The Good Life Course Pairing
Foundations of Philosophy (PL 201)
Socrates, at his trial, turns to his fellow citizens and offers the following admonition: "it is the greatest good for man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living" (Apology, 38a). Four things are revealed in Socrates' words that should command our attention. First is the claim itself that an unexamined life is not worth living; it is not a life for human beings. Second is the claim that this is not a good among any number of goods . . . it is the greatest good. Third is the suggestion that this good is not to be pursued in solitude but in discourse, in conversation with others. Last, and perhaps most difficult to appreciate, is the reminder that philosophy is an activity, a way of being in the world. The course begins with Socrates, and Socrates will serve as a model to guide our conversation as we explore the question: What is the good life?
Faculty biography
Dr. Jim Snow has been a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy since 1996, but he shows no sign of slowing up!
Personal Finance Management (FI 121)
Designed to allow students to develop a framework for planning and implementing a lifetime finance program. Investigates alternative personal financial decisions with a view toward optimizing personal wealth and creating more informed consumers. Students develop a personal financial plan. Topics include personal budgeting and planning and investment decisions with respect to education, automobiles, houses, securities, health and property insurance, retirement needs, and estate planning.
Open to all majors as a general elective. Does not fulfill course requirements for the finance concentration.
Faculty biography
Mr. Scott Emge is an accomplished accounting and finance executive with more than 25 years of experience working in various senior level consulting and corporate finance roles. His primary teaching interests are corporate finance and valuation. Mr. Emge graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Towson University and earned his MBA in Finance from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland College Park. Mr. Emge holds an active Certified Public Accountant license in the state of Maryland, is a Certified Financial Planner and is currently a Level 3 exam candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst program.
Mentor biography
Audrey Kennedy is the Assistant Registrar for Special Programs and Veteran Services at Loyola University Maryland. In this role, she supports various student populations, including those utilizing Veteran Education benefits, BSEP/ROTC students, and undergraduate students applying for graduation. Before joining Loyola in 2019, Audrey spent more than a decade raising her four children while actively volunteering at their schools, at her church, and within the broader community. A native of Baltimore, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications with a minor in Religious Studies from Elon College in 1999.
Virtual Advisor
PL 201 satisfies the Philosophy core requirement for all students. FI 121 counts as an elective for all students.
