Bulletin - John Jay College Of Criminal Justice - CUNY

Courses Offered
PHI 203 Political Philosophy
3 hours, 3 credits
Examination of the philosophical presuppositions about human
nature that are inherent in political theories from Plato to Marx and
concepts of sovereignty, freedom, authority and law.
Prerequisites: ENG 101, and sophomore standing or above or
permission of the section instructor
PHI 204 Logic
3 hours, 3 credits
An exposition of formal and informal methods of evaluating
reasoning in arguments and texts. We will examine systems or
models of deductive reasoning, problems of translation from natural
to formal languages, reasoning and rhetoric in complex arguments
and the foundations of the logic of investigation.
Prerequisite: ENG 101
PHI 205 Philosophy of Religion
3 hours, 3 credits
Examination of religion from a philosophical viewpoint: including
questions such as the existence of God, the nature and reality of
miracles, the possibility of an afterlife, and the foundations of
morality in religion. Readings from classic philosophers such as
Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, and Kant, as well as contemporary
philosophers.
Prerequisites: ENG 101; sophomore standing or above or permission
of the section instructor
PHI 210 Ethical Theory
3 hours, 3 credits
Ethical theory is the attempt to understand the principles that should
guide our thinking and decision-making about morally important
issues. In this course, we investigate moral theory in the history of
philosophy. This course compares first principles and moral
intuitions, moral relativism and moral dogmatism, moral character
traits and the ethics of duty. Focus will be on theories, arguments and
their relation to practical issues. We will examine these issues with
reference to historically influential ethical systems, with an eye
toward better understanding those systems and their relevance. The
course will examine the ancient Greek tradition, which is still pivotal
to the ethical debates of today. Part of the analysis of the dominant
theories will include important alternatives to this tradition. These
alternatives might include, but are not limited to, feminist ethics,
Buddhist ethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics. We will
also be calling into question some of the key assumptions these
ethical systems make, such as who counts as a morally relevant being
and what sort of considerations are morally relevant.
Prerequisites: ENG 101, PHI 105
PHI 224 Death, Dying and Society: A Life Crises
Management Issue
(Same course as ANT 224, PSY 224 and SOC 224)
3 hours, 3 credits
Death and dying will be viewed from the perspectives of a variety of
academic disciplines and applied fields. The course will deal with
the dying process: the different cultural practices and beliefs related
to this process; its impact on the individual and his or her family,
particularly in the areas of grief, mourning and restructuring of the
family; and it will examine the ways different occupational groups
are routinely involved with death and dying and the methods they
evolve to manage it for others and cope with it themselves. The
course will also explore different types of death, death at different
periods in the life cycle, euthanasia, abortion and ethical, religious
existential issues related to death and dying. The course will be
multidisciplinary.
Prerequisites: ENG 101 and an introductory course in sociology,
anthropology, philosophy, or psychology
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