Courses

Forgiveness, Love, and Justice

In this course, students are invited to take a curious look at Judeo-Christian notions of forgiveness, love, and justice. We focus on how these concepts should be understood, how they influence our lives, and how they work together (or not). We pay particular attention to the way forgiveness, love, and justice function in social and political contexts of oppression.

Introduction to Philosophy: Dimensions of the Self

This class will survey texts that engage the major areas of philosophy through inquiries into the nature of the self. Its aim will be to give an overview of diverse ways philosophers have thought about the self; to introduce the student to some of the issues and problems that shape contemporary life; and to introduce the practice of philosophy through readings and class discussions. In other words, this class is an invitation to take yourself seriously in two ways: first, you are invited to understand the ways in which you and your world have already been shaped by great thinkers before you. In this way you begin to claim your intellectual heritage. If you accept this invitation, you will begin to enter into the great conversation of philosophy. Second, by doing so, you will begin to take yourself seriously as a person endowed with intellectual powers–and responsibilities. Familiarity with the problems faced by a diverse collection of philosophers can be an excellent preparation for facing present difficulties. Our survey of Aristotle, Descartes, Mary Astell, Gloria Anzaldúa, Viktor Frankl, and Simone Weil will help us to understand how our social situations affect how we think of ourselves, how we think of others, and how the way we construe the self has social and ethical implications.

Introduction to Ethics

This course introduces the student to philosophical ethics. In the first half of the semester, we will read and discuss major Western ethical theories beginning with Aristotle and ending with Miranda Fricker. In the second half of the semester we delve into contemporary ethical issues. Upon completion of the course, students are better prepared to recognize, confront, and think critically about difficult ethical problems that emerge in daily life. A substantial service-learning component serves as the final project, equipping students to take responsible ethical action as engaged citizens.