Philosophy Courses
PAR 101. Invitation to Philosophical Thinking (3) An introduction to various philosophers and philosophical problems from historical, critical, and other perspectives.
PAR 110. Introduction to Logic (3) Introduction to the principles of logic including the rules of deduction, the categorical syllogism, induction, and fallacies. Initiation in computer logic programs.
PAR 115. Introduction to Ethics (3) An introduction to fundamental principles, theories, and problems in ethics.
PAR 201. History of Western Philosophy I (3) A survey of Western philosophical thought in ancient and medieval times. Emphasis on the Greek origins of the philosophical tradition. Readings from the Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Roman philosophy and such Christian thinkers as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.
PAR 202. History of Western Philosophy II (3) A survey of Western philosophical thought from the beginning of the modern era to the present. Emphasis on the rationalist and empiricist traditions. Readings from such philosophers as Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Kant and Russell.
PAR 205. American Philosophy (3) A survey of American philosophical thought from colonial times to the present. Readings from such American thinkers as Jonathan Edwards, the Federalist authors, Thoreau, James, Dewey and Quine.
PAR 211. Philosophy of Human Nature (3) A survey and evaluation of past and present theories of human nature; to include such topics as nature and culture, freedom and rationality, issues in gender identity, and theories of education and human development.
PAR 213. Existentialism (3) An introduction to major themes in existential thought such as freedom, authenticity, death of God, the meaning of life. Primary source readings from existential authors, e.g., Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Marcel.
PAR 215. Bioethics (3) Examination of the principles and problems in the application of ethical theory to medical research and practice.
PAR 218. Symbolic Logic (3) Fundamentals of an axiomatic logical system, including both the propositional calculus and the predicate calculus, consistency and completeness proofs, and mathematical induction.
PAR 220. Race and Social Justice (3) Introduction to philosophical issues in race and social justice. Topics include race and identity, discrimination, multiculturalism, affirmative action, anti-racism.
PAR 265. Philosophy and Film (3) Examines the relationships between philosophical inquiry and motion pictures, including how philosophical ideas have influenced film as well as the use of film as a medium for expressing and analyzing philosophical issues. Readings include great works of philosophy from ancient, modern, and contemporary times.
PAR 300. Philosophical Writing (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101. Instruction in a variety of philosophical writing styles and strategies used to communicate philosophical concepts, including but not limited to: use of primary and secondary sources, style in scholarly essays; literary devices such as analogies and metaphors; argument construction and refutation; methods of inquiry.
PAR 302. Plato (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101, 201 or consent of instructor. Study of the Dialogues of Plato. Analysis of texts; contemporary interpretations.
PAR 303. Aristotle (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 201. An examination of Aristotle's philosophy through selected texts, supplemented with contemporary criticisms. Aristotle's criticisms of Plato; problems of interpretation.
PAR 305. Medieval Philosophy (3) A survey of Islamic, Jewish and Christian philosophical thought in medieval times. Readings from such thinkers as Augustine, Avicenna, Averroes, Maimonides and Thomas Aquinas.
PAR 310. (PLS 310) Legal Philosophy and Jurisprudence (3) Prerequisite: Junior standing and/or the consent of instructor. An introduction to the nature, concept and sources of law and the various schools of jurisprudence. Topics treated include: natural law; historical, analytical and sociological jurisprudence; idealism, utilitarianism and legal realism; equity, justice, precedent, custom and law, and the relation of law and morality.
PAR 313. Social and Political Philosophy (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101, 115, or consent of instructor. An exploration of philosophical issues and concepts central to an understanding of social and political life; e.g., function and cause, justice, liberty, equality, societal facts and laws, utopias, reason and political argument, political obligation and the public interest.
PAR 315. Media Ethics (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101, 115, or consent of instructor. An examination of ethical issues in the media, including print and broadcast journalism, advertising, public relations, and the entertainment media.
PAR 316. The Philosophy of Art (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or consent of instructor. Investigation and exploration into both traditional and contemporary theories regarding the philosophy of art and its associated problems. Visual arts, such as painting, sculpture, film, etc., will be examined.
PAR 317. Epistemology (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 201-202. Fundamental issues in theory of knowledge: nature of knowledge; reasoning, judgment; truth, certainty and probability.
PAR 318. Metaphysics (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 201-202. Fundamental issues and positions concerning the nature of reality: theories of being, substance, causality.
PAR 320. Philosophy of Mind (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or consent of instructor. Selected readings drawn from classical and/or contemporary sources bearing on problems of the self, such as the issue of personal identity and the concept of a person, the problem of the relation of mind and body and the question of the nature of consciousness.
PAR 335. Philosophy of Language (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101or consent of instructor. Fundamental issues in the nature and meaning of language: concepts of truth, meaning, reference, metaphor, interpretation, speech acts.
PAR 340. Philosophy of Religion (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 103. Examination of the basic problems found in Western philosophy concerning religion, including efforts to prove the existence of God, the role of faith and reason, the problem of evil, immortality, religious experience, religious language, and religious pluralism.
PAR 345. Philosophy of Science (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or consent of instructor. Fundamental issues in the philosophy of science; the nature of scientific method; modes of verification and the role of paradigms.
PAR 346. Philosophy of Biology (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101. Examination of the main concepts of contemporary theories in the biological sciences from the perspective of the philosophy of science. Issues including reductionism, scientific realism, confirmation, explanation, and the nature of laws in the biological sciences will be addressed.
PAR 360. Philosophy of Evolution (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or consent of instructor. Examination of philosophical issues found in the study of evolution: origins of the theory; impact on science; methodology of Darwinian and contemporary evolutionary studies; concepts of species, natural selection and adaptation and its mechanisms; application of evolutionary theory of human culture; and debates over creationism and sociobiology.
PAR 365. Topics in Philosophy and Film (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or consent of instructor. Examination of a specific philosophical topic (such as aesthetics, reality, love, freedom, responsibility, morality, social class, race and gender) through film. Analysis of the topic under investigation will include reading primary sources in philosophy, lecture and discussion, and film screenings. May be repeated under different subtitles for up to 12 credit hours.
PAR 400. Colloquium for Majors (3) Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. An interdisciplinary investigation of various philosophical and religious questions. Themes for study: the problem of evil, the relations of faith and reason, symbolism and language, meaning of freedom, and concepts of determinism. Required of majors in junior or senior year; open to qualified non-majors.
PAR 401. The Philosophy of Immanuel Kant (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 202. An examination of the thought and influence of Kant in his three great critiques, especially the first, the Critique of Pure Reason, as well as in his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
PAR 405. Contemporary Philosophical Thought (3) Prerequisite: PAR 101 or 202. Primary source study of the various philosophers of the 20th century, representing the major schools or movements.
PAR 491. Directed Individual Study (1-3) Prerequisite: Overall GPA of at least 2.00, junior or senior standing, and consent of instructor, department chair and dean. Involves investigation under faculty supervision beyond what is offered in existing courses. For further information, consult the Directed Indivusl Studies section in the UNCW catalogue.
PAR 495. Seminar (1-3) Prerequisite: Credit in philosophy and religion and consent of department. Research of selected philosophic and/or religious problems.
PAR 499. Honors Work in Philosophy (2-3) Prerequisite: Eligibility for honors program and junior or senior standing. Independent study for honors students.
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