is a general introduction to the study of Philosophy both as a contemporary intellectual discipline and as a body of knowledge. It introduces philosophy’s forms of enquiry, the nature of its concepts, and its fields (epistemology, logic, metaphysics, aesthetics, ethics, and political philosophy) by way of the critical study of primary works by major philosophers. Authors may include Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, de Beauvoir, Arendt.

is an introduction to the ancient ideal of philosophy as a way of life, or philosophy as a spiritual practice. We will examine how this ideal changes over time and returns in 20th century existentialism. We will compare the Western approach to philosophy as a way of life with Chinese and Japanese traditions, notably Daoism and Zen Buddhism. No prior knowledge of philosophy is required.

is an approach to philosophical thinking by way of analysis and critique of theories of human nature, classical and modern, and the world views associated with them. This course is of particular value to students interested in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

provides an overview of foundational knowledge and skills to enable critical reading and writing at the university level by way of analysis and critique of selected conceptions and theories of human nature raised throughout the history of philosophy. All sections of this course follow the Critical Reading and Writing Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/crw.

will focus on learning and practicing the fundamental skills required for university-level critical reading and writing that will prepare students for other Humanities and Social Sciences courses regardless of discipline. The course will focus on foundational skills in how to differentiate ethical questions (how ought we to live?) from other types of reasoning. All sections of this course follow the Critical Reading and Writing Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/crw.

aims to impart critical analytic skills: i.e., the ability to recognize good and bad arguments, the ability to explain why a particular argument is good or bad, and a general understanding of why a good argument ought to persuade and a bad argument ought not to persuade.

is an introduction to the systematic inquiry into the nature of reality. Topic may include the nature of being, time, the question of God, appearance and reality, the one and the many, mind and matter, essence and existence.

introduces philosophy by way of the question of the nature of knowledge. Is knowledge a possession or an activity? Is truth an illusion, a correspondence, or a form of coherence? What does it mean to ‘hold a belief’ or ‘affirm a proposition’? Short classical texts form the basis of the works studied and may include Plato, Descartes, and Ayer.

aims to improve the student’s ability to formulate and evaluate arguments. At the end of the course, the student will have a thorough understanding of the essentials of argument, the rules of valid inference, and ways of proving the validity of good arguments and the invalidity of bad arguments. Open in any year to all students desiring acquaintance with basic logical skills. All sections of this course follow Quantitative Reasoning Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr.

aims to give students a more thorough understanding of the essentials of argument, and, consequently, the opportunity to become better reasoners. The course builds on and further cultivates the skills and techniques previously developed. Thoroughly completing what is generally known as 'standard logic', the course then surveys important work in elementary meta-theory, modal logic, and other non-classical domains. All sections of this course follow Quantitative Reasoning Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr.

aims to identify and justify the principles by which we evaluate our behaviour. It explores such questions as: Is there a universal moral principle governing the conduct of all human beings? Are there specific character traits necessary to being a good person? Can we determine a moral law that would guarantee right action? What is the role of emotion in moral behaviour? The course may also include treatment of specific moral problems.

is concerned with the social and political institutions and practices by which human life is organized. Historical and/or contemporary texts will be engaged to explore some of the following issues: What is the nature of political authority? What is the nature of freedom? What material and social conditions must be met in order for societies to be just? How are existing societies unjust, and how should that injustice be addressed?

is a survey of philosophical thinking about human language and thought, and about how these phenomena relate to the rest of the natural world. Topics covered include the nature of language, the relations between thought and language, and the nature of consciousness.

examines the philosophical aspects of religious belief, religious language, and theology. Topics may include: the distinction and relation between reason and faith, the existence of God, the meaning of human existence, the problem of evil, and the religious foundations of moral action.

will engage key feminist efforts to comprehend the nature of gendered experience and to investigate and redress the various dimensions of gender and sexist oppression.

examines concepts of health and illness and their ethical implications.

examines medical dilemmas from legal and ethical points of view.

is an inquiry into the morality of mental health care and the epistemology of mental illness claims. We will study the mental illness definitions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases, together with critical philosophical essays and nonmedical theories (e.g., Foucault, Mosher).

is a philosophical approach to issues in ecology. Topics may include historical and contemporary concepts of nature, technology, the ethical status of animals and the non-human, the application of traditional ethical paradigms to environmental issues, and the future of humanity in an age of climate change, ballooning human population, disappearing wilderness, and dwindling resources.

examines ethical issues and dilemmas arising in the realm of the mass media, within the context of foundational ethical theories and major philosophies of mass communication. Topics include the nature and structure of mass communication, the public sphere, and the role of the media in a functioning democracy. Subtopics include: propaganda, censorship, freedom of speech, and access to information and communication.

introduces students to the origins of philosophy among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Topics include cosmology, metaphysics, physics, ethics, God, and the ancient ideal of philosophy as a ‘way of life.’ We will examine the texts and fragments of the most influential and foundational philosophers of the ancient world, focusing primarily on the thought of Plato and Aristotle, their engagement with the Pre- Socratic philosophers who came before them, and their influence upon philosophers since.

examines and traces the historical developments of a number of philosophical themes, questions, and ideas throughout medieval philosophy by reading, analyzing, and discussing selected primary texts from philosophers and theologians from the 4th to 14th centuries. Authors may include Augustine, Proclus, Boethius, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Anselm, Ibn Rushd, Maimonides, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Scotus, and Ockham, among others.

is a survey of the development of Western philosophy since the 17th century until the late 18th century. Topics may include the existence of God, whether nature is determined and if there is free will, the rise of early modern science, and the debates over rationalism and empiricism.

engages philosophically with different literary forms such as poetry, drama, and fiction. Possible topics include the use of literary works to express philosophical ideas, the nature of literary expression, and different traditions of literary criticism and interpretation. Course readings will comprise both literature and philosophy.

examines Western theories and practices of soul-care (especially traditions of depth psychology) in a historical perspective, with selections from Augustine, Eckhart, Schelling, Schopenhauer, Freud, Jung, Lacan and Foucault. Students will not only gain knowledge of Western therapeutical cultures, but also an understanding of themselves.

examines concepts of technology and their ethical implications.

introduces some of the central philosophers, topics, and themes in the philosophy of film. Topics and themes include: the nature of film image, the relationship between film and “reality”, the social/ political role and function of film, and the nature and value of the documentary. The course will also consider the representation of broader philosophical ideas in film. A film or films will accompany each section.

addresses various philosophical questions concerning art, such as the nature of the work of art, the nature of beauty, the nature of artistic experience, and the social function of art. Course content will include historical and/or contemporary works of art and philosophical texts.

examines the nature, history, purpose, and operation of law. It covers such topics as natural law, legal positivism, responsibility, justice, individual human rights, the relationship between law and individual freedom, the idea of international law, prominent critiques of law, and the historical development of conceptions of law from the ancient world to the contemporary era.

examines Plato’s philosophy from selections representing the Socratic, transitional, eidetic, and stoichiological dialogues, as well as Plato’s philosophy of the concrete. Plato’s thought will be examined as a development of ideas and problems raised in Pre-Socratic philosophy, and the development of his own philosophy will be traced throughout a selection of his writings.

examines Aristotle’s philosophy of nature, logical works, metaphysics, psychology, and ethics. Attention will also be given to Aristotle’s philosophy as a development of and response to Plato’s thought. Whether one is a student of Philosophy, History, English, Religion, Classics, Political Science or History of Science, a familiarity with the thought of Aristotle is indispensable. For all these disciplines, not only is his place in history foundational, but his influence often remains formidable today.

examines developments in Philosophy from Augustine to Descartes, looking back on their dependence on Ancient and Hellenistic thought and forward to their influence on Modern philosophy. This course focuses on a particular question or figure during this period. Topics may include: universals and particulars, the existence of God, free will and determinism, the problem of evil, the status of nature, soul and body, and mysticism.

holds that reason is the main source of human knowledge, and it has a long history extending from the Pre-Socratics and Plato to the present. This course examines texts and thinkers from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and others. Topics may include themes and problems such as: the theory of ideas, the question of God's existence and nature, the nature of mind and body, the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, causation, induction, personal identity, and human agency.

holds that all human knowledge comes from experience, and it has a long history extending arguably from Aristotle to the present. The "British Empiricists" -- Locke, Berkeley and Hume -- crystallized empiricist concerns in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This course explores themes and problems in early modern empiricism such as: the theory of ideas, the nature of body, the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, causation, induction, personal identity, and human agency.

is an introduction to Kant’s theoretical philosophy, concentrating on his theory of knowledge, particularly as stated in the Critique of Pure Reason.

is an introduction to Kant’s practical philosophy, concentrating on his ethics, particularly as stated in The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason.

is a study of post-Kantian classical German philosophy from 1787-1831. The generation of philosophers immediately following Kant - most notably Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel - took his ideas and developed systematic interpretations of human experience, emphasizing its embodied and social nature, and interpreting history in terms of the struggle between freedom and oppression. This course studies these "German Idealists" who have continued to shape major developments in European philosophy.

treats some of the creative and critical thinkers of the philosophically rich 19th century. The course will explore the philosophical insights offered by movements such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, early existentialism, American pragmatism, and utilitarianism, reading work from figures such as Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, James, and Mill.

examines the work of Marx and Engels and their followers, focusing on analysis of the nature of modern political economy. It covers such topics as class, capital, capitalism, freedom, the labour theory of value, historical materialism, and communism.

is a loosely connected family of philosophical problems and philosophical methods. Its key precipitant was the development of modern logic, and the myriad ways in which it prompted and abetted certain philosophical projects. Primary readings for the course will stretch from roughly 1880-1950, and may include works by Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, among others.

is the tradition that aims to “look on” at experience, allowing experience to teach its observer what it is and how it should be understood. This course will address primary figures in the phenomenological tradition, exploring their rich analyses of human existence and their claims about how it should be lived. Authors may include Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Merleau-Ponty.

is a philosophical tradition dedicated to thinking through the experience of human freedom and to casting doubt on conventional answers to the question of how we should live. Human beings are free to define themselves, according to existentialism, but with that freedom comes a forbidding challenge: the responsibility to define themselves, without any easy answers to the question of how. This course will address some of the central figures associated with existentialism. Authors may include Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Camus.

is the first and only wholly American philosophical school of thought and remains a leading school of thought within American philosophy. We will discuss the issues of experience, truth, justification, nature, science, and method with the “classical” pragmatists C.S. Peirce, W. James and J. Dewey and continue to the pragmatists and neo-pragmatists of the mid and late 20th century, which may include Quine, Sellars, Putnam, Rorty, and Brandom.

investigates various uses of language and its relationship to thought, as well as particular features of language, such as meaning, synonymy, reference, translation and interpretation.

examines major issues in the origins, methods, and philosophical implications of science. Topics may include: science as a form of knowledge; the relations between science and metaphysics to more general theories of knowledge; and the connection between science and values.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular metaphysical question. Topics may include: the nature of being, causality, order, unity, essence and existence, and freedom.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular epistemological question. Topics may include: knowledge vs. mere opinion; kinds of justification or warrant; reasons and rationality; theory change, paradigm shift, among others.

focuses on a primary text or texts in logic. Topics may include: inference; proof; computability; consequence; non-classical logics; meta-theory, among others.

examines ethical questions through the study of primary and secondary texts in the field. The course may focus on metaethics, examining questions such as: what is happiness? what is the ground of one’s duty?, or on applied ethics, by looking at specific cases such as euthanasia and genetic engineering, among others.

examines concepts at the heart of being together, such as power, justice, law, the State and the common good. It will do so by drawing from classical sources in the tradition or from contemporary writers.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular question in the philosophy of mind. Topics may include: dualism vs. materialism; computational models of mind; philosophy of psychology/psychiatry, among others.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular question in the philosophy of religion. Topics may include: the distinction and relation between reason and faith, the existence of God, the meaning of human existence, the problem of evil, and the religious foundations of moral action.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular question in the philosophy of science. Topics may include: science vs. non-science; kinds of scientific theory; the scope and range of scientific inquiry; science as a form of knowledge; the relations between science and metaphysics; and the connection between science and values.

focuses on a primary text or texts surrounding a particular question in the philosophy of language. Topics may include: meaning, reference, truth; communication; interpretation; semantics/pragmatics interface, among others.

focuses on a primary text or texts by a particular thinker or group of thinkers and traditions in the history of philosophy. Texts and philosophers will range from the ancient and medieval world to early modernity and the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

examines figures and issues important in 19th-21st-century European philosophy. Dominant schools include post-German Idealism, Marxism, psychoanalysis, phenomenology, structuralism, post-structuralism, and Continental realisms.

will be announced by the Department.

is a course that meets regularly throughout the semester to prepare students to write the comprehensive examination at the end of the term. Lectures and review are provided by various Departmental experts throughout the semester. The examination comprises questions on figures, topics, and areas throughout the history of philosophy. To complete the Honours Program in Philosophy, students must successfully complete either the Honours Essay or the Comprehensive Examination. Normally this course is offered in the Winter Term and taken in a student’s final semester of study.

develops independent research and writing skills through regular meetings with a supervisor, the preparation of an approved research proposal, and the completion of the final Honours essay by the end of the semester. Prior to enrolling, ideally a semester in advance, students must contact the Head of the Department to identify a potential supervisor. To complete the Honours Program in Philosophy, students must successfully complete either the Honours Essay or the Comprehensive Examination.

will survey the formative cultures of the Middle Ages - Latin, Celtic, Arabic - as well as the rise of the new vernacular cultures, English, Germanic and Romance. Literary trends such as the reliance on authority, the emergence of national epic and the development of court literature will be studied. The course examines the interplay of all the arts - literature, music, art and architecture.

surveys the cultural changes that emerged in the arts and society during the early modern period. The course examines the intellectual movement of humanism, the religious Reformations, the rise of science, the spread of print media, the expanding world of learning, the so-called “Age of Discovery,” discourses of colonialism, and the use of new religious and political beliefs to develop ethnocentric and racist ideologies.

familiarizes students with the basics of the Latin language. Students will learn how to read simple narratives and short poems in Latin and examine the connections between language and culture. Evaluation will focus largely on comprehension of written Latin. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

continues to familiarize students with the Latin language and Roman culture and society. Students will acquire a broad vocabulary, learn to read more complex passages of prose and poetry in Latin, and gain insights into key social concepts through study of language. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

familiarizes students with the basics of the Ancient Greek language. Students will master the Ancient Greek alphabet, learn how to read simple narratives in Ancient Greek, and examine the connections between language and culture. Evaluation will focus largely on comprehension of written Ancient Greek. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

continues to familiarize students with the Ancient Greek language. Students will acquire a broad vocabulary, learn to read more complex passages of prose and poetry, and gain insights into key social concepts through study of language. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

is a survey of the economic, social, political and cultural developments of the early Middle Ages.

is a survey of the economic, social, political and cultural developments of Europe in the high and late Middle Ages.

is an introduction to the main issues and problems in early modern European history with an emphasis on the political, social, economic and cultural developments from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century.

is an introduction to the history of Central and Eastern Europe – from the Balkans to Finland and from the Czech lands to Rus’ – in the Middle Ages (500-1500 CE).

provides a deeper knowledge of the Latin language while offering a window onto the culture and society of Ancient Rome. Students will read selections from works of history, literature, philosophy and oratory in Latin. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

examines and traces the historical developments of a number of philosophical themes, questions and ideas throughout medieval philosophy by reading, analyzing and discussing selected primary texts from philosophers and theologians from the 4th to 14th centuries. Authors may include Augustine, Proclus, Boethius, Al-Farabi Ibn Sina, Anselm, Ibn Rushd, Maimonides, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Scotus and Ockham, among others.

provides a deeper knowledge of the Ancient Greek language while offering a window onto the culture and society of Ancient Greece. Students will read selections from works of history, literature, philosophy and oratory in Ancient Greek. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

introduces students to considerations and expressions of gender in northern medieval society. The course explores the concept of gender and considers varied gendered identities found in material and textual evidence. Students will reflect on how significant cultural changes, such as the conversion to Christianity and the expansion to the North Atlantic and to L'Anse aux Meadows, laid the foundation for gender normative roles in Western society.

is a study of the language and literature of the later medieval period, excluding Chaucer.

is an examination of the development and role of the manuscript book during the Middle Ages. Topics covered will include book production and dissemination; authors, scribes and audiences; and various kinds of books (e.g. glossed Bibles, anthologies, books of hours, etc.) and their uses.

is an examination of the development of medieval art and architecture and of the ways in which they mirror various aspects of life in the Middle Ages. This course will include a discussion of art and architecture in the countryside, in the town, in the castle, in the cathedral and in the cloister.

is a study of the development of Christianity in the West from the eleventh century to the eve of the Reformation, through an examination of its principal thinkers and the most significant societal forces and events: the crusades, the universities, monasticism, religious dissent and mysticism.

will study selections from the considerable corpus of women's writings in the Medieval and Early Modern period, as well as issues which affected women's writing. All selections will be read in English translation.

is a study of the development of pre-Shakespearean drama, including representative cycle plays, morality plays, moral interludes, comedies, tragedies, folk plays, and royal entries.

examines developments in Philosophy from Augustine to Descartes, looking back on their dependence on Ancient and Hellenistic thought and forward to their influence on Modern philosophy. This course focuses on a particular question or figure during this period. Topics may include: universals and particulars, the existence of God, free will and determinism, the problem of evil, the status of nature, soul and body, and mysticism.

provides advanced knowledge of the Latin language while offering a window onto the culture and society of Ancient Rome. Students will begin to apply their knowledge to the close reading and interpretation of major works of Latin literature. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

is a study of the relationship between Christianity and the Roman Empire from the first to the fourth century.

provides advanced knowledge of the Ancient Greek language while offering a window onto the culture and society of Ancient Greece. Students will begin to apply their knowledge to the close reading and interpretation of major works of Ancient Greek literature. All sections of this course follow the Language Study Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/ls.

is a study of the origins of French, including the influence of Gaulish, Vulgar Latin, Frankish and the langue d'oc/langue d'oïl division, a survey of the dialects, morphology and syntax of Old French and of the evolution from Old to Middle French, including phonology, morphology, syntax and vocabulary.

introduces students to the basic elements of Old English grammar and vocabulary through the practice of translating one or more texts from Old English into modern English and the study of the Old English corpus in modern translations.

explores the influence of the Vikings on the medieval world and the place of L'Anse aux Meadows within this cultural milieu. Students will be introduced to Viking-Age archaeological and literary texts to gain knowledge of specific questions and problems concerning multicultural contact within the Viking-Age world, specifically the North Atlantic region. They will also gain an appreciation of the challenges associated with using interdisciplinary evidence as well as migration and multicultural issues in the past and present.

is a study of representative poems.

is available only as part of the Harlow Campus Semester.

explores the ways medieval sources are represented in modern films, and how modern cultural and political concerns influence how these medieval sources are presented. Through a selection of medieval films and their historical and literary inspirations, we will see how films shape our present-day concepts of history, identity, freedom, knowledge and creativity.

- inactive course.

are seminars on such general, interdisciplinary or comparative subjects as, e.g., Popular Culture in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period, The Medieval and the Early Modern Stage, The Medieval and the Early Modern Court, The Religious Orders, Women in Medieval and the Early Modern Society, Medieval and the Early Modern Universities, Scholasticism, Dante's Divine Comedy, Medieval and Early Modern Historiography, Arthurian Romance, Jewish Medieval and the Early Modern Communities, Muslim Art and Architecture and The Byzantine World, The Global Renaissance.

- inactive course.

is an introduction to the German language, literature and culture of the eleventh to fifteenth centuries: historical linguistics, Middle High German grammar and the court epic.

is a detailed study of one or more major texts in Old English, depending on student interest.

is an in-depth study of some of the major writers of the fourteenth century.

is a study of representative texts of the medieval romance genre from the twelfth to the fifteenth century.