Philosophy

College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Philosophy
John Roach Center for the Liberal Arts (JRC) 241, (651) 962-5350
Stoltz (chair), Clemenson, Deavel, Distelzweig, Feeney, Frost, Giebel, Grant, Heaney, Kronen, Laumakis, Lemmons, Lu, Menssen, Pawl, Rota, Spencer, Stuchlik, Toner, Winter

Philosophy Department Website

Philosophy engages questions such as:

• Is the human mind just a very complicated machine?
• Can we have free will if the mind is a machine?
• Must we have free will in order for life to be meaningful?
• What makes an act moral or immoral?
• When, if ever, can a government mandate moral acts or outlaw immoral acts?
• Is it ever permissible to start a war with a preemptive strike?
• Is the design in the world evidence that there is a God?
• Do the world’s evils show that a good God cannot exist?
• What is the role of philosophy in dealing with questions about God?
• What is knowledge?
• Can we know anything with certainty?
• Are warrants for knowledge relative to particular cultures?

Philosophy considers these questions, and countless others, from the standpoint of human reason and experience. It emphasizes precise and careful argument, and sharpens your thinking skills.

The philosophy program at St. Thomas will introduce you to distinguished philosophical work over the centuries and into our own time. While attending carefully to philosophers whose works are foundational to the Catholic intellectual tradition, particularly Aristotle and Aquinas, the program is committed to broad integration of our understanding of reality. As you work to construct a philosophical worldview you will engage a variety of traditions, including non-Western, and confront questions prompted by the study of such subjects as the natural and social sciences, mathematics, medicine, business, law, theology, the fine arts, and literature.

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (or PHIL 115 or PHIL 197) (4 credits)
• PHIL 220 Logic (4 credits)
• PHIL 350 Ethics (4 credits)

Plus eight credits in the history of philosophy

Four credits in classical Western philosophy

• PHIL 302 Ancient Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 303 Medieval Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 340 Thought of Thomas Aquinas (4 credits)
• or another course approved by the department

Four credits in an elective in the history of philosophy

• PHIL 210 Chinese Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 302 Ancient Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 303 Medieval Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 304 Modern Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 306 Contemporary Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 308 Indian Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 340 Thought of Thomas Aquinas (4 credits)
• PHIL 353 Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Nietzsche (4 credits)
• or another course approved by the department

Plus:

• Sixteen credits at the 300-level or above, including four credits at the 400-level (all 400-level courses require public presentation of a paper)

Plus:

• Additional coursework in Philosophy to bring the total number of credits in philosophy either to forty-four (for single majors) or thirty-six (for double or triple majors).

Philosophy majors who are single majors must complete twenty-eight of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas’s St. Paul campus; philosophy majors who are double majors must complete twenty-four of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas’s St. Paul campus.

Expand your perspective with the department’s experts in Buddhist, Chinese, Indian, and Tibetan philosophy. Benefit from the insights these traditions provide and be prepared to navigate a globalized world.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)

Plus twelve credits from the following:

• PHIL 210 Chinese Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 211 Buddhist Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 213 Comparative Applied Ethics East and West (4 credits)
• PHIL 220 Logic or PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 260 Global Philosophy of Religion (4 credits)
• PHIL 308 Indian Philosophy (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 (or PHIL 197) The Person and the Good (4 credits),
  or PHIL 115 Philosophy of the Human Person (4 credits)

Plus:

• Twelve additional credits in philosophy. It is recommended that minors take PHIL 220 Logic (4 credits)

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.

A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

16 credits

Explore the foundations of morality and the application of moral and ethical principles to complex challenges facing the world today. The track will prepare you to work for the common good both professionally and personally.

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)
• PHIL 350 Ethics (4 credits)
• Plus eight credits from the following:
• PHIL 213 Comparative Applied Ethics East and West (4 credits)
• PHIL 220 Logic or PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 234 Love, Sex, and Friendship (4 credits)
• PHIL 235 Politics, Law, and the Common Good (4 credits)
• PHIL 254 Biomedical Ethics (4 credits)
• PHIL 255 Technology and Ethics (4 credits)
• PHIL 256 Contemporary Social Issues (4 credits)
• PHIL 258 Environmental Ethics (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Develop philosophical tools and perspectives to think critically, creatively and constructively about the foundations of political, legal and policy questions. This track can enhance and complement degrees in Business, Economics, History, Sociology, Political Science, and help prepare you for careers engaging law, policy and politics.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)

Plus one of the following:

• PHIL 235: Politics, Law, and the Common Good (4 credits), or
• PHIL 357 Political Philosophy (4 credits), or
• PHIL 359 Philosophy of Law (4 credits)

Plus eight credits from the following:

• PHIL 220 Logic or PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 231 Philosophies of Social Justice (4 credits)
• PHIL 235 Politics, Law, and the Common Good (4 credits)
• PHIL 256 Contemporary Social Issues (4 credits)
• PHIL 357 Political Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 359 Philosophy of Law (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.

16 credits

Director: Dr. Jonathan Stoltz (PHIL)

The interdisciplinary minor in Logic & Analytical Reasoning explores fundamental principles and techniques of inferential reasoning, thereby providing students with the tools needed to distinguish reasoning well from reasoning poorly. Students completing the minor will learn how formal systems (and formal languages) can be harnessed for the benefit of improved reasoning, problem solving, and information processing. Courses in the minor do not merely employ logic and reasoning in order to examine other topics; rather, these courses have principles and systems of reasoning as their primary subject matter. The interdisciplinary character of the minor helps students draw connections between (i) the theorizing about inferential reasoning that regularly happens in fields like philosophy and mathematics and (ii) the applications of inferential reasoning found in the natural and social sciences.

Required Courses (8 credits)

• PHIL 220: Logic (4 credits)
• PHIL 221: Critical Thinking and Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)

or, with approval of program director, one other 4-credit course from the list below

Electives (at least 8 credits)

At least eight credits drawn from the list of courses below, with at least four credits from the starred (*) courses: CISC 131 (or CISC 130), SOCI 220, and STAT 220

• *CISC 131 (or CISC 130): Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving (4 credits)
• *SOCI 220: Sociological Analysis (4 Credits)
• *STAT 220: Introductory Statistics (4 credits)
• CISC 230: Object‐Oriented Design and Programming (4 credits)
• ECON 315: Introduction to Econometrics (4 credits)
• ECON 355: Game Theory (4 credits)
• ECON 418: Mathematical Economics (4 credits)
• MATH 128: Introduction to Discrete Math (4 credits)
• MATH 201: Bridge to Mathematical Proof (4 credits)
• MATH 303: Statistics for the Applied Sciences (4 credits)
• MATH 313: Probability (4 credits)
• POLS 240: Research Methods in Political Science (4 credits)
• PSYC 212: Research Methods in Psychology (4 credits)
• SOCI 210: Research Methods in Sociology (4 credits)
• STAT 310: Biostatistics (4 credits)
• STAT 320: Applied Regression Analysis (4 credits)

Integrate and contextualize insights from psychology, neuroscience, and even computer science by developing and applying philosophical tools and perspectives to examine the nature of the mind and the relationship between mind and brain.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)

Plus one of the following:

• PHIL 265: Minds, Brains, and Computers (4 credits), or
• PHIL 330: Philosophy of Mind (4 credits)

Plus eight credits from the following:

• PHIL 220 Logic (4 credits)
• PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 265: Minds, Brains, and Computers (4 credits)
• PHIL 304: Modern Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 330: Philosophy of Mind (4 credits)
• PHIL 385: Philosophy of Science (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.

Develop and apply philosophical perspectives and tools to address questions concerning the existence and nature of God, the compatibility of faith and reason, and the nature and meaning of religious belief and experience. An ideal track to complement study in Theology or Catholic Studies, for those interested in apologetics, or for anyone who wants to think philosophically about the nature of religion and its place in the world.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)

Plus twelve credits from the following:

• PHIL 220 Logic or PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 240 Faith and Doubt (4 credits)
• PHIL 250 Christian Mysteries from a Philosophical Viewpoint (4 credits)
• PHIL 260 Global Philosophy of Religion (4 credits)
• PHIL 272 Evolution and Creation (4 credits)
• PHIL 303 Medieval Philosophy (4 credits)
• PHIL 340 Thought of Aquinas (4 credits)
• PHIL 365 Natural Philosophy and Metaphysics (4 credits)
• PHIL 460 Philosophy of God (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.

Develop philosophical tools with which to examine fundamental questions about the nature of scientific methods and findings. This track is designed for students in STEM and related fields and for those concerned to deepen and sharpen their philosophical perspective on the sciences and their place in society.

Develop philosophical tools with which to examine fundamental questions about the nature of scientific methods and findings. This track is designed for students in STEM and related fields and for those concerned to deepen and sharpen their philosophical perspective on the sciences and their place in society.

All minors take:

• PHIL 110 The Person and the Good (4 credits)

Plus:

• PHIL 385 Philosophy of Science (4 credits)

Plus eight credits from the following:

• PHIL 220 Logic (4 credits)
• PHIL 221 Critical Thinking & Inductive Reasoning (4 credits)
• PHIL 241 History and Philosophy of Medicine (4 credits)
• PHIL 254 Biomedical Ethics (4 credits)
• PHIL 255 Technology and Ethics (4 credits)
• PHIL 265 Minds, Brains, and Computers (4 credits)
• PHIL 272 Evolution and Creation (4 credits)
• PHIL 380 Epistemology (4 credits)
• Another course approved by the department.

*A student may have more than one philosophy minor provided there is no more than an eight-credit overlap, but may not minor in philosophy while also majoring in philosophy.

Philosophy minors must complete twelve of their credits in philosophy at St. Thomas, unless they receive a waiver from the department chair; at least eight credits must be at the 2xx-level or above.