Course Descriptions

Heritage College offers its students a unique opportunity to take either philosophy or humanities courses, depending on their programs.

Pre-university students take philosophy courses, while students in career programs are required to take humanities courses in order to obtain a Diploma of Collegial Studies (D.E.C.).

BLOCK "A" PHILOSOPHY COURSES
All students must take two courses from the following list of block “A” courses: one in Philosophy 101 (the “Philosophy and Rationality” category), and one course in Philosophy 102 (“Concepts of Humanity” category).

The following descriptions indicate the general nature of courses in these disciplines, more specific information about the particular sections of these courses being offered in a given semester will be available at registration.

PHILOSOPHY 101

340-101-MQ      3-1-3      2 1/3 cr.
Philosophy and Rationality
This course studies the use of language and thought in relation to reasoning and argumentation. It also explores the birth of philosophical reasoning in ancient Greece, the transition from mythology to philosophy and from philosophy of nature to ethics and metaphysics. Pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, are among the philosophers covered in different sections of this course.

PHILOSOPHY 102

340-102-MQ      3-0-3      2 cr.
Concepts of Humanity
(Prerequisite: 340-101-MQ)
This course explores modern and contemporary philosophical visions of nature and the meaning of human existence, and their theoretical as well as practical applications. Some (at least two) of the following conceptions of the human being are studied: Cartesian, Empiricist, Materialist, Marxist, Freudian, Fundamentalist and Existentialist.

BLOCK "B" PHILOSOPHY COURSES
(Prerequisite: 340-101-MQ)
This course represents the third Philosophy course required in order to obtain a college diploma. The curriculum will reflect content specific to the program in which the student is enrolled. Before enrolling in a “Block B” course, the student must have passed Philosophy 101.

340-CXA-HR      2-1-3      2 cr.
Science and Moral Issues
(for Science students)
This course explores the ethical relations that exist between humans and non-human life forms in a world dominated by science and technology, while investigating the moral principles which define our responsibilities and obligations toward the earth’s biosphere.

340-CXB-HR      2-1-3      2 cr.
Theories of Social Justice
(for Social Science & Commerce students)
This course explores the nature and function of ethical inquiry, views of social justice and their application to specific issues relevant to the field of social science.

340-CXC-HR      2-1-3       2 cr.
Culture and Values
(for Visual Arts students)
This course investigates the search for meaning and value in human experience specifically through the medium of art and literature. The aim is to give students a heightened awareness of their own assumptions and societal values.

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The Philosophy department also offers the following courses to Liberal Arts students only.

340-910-RE      3-0-3       2 cr.
Ancient Philosophy
(for Liberal Arts students)
This course studies ancient Greek philosophy and the cultural world in which it arose. A major text of the period will be read and discussed. Students learn how to identify, analyze and criticize philosophical ideas.

340-912-RE      3-0-3      2 cr.
Modern Philosophy
(for Liberal Arts students)
Much of contemporary philosophy has its roots in the modern period, from the late sixteenth to the late eighteenth centuries. The purpose of the Modern Philosophy course is to introduce students to the philosophical thought and controversies of that period, with a special focus on rationalism and empiricism.