Philosophy Foundation

For the Philosophy Foundation to be fulfilled, students must take two, three-credit, Core-designated philosophy courses. One must be an ethics course and the other must be a course in a field of philosophy other than ethics.

Why Philosophy?

The tradition of the Dominican Order is one of teaching and scholarship, of seeking answers to the great questions of human speculation, and of helping others to do the same. In support of this tradition, Providence College requires of its students to study philosophy.

Philosophy is “the love of wisdom,” and as such, philosophy serves to enrich the lives of students not only by leading them onto the path to finding these answers — since by nature all desire to know them — but also by cultivating in them the habits of moral reasoning and virtuous practice, qualities indispensable for any member of society to contribute to the common good. Beyond this, the study of philosophy uniquely fosters students’ faculties of reasoning, making them better able to think critically, to understand themselves in light of the Judeo- Christian heritage, to discern virtue, and, ultimately, to pursue the goal of all education: Truth.

Philosophy-Ethics Foundation Courses

Core Curriculum Resources

For Faculty Advisors

The information on this page is intended to help faculty members learn more about the Philosophy and Philosophy Ethics Core Foundations.

Philosophy Requirement Objectives

The following is a list of objectives that you may find useful when you’re preparing to submit a course to the CCC for approval.

Philosophy courses will:

Focus primarily on the analysis of philosophical questions, arguments, and/or perspectives
Provide students with the opportunity to explain, analyze, and evaluate philosophical questions, arguments, and/or perspectives
Demonstrate how understanding philosophical concepts helps to illuminate contemporary issues

Ethics courses will:

Explore the meaning and purpose of the ethical life
Examine the complexity of the decision‐making process and provide guidance for making good moral decisions
Provide opportunities for students to nurture a habit of reflective moral judgments through the study of moral problems
Include a consideration of the philosophical traditions of Aristotle and/or St. Thomas Aquinas

Notes

Ethics Requirement
A course reviewed for the Ethics Core Foundation requirement that is not approved for this requirement may not be considered to meet the Philosophy Core Foundation requirement.

Qualifications of Faculty Teaching Outside of Home Department
To address whether or not a particular faculty member outside of the Philosophy or Theology Departments is sufficiently qualified to teach a course that satisfies the Philosophy or Theology Core Objectives, a CCC subcommittee will make this determination. The subcommittee is made up of the chairs of those departments and a third member to be selected by the CCC. The purpose of this subcommittee will be not only to assess whether a proposed course satisfies the objectives but whether the proposer is qualified to carry them out. This subcommittee will make a recommendation to the CCC.