMN 216
3 Elective
3 Elective
15
1st Semester - Senior
3 Senior Seminar/LBST 383
3 Elective
3 Elective
3 Elective
2 Elective
3 History of Contemporary Phil/PHIL 286
17
2nd Semester - Senior
3 Philosophy Honors Seminar/PHIL 400
3 Elective
3 Elective
3 Elective
3 Elective
15
10 Upper Level Philosophy Courses 30 hrs.
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