Culture and Civilization
Prerequisites: PHIL 130 or equivalent; please check requirements for declared majors/minors for exceptions.
This course examines the nature, causes, and possible future development of human culture and civilization.
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the philosophical study of human culture and civilization.
Friendship, Romance, and Technology
Prerequisites: PHIL 130 or equivalent; please check requirements for declared majors/minors for exceptions.
This course examines the nature, causes, and possible future development of human culture and civilization.
Outcomes: Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the various approaches to the philosophical study of human culture and civilization.
Tier 2 Philosophical Knowledge
We are deeply social creatures. The link between vibrant interpersonal relationships and a rich, flourishing human life was explored by the Greek philosopher Aristotle centuries ago. He claimed that even if we had all the goods that the world could offer, none of us would choose to have those at the expense of having friends. The importance of relationships continues to dominate the research of scholars in many fields. Our culture is profoundly technological. This has been true for decades and is not merely the result of the development of new forms of social media such as the smartphone. This culture shapes us in many ways, including the way we engage relationships with others. The Jesuit scholar John Culkin writes, ¿We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.¿ The effects of these tools on our relationships with others are being widely researched and hotly contested. It is clear that these new tools are shaping us. This course will explore two kinds of relationships, friendship and romantic partnerships, and the ways in which our technological culture both enhances and diminishes our capacity to connect well with others.
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