The Catholic University for Independent Thinkers Philosophy Ph.D. Student Guide ὁ ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ. “The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.” — Socrates, Apology, 38a Philosophy Faculty Dr. William A. Frank Dr. Dennis L. Sepper Duns Scotus, Medieval Philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy Philosophy of Education since 1600, Recent French and German Thought, Science and Ph.D., The Catholic University of America Technology Studies [email protected] Ph.D., University of Chicago 972-721-5005 [email protected] 972-721-5257 Rev. James J. Lehrberger, O.Cist. Faith and Reason, Philosophy of Religion, Thomas Aquinas Dr. Lance Simmons Ph.D., University of Dallas Analytic Philosophy, Bioethics, Epistemology, Ethics, [email protected] Philosophy of Science 972-721-5386 Ph.D., University of Notre Dame [email protected] Dr. Christopher V. Mirus 972-721-5274 Ancient Philosophy, History and Philosophy of Science Ph.D., University of Notre Dame Dr. Matthew Walz [email protected] Medieval Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Philosophical 972-721-5231 Anthropology Ph.D., The Catholic University of America Dr. Joshua Parens (Graduate Director) [email protected] Islamic and Jewish Medieval Philosophy, Early Modern 972-265-5703 Philosophy, Metaphysics, Political Philosophy, Spinoza Ph.D., University of Chicago Dr. Robert E. Wood [email protected] Aesthetics, Anthropology, History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, 972-721-5241 Hegel, Heidegger, Plato Ph.D., Marquette University Dr. Philipp W. Rosemann (Chair) [email protected] Medieval Thought, Postmodernism, Philosophy of History 972-721-5141 Ph.D., Université catholique de Louvain [email protected] 972-721-5166 Philosophy Main Office Mrs. Marie Azcona Administrative Assistant [email protected] 972-721-5161 (voice) 972-721-4005 (fax) Our Website www.udallas.edu/philosophy Philosophy at the University of Dallas At the University of Dallas (UD), philosophy is pursued as a Philosophy at the University of Dallas as a Part of rational investigation into those principles of being, thinking, the Institute of Philosophic Studies and acting the knowledge of which is thought to make us wise. This quest for philosophic wisdom is supported, shaped, Neither the quest for wisdom nor a special relation to the and challenged by the distinctive claims to wisdom made by Christian faith is limited to the Department of Philosophy. Christian revelation. Rather, these commitments shape all three of the PhD- granting liberal arts programs at UD: Philosophy, Literature, Within philosophy as a whole, the area of expertise shared and Politics. These three concentrations form the Institute most widely by our faculty is in the medieval period. This of Philosophic Studies (IPS). It is part of the mission of the is not surprising given the Catholic character of UD. Along university as a whole and the IPS in particular not only to with courses focusing on such thinkers as Augustine, Anselm, revive the Western heritage of liberal education but also to Bonaventure, Aquinas, and Duns Scotus, the department offers recover the Christian intellectual tradition. To these ends, all courses in medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy, which candidates for the PhD in these three disciplines take part in is indispensable to an understanding of medieval Christian a chronological series of IPS core courses over a three-year thought, as well as being of significant interest in its own right. period: Vergil and Homer; Plato and Aristotle; Augustine and Aquinas; Dante and Milton; Hobbes and Rousseau; and The department’s horizons extend well beyond the medieval Hegel, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky. In addition, students are period. It has particular strengths in ethics (including required to take a course in the Bible. During the first two contemporary ethics), philosophy of science, early modern years of coursework, a normal course load consists of three or philosophy, German philosophy from the eighteenth to the four courses per semester, including the IPS core course and twentieth century, postmodernism, and analytic philosophy. possibly a language course. Because many of the challenges of the contemporary world have compelled philosophers to engage in a recovery of ancient thought, Plato and Aristotle serve as common points of reference for the entire faculty. Philosophy at the University of Dallas as a Catholic University The relationship between Christian revelation and the philosophical tradition has always been intimate. Since the time of the Church Fathers, the history of Catholic thought has been punctuated by periods of intense assimilation of non-Christian sources. The dialogue between “Athens and Jerusalem” has continued to the present day, as demonstrated by the emergence of movements such as Transcendental Thomism, Analytical Thomism, Christian personalism in phenomenology, or Radical Orthodoxy. While the Philosophy Department at UD is not collectively committed to any of these movements, it is deeply interested in the perennial dialogue between philosophy and the Christian faith. As part of this dialogue, it respects the independence of the philosophical quest, as well as the deeply held beliefs of all those working and studying at the University of Dallas. Philosophy: The PhD Curriculum Leaving aside the IPS core courses, there are few required The Language Requirement courses. For that reason, it is especially important that students select courses within Philosophy that will prepare them for The language requirement is that you achieve at least reading their comprehensive exams, discussed below. To that end, the knowledge of two languages, one modern and one ancient. faculty has recently revised the curriculum, according to the The goal of the requirement is to enable the student to read following plan: philosophical texts in their original languages as well as secondary literature from outside the Anglophone world. The Proseminar. A ten-week seminar concerning many of the languages usually accepted are French or German and Latin professional skills required for success as graduate students or Greek; they should be chosen judiciously on the basis of and future professors and scholars. This course is now the student’s interests. Relatively rare exceptions are made by required of all PhD students. substituting a different modern or premodern language that the student needs to write the dissertation. (Imagine a student 5000-level courses. 5000-level courses include a mixture wishing to work on Kierkegaard, for example.) Students meet of undergraduate and graduate students, including some this requirement either by taking and passing with a B or better undergraduates with majors other than philosophy. In a 3000 or higher level course (not a special reading course) in addition, some undergraduate courses are cross-listed the given language, by passing the exam for a special reading as graduate courses, designated by the numbers from course, or, in the case of classical languages, by passing an 5301 to 5310, in which the instructor provides additional examination drawn up in consultation between the Graduate requirements for the graduate participants. Only two such Director and the Institute Director or Graduate Dean. courses may count toward completion of PhD requirements. There is no such limit for courses numbered 5311 and higher, The Qualifying Examination which include courses such as Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of History, and Philosophy of Technology—though graduate Although students are admitted to pursue the PhD in students should remember, again, that these courses may Philosophy, to proceed beyond the Master’s degree they need include undergraduate non-majors. to take the qualifying examination in Philosophy after their third semester of full-time coursework. In the written portion Historical courses. Courses offered at the 6000 level are of this exam, students are asked to explicate, interpret, and historical in orientation. Those designated as “text seminars” comment upon a selection from a work of philosophy, written are particularly helpful as guides to advanced study of the by an author they may or may not know. In addition, they history of philosophy. Text seminars covering six historical provide a brief paper written for one of their courses. Finally, periods (Antiquity, Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, a faculty committee drawn from the three concentrations the Later Middle Ages, Early Modernity, Later Modernity, examines them orally about both their written exam and their and Postmodernity) are offered on a three-year cycle; each paper. This is a pass/fail exam. seminar covers one or more important works from the relevant period and prepares students for independent study The Comprehensive Examination of the period as a whole. Although the historical courses are After the completion of coursework (and no more than one not sufficient to prepare for the comprehensive exam, they are semester after completing coursework), the student must an especially important element in that preparation. take the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive Topical courses. Courses at the 7000 level are topically examines the student over both the PhD and the IPS reading oriented. Courses addressing the central topics of lists—though it is worth noting that there is substantial contemporary philosophical inquiry—Epistemology, overlap between these lists. In addition, the comprehensive Ethics, Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy