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Undergraduate

Philosophy

At Assumption University, students are introduced to philosophical thinking in dialogue with the primary works of the great philosophical authors. In the best cases, philosophy becomes a habit of thinking and, ultimately, a way of life.

Students studying Philosophy at Assumption will ask fundamental questions of human existence with an eye toward discerning the truth. Guided by the University’s commitment to embody the complementarity of faith and reason and its broader mission, the Philosophy Department of Assumption University is founded on the ongoing engagement of its faculty and students with the Catholic intellectual tradition. Philosophy students will be on a quest for truths fundamental to all areas of inquiry. 

Students who major in philosophy examine the history of philosophy by reading and analyzing primary texts in the areas of ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary thought. Philosophy majors investigate fundamental questions in various domains of inquiry, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and anthropology. In so doing, they cultivate their capacity to read primary sources and secondary literature with understanding, to write essays marked by logical rigor and depth of insight, and to engage fellow students and faculty in thoughtful and serious conversation. Philosophy students learn to engage respectfully and constructively in philosophical conversation and argumentation.

Philosophy students also have the option to complete their B.A./MBA in an accelerated MBA program.

Learning Goals of the Major in Philosophy

  • Reading texts closely and carefully in context 
  • Appreciating and evaluating positions in order to discern their fundamental principles 
  • Writing clearly, insightfully, and in a well-ordered manner 
  • Engaging respectfully and constructively in philosophical conversation 
  • Constructing and assessing arguments and evaluating their formal structures 
Program Contact

Patrick J. Corrigan, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Philosophy
508-767-7581 Founders Hall - Room 305

Events

Apr 06
2024
Department of Art & Music Student Recital
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Chapel of the Holy Spirit

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100%
All classes taught by professors, none by teaching assistants
Students from 29 states and 21 countries
11:1
Student/Faculty ratio

Program Curriculum

  • Students develop competency in the history of philosophy through the close study of primary texts in the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. Students cultivate their capacity to read primary sources and secondary literature with understanding, to write essays marked by logical rigor and depth of insight, and to engage fellow students and faculty in thoughtful and serious conversation. The major requires 11 courses, giving students the freedom to combine their study with a second major.

    Required Courses (11)
    PHI 100 Socrates and the Search for the Truth
    PHI 340 Metaphysics
    One Intermediate Course from the Following List
    PHI 151 Ethics and the Good Life
    PHI 152 The Human Difference
    PHI 153 The Book of Nature
    PHI 154 God and the Philosophers
    Three Courses in History of Philosophy  (Each course is from a different era.)
    PHI 350-354 Ancient Philosophy
    PHI 355-359 Medieval Philosophy
    PHI 360-369 Modern Philosophy
    PHI 370-389 Contemporary Philosophy
    • Three PHI Courses (200 or higher)
    • Two further PHI courses

    Course Descriptions

    Academic Catalog & Advising Guide

    Major in Philosophy Course Descriptions

  • Today’s businesses and today’s world need citizens who can think with insight, communicate clearly, and exercise good judgment both in and out of the workplace. This version of the Major in Philosophy includes an emphasis on ethics, business, and economic life, and it can readily be combined with a second major, such as Political Science or Economics. The first four courses listed below help prepare students to understand business activities in their ethical and civic context. The other eight courses are included to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of philosophical reasoning as a formative influence in human life, one important part of which is economic activity. Students who complete this major with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 are guaranteed acceptance into Assumption University’s Accelerated MBA Program (Management Track) for liberal arts majors.

    Required Courses
    PHI 100 Socrates and the Search for Truth
    PHI 151 Ethics and the Good Life
    PHI 260 Business Ethics
    PHI 290 Property and Civic Life
    Three Courses in the History of Philosophy (each from a different era)
    PHI 350-354 Ancient Philosophy
    PHI 355-359 Medieval Philosophy
    PHI 360-369 Modern Philosophy
    PHI 370-389 Contemporary Philosophy
    Three PHI Courses (at least one numbered 200 or higher)
    MGT 100 Management and Organizational Behavior
    ACC 125 Principles of Accounting I

    Course Descriptions

  • The minor in philosophy is designed to strengthen any major, broaden the student’s background, and enable the student to see his/her subject in perspective.

    Required Courses
    PHI 100 Socrates and the Search for the Truth
    One Intermediate Course from the Following List
    PHI 151 Ethics and the Good Life
    PHI 152 The Human Difference
    PHI 153 The Book of Nature
    PHI 154 God and the Philosophers
    One Course in the History of Philosophy (PHI 350 – PHI 389)
    PHI 350-354 Ancient Philosophy
    PHI 355-359 Medieval Philosophy
    PHI 360-369 Modern Philosophy
    PHI 370-389 Contemporary Philosophy

    Three Additional PHI Courses (at least one 200 or higher.)

    Course Descriptions

  • Following completion of the BA, students will complete the 12– 14-month Accelerated MBA. For specific information about the Accelerated MBA Program (Management Track), students should consult Prof. Robin Frkal, Director of the MBA Program (ra.frkal@assumption.edu).

    During the summer prior to their MBA year, students take the Foundations courses, consisting of four courses designed to prepare liberal arts majors for graduate-level business courses. Undergraduate students interested in an MBA should seriously consider taking the following courses as undergraduates, since earning a B- or better in these courses waives MBA requirements otherwise fulfilled by the Foundations courses: MKT 101 Principles of Marketing (equivalent: MBA 562) ACC 126 Principles of Accounting II (equivalent: MBA 565) MGT 230 Decision Analytics for Managers (equivalent: MBA564) ECO 325 Corporate Finance (equivalent: MBA 553) ECO 110, 111 Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (equivalent: MBA 554) 217 PHI 260 Business Ethics fulfills the MBA requirement for MBA 600 Business Ethics, thus enabling students to substitute an elective in the MBA segment of the program. Each of the following undergraduate courses is also strongly recommended: CSC 113 Introduction to Computer Science (OR CSC 117 Introduction to Programming) ENG 304 Business and Technical Writing (OR ENG 201 Writing Workshop: Argument and Persuasion; OR ENG 308 Writing and Editing; OR ENG 204 Effective Business Writing) MAT 117 Calculus POL 322 Political Economy SPA 125, 126 Business Spanish I, II THE 346 The Social Teachings of the Church

     

     

Faculty Profile

Patrick J. Corrigan, Ph.D
Department Chair, Philosophy Associate Professor of Philosophy
Derek N. Duplessie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Brian Garcia, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Christian H. Gobel, Ph.D
Professor of Philosophy D’Alzon Chair Director, Ecumenical Institute
Daniel C. Green
Adjunct Faculty Philosophy
Daniel P. Maher, Ph.D
Professor of Philosophy Director of CTEQ
Peter Marton, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor, Philosophy
Molly Brigid McGrath, Ph.D
Professor of Philosophy Director of Center for Teaching Excellence
Thomas Miles, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor
Bruce Paolozzi
Adjunct Faculty Philosophy
Samuel A. Stoner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy

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