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Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2017-2018
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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
PL 252 Modern Philosophy (1)
Modern philosophy from Descartes through Kant.
PL 253 Ethical Theory (1)
An examination of the theoretical grounds of ethical reasoning encompassing such issues
as the respective roles of reason and emotion in ethical judgment, utilitarian and social-
contract conceptions of justice, and the reality of ethical values.
PL 256 Confucianism and Daoism (1)
An examination of the central texts and philosophical problems of Confucianism and
Daoism. Texts include philosophical translations of the Confucian
Analects
and
Zhongyong
, the
Laozi Daodejing
,
Zhuangzi
, and others.
PL 263 Philosophies of Film: Cinematic Wisdom West to East (1)
A pluralistic exploration of the medium of film using the discipline of philosophy.
Students examine primary texts from both philosophers and film theorists with the aim of
discovering and articulating cinematic wisdom. Focus is placed on the areas of aesthetics
(Western and East Asian), ontology, depth psychology, and cognitive theory.
Prerequisite: sophomore standing or one previous course in PL (except PL 241).
PL 275 Philosophy of Law (1)
An examination of the major concepts of law, natural law, positivism, legal realism, and
analytical jurisprudence. The course also explores the relationship of law and morals.
PL 293, 393, 493 Independent Study in Philosophy (½ or 1)
Directed study for advanced students in the major. Specific guidelines concerning
independent study projects appear in the “Exploration Term and Contract Learning”
section of this catalog.
PL 298, 398, 498 Teaching Experience in Philosophy (½ or 1)
A teaching experience course. Upon invitation, qualified students participate in first-year
and sophomore courses as docents. Specific guidelines concerning teaching experiences
appear in the “Teaching Experiences” section of this catalog.
PL 302 Existentialism (1)
An examination of major issues and problems arising from the existentialist tradition in
philosophy through a treatment of one or two representative figures. Prerequisite: one
previous course in PL (except PL 241).
PL 304 Topics in American Philosophy (1)
An examination of some aspect of American philosophy. The focus of this course may
vary each time it is offered: for example, Jonathan Edwards and the Puritans, the
philosophy of the “founding fathers,” Transcendentalism, American Pragmatism, Neo-
Pragmatism. With the permission of the philosophy faculty, students may enroll more
than once for credit, provided that the focus of the course is different. Prerequisite: one
previous course in PL (except PL 241).