May 19, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
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2018-2019 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Course Descriptions

 

Philosophy (PHI)
  

  • PHI 060 - Introduction to Chinese Philosophical and Religious Traditions

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Course introduces students to the major concepts and metaphors in Chinese Confucianism and Taoism. Students engage in close readings of texts from the classical and medieval periods. The goal is to arrive at a sympathetic understanding of the major themes in Chinese thought. Periodically, the students compare questions raised in China to questions raised within the western philosophic and religious traditions.
  

  • PHI 067 - (HP) Evil: Religious, Philosophic and Scientific Perspectives

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    If God is good, then why is the world filled with such evil? Is the reality of evil an argument against the existence of God? And if God is not responsible for evil, then who is? What leads humans to do such horrible things to one another? The “problem of evil” is central to both theology and the philosophy of religion, and has been so for thousands of years. However, evil is not simply a problem for the religious but is one of the deepest challenges in creating just and stable human communities. In this course we will examine how both religious thinkers and secular philosophers have come to terms with evil. We will also look at contemporary scientific research on empathy and cruelty and consider what insight this may provide into the dark side of human nature.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or RELI 067 , not both.
  
  

  • PHI 090 - (HP) Contemporary Ethical Issues

    Semester Hours: 3

    Periodically
    A critical examination of various positions taken on some contemporary moral issues and dilemmas. Possible topics include abortion, sexism, euthanasia, sexual preference, the ethics of marriage, racism, privacy, capital punishment, suicide, civil disobedience, punishment, punishment and the mentally ill, environmental ethics, etc. The class may also suggest problems that it wishes to explore.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    PHI 014  recommended.

     
  

  • PHI 091 - Technology and Human Values

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Investigation of the origin, nature, and status of human values in contemporary forms of technological civilization. The course combines three elements of coverage: survey of basic axiology (study of values); introduction to philosophy of technology (including its relations to science and society); examination of engineering ethics and/or aesthetics (including professional duty, cultural conscience, and environmental responsibility). 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Sophomore standing required. Same as TPP 112 .
  

  • PHI 092 - (HP) Global Ethics

    Semester Hours: 3
    Once a Year
    Examination of the philosophical and ethical implications of globalization. Classical and contemporary ethical theories will be considered. The course is meant deepen students’ understanding of the phenomenon of globalization, and to strengthen students’ ethical insight, intercultural sensitivity, and capacity to address the challenges of today’s world with courage and deliberation. No prior course work in philosophy is required.
  
  

  • PHI 101 - (HP) Ecology and Environmentalism

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Using case studies from science and environmental thought, students will investigate how biology and concern for nature are related. Topics include the historical and philosophical roots of concepts such as wilderness, biodiversity, over-population, urban environmentalism, invasive species, and the balance of nature. Students will also critically examine foundational assumptions and reasoning in both biological and environmental literature.
     
  

  • PHI 102 - (CC) Mysticism, Wisdom, and the Spiritual Quest

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Mystics sometimes behave in controversial ways. Could this represent a higher wisdom? How can we distinguish what might be insane wisdom from insanity? Mysticism is traditionally defined as the yearning for direct connection to a transcendent reality, and mystics from many different cultures report experiences of a higher reality. Do these experiences actually yield knowledge of such a reality or can they be explained in another way, perhaps as brain states? Are people from different cultures and traditions having similar mystical experiences? How much are their experiences shaped by their beliefs, traditions and expectations? We will compare mysticism and spiritual experiences across different cultures and explore various responses to these questions.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or RELI 075 , not both. (Formerly (CC) Mysticism and the Spiritual Quest.)
  

  • PHI 103 - (CC) Life, Death and Immortality

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Examination of the concepts of life, death and immortality as represented in religious and literary texts from a range of cross-cultural sources: western and non-western monotheistic traditions, eastern traditions (e.g., Tibetan and Indian), middle eastern (e.g., Turkish), African, and Native American. Further examination of the encounter between a native tradition and a western colonial, typically Judeo-Christian presence. Discussion as well of the implications of these concepts for such issues as abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. Original texts in translation.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or RELI 080 , not both.
  

  • PHI 110 - The Meaning of the Meaning of Life

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Before we can answer a question philosophically, we must understand what the question asks. What is the meaning of life? – one of the most abiding philosophical questions – is problematic from this perspective. On one view, the question asks whether there is some ultimate purpose for the universe’s existence. On another, it asks what makes for a satisfying life. A third view holds that the very question is incoherent, while a fourth holds that the question really amounts to several different questions asking, for example, why anything at all exists, or if human life has value. This course will examine in detail these competing interpretations of the question, and the arguments for and against them.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    One previous PHI course , or permission of instructor.
  

  • PHI 111 - Philosophy and the Holocaust

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Philosophical perspectives on the Holocaust. The first half of the course examines what it means to represent the Holocaust, including epistemological and cultural issues about how to come to terms with the event. The second half of the course focuses upon understanding the Holocaust, especially ethical issues such as whether the Holocaust was a unique event; whether “evil” is a meaningful category to describe it; if so, how should one define this evil?; does the Holocaust reveal limitations in traditional and/or all moral theory?
  
  

  • PHI 114 - Existentialism and Phenomenology

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Is there an essence to human nature or is one’s existence radically undetermined? The course explores this question through such major themes as freedom, self-deception, death and anxiety, tragedy and the healthy self, subjectivity, and alienation. The course also examines the basic structures of consciousness, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral states or frames of mind.
  

  • PHI 115 - Philosophy and Literature

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    An investigation into philosophical issues raised by or within literature. Possible topics include the puzzle of why we care for literary characters that do not exist, the claim that some truths can be revealed only through literature, the question of whether an immoral work can be a literary work, and the exploration in literary works of philosophical ideas like utopia, evil, free will, and many others.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly Philosophical Ideas in Literature.)
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 130 - (HP) Bioethics: Medicine and Morality

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    An investigation of moral theory and applied ethics as to the traditional and modern practices of medicine, including techniques informed by recent developments in biological science. Meaning and value of health and disease, life and death will be explored. The course will be especially helpful to philosophy majors or minors concentrating on ethics and to any students preparing to become healthcare professionals.
  

  • PHI 131 - (HP) Ethics and Animals

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Inquiry into the ethical significance of non-human animals. Consideration of such issues as whether non-human animals have interests and rights; whether animals’ capacity for consciousness or for pain and pleasure is a basis for their having ethical significance; whether animals are due a certain level of care and concern. The course will also examine whether similarity to human beings is necessary for non-human animals to have ethical significance. The course may look at cases involving the treatment and portrayal of animals in agriculture and diet, science and education, wild nature and domestic life, and entertainment and fashion.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly (HP) Animal Ethics: Inter-species Moral Philosophy.)
  

  • PHI 133 - (HP) Ethics and the Natural Environment

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Exploration of the relationship between human nature and the natural environment. Consideration of whether human beings have ethical duties to the natural environment, to animals and other species (e.g., plants and even microorganisms), and if so, what the basis for such a duty is. The course will also consider whether only living things have ethical value or whether the environment itself has ethical significance, and examine how we explain ethical significance.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or PHI 233, not both. (Formerly Environmental Ethics and Ecophilosophy.)
  

  • PHI 136 - Professional Ethics

    Semester Hours: 3
    Once a Year
    This course investigates ethical reasoning in the practical context of the professions and explores such issues as the nature of a profession and its distinctive ethical expectations. Occupational fields of relevance may include business, health care, education, law, journalism, and engineering. No prior course work in philosophy is required.
  
  

  • PHI 138 - (HP) Ethics and Sustainability: Personal, Social and Corporate Responsibility

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course considers the questions of how we should live and how we should value the future. Should we “discount” the future, that is, value it less than the present, or is it of equal or greater value than the present? Do we, as individuals, as societies, have responsibilities to future generations? The course examines the concept of sustainability and the ethical bases for individual, corporate, and social responsibilities to live, consume, and produce sustainably. The course combines philosophical readings with practical and concrete case studies.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or PHI 238, not both.
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 146 - Modernity and Post-Modernity

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Since the early 20th century, philosophers and other thinkers have argued that modernity has come to an end and that we now live under conditions of post-modernity. This course is an investigation of what this means and involves studying leading modern philosophers such as Descartes and Kant as well as more recent thinkers such as Heidegger, Derrida, Irigaray and Lyotard. Because post-modernity challenges disciplinary boundaries, the course also involves studying examples of modern and post-modern architecture, art and/or literature.
  
  

  • PHI 148 - Philosophy in America

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course examines distinctive American philosophical movements (e.g., pragmatism), distinctive American themes (e.g., optimism; individualism and community; spiritual and religious themes, as for example, in response to evolutionary theory; legal positivism; American feminism), and developments with a distinctively American emphasis in ethics (e.g., care ethics) or politics (e.g., neoliberalism, cosmopolitanism). The course may also consider the extent to which philosophy in America is a reflection of American culture while at the same time offering a unique perspective on perennial philosophical problems. Specific topics and focus may vary.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly The History of American Philosophy.)
  

  • PHI 149 - (HP) French Philosophical Traditions

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    The course is an introduction to philosophy as it has been practiced in the French-speaking world from early modern times to today and involves an exploration of one or more of the dominant themes in the French philosophical tradition such as subjectivity, rationalism, political philosophy, feminist philosophy and philosophy and literature. Texts will be read in English.
  

  • PHI 150 - (HP) Critical Reasoning

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    A study of reasoning and argument as they appear in ordinary usage. The aim of the course is to increase the student’s skills in critical thinking: how to recognize unsupported assertions, how to analyze and assess arguments encountered in everyday life, and how to formulate and present cogent arguments of one’s own.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly Practical Logic.)
  

  • PHI 152 - Scientific Reasoning

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course presents a systematic approach to scientific reasoning. Topics to be covered include the fundamental ideas of reasoning (support, evidence, argument); the nature of scientific theories and the evidence that grounds scientific theories; statistical reasoning, reasoning about causes, and the relation between the two; ways scientific reasoning commonly goes awry; and how statistical reasoning can support decision-making under uncertainty. Students will practice a variety of arguments from real contexts. Particular attention is paid to science as it is presented for non-specialist audiences, as for instance in science journalism.
  
  
  

  • PHI 160 - (HP) Philosophy of the Arts

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Are some works of art better than others? What makes something beautiful? How does context shape how we understand and value artworks? This class will explore how the various arts (music, dance, painting, sculpture, architecture, and more) relate to different aspects of our aesthetic experience of the world. We will examine several famous philosophical theories of art and discuss them in connection with numerous specific examples of artwork in the various genres.
  
  

  • PHI 162 - (HP) Philosophy of Biology

    Semester Hours: 3

    Periodically
    This course surveys recent and current philosophical discussions of biology. Likely topics include debates about the reality of species, races, and ecosystems; how and what genes explain; analysis of concepts like adaptation and fitness; evolutionary explanations of morality; assumptions about what’s natural and unnatural in ecology.

     
  

  • PHI 163 - (HP) Philosophy of Religion

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically

    This course explores various debates between theists, atheists and agnostics, including: whether there is adequate proof of God’s existence; the existence of the universe can be explained if there is no God; God’s existence is necessary for morality; life can have meaning and purpose without God; and whether there can ever be adequate responses to any of these questions. No previous study of philosophy is presupposed or required.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    None
  

  • PHI 164 - Philosophy of Mind

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Philosophy of mind discusses issues like the mind/body problem, artificial intelligence, the nature of consciousness and intentionality, and mental causation. Some typical questions are: What are minds? Are they the same or different from souls? How could brains possibly think? Can animals, babies or computers think? Can persons change bodies? Could you or I survive the death of our bodies?
  
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 169 - Philosophy of Medicine

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Using examples from medical research and practice and articles from the philosophical literature on medicine, this course examines philosophical problems in medicine. It emphasizes problems in medical reasoning and acquiring medical knowledge, and questions about foundational concepts like disease, illness, health, wellness, and physicianship.
  
  

  • PHI 171 - Neurophilosophy and Neuroethics

    Semester Hours: 3
    This course introduces students to neurophilosophy and neuroethics. Neuroethics explores what the sciences of the mind tell us about the nature of morality (i.e., the neuroscience of ethics) and how we should ethically respond to neuroscientific advances (i.e., the ethics of neuroscience). Neurophilosophy focuses on recent research in neuroscience and psychology on the nature of moral judgment, decision- making, and action and the implications that this work has for cognition and theory of mind, as well as theories of responsibility, free will, altruism, and the self. 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    There are no prerequisites, but it is recommended that the student have taken either a course in cognitive science or neuroscience, or in philosophy prior to taking this course.
  

  • PHI 180 - Theories of Knowledge and Being

    Semester Hours: 3
    Spring
    An investigation of theories of being, which state the most general characteristics of reality; and theories of knowledge, which state what knowledge is and how, if at all, we know things; and the ways that theories of being and knowledge are related.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Six (6) s.h. in philosophy or permission of instructor.
  
  
  

  • PHI 181 A-Z - Topics in Philosophy

    Semester Hours: 1-3
    Periodically
    This course provides an in-depth study of a problem in philosophy. The specific topic for the course varies from semester to semester. Examples of possible course topics are free will versus determinism, the nature of truth, philosophical approaches to issues in psychology, space and time, personal identity, autonomy, or other topics of contemporary philosophical interest.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be repeated for credit when topics vary. As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. (Formerly 181, 3 s.h.)
  
  
  
  

  • PHI 185 - Topics in Philosophy and Law

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Study of a topic in philosophy of law or a major thinker in the field. The specific topic or figure varies from semester to semester. Examples of course topics are natural law theory, liberty, gender equality, hate crime, sexuality and the law, and disability and the law.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly Selected Topics in Philosophy and Law.)
  

  • PHI 190 - Internship in Philosophy

    Semester Hours: 1-4
    Fall, Spring, Summer
    This course provides students with an opportunity to integrate insights gained in practical work with those gained through the academic study of philosophy.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    18 s.h. in philosophy, with a philosophy GPA of at least 2.5, and permission of the department chairperson. A minimum of 28 hours of on-site work and 10 hours of academic work (readings and writing assignments) per semester hour are required, in addition to regular meetings with a faculty member. Grades will be based on both on-site evaluation and academic work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” will result in a grade no higher than a C. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  
  
  

  • PHI 193 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Research for and writing of a substantial essay in philosophy. Open only to philosophy majors  who are eligible and desire to graduate with departmental honors. Interested students must secure, before registration, written permission of the instructor who will supervise the essay. The Honors Essay will be evaluated by the department.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be repeated for credit if taken in both fall and spring of senior year.
  

Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESP)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  • PESP 011A - Pickleball

    Semester Hours: 1
    Fall
    This course is designed to teach students the basics for the game of pickleball. Students will learn the basics for eye-hand coordination, development of basic skills, ball placement, teamwork and match play. Skills covered will include forehand, backhand, drive, lob, serve, smash and game-play strategy.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    For Physical Education majors  only. Credit given for this course or 011B , not both. May not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. May be taken up to two times for credit.
  

  • PESP 011B - Pickleball

    Semester Hours: 1
    Fall
    This course is designed to teach students the basics for the game of pickleball. Students will learn the basics for eye-hand coordination, development of basic skills, ball placement, teamwork and match play. Skills covered will include forehand, backhand, drive, lob, serve, smash and game-play strategy. 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    For non-Physical Education majors only. Credit given for this course or 011A , not both. May be taken up to two times for credit.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  • PESP 017 - Body Conditioning

    Semester Hours: 2
    Fall, Spring
    This course will teach students both the theory and practice of designing full-body workout programs without the use of machines. This course will increase students’ muscular strength and endurance and overall health. Through proper body alignment and technique, students will learn how to activate various muscle groups will free weights and isometric exercises, and learn how to engage the “CORE” muscles which will enhance back health and posture.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be taken up to two times for credit.
  
  
  

  • PESP 021 - Scuba: Basic Underwater Diving Techniques

    Semester Hours: 2
    Fall, Spring
    Students learn to dive using scuba equipment and to apply these skills to further investigate the underwater marine environment. All necessary equipment is supplied.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Students may receive the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) certification by taking PESP 121 . Lab fees additional. May be taken up to two times for credit.



  
  

  • PESP 025 - Fitness for Life

    Semester Hours: 2
    Fall, Spring
    An activity course designed to improve one’s fitness and to gain knowledge regarding aerobic fitness and weight control. Improvement of fitness is gained through activities including walking, jogging, resistive and exercise machines. Gaining of information regarding body percent fat, weight control, consumer nutrition, exercise prescription and stress reduction are included.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be taken up to two times for credit.



  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 

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