Philosophy

Philosophy is the search for wisdom which itself can be defined as a comprehensive knowledge that deals with various fundamental subjects: metaphysics (the study of reality), ethics (the study of right human living), epistemology (the study of knowledge), logic (the rules of correct thinking), philosophical anthropology (the study of what is a human being), aesthetics (the study of beauty and art), and the philosophy of religion (the study of God and spiritual realities). The philosophy department at St. Jerome’s University has expertise in the four major periods of the history of philosophy: ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, such as Plato and Aristotle; medieval philosophy, such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas; modern philosophy, such as René Descartes and Immanuel Kant; and contemporary philosophy, such as Martin Heidegger, Jacques Maritain, Josef Pieper, and Alasdair MacIntyre.

Students of philosophy develop skills in logical and critical thinking, analytical reading and writing, sound judgement, ethical decision-making, persuasive public speaking, and creative and unconventional forms of understanding (what we colloquially call “thinking outside the box”). An education in philosophy is arguably the best preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, politics, public policy writing, teaching, consulting, business, and medicine. It is not an overstatement that philosophy graduates are in high demand in many fields because of their ingenuity, originality, and depth of thought. But beyond these marketable skills, philosophy offers guidance in the deepest questions concerning the meaning of life and aims to form a wise and moral personality. To be a philosopher is to know how to live well.

All courses offered by the Philosophy department are taught in the more intimate atmosphere of the St. Jerome’s University campus, which generally implies smaller classrooms and always allows for easy interaction with faculty.

Students co-registered at St. Jerome’s University have access to all the Philosophy programs from our degree-granting institution, the University of Waterloo. The flexibility of the programs gives students the possibility to choose from a wide array of courses, whether they are offered on main campus, at St. Jerome’s University or in some cases at both locations. Philosophy classes at St. Jerome’s University are usually smaller in size and tend to take a more traditional and classical approach to the discipline.
 
The courses offered by the St. Jerome's University Philosophy department are listed below.
 
For an overview of the Philosophy programs (Three-Year General, Four-Year General, Honours, Honours [Arts and Business profile, Co-op and Regular], Honours Double Major, and Minor), visit the Programs and Plans section of the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar.