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Course Synopses
PHI111 Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method
This is a general introduction to logic with emphasis on clarity of thought and expression. Arguments as providing reason for conclusions. Formal and informal fallacies. Deduction and induction as process of reasoning. Categorical logic and test for validity of argument.
PHI112 Introduction to Ethics
This course will critically examine classical ethical theories in the history of philosophy, for example, relativism, utilitarianism, social contract theory, feminist ethics, and ethical egoism. in order to better understand these theories, it will also discuss contemporary ethical issues such as assisted suicide, animal rights, war and peace, capital punishment, and civil disobedience. The course emphasizes how we justify our moral judgments.
PHI113 Ethics in War and Peace
A survey of ethical issues that attend policy making in the area of international conflict and national preparedness. Special emphasis is placed on the dilemmas confronting the defense industry when defence policy is controversial and procurement policy is subject to public criticism. Topics include Just War theory, the morality of deterrence, the place of private enterprise in public defense, Pacem in Terris, and the professional ethic of the soldier.
PHI121 Introduction to Philosophy
This course will serve as an introduction to the notions, language, style and method of philosophy. It will also involve a look at philosophy and related fields of knowledge such as science, art, religion, etc. It will attempt a brief survey of the main branches of philosophy: viz. epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, logic, and aesthetics.
PHI122 introduction to Political Philosophy
Analysis of basic political concepts: society, state, government, authority, sovereignty, and democracy. Origin of the state. The problem of the “best government”. African political philosophers.
PHI123 Introduction to Applied Ethics
The course aims at courses that combine theory and applied (practical) ethics, with an emphasis on the practical topics of everyday interest. It introduces students to the philosophy of morality as it applies to practical moral needs. Moral character is explored in all its dimensions: virtues, vices, attitudes, emotions, commitments, and personal relationships, in addition to right and wrong conduct. The aim is to stimulate personal reflection and group dialogue, rather than offer solutions. It seeks to sharpen ideas which we use as tools in coping responsibly with our daily lives.
PHI211 Ancient Greek Philosophy
A historical introduction to the development of philosophy in Ancient Greece. Special attention is paid to their cosmology, ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
PHI212 General Ethics
A systematic, historical and thematic exposition of the dominant approaches to ethics. Fundamental principles of individual and social morality and concrete situations where they are applied will be addressed, e.g. in the spheres of law, religion, politics, sex, justice, etc. Theories of human actions. Ethics and morality, why moral life? Freedom and determinism. Norm of morality. Moral law and moral principles. Morality of human action. Psychology of moral behaviour. Social morality. Ethics and development.
PHI213 Epistemology
The course deals with the issues of the sources of knowledge, the various obstacles to clear thinking, scepticism, the nature of knowledge and the validity of knowledge as well as the issue of Philosophy and scientific methods of inquiry.
PHI214 Ethics and the Organization
A survey of the philosophical grounding of the organizations in contemporary society. We examine structured human groups from the household to the nation-state, to understand their moral undertakings in their environment, to see how they may balance rights and duties, rules and compassion, autonomy and common purposes, and to see where a more complete understanding of their possibilities and limitations may yield suggestions for structural modification. Special attention is paid to the organizational ethics of health care providers, ethics of political advocacy, and the ethics of Third Sector (non-profit, non-governmental) organizations.
PHI215 Issues in Environmental Ethics
A survey of the current problems in reconciling the demands of economic activity and the requirements of ecological balance. Issues considered include: the wise use of resources, pollution of land, air, and water, conservation of species and open space, and global climatic change.
PHI216 Bioethics
The course will focus on, among others, issues of circumscription of life and death, for example, moral status of prenatal life, abortion, euthanasia. It will also address the impact of reproductive technology: in vitro fertilisation, embryo experimentation, surrogate motherhood, cloning, homosexuality. The final level will be: the just distribution of medical services and the possibility of an ethically justifiable system of health care.
PHI221 Medieval Philosophy
A historical exploration of medieval contribution to philosophy. Attention will be devoted to the major figures of this period from
PHI222 Symbolic Logic
An introduction to the tools and techniques of formal logic dealing mainly with first order propositional and quantificational logic. Additional topics may include the use of truth trees, expressive and deductive completeness, and the logic of relations. Emphasis will be upon formal test for the validity of arguments.
PHI223 Issues in Moral Philosophy
The course deals with practical or ‘applied’ ethics. It discusses some of the most controversial moral problems such as: racial and sexual equality, morality of ‘reverse discrimination’; animal rights debate; abortion; capital punishment; euthanasia; suicide; environmental, and sexual ethics. The main moral theories (theological absolutism, cultural relativism, rational absolutism, utilitarianism, and subjectivism) are applied to the issues in question.
PHI224 Ethics in the Public Service
A survey of ethical problems that arise in the public domain. Issues to be discussed include official corruption, abuse of office and nepotism. The balancing of the demands of public office with personal interest. The disparity between the demands of the international community and domestic needs. Official secrecy etc.
PHI225 Business Ethics
Focus is on the possibility and nature of ethical decision-making within the business field. Some of the topics to be addressed are: Employer - employee relationship, insider trading, Ethics in accounting and information system Ethics. Also to be addressed are the challenges which the emergence of globalisation, multilateralism and co-operative capitalism poses to international business ethics.
PHI226 Ethical Issues in Transcultural Interactions
Some of the topics to be addressed in this course include: Multiculturality and towards a new ethical environment; Roots of tolerance and interpretative whole; Ethical underpinnings of culture and differences; Identities: cultural, ethnic and national; The emergence of nationalism, ethnic clashes and fundamentalist movements in the light of globalisation; and Ethical basis for otherness and tolerance. Xenophobia - and international migration and citizenship
PHI311 Early Modern Philosophy
Philosophy and the rise of science. Review of the major philosophical systems of the 17th and 18th centuries (Descartes, Spinosa, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume). The follow-up of the main tendencies in philosophical thought: rationalism vs. empiricism, idealism vs. materialism, monism vs. dualism.
PHI312 African Philosophy
This course is a critical examination of traditional and modern concepts in African thought, such as life/existence, the universe, man and his place in the universe, time, and god. This will be done through an analysis of topics like: the nature and sources of African philosophy; its metaphysics; forces in nature; principle of causality, the goal of human life; African ethics; contemporary African philosophers.
PHI313 Philosophy of Culture and Religion
A historical and thematic appraisal of the dominant approaches to culture and religion. An examination of the intellectual questions that arise in considering religious views in a cultural context. Some of the general topics are: man and culture; philosophic anthropology; philosophy and religion; the problem of religious language; scientific and religious knowledge; natural and revealed religion; anthropomorphism; cosmological and ontological arguments; philosophic basis of atheism, agnosticism, fideism, pantheism, deism; philosophical criticism of theism.
PHI314 Political Philosophy
A description of the essential features of the various types of government (democracy, monarchy, fascism, etc.) and the ultimate justification for the existence of any form of government. A consideration of the key concepts used in political philosophy such as: authority and obedience, liberty, equality and justice. A historical, thematic, and analytic exposition of the political theories of the great philosophers: Aristotle, Plato, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx.
PHI315 Advanced Epistemology
An in-depth treatment of the issues raised in PHI213. Continental rationalism: Descartes, Leibniz, Spinosa, and Kant. British empiricism: Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. American pragmatism: James, Peirce, and Dewey. Emphasis will be on formulating and defending a consistent epistemology.
PHI316 Guided Reading I
The course is based on the reading, analysing, and understanding of selected philosophical texts.
PHI321 Late Modern Philosophy
The course covers the period in the history of the Western Philosophy from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, introducing the figures of I. Kant, G.W.F. Hegel, and J.S. Mill.
PHI322 Metaphysics
A treatment of the traditional and central topics of metaphysics starting with Aristotle’s metaphysics. Topics to be discussed include theory of substance, matter and form, actuality and potentiality, the uncaused cause; as well as the mind-body problem, permanence and change, free will and determinism, motion, space, time, and dialectics.
PHI323 Philosophy of Language
Contemporary issues in the Philosophy of Language, including the problem of meaning and reference, private language, naming and necessity, theories of description and the language of thought.
PHI324 African Political Theorists
A critical appraisal of the ideas of African political theorists, their origins, meaning, implications and consequences. European colonialism in
PHI325 Marx and Marxist Philosophy
The course analyses the main ideas of Marxism and their development in the modern world. K. Marx: dialectical and historical materialism; Marx as ‘a real humanist’. Frankfurt school (Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas): an attempt to restore philosophical dimensions to Marxism. Althusser: an attempt to purge Marxism of humanistic elements. Marxism in Africa.
PHI326 Guided Reading II
The course is based on reading, analysing, and understanding of selected philosophical texts.
PHI410 Research Project
A long essay in philosophy to be done over one year. in the beginning of the first semester students have to take 12 hours of ‘Introduction to Research Method in Philosophy’.
PHI411 Contemporary Philosophy: Continental
A historical analysis of contemporary philosophical movements in continental Europe. Topics to be discussed include neo-Idealism, neo-Thomism, Phenomenology, and Existentialism.
PHI412 Philosophy of Law
An examination of the principles of jurisprudence in classical texts and recent cases and issues. All are appraised in the light of broader scientific knowledge, deepened ethical and religious experience. Fundamental issues and contemporary achievements in Philosophy of Law. Specific topics: scope of legal philosophy, nature of law, classical theories of law, limits of law, punishment (deterrence, retribution, restitution), death penalty, justice and preferential treatment.
PHI413 Philosophy of Social Sciences
The course looks into the methodological problems of the social sciences: the nature of observation in the social sciences; the difference between natural and social facts; the notion of value and the question of the objectivity of social knowledge; social science and the problem of ideological bias; understanding and explanation in the social sciences. Trends in the Philosophy of Social Sciences: Positivism and Hermeneutics, current trends and issues.
PHI414 Philosophy of Education
An analysis and evaluation of the three educational theories. (1) The formalist (or essentialist) theory emphasises the exposure of the students to the ‘Great Books’, the classics, as a way to transmit the heritage of the past to the present. (2) The pragmatic theory emphasises functional education that solves problems of life adjustment and survival. (3) The critical approach insists on equipping students with a critical ability to discern and judge for themselves the meaning and value of things. The course aims at synthesising all three to form a balanced philosophy of education.
PHI415 Philosophy of Science
Philosophical investigations into the nature of scientific knowledge. The nature of scientific truth; hypotheses, theories, and scientific laws; paradigms in scientific discoveries and scientific revolutions; experimental procedure; induction and probability.
PHI421 Contemporary Philosophy: Anglo-American
A study of current philosophical developments in Britain and the USA. Topics to be treated include Logical Positivism, British Analytic Philosophy, and American Pragmatism.
PHI422 Philosophy of History
The course analyses history in two aspects: as an actual human past and as a branch of knowledge. Respectively two distinct types of inquiry are being covered: ‘speculative’ philosophy of history and ‘critical’ philosophy of history. A critical review of the ‘speculative’ theories of history is given with an emphasis on the philosophies of history of Hegel and Marx. The main problems of ‘critical’ philosophy of history are discussed such as: status of history as a branch of knowledge, nature of historical explanation; truth and fact in history; objectivity and valuation in history.
PHI423 Philosophy of Mind
The course deals with one of the most challenging issues in philosophy - philosophical problems of mind. Characterising the mental. Nature of consciousness. The subject of consciousness. Traditional mind-body problem. Mental causation. Theories of actions. Problem of free will.
PHI424 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
An investigation into the nature of the artwork; the relation between art, artwork, and artist; the nature and characteristics of beauty in art and nature; the nature of art as a form of expression.
PHI425 Advanced Metaphysics
A further development of the issues raised in PHI322. Central problems of traditional metaphysics (the mind-body problem, freedom and determinism, etc.) and their relation to contemporary issues in social psychology, global politics, and legal systems. The emphasis is on defending the metaphysical basis for certain key decisions in society.
PHI501 Critical Thinking as a Method
The initial attempt will be to distinguish between Critique and Critical Rationalism. Here, Critique will be taken in the traditional sense of a theory of knowledge or epistemology that considers the truth value of human knowledge in general. Critical Rationalism is here taken as a specific response to problems regarding rationality itself, its limitations, its application to psychology, methodology and philosophy of science. Special attention will be paid to Karl Popper’s contribution to deductive logic and critical rationalism in general.
PHI511 Theories of Knowledge
A study of topical issues in contemporary epistemology especially as it relates to the analysis of knowledge. This will involve a study of the epistemic status of the traditional conditions of knowledge. It will also look at the Gettier problem and the different theories that attempt to find solutions to the Gettier problem, viz., defeaseability theories of knowledge, causal theories of knowledge, reliability theories of knowledge, etc. The aim is to introduce the student to contemporary trends in epistemic analysis.
PHI522 Metaphysics
The course will consist of an analysis of the essential characteristics implications and evaluations of the major metaphysical positions such as naturalism and materialism, idealism and realism. A reading of the original works of some of the major exponents of the various metaphysical theories will be required.
PHI531/ 522: Modern Political Theories: The course will provide an in-dept analysis of some of the major themes in social/political thought, such as the state and the freedom of the individual, capitalism and socialism, democracy and totalitarianism. Emphasis will be on relating these themes to political thought in Africa.
PHI532/ 512 Moral Philosophy
Select topics in contemporary ethical theory. Moral values within the framework of the value theory. The rational authority or justification of morality. The nature and status of moral discourse. The problem of right and wrong action. The problem of moral good and obligation. The possibility of moral truth and objectivity. The nature and source of normativity. Utilitarian/non-utilitarian debate. The freewill/determinism debate. The nature of moral responsibility.
PHI533/ 513 History of Modern Philosophy
This will be a historical survey of the main philosophical themes in western Europe from the 17th century to the 19th century. Special attention will be paid to the continental rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz); the 18th century British empiricists (Locke, Berkeley and Hume) and Kant. The main themes in these philosophers will include the origins of knowledge, the nature of substance, the nature of mind, the relation between mind and body.
PHI534/ 523 History of Contemporary Philosophy
A study of the origin and development of the main philosophical movements such as Logical Positivism, Pragmatism, Phenomenology and Existentialism. Emphasis will be laid on primary sources.
PHI535/524 Problems of Freedom and Responsibility
Brief history of the problem. Two sides of the problem: metaphysical and ethical. Conceptions of freedom: origination and voluntariness. Freewill/ determinism debate. The forms of determinism - physical, psychological, theological, logical etc. The implications of determinism (Van Inwagen, P. F. Strawson, Frankfurt, Ted Honderich). Views on freedom and responsibility: libertarian, Marxist, phenomenological, existentialist. Compatibilism/ incompatibilism debate.
PHI536/514 Contemporary Problems of African Philosophy
This course is an attempt to confront the negative philosophical and colonial assumptions regarding Africans. It is an elucidation and interpretation of authentic modes of African philosophical thought. Hermeneutic African philosophical trends and the deconstruction of colonial influences in current African Philosophy. Establishment of tradition as a legitimate source of African knowledge, relevant to contemporary interpretation of African identity. Some of the topics to be addressed are: theory of personhood (personal and social identity), alienation, authenticity and integral healing, destiny, evil, African humanism, true and false pluralism.
PHI537/515 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
An analysis of the nature of art and its relation to the work of art and the artist. The relation between art and beauty. The notion of art as an expression and its relation to the entertainment medium. Philosophy of art and art criticism.
PHI538/525 Philosophy of Law
Special attention will be given to
(a) Limits of Law (protected rights, coercion, privacy, law and morals)
(b). Dispute settling and justice (jural-like dispute settling, adjudication, conciliation, therapeutic integration, legal dispute settling, procedural justice, justice and equality and standards of procedural justice).
PHI539/526 Philosophy of Science
An investigation into the nature of scientific knowledge, the scientific methods of inquiry, the nature of scientific truth, hypothesis, theories and paradigms in scientific discoveries; the experimental procedure; induction and probability in science.
PHI601 Textual Analysis
A careful study and analysis of any one of the following:
(a) Aristotle’s Metaphysics, especially Books 1 - 7 where he expounds his doctrine of being, substance and identity.
(b) Descartes’ Discourse on Method
(c) Heidegger’s Being and Time with special reference to his analysis of Dasein and its influence in the development of existentialism.
(d) Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus with special emphasis on his analysis of language as a truth function.
PHI611 Issues in Metaphysics
The question of the meaning of being is the central focus. It will combine a historical and expository analysis of the notion of Being. It will be divided into four stages:
Among the ancient Greeks particularly Parmenides, Plato and Aristotle.
b. The medieval period with special reference to Thomas Aquinas and his concept of creation.
c. The modern responses to metaphysics in the forms of empiricism (Hume), idealism (Kant) and nihilism (Nietzsche)
d. A critical analysis of western traditional treatment of the question of being (Martin Heidegger).
PHI612 Aristotle’s Ethics
A thorough treatment of Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Ethics. Attempts will be made to show the continued relevance of Aristotle to contemporary concerns: that we still hold the search for the good as the end (purpose) of human conduct; that moral virtues arise from the habit of right conduct; that there is need for the practice of moral and intellectual virtues; that moderation still remains crucial in ethics and that legitimate pleasure has a place in any moral theory.
PHI621 Special Authors in Epistemology
A comparison between two authors of opposing perspectives in epistemology, (for instance, Popper and Kant) and the impact of their opinion on the development of epistemic thought.
PHI622 Contemporary Issues in Ethics
The application of ethical principles and theories to some specific contemporary moral issues such as racial discrimination, human rights violation, gender inequality. Attempts will be made to justify the validity of moral judgements when made on objective principles
PHI631/623 Social and political Philosophy
Attempts will be made to analyse philosophical issues as they relate to the social theories and methodology. Such theories as the ontological and epistemological status of theoretical laws in the social sciences. The nature of political decision and its impact on the individual. An examination of the nature of social justice, the relation between the moral and the legal and how that or the lack of it affects the resolution of human conflict.
PHI632/613 Contemporary African Philosophers
A detailed analysis of what constitutes African Philosophy in the views of Bodurin, Oruka and Wiredu. A closer analysis of the works of Wiredu,
PHI633/614 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
This course will be based on the analysis of some theories of art and beauty. It will focus on the nature of art and beauty, the relationship between the artist and the artwork, between the art itself and the artwork and between the artist and art. Attempt will be made to analyse the concept of artistic creativity in relation to artistic talent. A difference will be introduced at the end of the analysis between philosophy of art as a human creation and aesthetics understood as a theory of beauty whether in art or in nature.
PHI634/625 Critical Rationalism
An analysis of Popper’s role in the development of critical realism with special reference to the two influences on him - deductive realism and positivism. An attempt will be made to analyse the problems created by this conflict both for Popper and for contemporary philosophy of science and the current division within critical rationalism.
PHI635/624 History of Contemporary Philosophy
Relying mainly on primary sources (original works) attempts will be made to analyse both the origins and influences of contemporary philosophical movements, such as phenomenology, existentialism, pragmatism and linguistic analysis.
PHI636/615 Philosophical Logic
Selected topics in philosophical logic (Epistemic Logic) and the various applications of logic to philosophical problems.
PHI637 Modern Political Theories
A study of contemporary problems of political philosophy especially as contemporary world order. The course will look at the powers of they state in relation to the individual especially as it affects other states and nationalities within a state. It will look at ethical problems confronting the, so called, extremist political views within the framework of the new world order.