Department of Philosophy & Religion
Courses
Current courses: for current and upcoming philosophy and religion courses offered at Morehouse, Spelman and Clark Atlanta, check Tigernet or contact Morehouse's Office of Records and Registration. For course descriptions, see below.
Cross-registration: To broaden their experiences and educational backgrounds, Morehouse philosophy and religion majors are encouraged to enroll in advanced courses at Emory (philosophy, religion), Georgia State (philosophy, religious studies) Agnes Scott (philosophy, religious studies), and other ARCHE (Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education) institutions through the cross-registration program.
PHILOSOPHY (PHI)
201. Introduction to Philosophy 3 hours
Introduction to the scope and nature of philosophical
thinking through discussion of a wide variety of philosophical issues
and arguments.
202. Critical Thinking
3 hours
Introduction to deductive reasoning and the scientific
method. Includes the fundamental types of deductive inference (including
traditional syllogisms), fallacies, the art of definition, and the scientific
method.
301. Formal Logic 3 hours
A course dealing with the symbolic representation of
argument forms and the assessment of their validity. Sentential logic
is treated with and without quantification. The main topic of course
is the development of formal proofs. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent
of the instructor.
302. Introduction to Philosophical Ethics 3
hours
Provides an introduction to philosophical reflection
about the nature and function of morality. Readings will include both
historical and contemporary materials.
303. Theory of Knowledge 3 hours
Survey of key philosophical issues related to the nature
and foundation of human knowledge. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent
of the instructor.
310. Ancient and
Medieval Philosophy 3 hours
Survey of thinkers and philosophical schools from the
Pre-Socratics to Augustine. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
311. Modern Philosophy 3
hours
Survey of major Western thinkers and schools of thought
from Boethius to Hume. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
312. Nineteenth Century Philosophy
3 hours
Survey of major thinkers and schools of thought in
Western philosophy from Kant to the end of the nineteenth century. (Writing
Intensive Course) Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
315. Philosophy of Science 3 hours
Explores fundamental philosophical questions raised
by the rise and success of the sciences. Some background in an empirical
science is recommended. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
316. Aesthetics 3 hours
Introduction to the philosophical study of art, beauty
and the imagination. It centers upon the nature of art and beauty,
the significance of human imagination, and the question of truth in
art. Analytical Philosophy, Hermeneutics, Existentialism and other
schools of thoought. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
400. Contemporary Philosophy 3 hours
Covers major Western thinkers and schools of thought
in the twentieth century: Phenomenology, Analytical Philosophy, Hermeneutics,
Existentialism and other schools of thought. (Writing Intensive Course)
Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of the instructor.
410. Philosophy of Religion 3 hours
Examination of philosophical questions involved in
religion and religious beliefs. Prerequisite: PHI 201 or consent of
the instructor.
461. History of Political
Thought 3 hours
Greek and Roman political philosophy. Church and state
in the Middle Ages, Machiavelli and the emergence of the modern state.
(Offered by the Political
Science Department).
462. Modern Political Theory 3 hours
Political philosophy in the Reformation period and
the modern world. Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Hegel and Marx
are the main thinkers considered. (Offered by the Political
Science Department.)
465. Directed Study 3 hours
Designed for students to conduct extensive research
in the area of their choice. Taught on an individual basis pre-arranged
between student and instructor.
475.
Topics in Philosophy 3 hours
Study of a special topic chosen by the instructor.
Common topics include African and African-American philosophy, among
others.
RELIGION (REL)
201. Introduction to Religion 3 hours
Introduction to religion as an academic discipline.
Examines methods of studying religion and the perspectives they represent.
Covers the religious dimension of human experiences and culture through
the study of the basic rites, symbols, myths and beliefs of the major
religions of the world. Also addresses the problems of religious meaning
and interpretation, the positive and negative interaction of religious
convictions and cultural expressions both Western and Eastern, and such
problems as the nature of religious language, forms of religious quest,
religion and its relation to society and the individual,
and the question of ultimate destiny.
210. Introduction to the Old Testament 3 hours
Survey of the literature of the Old Testament, bringing
to bear upon it the fruits of modern historical and archaeological
research.Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
211. Introduction to the New Testament 3 hours
Covers three major areas: (a) an introduction to the
history, terminology and procedures of modern biblical criticism inclusive
of African American biblical interpretation; (b) an introduction to
the social, political and religious environment to which early Christianity
and the New Testament arose; and (c) an introduction to the literary,
historical and theoretical issues of the New Testament writings as
canonical documents. Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
220-221.
World Religions 6 hours
Provides an introduction to the diverse character,
experiences, history and dynamics of religious life as found throughout
the world, including past and present forms of religious beliefs and
behavior. Main topics covered: Primordial Religion, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Taoism, Ancient Religions, Judaism, Islam, the African
Heritage, African Religions in the Americas. Prerequisite: REL 201 or
consent of the instructor.
230. Understanding the Bible 3 hours
Interdisciplinary approach to the study of the Bible.
Draws upon historical, literary and theological perspectives in examining
the Bible as a potent force in human life, past and present.
235. The Eighth Century Prophets 3 hours
Examination of the great movement of Hebrew prophecy
involving Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah in relation to the social,
economic and political background of the period. Prerequisite: REL
201 or consent of the instructor.
300. Ethics and Religion
3 hours
Examines the nature of ethics and selected problems.
Considers philosophical and theological theories of ethics with emphasis
on the Christian ethic. Analyzes contemporary moral issues and dilemmas
for the individual and society. Develops the student’s capacity to analyze the major factors involved in the task
of moral decision-making. Students will go through a variety of experiences to
achieve this goal. (Writing Intensive Course) Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent
of the instructor.
310. The African American Church 3 hours
Explores the development of Christianity and related
movements among African Americans from the time Africans reached the
Americas (primarily as slaves and indentured servants) to the present.
Although religious activity among Africans in Central and South America
and the Caribbean will be mentioned, the content of the course focuses
upon the religious experience of Africans in the United States. Prerequisite:
REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
320. The Life and
Thought of Martin Luther King Jr 3 hours
Interdisciplinary examination of King’s life and thought and the Civil
Rights Movement. Insights from religion, philosophy, history and political science
are brought to bear on King’s philosophy of non-violence.
400. Introduction
to Theology 3 hours
Designed to introduce students to the field of theological
studies from a Christian perspective, including, but not exclusively,
systematic, biblical, historical and sociological issues. (Writing Intensive
Course) Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
410. Psychology of Religion 3 hours
Involves an examination of psychological research and
theory as it relates to religious experience and behavior. Also deals
with religious conduct and mental processes involved in religious experience.
The psychological approach to the study of religion is applied in such
a way as to acquaint students with growth and development of religious
attitudes. Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
465. Directed Study 3 hours
Designed for students to conduct extensive research
in the area of their choice. Taught on an individual basis pre-arranged
between student and instructor. Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of
the instructor.
475. Topics in Religion 3 hours Study of a special topic chosen by the instructor. Prerequisite: REL 201 or consent of the instructor.
