About Philosophy

News and Events

• The philosophy department is pleased to announce The Edward and Linda Speed Endowment, which will support on-going professional development for full-time faculty in the theology and philosophy departments at St. Mary's University. The endowment is a gift from Mr. Speed, who received his BBA ('70) in Finance from St. Mary's University as well as an MA ('86) in Systematic Theology, and his wife, Linda. Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Speed!


• December 2012: Dr. Glenn Hughes will be a commentator and presenter at two seminars at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo in Oslo, Norway.


• November 2012: Dr. J. Colin McQuillan will present his paper "Reading and Misreading Kant's Dreams of a Spirit-Seer" as a part of the Faculty Research Colloquium on November 8th. Please join us at 3:30pm in Reinbolt Hall 001 for Dr. McQuillan's paper.


• October 2012: Dr. Kenneth Stikkers (Professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale) will deliver a James Sauer Memorial Lecture entitled "What's an Economy Good for? - On the Relevance of Aristotle for the 21st Century." Please join us on October 25th at 6:00pm in Moody Life Sciences Center 101 for Professor Stikkers' lecture.


• October 2012: Dr. Glenn Hughes will be chairing and presenting work on two roundtable panel sessions at the 28th Annual International Meeting of the Eric Voegelin Society at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge from October 19-21st.


• October 2012: Dr. Verena Erlenbusch presented her paper "Contract and gift in Hobbes theory of sovereignty" at the 10th Annual Conference of the Association for Political Theory in Columbia, SC.


• September 2012: Revolutions: Finished and Unfinished, from Primal to Final, a volume co-edited by Dr. Glenn Hughes, will be published by Cambridge Scholars Press.


• September 2012: Dr. Colin McQuillan presented his paper "Oaths, Promises, and Compulsory Duties: Kant's Response to Mendelssohn's Jerusalem" at the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Southern Study Group of the North American Kant Society in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. McQuillan's paper is forthcoming in The Journal of the History of Ideas.


• September 2012: Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Brei, whose article "Rights & Nature" is forthcoming in The Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. You can read Dr. Brei's article online now.


• August 2012: The Bloomsbury Anthology of Aesthetics, co-edited by Dr. J. Colin McQuillan has just been published. Order your copy today!


• August 2012: Please join us for a public lecture by Dr. Brendan Purcell, who will speak about his recent book, From Big Bang to Big Mystery: Human Origins in the Light of Creation and Evolution on August 28, 2012.


• April 2012: Dr. Glenn Hughes and Dr. Megan Mustain received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop and teach a course on Human Dignity. This interdisciplinary course will be offered beginning in Fall 2013, and will be open to all St. Mary's students.


• The new Nelson Wolff Law Early Admission Program offers advantages to motivated, talented students who plan to attend law school and want to save money by graduating in less time. The program allows qualified undergraduate students in certain degree programs, including philosophy, to earn both a bachelor's degree and law degree in just six years, instead of the usual seven. For more information, click here.

Contact Us

Faculty

Stephen Calogero, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Philosophy
Office: Chaminade Tower 512
Phone: (210) 431-2023
Email: scalogero@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Calogero began his study of philosophy as an undergraduate at Boston College. Upon graduation he spent a year teaching high school in Belize, Central American. He then returned to his alma mater to earn his Master s degree in philosophy and went on to Loyola University, Chicago for his doctorate. At Boston College, Calogero was awarded a Lonergan Fellowship for graduate studies in the thought of Bernard Lonergan. It was his study of Lonergan that aroused his interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. His book-length dissertation is titled Meaning and Action: Relating Knowledge and Action in the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. With this research, financed by Loyola s Schmidt Fellowship, Calogero specialized in Aquinas approach to practical wisdom and virtue ethics. Since beginning his teaching career at St. Mary s in 1990, Calogero has diversified his philosophical interests. He has publish articles and given numerous presentations on service learning and has himself utilized this pedagogical method in his classes. In 2007, he was one of five educators in the state named a Texas Campus Compact Faculty Fellow. More recently Calogero has turned his attention to Ibero-American philosophy. His research in this area has been inspired by his numerous trips to Mexico, including a semester of teaching St. Mary s students in Puebla, Mexico. More recently Calogero served as the Field Director for the St. Mary s study abroad program in Alcala de Hernares, Spain. His article "Why Positivism Failed Latin America"  is forthcoming from the Inter-American Journal of Philosophy. He also has interests in Greek philosophy, Continental philosophy and the intersection of literature and philosophy. Finally, at St. Mary s, Calogero has served as Associate Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and as Director of the Honors Program.

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Megan Mustain, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Philosophy
Department Chair
Director, Core Curriculum
Marianist Educational Associate
Office: Chaminade Tower 514
Phone: (210) 436-3073
Email: mmustain(at)stmarytx.edu
Full Bio Details

Specializing in classical American philosophy, Mustain completed her master's and doctoral studies at Southern Illinois University. Her research and teaching interests include American philosophy, philosophy of education, feminist theory, and philosophy of medicine. Her recent book, Overcoming Cynicism: William James and the Metaphysics of Engagement, addresses the problem of contemporary public cynicism through the work of American philosopher William James. In 2011, she received the St. Mary's Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of teaching excellence. In 2012, she and Dr. Glenn Hughes received a National Endowment for the Humanities "Enduring Questions" grant for development of a course on human dignity.

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Rev. Franz Schorp, S.M.

Instructor of Latin
Instructor of Philosophy
Office: Chaminade Tower 513
Phone: (210) 431-2259
Email: fschorp@stmarytx.edu
Full Bio Details

Father Schorp studied philosophy at Washington University, and teaches American philosophy and philosophy of law.

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Robert Boyd Skipper, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Philosophy
Director, Ethics Bowl
Director, Center for Professional Ethics
Office: Chaminade Tower 508
Phone: (210) 431-6857
Email: rskipper@stmarytx.edu
Full Bio Details

Skipper earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas. He completed his doctorate in philosophy at Rice University. His research interests include ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, ethics, metaethics, and professional ethics. He teaches ancient, Hellenistic, medieval, and Renaissance philosophy, as well as logic, philosophy of film, and a variety of ethics courses. He is Director of the Center for Professional Ethics. He is also director of the Texas Regional Ethics Bowl and is a case writer for the National Ethics Bowl. His articles have appeared in Ethics, Teaching Philosophy, Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of Applied Philosophy, Journal of Marketing, Business Horizons, Business Ethics: A European Review, and Philosophy and the Contemporary World. Visit his homepage at: skipperweb.org.

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Rose Mary Gallegos

Administrative Asssistant
Department of Philosophy
St. Mary's Core Curriculum
Office: Chaminade Tower 515
Phone: (210) 436-3586
Email: rgallegos8(at)stmarytx.edu

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Course Descriptions

• PL 2310: Symbolic Logic (3). This course is required of all philosophy majors and minors. It introduces the student to modern symbolic logic, and generally includes truth tables, the propositional calculus, and the predicate calculus, as well as translating between natural language and logic. It is a prerequisite for all advanced logic courses, and covers some topics tested by the LSAT.
• PL 3314: Applied Ethics (3). This course covers recent philosophical discussions within one or more broad areas of ethics. Possible topics include but are not limited to medical ethics, business ethics, professional ethics, research ethics, environmental ethics, international issues, media ethics, computer ethics, educational ethics, and human and animal rights. Emphasis will be on the application of theories to cases. Prerequisite is any one of the following: SMC 2301, PL 2332, or PL 2336.
• PL 3320: Environmental Philosophy (3). This course examines the relationship between human beings and the rest of the natural world. It explores the implications of affirming and of denying that relationship. Possible implications include but are not limited to the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, moral, professional, and spiritual development of the person, as well as the progress of society and culture.
• PL 3322: Philosophy of Human Nature (3). This course focuses on questions in philosophical anthropology. Authors from different historical periods are studied. Interpersonal, moral, and social issues take precedence. Emphasis falls on the tension between theories of self-interest and psychological egoism on the one hand, and theories espousing the natural social orientation of human existence on the other. Other topics include friendship, love, and the meaning of self-sacrifice, as well as methods of discerning authenticity and inauthenticity in human relationships.
• PL 3332: Social & Political Philosophy (3). This course examines some of the main problems of social and political philosophy through an analysis, comparison, and critical examination of various views concerning the natures of individuality and society and the relations between them. It will include study of some of the main works by several major philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, Marx, Rawls, and Voegelin.
• PL 3336: Feminist Philosophy (3). The course explores the philosophical contributions of feminism through careful study and evaluation of both traditional and feminist insights into philosophical questions. Areas of inquiry include the metaphysical, epistemological, moral, and political aspects of philosophical approaches to sex and gender.
• PL 3344: Philosophy of Religion (3). Introduction to a critical study of religions; appropriate methods for the study of religious phenomena; variety of manifestations of the sacred in religions, ancient and modern; religious language; ritual; religious communities; the problem of evil; the relation of religion and morality; the question of salvation.
• PL 3358: Eastern Philosophy (3). An introduction to Eastern/Asian philosophy. Topics vary from a study of orthodox Indian thought and its development, classical Chinese thought and its development, and Buddhist philosophy. Specific themes may include the nature of existence, the nature of human being, enlightenment, the individual and society, stages of human development, yoga, nature, and the sage.
• PL 3360: Ancient Philosophy (3). This course covers the writings and the cultural and historical context of various Western philosophers who lived before 300 C.E. The selection of figures and texts explored will vary from one semester to the next, but Plato and Aristotle will always be covered. Other possible figures could include the Pre-Socratics, the Stoics, the Cynics, and the Epicureans.
• PL 3361: Medieval Philosophy (3). This course covers the writings of various Mediterranean philosophers from the time of early Christianity (300 C.E.) through late scholasticism (1500 C.E.). The figures and texts will vary from one semester to another, Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas will always be covered. Other possible subjects include but are not limited to Boethius, St. Anselm, Peter Abelard, Hildegard von Bingen, William of Occam, Duns Scotus, Francis Suarez, as well as Jewish and Arabic philosophers from the period.
• PL 3362: Early Modern Philosophy (3). This course introduces students to early Modern (17th and 18th century) philosophy as it arose out of Renaissance Humanism and early Modern Science and developed in the Continental Rationalism of Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz and the British Empiricism of Hobbes, Locke, and Hume. Emphasis will be placed on the characteristic problems, questions, and methods of the period and on the continuity of concerns, problems and unresolved issues.
• PL 3363: Late Modern Philosophy (3). This course examines the development of philosophical inquiry in late modernity from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. It emphasizes an historical understanding of the philosophical questions of this era and a critical appraisal of the responses offered by late modern thinkers such as Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Mill, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard.
• PL 3364: Contemporary Philosophy (3). This course examines the development of philosophical inquiry in late modernity from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. It emphasizes an historical understanding of the philosophical questions of this era and a critical appraisal of the responses offered by late modern thinkers such as Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Mill, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard.
• PL 3366: American Philosophy (3). The course traces the development of philosophy in the United States with an eye to uncovering the philosophical underpinnings of contemporary American culture. Through the use of primary texts, the course will investigate the major questions and approaches that emerged in the United States and explore the uniquely American ways of reckoning with the perennial philosophical questions.
• PL 3368: Philosophy in Latin America (3). This course introduces students to philosophical reflection in the Latin American tradition, touching on the Pre-Columbian, colonial, 19th, and 20th century periods. Some relevant European authors are also studied. Topics range widely. However, all topics are studied within their Latin American historical and social context. Questions about culture and cultural identify surface. The course explores the conditions of the possibility of sustaining cultural identity and to what extent philosophical reflection can contribute to this. Students gain a better understanding of both the unique history of Latin America and of the universal philosophical questions that the Latin American experience brings to life.
• PL 3370: Special Topics (3).These courses each consist of an advanced study of some philosophical topic not covered in other courses in the catalog. The specific subject is indicated whenever the course is offered.
• PL 3372: Philosophy of Film (3).This course covers various philosophical questions in film theory. Possible topics include the nature of film, film aesthetics, the language of film, the psychology of film, biases in films (gender, economic, racial, and so forth), and the ethics of censorship. A basic familiarity on the part of the student with the history of film from early silent films through CGI is presumed. Viewing of certain films may be assigned as homework.
• PL 3375: Advanced Logic (3). This course covers standard topics in metalogic, including syntax, semantics, proof theory, completeness, decidability, consistency, and the Skolem-Lowenheim theorem. Prerequsite: PL 2310 Symbolic Logic.
• PL 3378: Philosophy of Literature (3). This course examines the literary expression of philosophical concerns, such as authenticity, freedom and choice, good vs. evil, and justice vs. injustice. This typically involves the study of one or two philosophical works that investigate a philosophical issue (e.g., the ideal society; the tragic hero) to supplement the focus on various novels, plays, or poems exploring the issue in literature. Texts may include literary criticism, used to assist in explicating the themes and concepts involved in the philosophical issue under consideration. The course usually includes multicultural expressions and concerns.
• PL 3380: Directed Study (3). Directed studies are an opportunity for students to pursue critical inquiries of their own choosing in consultation with a member of the department who knows the subject area and is sympathetic to working with the project. A Directed Study program must be arranged according to University policy and include permission of the chair and major adviser.
• PL 4310: Philosophy of Law (3).Examination of various foundations of human legal order concentrating on a search for what can unite a people effectively under a rule of law; perspectives of natural law and legal positivism; the relation between law and justice; legal and moral obligations; the power of law to bind effectively and the use of sanctions; and problems arising from various theories of law.
• PL 4312: Epistemology (3). This course considers the cognitive relationship between humans and the world, knowers, knowledge, and the known. It will examine a variety of problems and theories concerning human knowing, including, for example: innate ideas, rationalism, empiricism, constructivism, the pragmatic notion of truth, and the problem of intentionality.
• PL 4318: Professional Ethics (3). This course explores the ethical obligations of professionals, how these obligations arise, and how (or whether) they differ significantly from the ethical obligations of non-professionals. Possible topics include but are not limited to medicine, law, engineering, journalism, business, teaching, and politics.
• PL 4322: Philosophy of Economics (3). A critical study of the meaning of economy and economic relations within social living. Themes covered include the meaning of economy, work, labor, human vocation, justice, and poverty. This course begins with a survey of views of what constitutes an economy and the meaning of just economic relations. It includes a study of contemporary theories of justice, including Catholic Social Teaching, with specific application to selected issues of economic justice.
• PL 4324: Philosophy of Science (3). This course investigates the basic concepts and methods of the natural, social, and formal sciences. Possible topics include but are not limited to quantification, pseudoscience, realism versus anti-realism, probabilistic versus classical science, the ethics of research and technology, determinism versus freedom, and scientific revolutions. Prerequisite: SMC 1312.
• PL 4334: Philosophy of Culture (3). This course explores the most serious challenges facing the individual and societies in the 21st century: the presence and force of culture and its historical relationship to religion, civilization, and social order. It employs and relates perspectives from critical realist philosophy, world history, and culture studies.
• PL 4340: Philosophy of Art & Aesthetics (3). A critical examination of art as a realm of meaning. Aesthetics is a critically important part of every human life and culture. As a unique realm of The Beautiful, as encountered in music, dance, literature, architecture, fashion landscape architecture, all the fine and performing as well as culinary and practical arts both transmit and inculcate cultural, social and moral values as well as fulfilling natural human desires for sensually intellectual enrichment.
• PL 4342: Metaphysics (3). Metaphysics examines the most fundamental questions, inquiring into the origins or first principles of the ground of existence. The course will confront the need or impulse for metaphysical contemplation, the fundamental insights and structures of metaphysics, and the question of the legitimacy of metaphysics.
• PL 4350: Philosophy of History (3). Metaphysics examines the most fundamental questions, inquiring into the origins or first principles of the ground of existence. The course will confront the need or impulse for metaphysical contemplation, the fundamental insights and structures of metaphysics, and the question of the legitimacy of metaphysics.
• PL 4395: Senior Seminar (3). A capstone seminar for philosophy majors. This course focuses on developing a student's consciousness of the understandings and skills acquired through careful study of the history, methods, and specializations of philosophy. Presentations will be made by members of the department on a variety of current topics and issues in philosophy. Emphasis will be placed on the student integrating the various areas of study and the variety of contemporary schools of philosophical activity. Each student will be A capstone seminar for philosophy majors. This course focuses on developing a student's consciousness of the understandings and skills acquired through careful study of the history, methods, and specializations of philosophy. Presentations will be made by members of the department on a variety of current topics and issues in philosophy. Emphasis will be placed on the student integrating the various areas of study and the variety of contemporary schools of philosophical activity. Each student will be

Major in Philosophy

Minor in Philosophy

Brother John Totten Prize in Philosophy

Phi Sigma Tau

Texas Lambda Chapter

Who We Are:

Phi Sigma Tau (PST) is the International Honor Society in Philosophy. The Texas Lambda chapter provides outlets and support for both student and faculty scholarship in philosophical issues through essay workshops, lectures, and paper presentations.

"First Lecture" Series:

In conjunction with the Bro. John Totten Prize in Philosophy essay competition and Phi Sigma Tau's annual Last Lecture event, the "First Lecture" Series has been established to recognize St. Mary s University students work in philosophy or related fields (such as political science, economics, theology, etc.) with a professional forum for presentation to fellow students and faculty. Papers can be submitted to Phi Sigma Tau at mmagliacane@mail.stmarytx.edu or Campus Mail Box #66 (Attn: PST). Please include a bibliography and a short description of how you would like to present your work if your paper is chosen (paper reading, interactive lecture, Q&A, etc.).

April Events:

Totten "First Lecture" Series (2nd installment): April 10th 6:15-6:45pm in Moody 101
Last Lecture: April 16th 7:00pm in AT&T 108