This survey is designed for the student body to have a direct input into the course offerings of the Philosophy Department at Monmouth University. The full range of courses with a description is listed below. To request that a course be offered, please click in the box next to the course title and and then click the submit button at the bottom of the page. The request will be emailed to the department. Please submit only one request form per semester.
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PL 101 Cr. 3 Introduction to Philosophy A historico-critical inquiry into the nature of the philosophical enterprise; the meaning of existence; knowledge and truth; values in their religious, ethical, and aesthetic significance.
PL 104 Cr. 3 Ethics Theoretical ethics and its application to enduring and contemporary moral issues. Thorough examination of the basic principles of a rational, humane, and practical moral system.
PL 106 Cr. 3 Elementary Logic A consideration of valid reasoning as it relates to language and definition. Primary attention is given to discerning and identifying informal fallacies, techniques for determining the validity of inference, and the evolution of symbolic systems. Recommended for students preparing to take GRE or LSAT.
PL 113 Cr. 3 History of Philosophy: Classic and Medieval The beginning of philosophical speculation in Ionia, its golden age in Athens, the Roman interlude, and the flourish and decline of Medieval Philosophy.
PL 198 Cr. 1-3 Special Topics in Philosophy (100-level) An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in philosophy to be announced prior to registration. The course may be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. Prerequisite: As announced in course schedule booklet.
PL 201 Cr. 3 Philosophy of Religion An examination of certain salient features of Western religious thought emphasizing the problems of religious language, the nature and validity of religious experience, traditional and contemporary ideas of God, morality, death, and evil. Prerequisite: Philosophy 101.
PL 202 Cr. 3 Great Issues in World Philosophy An examination of great philosophical works from several cultural traditions. This course uses original works from Western, Indian, and Chinese civilizations to focus on philosophical approaches to a cluster of "great issues" while putting the philosophers and their works in historical context. Satisfies the Cross-Cultural Studies requirement for students following the 1995-96 or 1996-97 general education requirements. Prerequisite: Humanities 201.
PL 204 Cr. 3 Ethics and Responsible Leadership The course examines the nature of ethical discourse and its impact on value choices. It seeks to promote the spirit of cooperative search for basic ethical values as they influence our personal and social behavior. The course provides the forum for a reasoned discussion about the decisive influence of ethical values in the public arena.
PL 206 Cr. 3 Intermediate Logic The sentential calculus is studied in modern formal axiomatic systems along with modal and many value logics.
PL 211 Cr. 3 Social and Political Philosophy Comparative study of the philosophical assumptions underlying significant Western conceptions of social order and community.
PL 213 Cr. 3 Law: Its Philosophy and History A philosophical examination of man's effort to understand the source and nature of the legal order. Paradigms of various historical interpretations are considered in detail. Specific emphasis is laid on the presentation of conflicting contemporary legal theories. Prerequisite: 3 credits in one of the following disciplines: philosophy, history, political science, law.
PL 267 Cr. 3 Medical Ethics Consideration from the standpoint of value systems of problems emerging in modern medical practice, genetics, and technological innovation. Studies in decision-making and the relation of theoretical reflections and practical application. Especially recommended for pre-law and those seeking careers as health professionals.
PL 298 Cr. 1-3 Special Topics in Philosophy (200-level) An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in philosophy to be announced prior to registration. The course may be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. Prerequisite: As announced in course schedule booklet.
PL 305 Cr. 3 Philosophy of Art Place of beauty and art in human life; standards of taste and aesthetic experience; classical and contemporary theories.
PL 306 Cr. 3 Inductive Logic The probability calculus with special regard to traditional problems in causality, decision, projectible and unprojectible regularities, and the formalization of inductive systems. Prerequisite: Philosophy 106 and/or 206 or mathematical logic.
PL 307 Cr. 3 American Philosophy Classical and contemporary philosophical theories developed in the United States by such philosophers as Jonathan Edwards, Emerson, Royce, Santayana, James, Dewey, and Whitehead. Prerequisite: Philosophy 101.
PL 309 Cr. 3 Seminar in Plato Against the background of pre-Socratic problems the intensive study of selected dialogues with emphasis upon Plato's lasting contributions to Western philosophy. Prerequisite: Philosophy 101.
PL 316 Cr. 3 The Modern Mind: From Descartes to the Present A systematic study of the central theses of philosophers and philosophical schools from early Continental Rationalism and British Empiricism to the contemporary patterns of philosophical thought. Prerequisite: 3 credits in philosophy.
PL 373 Cr. 3 Philosophy of Social Science An analysis of interpretations and explanatory theories in the social sciences. Special attention is given to the concept of interpretation in sociology, anthropology, and history. Prerequisites: 6 hours of philosophy, or 6 hours of social science, or 3 hours of philosophy and 3 hours of social science.
PL 398 Cr. 1-3 Special Topics in Philosophy (300-level) An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in philosophy to be announced prior to registration. The course may be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. Prerequisite: As announced in course schedule booklet.
PL 490 Cr. 3 Seminar in Philosophy Selected topics in which participating students present and discuss research papers. Prerequisites: Approval of the philosophy faculty at the recommendation of the instructor and satisfaction of the writing proficiency requirement.
PL 498 Cr. 1-3 Special Topics in Philosophy (400-level) An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in philosophy to be announced prior to registration. The course may be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. Prerequisite: As announced in course schedule booklet.
PL 499 Cr. 3 Individual Studies in Philosophy Guided research on selected topics; conference with sponsoring professor. Prerequisites: Junior standing, 12 hours of philosophy, prior permission of the directing professor and department chair.
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