Upcoming Courses

Go Farther in Winter 2025

Important Note: Did you know that in the normal course of study at University of Detroit Mercy most students will take two to three philosophy courses? This makes most Detroit Mercy students prime candidates for an 18-credit philosophy minor or a strong second 30-hour major that complements any course of study. Most Detroit Mercy undergraduates will take 2-3 philosophy courses before graduation and are therefore well-positioned to complete the 6 courses required for a philosophy minor. All of the courses below earn core credit.

PHL 2400 Asian Religions (Hu)

A survey of those religious traditions usually labeled "Eastern," namely, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Chinese and Japanese religions and the various forms of Buddhism. A brief history, the major scriptures and the beliefs and rituals of each religious tradition are covered. Current developments, especially the presence of some of these religions in the Western world are also explored.

PHL 2500 Symbolic Logic (Oljar)

An introduction to the artificial language of sentential and predicate logic, which is designed to facilitate the symbolic representation of natural language (English) arguments. In addition to learning how to construct formal proofs for valid arguments, students learn the different logical properties that statements and sets of statements may have. The concepts of truth-functionality, validity, consistency, implication and equivalence will be explored. Students will have a heightened appreciation of the logical functions of language.

PHL 3010 Social and Political Philosophy

An examination of the issues surrounding the state and the political agents who live in such states. The course may be oriented either historically or topically and may cover: ancient Greek political theory as articulated by Aristotle and Plato, the social contract tradition of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marxism, communitarianism, the nature of political obligation, justice, law, human rights, the nature and value of political liberty and equality, and the nature and value of patriotism.
Pre-requisite: PHL 1000.

PHL 3070 Medieval Philosophy (Flores)

An examination of the various syntheses of philosophy and religious faith between the fourth and fourteenth centuries. Within this period, the Neo-Platonic and the Aristotelian traditions are examined through the writings of major Jewish, Islamic and Christian philosophers, such as Maimonides, Avicenna, Averroes, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Although the focus is on metaphysics and logic, ethical and political questions may be included.

PHL 3101 Philosophy, Visuality and the New Media (Koukal)

Our media culture is driven by visuality, which raises important technical, ethical, epistemological and metaphysical questions. The focus of the course is centered on how photography, television, the new surveillance regime, new media technologies and the mass media in general shapes the way we encounter the world.