M.A. Courses
PH 201 S
METAPHYSICS
3 units
A study of the hermeneutical and Heideggerian perspective to the “end of metaphysics” phenomenon in Western philosophy. It attempts to look at the metaphysics of St. Thomas as an exception to this metaphysical tradition.
PH 202 S
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
3 units
A study of the scope and limits of human knowledge, including problems raised by the new insights from phenomenology, analytic philosophy, and philosophy of science on the nature of human knowing.
PH 204 S
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
3 units
A critical inquiry into the nature of “philosophy of religion.” Topics include the problem of God’s existence; how modern phenomenology of religion casts light on the history of how men think of God; some major contemporary figures in the discipline; and the problem of creation and evolution.
PH 215 S
SURVEY OF ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
3 units
An introductory course on the thought, methodology, and contemporary relevance of the major figures in Greek and Medieval Philosophy. Emphasis is on the Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Anselm, Bonaventure, and Aquinas. The course also studies original texts, complemented by major commentaries.
PH 242 S
SEMINAR IN TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A seminar on preparing courses; learning modules, syllabi, and bibliographies; teaching and learning strategies: quaestio, lectio, disputatio, repetitio; conducting seminars, group discussions, research activities; using film, theater, and audio-visual materials in the classroom; as well as preparing and evaluating written and oral examinations.
PH 266 S
LOGIC
3 units
A study of the denotation and connotation of terms, categorical proposition, immediate inference by deduction and opposition, mediate inference, categorical and hypothetical syllogisms, fallacies, predicables, induction, and argument by analogy, science, and hypothesis.
PH 267 S
PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
3 units
A philosophical study of the human person taking as its point of departure a historical study of the body and soul problem in Western thought, from prehistoric myth to modern phenomenology, existentialism, and positivism; and a study of the impact of modern psychological theory on the problem of free will and determinism.
PH 268 S
SURVEY OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A study of 16th to 19th century philosophy. The course is also a survey of the works and thoughts of Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Hegel.
PH 269 S
FUNDAMENTAL ETHICS
3 units
A course on the phenomenology of moral experience. Topics include the structure constitutive of moral experience; moral experience and moral conscience; morality and temporality; morality and historicity; morality as personal; and areas of contemporary moral experience.
PH 270 S
SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A study of the “masters of suspicion” and the emergence of philosophy as the conversation of mankind. The course attempts to answer the question, “Is post-modernity really the fate of contemporary philosophy?”
PH 271 S
SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A course on a variety of philosophical approaches to social reality: personalism, phenomenology, critical theory, transcendental thomism. Special attention is given to the pedagogy of a course on social philosophy. Topics include civil society, solidarity, marginalization, empowerment, human rights and development, and environmental ethics.
PH 200
METHODS OF RESEARCH
3 units
A course on drawing up and using bibliographies and textual criticisms in viewing the philosopher from within his/her cultural context and actual historical problems. The course also studies the philosopher’s intellectual temperament that dictates to a certain extent the method of research into his/her thought.
PH 201
ADVANCED REFLEXIVE METAPHYSICS
3 units
Pre-requisite: Undergraduate Metaphysics
A study of historical and systematic approaches to the “really real” (to ontos on). The main figures in the history of metaphysics are evaluated in terms of their reflexivity, comprehensiveness, and dynamism.
PH 202
THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
3 units
Pre-requisite: Undergraduate epistemology
A study of the roles played by tradition, language, and interpretation in the event of human understanding.
PH 203
PHILOSOPHY OF BEING HUMAN
3 units
A study of the historical and systematic approaches to the meaning of being human.
PH 204
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
3 units
A critical examination of the human experience of religion. It presents arguments and counter-arguments for the existence of God; and a Phenomenology and Metaphysics of Hope.
PH 206
CONTEMPORARY CRISIS OF REASON
3 units
A discussion on the tension between the classical ideals of reason and the challenges of modern scientific forms of rationality. Social issues are discussed within the context of problems brought about by
relativism in a globalizing world.
PH 206.1
CONTEMPORARY CRISIS OF REASON II
3 units
A course that examines the emergence of the plurality of discourses as a response to the monolithic standards of scientism in the age of technology. Various principles of solidarity are articulated within the context of multicultural societies.
PH 209
CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL PROBLEMS
3 units
A historical and systematic approach to the issues of violence, ecology, gender, and human rights.
PH 210
ADVANCED PHENOMENOLOGY
3 units
A study of the basic writings of phenomenologists from Husserl to Ricoeur, but especially, the use of phenomenology in philosophy and interdisciplinarity.
PH 211
PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY
3 units
A study of the cyclic and vectorial viewpoint of man as historical being, and the meaning of the vectorial viewpoint in the Philippines as a society in transition.
PH 212
PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIETY
3 units
A study of the phenomenology of social existence as it is applied to the various aspects of human co-existence. Topics include the ambiguity of structures – social, economic-scientific-technological, and the state; social ethics: praxis and contemplation; right, law, and the value of ownership; the problem of violence.
PH 213
HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIAN THOUGHT
3 units
A survey of Ancient Indian thought: the Isha and Chandogya Upanishads, the Gita, and the Shankara.
PH 214
HISTORY OF ANCIENT CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A survey of Ancient Chinese thought and a meditative study of the classical texts in translation: The Four Books (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius, and the Work of Mencius), the Tao Te Ching, and the writings of Chuang Tzu.
PH 216
AQUINAS
3 units
A study of St. Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical thoughts about the world, man, and God. Initial attention is given to his intellectual formation, especially his contact with Platonic and Aristotelian thoughts.
PH 217
ARISTOTLE
3 units
A study of Aristotle’s works.
PH 218
HISTORY OF MODERN INDIAN/CHINESE THOUGHT
3 units
A study of the historical development of modern Indian/Chinese thought.
PH 219
PLATO
3 units
A study of Plato’s works.
PH 221
KANT
3 units
A study of Immanuel Kant’s works.
PH 222
SCHELER
3 units
A study of Max Scheler’s works.
PH 223
RICOEUR
3 units
A study of Paul Ricoeur’s works.
PH 224
PHILOSOPHY OF WOMAN
3 units
A course on the different philosophies towards women by philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and Simone de Beauvoir;
an analysis of feminist literature and feminism in theology.
PH 225
BUDDHIST THOUGHT
3 units
An introductory course to the study of classical Buddhism. Focus is on the Buddhist classic, The Dhammapada, and the historical development of Buddhism – Theravada, Mahayana, Ch’an, Tibetan, and Zen Buddhism.
PH 226
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES
3 units
A philosophical treatment of a topic of particular interest relating to various dimensions of human existence and the history of ideas. Topics include theory and practice of nonviolence, modern Jewish thought, physics and philosophy, hermeneutics and contemporary literary theory, and Gnostic thought.
PH 226.1
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES: SEMINAR IN ETHICAL THEORIES
3 units
The seminar course consists of lectures by different philosophy teachers, who offer their expertise in various ethical theories, both classical and contemporary, and engage the students in an in-depth discussion of the finer nuances of these theories that are often left out in undergraduate studies.
PH 226.2
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES: READING THE PRE-SOCRATICS
3 units
The course is a critical examination of the beginnings of Western philosophy, beginning with the metaphysical contributions of the early Ionians and the Pythagoreans, Heraclitus’ aphorisms, Parmenides’ song, and ending with the humanistic assertions of the Sophists.
PH 226.3
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES: SCIENCE AND RELIGION
3 units
The course critically examines the major issues in the debate between science and religion, their place in society, and their possible fruitful engagement. It explores the thoughts of major thinkers from the fields of philosophy, science and religious studies.
PH 226.4
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES: PROCESS PHILOSOPHY
3 units
Also known as “process metaphysics,” the course is a critical examination of the philosophical position that views reality not only as a process but also as a relation and rejects the traditional metaphysical view that substance exists by itself, isolated from other self-subsistent realities.
PH 226.5
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES: NICHOLAS OF CUSA
3 units
The course is a critical study of Nicholas of Cusa’s philosophy, showing not only how his philosophical insights have an inherent political critique, but also how he continues to influence even postmodern discourse.
PH 226.8
BIOETHICS
3 units
An exploration of bioethical questions due to technological innovations in medicine and biology. The course covers biomedical ethics, “red” gene technology, and “green” gene technology . Topics include an overview of bioethics, and theories of utilitarian and Kantianism.
PH 227
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS
3 units
Seminars on a particular problem in systematic philosophy or the history of Philosophy. Examples of topics include the mind-body problem; alternative logic; the notion of Christian philosophy; evolution, dialectic and analogy; and the history of the transcendental ego.
PH 227.4
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS: COSMOLOGY (PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE)
3 units
The course chronologically surveys the theories on the origin and structure of the universe starting from Plato’s Timaeus up to the most current writings on string theory, and examines the relationship of these theories to a belief in God.
PH 227.5
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS: SOLIDARITY IN MULTI-RATIONAL SOCIETIES
3 units
A course on discourse theory and the possibility of building solidarity in multi-rational societies. It shows how the theories of contemporary thinkers like Habermas, Scheler and Derrida can be used to build a theory of a just society.
PH 227.7
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS: THERAPIES OF THE SELF
3 units
The course is a critical examination of the Hellenistic philosophical schools in Greece and Rome—the Epicureans, Skeptics, Stoics—who understood their task as a practical and compassionate attempt to heal pervasive human sufferings and thus help humanity attain a greater measure of flourishing
PH 227.9
PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS: INTANGIBLE HERITAGE: ORALITY, MEMORY, CREATIVITY
3 units
The course examines the call to recover and preserve the sources of the dynamism of the Filipino self and heritage. An interface between philosophy, sociology, and anthropology, the course understands Filipino heritage on its own terms, but also in the face of a globalized world.
PH 231
KIERKEGAARD
3 units
A study of Soren Kierkegaard’s works.
PH 232
MARCEL
3 units
A study of Gabriel Marcel’s works.
PH 234
HEIDEGGER
3 units
A study of Martin Heidegger’s works.
PH 236
MERLEAU-PONTY
3 units
A study of the main themes of the phenomenological philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty in The Phenomenology of Perception.
PH 237
HEGEL
3 units
A study of G.W.F. Hegel’s thoughts.
PH 238
MARX
3 units
A study of Karl Marx’s works.
PH 240
PHILOSOPHY OF ART
3 units
An introduction to basic and traditional concerns of aesthetics: aesthetic judgment, aesthetic appreciation, taste, the role of genius, the artistic process, the (im)possibility of universal judgments, and the role of culture and class background in art criticism.
PH 241
PROBLEM OF GOD IN EXISTENTIALIST LITERATURE
3 units
A reading seminar on selected works concerned with the problem of God in 19th and 20th century existentialist writers like Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre.
PH 242
SEMINAR IN TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A study of the logic and attitude of the Socratic method and the practices of education as inspired by Whitehead’s Aims of Education.
PH 250
PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
3 units
A study of the 20th century development of analytic philosophy of language from its beginnings in Russell and Wittgenstein. Three major periods are distinguished and evaluated: the Logical Atomism of Russell and Wittgenstein; the Logical Positivism of the Vienna Circle; and Ordinary Language Philosophy.
PH 252
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
3 units
A study of the mode of knowing which modern science is.
PH 260
FOUCAULT
3 units
A study of Michel Foucault’s works.
PH 262
LEVINAS
3 units
A study of Emmanuel Levinas’ works.
PH 263
DERRIDA
3 units
A study of Jacques Derrida’s works.
PH 264
GADAMER
3 units
A study of Hans-Georg Gadamer’s works.
PH 265
POST-MODERNISM
3 units
An evaluation of post-modernism, a contemporary intellectual movement in philosophy.
PH 266
PHILOSOPHY AND FILM
3 units
A discussion on film as a way of introducing philosophical ideas and the philosophical perspectives in analyzing films.
PH 267
BUSINESS ETHICS
3 units
A study of the social and ethical responsibilities of business in the contemporary world. The course also looks at the various dimensions of business ethics – stakeholders, whistle blowing, and codes of conduct.
PH 269
PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE
3 units
A philosophical reflection on literary texts and literary interpretation of philosophical texts.
PH 270
ADVANCED AESTHETICS
3 units
A study of contemporary approaches to art and the critical position of art in contemporary philosophy and culture. The course also includes an introduction to modern and post-modern perspectives.
PH 271
ARENDT
3 units
A study of Hannah Arendt’s primary works.
PH 272
NIETZSCHE
3 units
A study of Friedrich Nietzsche’s works.
PH 273
FOUNDATIONS OF MORAL DELIBERATION
3 units
A study of the ground and norm of morality as embodied in the history of philosophy; the thoughts of Aristotle, Saint Thomas, Kant, Scheler; and the processes of moral deliberation and prudential judgment.
PH 274
SOCIAL ETHICS
3 units
A discussion on the moral presuppositions of human discourse, labor, and relations of power. The dialectical formation of the social ethos by drives and instincts, as well as the provision of guidance and direction of the latter by human freedom and intelligence, are both discussed.
PH 276
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
3 units
An analysis of basic political concepts and their applications to current issues: technocracy, consumerism, mass movements, the state, and civil society.
PH 276.1
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
3 units
The course is a critical study of classical, modern, and contemporary perspectives on the meaning of law and the ground of legal and legislative practices, with a particular focus on their appropriation in the contemporary globalized and pluralistic world.
PH 279
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
3 units
An examination of the distinctions between man and nature, God and nature, the artificial and the natural, with regard to their mythical, religious, and cultural origins; the relationship between science and nature; various philosophical approaches to environmental ethics, in general, and in the Philippine context.
PH 280.1
THE METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS OF ELFLAND I
3 units
Reflections on some of the philosophical issues raised in the English classics during the Victorian era: the unity of the transcendentals, the foundational mediation of the imagination, the primordial opening to the Transcendent. Principal works of authors like George Macdonald and William Morris are studied.
PH 280.2
THE METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS OF ELFLAND II
3 units
Reflections on some of the philosophical issues raised in the principal works of the Inklings: Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. The notions of secondary creation, romantic love, and Sehnsucht are discussed as hypothetical answers to the questions such as, What can I know?
PH 281
MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A course set in the Post Roman and Middle Ages. Focus is on the contributions of Augustine, Boethius, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas in philosophy.
PH 282
SEMINAR IN APPLIED ETHICS
3 units
Pre-requisites: PH 104 or equivalent
An engagement with current issues in applied ethics. It presupposes a basic familiarity with at least the major ethical theories of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. The course also discusses ethical positions which challenge or offer alternatives to the major theories.
PH 285
JAPANESE PHILOSOPHY
3 units
A survey of the history of Japanese thought from the Kamakura period. Its focus is on the continuity that remains throughout the history of hermeneutic encounters; an in-depth analyses of Dogen and Shinran and their contributions; and an examination of contemporary Japanese philosophy.
PH 286
RORTY
3 units
A study of Richard Rorty's philosophy, beginning from his radical critique of the epistemological tradition, followed by his re-conception of rationality, and ending with his vision of pragmatic solidarity.
PH 287
PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY
3 units
A thematic and historical study of philosophy on technology as found mostly in the Blackwell Anthology, Philosophy of Technology: The Technological Condition (2003), but focusing especially on Heidegger’s influential essay, The question concerning technology (1953) and examining the recent book, New Waves on Philosophy of Technology (2008).
PH 288
DAOIST PHILOSOPHY
3 units
This graduate research course in Daoist Philosophy examines the Philosophy of Dao-De, through a historical survey of the development of Daoist Philosophy, and a discussion of the key principles of dao-de. It likewise explores two major texts – Daodejing and Zhuangzi.
