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• PHIL 310: Plato and Aristotle

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Explores the ideas and arguments of Ancient Greek thinkers Plato and Aristotle, their influence on the history of philosophy, and the ways in which the two thinkers compare and contrast. Themes include the nature of reality, the character of the universe, the possibility of knowledge, what counts as beauty, and the pursuit of the good life.
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• PHIL 311: Eastern Philosophy

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Examines Eastern philosophical perspectives as exhibited in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. A significant focus is on the examination and evaluation of differences between the Eastern and Western models of experiencing and understanding. Discussions and investigations will include study of the nature of reality, truth, the self, and death. Course emphasizes development in critical thought, comparison, analysis, and intellectual empathy.
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• PHIL 312: Africana Philosophy

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Examines some of the writings and ideas present in philosophers in Africa and the African diaspora in relation to traditional Western philosophical ideas and approaches. The course focuses on fundamental dimensions of Africana philosophy and may include topics of language, ethnophilosophy, truth, knowledge, reality, morality, beauty, religion, feminism, and the social-political arenas. Course emphasizes development in critical thought, comparison, analysis, and intellectual empathy.
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• PHIL 313: Medieval Philosophy

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  This course examines the writings of the Medieval philosophers, including Anselm, Augustine, Aquinas, Avicenna, Averroes, Moses Maimonides, and William of Ockham. The focus is on the problems and methods of philosophy as seen in this period. Themes include the nature of reality, the sources and limits of knowledge, theories of free will, the soul, the relation between mind and body, and the possibility of a rational basis for religious belief.
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• PHIL 314: Descartes to Kant

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Examines and analyzes the writings of the 17th and 18th century philosophers, including Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. The focus is on the problems and methods of philosophy as seen in this period. Themes include the nature of reality, the sources and limits of knowledge, the relation between mind and body, and the possibility of a rational basis for religious belief. Course emphasizes development in critical thought, textual and conceptual analysis, and written communication.
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• PHIL 401: Philosophy of Mind

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Explores key theories central to our understanding of mentality: mind/body dualism, Identity Theory, Functionalism, Eliminativism, the Representational Theory of Mind, and the Intentional Stance. Compares and contrasts each theory, considering both the implications of their adoption, and what application looks like for different cases such as consciousness in nonhuman animals, brain disease or damage, and the impact on our conception of free will.
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• PHIL 402: Philosophy of Science

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Examines the central questions in the philosophical exploration of science, including the sense in which various claims might be called scientific, what it means to test scientific claims, the character and aim of scientific theories, and the nature, importance, and quality of scientific explanation. Compliments courses in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind, and offers a deeper look into the premises of investigative inquiry for students studying the sciences.
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• PHIL 405: Epistemology

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Takes a deep dive into the theory of knowledge, a core subfield of philosophy since Plato. Examines why knowledge is valuable to have at all, why we should care about it, the nature or definition of knowledge, and how we can get it. Considers whether knowledge precludes getting the truth by luck and whether we have obligations to have evidence-based beliefs, and looks at radical skepticism.
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• PHIL 406: Metaphysics

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Offers an in-depth exploration of metaphysics, a core subfield of philosophy since Aristotle. Examines the nature of properties, the relationship between properties and objects, what it takes for some things to be parts and compose wholes, the nature of time, necessity and possibility, and how objects can persist despite change.
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• PHIL 501: Professional Bioethics

  3.00 Credits

  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  
  Provides students with an overview of key issues and approaches in contemporary bioethics. The course will review prominent ethical theories and principles and show how they are helpful in understanding and addressing moral dilemmas. The course focus will be on ethical concerns that arise in the clinical or research practice of working medical professionals. Students will learn reason-based approaches to solving ethical concerns in practical scenarios.
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