Philosophy
Chairperson: Corinne Bloch-Mullins, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy website
Philosophy is an investigation of the enduring questions facing humanity: What is the human being? How ought we live? What is our relationship to the world around us and to the transcendent? Philosophy also encourages students to be reflective. It asks students to identify and critically evaluate their personal beliefs about self, communities and the world at large in light of various intellectual traditions.
The Marquette Philosophy department is a community of teachers and scholars that aims to enable students in all disciplines to develop critical and analytical thinking as well as communication skills. We encourage intellectual and moral development and cultural literacy, providing a foundation for personal and professional growth.
In addition to playing a central role in the Marquette Core Curriculum, the department offers four different paths to a Philosophy B.A. Students may complete a general B.A. in Philosophy (without a concentration), or they may complete a B.A. with a concentration in Ethics, Values and Society, Philosophy for the Health Professions, or Philosophy for the Legal Professions.
The study of philosophy helps students think and communicate clearly and logically about a broad range of topics. It equips students with the tools to engage with, evaluate, and integrate new ideas. It allows students to develop problem-solving strategies that can be applied in a variety of contexts and careers. Philosophy graduates are known to excel on the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) exams, a testament to the transferrable skills acquired by our students.
PHIL 1000 Logic (3 credits)
The goal is to provide the student with an understanding of correct reasoning as it is employed in ordinary discourse. Studies topics such as: terms and propositions, definition, opposition, induction and deduction, reasoning and argumentation, fallacies in argument. Recommended to be taken as a freshman.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 1001 Foundations in Philosophy (3 credits)
To help students critically engage their own experience as it relates to fundamental philosophical questions about the human condition, focusing on moral value and the meaning and purpose of human life. Aims to help students articulate their own deepest questions about these issues, and to increase their understanding of, organize and befriend these questions in light of a variety of classical and contemporary philosophical approaches.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Foundation
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science, Ethics
PHIL 1001H Honors Foundations in Philosophy (3 credits)
To help students critically engage their own experience as it relates to fundamental philosophical questions about the human condition, focusing on moral value and the meaning and purpose of human life. Aims to help students articulate their own deepest questions about these issues, and to increase their understanding of, organize and befriend these questions in light of a variety of classical and contemporary philosophical approaches. As an Honors Program course, includes a more intensive research or project component.
Prerequisite: Admission to Marquette University Honors Program.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Foundation
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science, Ethics
PHIL 2010 Introduction to Cognitive Science (3 credits)
An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of the mind, drawing on and integrating concepts and tools from disciplines such as psychology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology and others. Asks foundational questions in cognitive science and examines how the various disciplines that comprise the field come together to offer a framework for an investigation into the fundamentals of cognition. Same as INCG 2010.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: NSM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
PHIL 2310 Theory of Ethics (3 credits)
An investigation into the moral dimension of human life. Among the topics to be considered are the norms of morality and the general process of moral decision-making. Traditional natural law is one of the points of view included.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Individuals & Communities
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics
PHIL 2955H Honors Introduction to Philosophical Debate (1 credits)
Develops skills in philosophical reasoning, critical analysis, close reading and constructive debate through facilitated discussions that bring philosophical texts and theories to bear on current events. Some sections may focus on a specific topic or philosophical methodology.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 or PHIL 1001H; admission to Marquette University Honors Program; or cumulative GPA of 3.200 and cumulative Philosophy GPA of 3.330; or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 3350 Philosophy of the Environment (3 credits)
Engages in philosophical inquiry into nature and its transformation by people, as well as the moral, scientific, and social problems posed by global environmental crises. Specific topics can include the status of natural objects and systems, the morality of trade-offs between species, the ethics of consumption, the connection between environmental degradation and illness, and the role of culture in demarcating the natural and the non-natural.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons
Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Health and Illness, Environmental Studies, Environmental Ethics, Ethics, Peace Studies
PHIL 3370 Philosophy of Art (3 credits)
Undertakes philosophical examination of art and its place in human life. Among possible topics are cognitive aspects of art, art and cultural understanding, the contribution of philosophy to the understanding and appreciation of art, the definition of art, art and morality, the objectivity of judgements of aesthetic value, the nature of aesthetic experience, the ontology of art, art as vehicle of social change, and the role of the artists' intentions in interpreting and evaluating works of art.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
PHIL 3380 Asian Philosophy (3 credits)
Introduces the major systems of philosophy of India and China; early Vedic and Upanishadic systems, Buddhism including Chan/Zen, Brahmanism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Emphasis on the key ideas in Eastern philosophy.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Interdisciplinary Studies: Asian Studies, Peace Studies
PHIL 3390 Latin American Philosophy (3 credits)
Introduces significant figures, issues and texts in Latin American Philosophy. Investigates the global and comparative nature of philosophical dialogue and debate by reading texts from from philosophers and pensadores in Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Crossing Boundaries
Interdisciplinary Studies: Latin American Studies, Latinx Studies
PHIL 3410 Metaphysics (3 credits)
Investigation of fundamental questions about the nature of reality, especially those not amenable to purely empirical resolution. Among possible topics are theories of substance, the nature of physical objects, the existence of the soul, essences and natural necessity, time and space, the reality of possible worlds, the existence of universals, the nature of causation, and the distinction between primary and secondary qualities.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 3450 Epistemology (3 credits)
Studies the sources, nature, structure and extent of knowledge and justified belief. Among possible topics are skepticism, theories of perception, a priori knowledge, testimony as a source of knowledge, theories of truth, internalist and externalist theories of knowledge, the analysis of knowledge and foundational and coherence theories of the structure of knowledge.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 3460 Philosophy of Language (3 credits)
Studies fundamental issues about the nature of symbolic systems, including language. Among the possible topics are intention-based, use-based, truthconditional and verificationalist theories of meaning, the indeterminacy of translation, proper names and reference, theories of definite descriptions, the nature of demonstrative and indexical expressions, and theories of metaphor.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 3470 Philosophy of Technology (3 credits)
Explores philosophical problems raised by new technologies and technological change. Identifies and reflects critically on the ethical impacts of new technology. Specific course topics may include the ethics of AI, algorithmic bias, bioengineering and biotechnological enhancement.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons
PHIL 3501 Philosophy of War and Peace (3 credits)
Examines historical and contemporary ethical debates about the justification of war, the conduct of war and the means of fighting wars. Topics include just war theory, pacifism, terrorism, humanitarian intervention, war crimes, the privatization of war and the ethical implications of new military technologies.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
Interdisciplinary Studies: Peace Studies
PHIL 3502 Narrating Freedom: Gender, Race and Mass Incarceration (3 credits)
Approaches some traditional philosophical questions in an experiential and interdisciplinary way and aims to bridge the gap between academic philosophy and everyday life. Through the lens of institutionalization and incarceration, explores questions regarding the nature of institutional oppression and different forms of freedom and resistance drawing from scholarly texts and from the social positions we live. The course partners with a Milwaukee community organization that supports currently or formerly incarcerated individuals and enrolls participants from the organization as students at MU.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Engage Social Systms & Values 2
Interdisciplinary Studies: Gender and Sexualities Studies
PHIL 3503 The Ethics of Intimacy (3 credits)
Engages in critical exploration of the relationship between individuals and communities and the construction of notions of intimacy on both the local and global level. Specifically investigates the assemblages of intimacy as it intersects with various social positionalities: race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, migration, religion and sexuality.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Individuals & Communities
Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Health and Illness, Gender and Sexualities Studies
PHIL 3504 Ethics and the Function of Reason in Human Life (3 credits)
Investigates the moral dimension of human life, with special attention to how it pertains to other living beings and to natural and human environments.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
PHIL 3505 Philosophy and Film (3 credits)
Explores the relationship between philosophical ideas and film, especially narrative film. Discusses various accounts of the nature of film, film genres and ways of interpreting films. Attends to the ways that narrative films are susceptible to philosophical reflection and, more controversially, the way that narrative films might exemplify a way of doing philosophy.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Writing Intensive
PHIL 3506 Philosophy of Race (3 credits)
Explores the role that race and race-related ideas (such as proto-race, ethnicity, nationality and indigeneity) play in how we define a diverse society and how individuals identify themselves. Examines the meaning of race from various philosophical perspectives, as well as the nature of race, xenophobia, anti-blackness, islamophobia and anti-semitism. Develops an understanding of the nature of race in order to challenge racism and racial injustice.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Individuals & Communities
PHIL 3507 Global Justice (3 credits)
Explores five issues of global justice: war and violence; human rights, development and global institutions; immigration and refugees; gender; and democracy and communication. Argues that such problems outstrip the resources of the nation-state and cannot be addressed by political institutions and theories that focus on the state as the primary agency for ensuring justice.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Engage Social Systms & Values 2, HUM Crossing Boundaries
Interdisciplinary Studies: Gender and Sexualities Studies
PHIL 3508 Caribbean Philosophy (3 credits)
Engages in an examination of the rich intellectual tradition of the Caribbean oriented around issues of colonization, decolonization, resistance, emancipation and identity. Examines transnational ideas forged in and through the Caribbean, including its diaspora; considers the meaning of the Caribbean as a geopolitical space; investigates how identities are forged in the Caribbean; and shows how social and political problems emerge as a result of colonialism and globalization. Introduces major figures and philosophical problems in ethics, metaphysics and epistemology.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Crossing Boundaries
Interdisciplinary Studies: Gender and Sexualities Studies
PHIL 3509 Philosophy of Disability (3 credits)
Explores a range of perspectives on the philosophy of disability—from positions presenting disability as a fundamental ‘lack’ of the body to those that constitute it as ‘mere difference’ to more transformative understandings that politicize and historicize the category ‘disability’ itself. Core class concepts include ‘normalcy,’ ‘disability,’ ‘health,’ ‘well-being’ and ‘quality of life.’ Answers fundamental questions about body/mind functioning and flourishing through phenomenological, ethical, political, metaphysical and epistemological approaches.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Individuals & Communities
Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Health and Illness, Gender and Sexualities Studies
PHIL 3610 Ancient Philosophy (3 credits)
Examination of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, from the pre-Socratic philosophers through the Hellenistic schools, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Including other philosophers such as Heraclitus, Parmenides, Pythagoras, Plotinus, Epicurus, Seneca and Sextus Empiricus. Issues may include the soul, immorality, knowledge, eros, and fate and freedom.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons, Writing Intensive
PHIL 3620 Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)
Examines select issues and philosophers of the medieval period. Philosophers covered may include Augustine, Boethius, Averroes, Avicenna, Maimonides, Anselm, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Scotus, and Ockham. Topics may include free will, universals, the nature of the soul, proofs for the existence of God, the relation of faith and reason.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
PHIL 3630 Pragmatism and American Philosophy (3 credits)
Studies the development of philosophy within the continental United States with special emphasis on the emergence of Pragmatism as an original philosophical response to new historical conditions. Issues can include the rejection of the Cartesian quest for certainty and the sharp dualisms between mind and body, fact and value, language and the world, self and society; the meaning of truth; the impact of the theory of evolution on views and persons, Nature and God. Readings from authors ranging from Pierce, Edwards, Emerson, Mead, Addams, Bradley, Brighton, James, Dewey, Royce to Richard Rorty, Cornel West, Hilary Putnam, Donald Davidson, and Alain Locke.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 3640 Twentieth Century Anglo-American Philosophy (3 credits)
Engages in critical examination of a number of 20th-century Anglo-American philosophers and philosophical movements. Movements considered include some of the following: "Common Sense" Philosophy, Logical Atomism, Logical Positivism, and Ordinary Language Philosophy. Philosophers treated may include G.E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, J.L. Austin, Elizabeth Anscombe, Willard Quine, Thomas Nagel, and Saul Kripke.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 3650 Early Modern Philosophy (3 credits)
Investigates 17th- to 18th-century philosophy, especially in light of individualism and scientific discovery. Philosophers may include, but are not limited to, Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Themes may include theories of mind and matter, personal identity, God and the cosmos, and the relations between philosophy, science and religion.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
PHIL 3660 Marx and Marxism (3 credits)
Explores Marx's intellectual transition from "leftist" Hegelianism to dialectical materialism and from the study of political economics to Das Kapital. Also examines developments and adaptations of Marx's thought by various schools of Marx interpretation.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
PHIL 3665 Phenomenology and Existentialism (3 credits)
Studies major figures and themes from phenomenological and existentialist traditions, such as Kierkegaard, Husserl, Heidegger, and Sartre.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 3670 Nineteenth-Century German Philosophy (3 credits)
Examines developments in German philosophical thought from the post-Kantian idealism of Fichte, Schelling and Hegel to the thought of Nietzsche. Can include the study of philosophers ranging from Schopenhauer to Marx.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 3710 Political Philosophy (3 credits)
A philosophical inquiry into the nature of social and political life. May include topics such as the nature of political liberty, the relation between the individual and larger institutions such as the state, the nature of justice, human rights, the meaning of the individual as a social being, the social aspects of individual identity, and the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of the use of force.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice, HUM Individuals & Communities
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics, Peace Studies
PHIL 3751 Philosophy and History of Crime and Punishment (3 credits)
Examines crime and punishment from both philosophical and historical perspectives, exploring both the European and the American experience. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature (philosophical/historical institutions) of crime and punishment.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics, Law and Society
PHIL 3770 Feminist Philosophy (3 credits)
Introduces the history of philosophical views of women and provides a critical introduction to different types of feminism, e.g., liberal, existentialist, radical, Marxist and socialist feminism. Includes such topics as feminist theory of knowledge, political theory and ethics.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics, Gender and Sexualities Studies, Peace Studies
PHIL 3780 Africana Philosophy (3 credits)
Introduces central philosophical issues and figures from Africa and the African Diaspora. Approaches perennial issues in philosophy of human nature and social/political philosophy from an Africana perspective. Topics of discussion may include the ontological status of race, the nature of racism, the relation between race and personal identity, contemporary race relations, global feminism and the existence of a distinctly "African" philosophy. Philosophers studied may include Zera Yacob, Kwame Appiah, WEB DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Frantz Fanon, Paget Henry, Sylvia Wynter, Angela Davis, Charles Mills, and Lewis Gordon.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Crossing Boundaries
Interdisciplinary Studies: Africana Studies, Ethics, Gender and Sexualities Studies, Peace Studies
PHIL 3955H Honors Readings in Philosophy (1 credits)
Engages students in close and sustained reading of a single text or select few texts. It provides students with the opportunity to develop skills and strategies for working through extended, challenging philosophical texts. May be taken twice.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 or PHIL 1001H; admission to Marquette University Honors Program; or cumulative GPA of 3.200 and cumulative Philosophy GPA of 3.330; or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4000 Modern Logic (3 credits)
Introduction to modern symbolic logic, with primary emphasis on translation into symbolic form and natural deduction. Covers propositional logic and predicate logic with identity. Possible additional topics include the philosophical implications of modern logic.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 and Jr. stndg., or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4320 Contemporary Ethical Problems (3 credits)
Explores such ethical issues as human rights and responsibilities in social and racial justice, war and international relations, expression of dissent, and sexual conduct.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics
PHIL 4330 Business Ethics (3 credits)
Applies theories of ethics to the moral dimensions of business endeavors and their effects on individuals, organizations, and society. Topics explored may include issues of responsibility, discrimination and affirmative action in the workplace, whistle blowing, economic justice, environmental impact, and the effects of the "global economy."
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics, Peace Studies
PHIL 4335 Biomedical Ethics (3 credits)
Examines fundamental ethical issues that arise in the practice of medicine and other health care professions. Among possible topics are the definition of death, the morality of suicide and euthanasia, patient-physician confidentiality, informed consent, refusal of lifesaving medical treatment, the morality of abortion, genetic engineering, human cloning, the allocation of scarce medical resources, and other issues involving health care and society.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Basic Needs & Justice
Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Health and Illness, Ethics
PHIL 4336 Applied Ethics for the Health Sciences (1 credits)
Introduces issues in professional ethics for students in the College of Health Sciences. Provides a bridge to ethical topics covered in professional phase of study. Topics include the dignity of life, codes of medical ethics, the nature of the patient-medical provider relationship, confidentiality, the determination of patient competence, critical patient care, and justice in health care.
Prerequisite: Enrolled in Health Sciences and PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Interdisciplinary Studies: Culture, Health and Illness
PHIL 4450 Philosophy of Mind (3 credits)
Explores some of the philosophical problems concerning the nature of mind and its interaction with the physical world. Topics may include the traditional mind-body problem and various significant historical and contemporary responses; the causal efficacy of content; neurophysiology vs. folk psychological approaches; other minds; intentionality; consciousness; and the reconciliation of contemporary science and our natural first person conception of the mind.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Cgntn, Lang, Mmry/Intlgnc
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 4470 Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
Examines fundamental epistemological and metaphysical issues that arise in the practice of science. Among possible topics are theories of scientific method; problems of confirmation; models of scientific explanation; scientific revolutions; the observational-theoretical distinction; the reality of theoretical entities; the relation between science and religion and between science and art; and the limits of scientific knowledge.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: HUM Expanding Our Horizons
Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognitive Science
PHIL 4510 Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)
Engages in a philosophical inquiry into the nature and function of religious life. Topics covered may include the nature of faith, belief, and religious experience; the role and meaning of religious practice, prayer and worship; God’s existence and attributes; and divine foreknowledge, free will, and the problem of evil.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4540 Philosophy of Education (3 credits)
Engages in critical examination of important principles, methods and conclusions of various philosophical theories and their implications for education. Focuses on professional ethics and the development of the student's own philosophy of education. Same as EDUC 4540.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Writing Intensive
PHIL 4750 Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
An inquiry into the nature and foundation of law, with particular attention to natural law, legal positivism and rights-based theories of law, theories of punishment and responsibility, and the relationship between law and morality.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics, Law and Society, Peace Studies
PHIL 4931 Topics in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Lectures and discussions in an area which, because of its topicality, is not the subject of a regular course. The special topics are designated in the Schedule of Classes.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 and Jr. stndg. or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4953 Seminar in Philosophy (3 credits)
Designed to initiate a group of qualified students in the techniques and discipline of scholarly research by concentrated work in a defined subject area. Critical reading and analysis of sources. Specific subjects of seminars to be announced in the Schedule of Classes.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 and Jr. stndg., or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4954 Writing-Intensive Seminar in Philosophy (3 credits)
Designed to initiate a group of qualified students in the techniques and discipline of scholarly research by concentrated work in a defined subject area. Critical reading and analysis of sources. Specific subjects of seminars are announced in the Schedule of Classes.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001, PHIL major and Jr. stndg.; or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Writing Intensive
PHIL 4955H Honors Supplement (1 credits)
Required to be supplemental to 3000- and 4000-level lecture courses to explore topics in greater depth. Individuals or small groups explore topics in greater depth through supplemental readings, special assignments or other activities. Must be arranged with the course instructor and the Director of the Philosophy Disciplinary Honors Program by the start of the term. May be taken twice.
Prerequisite: Admission to Marquette University Honors Program or the Philosophy Disciplinary Honors Program. Consent required.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4960 Research in Philosophy (3 credits)
Draws on and integrates the philosophical knowledge and the philosophical skills acquired in prior studies via the guided development and completion of a substantive research project.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001 and Jr. stndg. or cons. of dept.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4986 Internship in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Gain experience outside the classroom engaging in public philosophy, philosophical outreach, teaching, public service, the digital humanities, or other forms of public-facing philosophical activity. Students, in consultation with the internship coordinator, must arrange the internship and complete an internship agreement that specifies requirements commensurate with credit hours, but normally include weekly timesheets and a written reflective component. Students work three hours per week per credit hour.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001, Jr. stndg. Consent required. Consent required.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4995 Independent Study in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Faculty-supervised, independent study/research of a specific area or topic in Philosophy.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001, Jr. stndg. Consent required.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4999 Senior Thesis (3 credits)
Preparation of a thesis by approved students under direction of an adviser.
Prerequisite: PHIL 1001, PHIL major, Sr. stndg. and cons. of dept. Consent required.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 4999H Honors Senior Thesis (3 credits)
Preparation of a thesis by approved students under direction of an adviser.
Prerequisite: Admission to Philosophy Disciplinary Honors Program. As an Honors Program course, includes a more intensive research or project component. Consent required.
Level of Study: Undergraduate
PHIL 5000 Modern Logic (3 credits)
Introduction to modern symbolic logic, with primary emphasis on translation into symbolic form and natural deduction. Covers propositional logic and predicate logic with identity. Possible additional topics include the philosophical implications of modern logic.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 5931 Topics in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Lectures and discussions in an area which, because of its topicality, is not the subject of a regular course. The special topics are designated in the Schedule of Classes.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 5953 Seminar in Philosophy (3 credits)
Designed to initiate a group of qualified students in the techniques and discipline of scholarly research by concentrated work in a defined subject area. Critical reading and analysis of sources. Specific subjects of seminars to be announced in the Schedule of Classes.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 5954 Writing-Intensive Seminar in Philosophy (3 credits)
Designed to initiate a group of qualified students in the techniques and discipline of scholarly research by concentrated work in a defined subject area. Critical reading and analysis of sources. Specific subjects of seminars are announced in the Schedule of Classes.
Level of Study: Graduate
Marquette Core Curriculum: Writing Intensive
PHIL 6310 History and Theory of Ethics (3 credits)
A theoretical investigation into the moral dimensions of human life. Covers the principal traditions in Western moral philosophy as well as significant work in contemporary moral philosophy.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6330 Problems in Ethics (3 credits)
Considers various metaethical and normative problems, such as: values; the justification and nature of ethical norms; moral responsibility; moral failure; the relation of morality to religion, law, and aesthetics.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6340 Aesthetics (3 credits)
Considers one or more of the following problems in aesthetic theory: expression, representation, art and knowledge, aesthetics and society, and method.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6420 Philosophy of Language (3 credits)
Studies topics such as the structure and function of language, philosophy and linguistics, and language and mind. Considers philosophers such as Austin, Morris and Chomsky.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6430 Philosophy of Knowledge (3 credits)
A study of major epistemological problems and theories of knowledge.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6440 Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
A survey of basic problems and methods in contemporary philosophy of science. Topics may include demarcation of science, realism and antirealism, representation, models and idealizations, reduction and emergence, laws of nature, inductive inference, underdetermination, revolution and meaning change, rationality in theory choice, experiment and simulation, causation, explanation, and values in science.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6450 Philosophy of Mind (3 credits)
A study of what mind is and its relation to the body; various concepts related to the mental and to human action.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6460 Philosophy of Freedom (3 credits)
A systematic investigation of problems involved in the assertion of human freedom.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6470 Problems in Metaphysics (3 credits)
Studies doctrines on the nature of ultimate reality; associated topics such as substance, relation, process or change, causality, universals, particulars, space, time, eternity, freedom, necessity; and the meaning of metaphysics as a philosophical discipline.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6510 Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)
Inquiry into the religious dimensions of human existence and into divine reality. Topics include: religion as a cultural institution, religious experience, the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, faith and reason, religious language, and the rationality of religious belief.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6605 Plato (3 credits)
A study of Plato's thought, especially his ethics, epistemology, psychology and metaphysics.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6610 Aristotle (3 credits)
A study of key themes in Aristotle’s thought.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6620 Augustine (3 credits)
The early philosophical dialogues and The Confessions, The City of God, and The Trinity, considered in their significance as sources of Christian thought.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6630 Neo-Platonism (3 credits)
A study of the origin and character of neoplatonic thought, especially its metaphysics, epistemology and psychology. Concentration on writers such as Plotinus and Proclus; medieval neoplatonists may also be included.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6640 St. Thomas Aquinas (3 credits)
A study of St. Thomas Aquinas' philosophy, especially his metaphysics, epistemology and psychology.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6650 Descartes (3 credits)
A study of some principal works of Descartes.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6652 17th and 18th Century European Philosophy (3 credits)
Readings and discussions on problems ranging from the existence of laws of nature to problems in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, ethics, and political philosophy. Readings are drawn from such thinkers as Descartes, Cavendish, Hobbes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Astell, Mandeville, Newton, Gassendi, Bayle, Wollstonecraft, Locke, Berkeley, Shepherd, Cudworth, Shaftesbury and Hume.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6660 Kant (3 credits)
A study of some principal works of Kant including the Critique of Pure Reason.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6664 Husserl (3 credits)
A textual study of some principal works.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6680 Analytic Philosophy (3 credits)
A study of selected figures and problem areas in analytic philosophy. Philosophers may include Frege, Russell, Moore, Ayer, Carnap, Goodman, Quine, Ryle, Austin, Kripke, Putnam, Nagel, Davidson, Sellars, McDowell, Anscombe, Williams, Foot, Thomson, and others. Selected problems may include metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, ethics, applied ethics, and philosophical methodology.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6690 German Phenomenology-Existentialism (3 credits)
Reading and discussion of the works of such thinkers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Jaspers and Scheler.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6695 French Phenomenology-Existentialism (3 credits)
A study of problems, such as meaning vs. absurdity, theism vs. atheism, and intersubjectivity vs. solipsism, in such thinkers as Sartre, Marcel, Camus and Merleau-Ponty.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6710 Political Philosophy (3 credits)
Consideration of the genesis and justification of the state; questions concerning the best form of government; problems especially germane to democracy, such as the nature and justification of equality and liberty, and of the balance of power and the majority rule.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6750 Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
A study of the various philosophical approaches to the basic problems and values in law.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6953 Text/Seminar on Ancient Philosophy (3 credits)
Either the study of a specific period within Ancient Philosophy, such as Pre-Socratic thought or Roman moral philosophy; or the intensive reading of a major work such as Plato's Sophist or Theaetetus or Aristotle's Metaphysics or Nicomachean Ethics; or the investigation of a theme running through Ancient Philosophy such as problems with the veracity of perception, the ontological status of ideas, or Aristotle and the Peripatetics.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6954 Text/Seminar on Early or High Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)
Either the study of individual thinkers, such as St. Anselm, St. Bonaventure, St. Albert the Great; or on specific texts, such as St. Thomas' Treatise On Spiritual Substances; or on problems, such as the nature of man according to St. Bonaventure or doctrines on Divine Illumination in the 13th century.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6955 Text/Seminar on Later Medieval or Renaissance Philosophy (3 credits)
Either the study of individual thinkers, such as William of Ockham, Duns Scotus, Nicholas of Cusa, Giordano Bruno, Niccolo Machiavelli; or on themes running through these periods, such as the nature of man, or theories of knowledge, or the Platonism of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6957 Text/Seminar on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy (3 credits)
Either the study of major philosophers, such as Marx, Fichte, or Peirce; or on major texts, such as Hegel's Logic, or Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript; or on philosophical problems, such as the individual and the social order, or pragmatic views of knowledge and truth.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6958 Text/Seminar on Twentieth-Century Philosophy (3 credits)
Either the study of philosophical movements, such as existentialism, phenomenology, analysis, or pragmatism; or of specific philosophers, such as Sartre or Russell; or of major philosophical works, such as Philosophical Investigations, or Being and Time.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6959 Seminar in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Subjects and credits according to arrangement.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6960 Seminar in Professional Philosophy (3 credits)
Prepares students for a variety of professional careers, with a focus on the skills developed through the pursuit of an advanced degree in philosophy. Focuses on: (1) the practice of philosophy in/as the public humanities; (2) career discernment; (3) professional ethics, equity, and inclusion training in relevant career paths; and (4) the development of professional narratives and job materials that communicate with a broad range of audiences, including non-scholarly.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6965 Practicum in Philosophy (3-6 credits)
Internship designed to develop a student's ability to use philosophical thinking and concepts in dealing with problems which arise in the context of a specific job, vocation, or institutional setting. Students arrange placement on an individual basis. S/U grade assessment.
Prerequisite: Cons. of dept. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6970 Seminar on Teaching Philosophy (3 credits)
An introduction to the theory and practice of teaching philosophy.
Prerequisite: Graduate stndg.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6995 Independent Study in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
Faculty-supervised, independent study/research of a specific area or topic in Philosophy.
Prerequisite: Cons. of dept. ch. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 6998 Professional Project in Philosophy (1-12 credits)
S/U grade assessment.
Prerequisite: Cons. of dir. of graduate studies. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 8097 Career Discernment/Career Diversity Skills (0 credits)
Provides students with an understanding of the career realities of their discipline and to offer them the opportunity to discern their career values and how to obtain the skills and experiences that will match that valued career direction.
Prerequisite: Enrolled in the PHIL Ph.D. program. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 8098 Communication Skills (0 credits)
Provides students with the ability to effectively communicate and lead discussions across various academic and non-academic audiences within various contexts, formats and media.
Prerequisite: Enrolled in the PHIL Ph.D. program. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 8099 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Skills (0 credits)
Provides students with foundational understandings of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) along with practical tools to engage across difference. Discusses how, in today’s interconnected world, understanding DEI is essential for professional growth, effective communication, fostering inclusive communities and reimagining our physical and social realities for greater accessibility. Designed to equip students with knowledge, skills and perspectives necessary to examine how they might engage in more equitable and inclusive practices in their future careers.
Prerequisite: Enrolled in the PHIL Ph.D. program. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 8995 Independent Study in Philosophy (1-3 credits)
The mode of instruction offers a student the opportunity to study or do in-depth research on a topic or subject matter not usually offered in the established curriculum, with a current Marquette faculty of the student's choice and independent of the classroom setting.
Prerequisite: Cons. of dept.; cons. of graduate prog. dir. Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 8999 Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)
S/U grade assessment.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9964 Master's Qualifying Paper Preparation: Less than Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status. Requires that the student is working less than 12 hours per week toward their master's qualifying paper.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9965 Master's Qualifying Paper Preparation: Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of half-time status. Requires that the student is working more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week toward their master's qualifying paper. May be taken in conjunction with credit-bearing or other non-credit courses to result in the status indicated, as deemed appropriate by the department.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9966 Master's Qualifying Paper Preparation: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of full-time status. Requires that the student is working 20 hours or more per week toward their master's qualifying paper. May be taken in conjunction with credit-bearing or other non-credit courses to result in the status indicated, as deemed appropriate by the department.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9967 Doctoral Qualifying Paper Preparation: Less than Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status. Requires that the student is working less than 12 hours per week toward their doctoral qualifying paper.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9968 Doctoral Qualifying Paper Preparation: Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of half-time status. Requires that the student is working more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week toward their doctoral qualifying paper. May be taken in conjunction with credit-bearing or other non-credit courses to result in the status indicated, as deemed appropriate by the department.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9969 Doctoral Qualifying Paper Preparation: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of full-time status. Requires that the student is working 20 hours or more per week toward their doctoral qualifying paper. May be taken in conjunction with credit-bearing or other non-credit courses to result in the status indicated, as deemed appropriate by the department.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9970 Graduate Standing Continuation: Less than Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Designated as less than half-time status only, cannot be used in conjunction with other courses, and does not qualify students for financial aid or loan deferment.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9974 Graduate Fellowship: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Designated as full-time status. If a student is already registered in other courses full time, this continuation course is not needed.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9975 Graduate Assistant Teaching: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Designated as full-time status. If a student is already registered in other courses full time, this continuation course is not needed.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9976 Graduate Assistant Research: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Designated as full-time status. If a student is already registered in other courses full time, this continuation course is not needed.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9979 Field Placement Continuation: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of full-time status. Requires that the student is working 20 hours or more per week at their field placement.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9993 Professional Project Continuation: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of full-time status. Requires that the student is working 20 hours or more per week on their professional project. Any professional project credits required for the degree should be completed before registering for non-credit Professional Project Continuation.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9997 Doctoral Dissertation Continuation: Less than Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of less than half-time status. Requires that the student is working less than 12 hours per week on their doctoral dissertation. All 12 dissertation credits required for the degree should be completed before registering for non-credit Doctoral Dissertation Continuation.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9998 Doctoral Dissertation Continuation: Half-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of half-time status. Requires that the student is working more than 12 to less than 20 hours per week on their doctoral dissertation. All 12 dissertation credits required for the degree should be completed before registering for non-credit Doctoral Dissertation Continuation.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate
PHIL 9999 Doctoral Dissertation Continuation: Full-Time (0 credits)
Fee. S/U grade assessment. Allows a student to be considered the equivalent of full-time status. Requires that the student is working 20 hours or more per week on their doctoral dissertation. All 12 dissertation credits required for the degree should be completed before registering for non-credit Doctoral Dissertation Continuation.
Prerequisite: Consent required.
Level of Study: Graduate