Like Philosophy 111 above, it introduces students to the problem of the meaning of these religious ideas in a pluralistic, scientifically inclined world. The course investigates Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism. Special Topics A topic of special interest in philosophy or religion offered at the intermediate level. Philosophy 100 or permission of the instructor. An examination of the views of selected philosophers on man in the community and the state.
Emphasis is placed on the relation of such views to each philosopher s total system of thought.
Readings in St. Thomas Aquinas, More s Utopia, the Social Contract philosophers, Hegel, the Communist theorists, and selected contemporary thinkers such as Rawls and Nozick. Contemporary Religious Thought Important thinkers and issues in twentieth-century Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant thought will be examined. An examination of some of the major ethical theories in Western philosophy. Applications of these theories to concrete ethical problems will be considered. Special attention will be given to Aristotle, the natural law tradition, Utilitarianism, Kant, existential ethics, problems of ethical language, and situation ethics.