Philosophy

An introduction to philosophy, this course examines theories of love, desire, and friendship from ancient, medieval, modern, 19th and 20th century philosophers. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

This course is designed to introduce students to a number of theoretical frameworks in the fields of philosophy, leadership and social justice. Using multiculturalism and social justice as guideposts, the course will assist student leaders to understand diversity using the central tenets of mentoring, leadership and agency. Through these theories, the concepts of oppression, activism and advocacy will be investigated. 2 SH.

Investigates problems involved in moral decision making, providing students with a better understanding of what it means to be a good individual, a good family member and a good citizen of the nation and world. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

This introductory course is a philosophical inquiry into the idea of justice. Rather than focusing on personal morality, we will investigate issues of public policy. How ought we, through our laws and institutions, distribute the benefits and burdens of society — income and wealth, duties and rights, powers and opportunities, offices and honors? Philosophical writings as well as practical issues that illustrate competing theories of justice will be investigated. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

This course examines two related areas of ethics: Theories of the good life or well-being make up the first. Engaging perspectives from various disciplines, we take up questions like ‘what makes a life go well?’ and ‘what is worth pursuing for its own sake?’ The good life involves not simply feeling good but also being good and doing right by others. Knowing how we should treat one another can be aided by having a grasp of general moral ideals. Normative ethics is the term for this area of inquiry, and occupies the latter part of the course. 4SH. CC: Ethics.

Examines ethical theory and practice in connection with the relevant social and political philosophy, focusing on the philosophical issues that arise in everyday life. 4SH. CC: Ethics, Diversity Intensive.

Focus on classical and contemporary writings to determine the credibility of religious faiths and beliefs. Same as RELI-210. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive.

An intensive study of the themes and ideas that inform different existentialist texts. This course also examines the historical context for the emergence of this contemporary school of thought. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive, Interdisciplinary.

An examination of the various forms of feminist philosophy (e.g., liberal feminism, radical feminism, existential feminism, Marxist/socialist feminism, psychoanalytic feminism, postmodern feminism, eco-feminism, multicultural & global feminism). Emphasizes how feminism differs from common (mis)understandings of it. Some attention is also given to various women in professional philosophy. Same as WGST-200. 4 SH. CC: Diversity.

Examines basic procedures for determining the validity or invalidity of deductive arguments. Emphasizes standard notations, principles and methods used in modern symbolic logic. Also covers aspects of set theory. 4 SH. CC: Analytical Thought.

This course examines the work of key figures in black existential philosophy from the early twentieth century to the present day. These philosophers take up ideas central to the existentialist movement in the course of analyzing the lived conditions of black life under systems of colonialism and antiblack racism. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity Intensive, Ethics Intensive.

Examines a variety of practical ethical issues and problems using the tools of philosophical analysis and moral theory. Subject area for course will change on a rotating basis and will include ethics of war and peace and environmental ethics. 2-4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

Principal theories of moral value and duty in the history of Western thought as well as in contemporary philosophy. Readings may include works from such thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Held, Korsgaard, Hursthouse, Hooks, Bordo, de Waal, MacIntyre, Blackburn, and Lear. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

A systematic and philosophically informed consideration of some typical moral problems faced by individuals in a business setting, and a philosophical examination of some common moral criticisms of the American business system. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

Examines the major ethical controversies in medicine, subjecting them to close philosophical analysis. Subjects addressed include the patient/doctor relationship, informed voluntary consent, beginning and end of life issues, abortion, reproductive rights, genetic therapies and cloning, human subject medical experimentation, and health care resource allocation. 4 SH. CC: Ethics, Diversity Intensive

This course centers on ethical issues surrounding consumption, both of food and fuel. We examine the environmental and moral implications of our agricultural practices, factory farming, and energy use and production with particular attention to climate change. We will examine foundational questions in environmental ethics concerning the value and moral standing of elements of the environment, including wide-ranging questions about human beings’ proper relationship with the natural environment and with non-human forms of life, as well as our relationships with one another. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

Examines ethical, legal and social issues raised by developments in the neurosciences and related technologies. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

Investigates the logic of the scientific method, the history of scientific thought and the philosophical underpinnings of modern science. Focuses on developing an understanding of the nature, origins and growth of modern science and the application of scientific knowledge to human affairs. Prerequisites: sSophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary.

Examines artistic and aesthetic values reflected in both past and present philosophies of art and beauty. Readings may include selections from Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant and Tolstoy, as well as 20th-century philosophers and artists. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression.

This course offers a cross-cultural examination of the pursuit of a good human life, and how one learns to live better. In other words, it is about the theory and practice of being awesome at life. We focus on ethical dispositions (skills, habits, and virtues) as critical features of ethics, explored through texts from various religious and philosophical figures in English translation, as well as film and other media. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Previous experience in philosophy or religious studies will be very helpful, but not required. 4 SH. CC: Ethics.

The origins of Western philosophical thought in ancient Greece and Rome. Emphasizes Plato, and Aristotle, and the Stoics. 4 SH. CC: Ethics Intensive.

Focuses on the ideas of European and British philosophers from Descartes through Kant. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.

This course is a study of works by noted philosophers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that represent the dominant movements that arose in response to the critique of idealism and metaphysics, such as existentialism, phenomenology, psychoanalytic theory, analytic philosophy, and postmodern philosophy. 4 SH.

This course examines HBO’s The Wire in comparison with Plato’s Republic. Both the Republic and The Wire concern life in a city and which factors foster justice and which foster injustice. These texts raise philosophical questions, such as: What is justice? Who should rule? What are the obligations of rulers? How should children be educated? Who is best suited to protect the city, and how should they be educated for this important job? How should desire be managed in society? Our task is, first, to work to understand the philosophizing being done in both these texts, and second, to philosophize on our own about the topics raised by both texts. 4 SH. CC: Diversity, Ethics Intensive.

An intensive study of the works of Plato. Topics may vary and may include Plato’s theory of education, Plato and the Greek literary tradition, Plato’s Republic, the role of the body in Plato’s epistemology, dialectic and dramatic dialogue. 4 SH.

Examines selected topics in philosophy, depending on student and instructor interest. Course may be repeated for credit if topic is different. 2-4 SH. DESCRRIPTION OF SPRING 2022 TOPIC: Examines theories of emotion and the role that emotions play in our everyday lives. Course materials will be organized around answering two principal questions: (1) what, exactly, are emotions from an evolutionary, psychological, and philosophical standpoint; and (2) how does our understanding of emotion influence broader philosophical debates about things like morality, empathy, rationality, love, etc.?

Do we have knowledge of the world around us, the so-called external, objective world? Are there any objective truths about the world for us to discover? If there are, how do we come to have knowledge of these truths? These and other related questions of epistemology will constitute the subject matter of this course. 4 SH.

Investigates philosophical questions about the nature of the mind, its relation to the brain and body, perception, and consciousness. Focuses on the role of scientific evidence in understanding the mind. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary.

This course is a study of the human moral mind from both a philosophical and scientific perspective. How do we determine what’s morally right and wrong? Why do we act morally? and Why do we sometimes fail? Many such philosophical questions about morality have been illuminated by recent work in psychology and neuroscience. Our aim is to integrate varied disciplinary approaches to make progress in addressing both the practical and theoretical dimensions of these questions. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or psychology, and sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Ethics Intensive, Writing Intensive

This course is a study of the human moral mind from both a philosophical and scientific perspective. How do we determine what’s morally right and wrong? Why do we act morally? and Why do we sometimes fail? Many such philosophical questions about morality have been illuminated by recent work in psychology and neuroscience. Our aim is to integrate varied disciplinary approaches to make progress in addressing both the practical and theoretical dimensions of these questions. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or psychology, and sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Ethics Intensive, Writing Intensive

Individual work on selected topics for qualified students under faculty direction. Requires approval of supervising professor and department head. 1-4 SH.

Study of a specific topic in the field for qualified students in consultation with the department. 2-4 SH. Capstone.