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2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]
Philosophy Courses
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Philosophy
Cognitive Science (CGS)
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CGS 010 - (IS) Introduction to Cognitive Science Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
Cognitive science studies the mind and behavior from a variety of disciplinary points of view: philosophy, psychology, computer science, linguistics, biology, and others. This course surveys problems, methods, and results in cognitive science. Possible topics include artificial intelligence, the problem of consciousness, animal thought, children’s minds, learning, color, and other problems about perception, language learning, and motor control of action.
Philosophy (PHI)
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PHI 005 A-Z - Insights Semester Hours: 1
Periodically
Introductions to key aspects of a philosophical topic, such as happiness, friendship, personal identity, space and time, individualism, free will and determinism, chance, or other topics.
Current Special Topics
PHI 005F: Insights: Friendship
Friendship is a crucial part of a good human life. But many puzzles arise: Can it be one-sided, or does it have to be mutual? can it be shallow? Do friends have to be similar or can they be very different from one another? What is the value of friendship in the larger context of things we value (e.g., ambition, morality)? No prior experience in philosophy required.
PHI 005L: Insights: Love
What does it mean to love? What does it mean to be loved? How might love be relevant to doing philosophy (“love of wisdom”)?! This course seeks to understand these questions as well as provide some insights into the nature of love. No prior experience in philosophy required.
No credit for this course if you have already taken PHI 080.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
No prior familiarity with philosophy is necessary. As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
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PHI 009 A-Z - Philosophy Studio Semester Hours: 1
Periodically
Intensive introduction to the skills required for successful study and research in philosophy. Students will write papers or complete exercises designed to build analytical, writing, argumentation, and oral presentation skills. Each course will focus on a particular skill or set of skills.
Current Special Topics
PHI 009X: Philosophical Explorations
Students will explore a philosophical topic of their choice and then work to develop an expression of it in alternative media, such as a screenplay, a short story, a poem, a piece of music, a dance, or other artistic pieces.
In the first part of this course, each student will engage in a directed, detailed exploration of a philosophical topic of the student’s choice. Topics might include time travel, personal identity, skepticism, free will, artificial intelligence, ethics, philosophy of religion, the meaning of life. In the second part of the course, students will explore how the issue might be developed or transformed into another form such as a persuasive or descriptive essay, a screenplay, a short story, a poem, or other pieces of art and begin work on the piece. Students will present whatever work they have completed at the end of the semester. Students will also compose, in writing, a description of the philosophical issue of their choice, the way that the philosophical issue can be expressed in an alternative medium, how that medium helps to illuminate the issue, and what the student has learned by exploring the issue in this way.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topic varies. As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
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PHI 010 - (HP) Introduction to Philosophy Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall, Spring
An introduction to philosophy through the study of classical and recent treatments of philosophical problems. Consideration of such topics as rationality, knowledge and certainty, aesthetic evaluation, the existence of God, the mind and its place in nature, freedom and determinism, responsibility, blame and punishment, morality and altruism.
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PHI 010A - (HP) What Does It All Mean? Life, Meaning and Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
The question of the meaning of life is inextricably entangled with other philosophical questions. On one view, life can only have purpose if God exists. This requires examination of the reasons for and against the idea that God exists. A related view holds that unless we have immortal souls, our lives are too brief to be genuinely significant. This requires examination of the reasons for thinking that humans have such souls. A third view holds that we can give our life meaning through the free choices we make. This raises the question of whether we have free will, or whether our choices are predetermined; it also raises the questions of whether the choices we make should be ethical choices, and what it is to act ethically (whether, for example one should focus on the consequences of one’s actions, or on one’s religious beliefs). This course examines various approaches to the question of the meaning of life, and how this question connects with other important philosophical questions.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Formerly PHI 012.
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PHI 010B - (HP) Philosophic Themes in Film Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
An introduction to various philosophical issues that arise in contemporary films like Inception, The Matrix, Avatar, Memento, Moon, and Crimes and Misdemeanors. Some of the issues that will be examined include the problem of skepticism, the nature of the self, personal identity, artificial intelligence, free will and determinism, and moral dilemmas.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
No previous study of philosophy is presupposed or required. Formerly PHI 016.
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PHI 010C - (HP) Theories of Human Nature Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Examination of classical and contemporary theories of human nature. Considers persons as moral beings, as seekers of knowledge, and as social and political animals. Emphasis on the connection between theories of human nature and conceptions of the natural world.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Formerly PHI 025.
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PHI 010D - (HP) Free Will and Responsibility Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Moral responsibility requires free choice; if you were unable to do anything other than what you did, then you can’t be held morally responsible for it. But free choice seems impossible. The world operates by its own principles, whether those are the laws of physics, the dictates of a deity, or the operations of your own brain. This course analyzes responses to this problem, from accepting a world without freedom to arguing that human beings are radically not part of the world.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Formerly PHI 026.
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PHI 010E - (HP) Philosophic Themes in Science Fiction Semester Hours: 3
Philosophy and science fiction go hand-in-hand: science fiction thinks about issues, in a way that is entertaining, vivid and gripping, that philosophy thinks about, too – issues such as identity, the nature of mind, time and time travel, appearance and reality, whether there are alternative worlds. This course will use excerpts from science fiction and philosophical readings to explore some of these issues and introduce the student to philosophy. No prior course or experience in philosophy is necessary.
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PHI 010G - (HP) Wondering and Wandering: An Historical Tour of Western Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Philosophy proceeds by wonder, and in this course we will wander through ages spanning two and half millenniums and the whole Mediterranean world from northern Africa through all of Europe in search of the wonderings of philosophers who constitute the Western tradition. Towards the end, we will briefly touch upon contemporary philosophers of America. Our twin targets of attention throughout will be metaphysics (or ontology) and epistemology (theory of knowledge). No prior experience is assumed; all are welcome on the tour.
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PHI 011 - (HP) Introduction to Reasoning and Critical Thinking Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Introduces the student to key elements of critical reasoning, and applies those elements to practical cases. The course aims to develop proficiency in the use of natural logic, which will be helpful to students in everyday contexts, as well as in graduate and professional exam preparation and in their careers.
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PHI 012F - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Consult the class schedule for proper category listing. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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PHI 012S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 1-3
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. Students may take only one 12F or 12S seminar.
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PHI 014 - (HP) Ethics Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall, Spring
This course focuses on critical reasoning about ethics. The course reviews major approaches to ethical values and examines the bases for why some conduct (like killing, deceit, fraud) is wrong, and why some things (like freedom, fairness, compassion) are valuable. The course also examines the relationship between ethics and society, with focus on contemporary issues such as: ethics in professional or business contexts, health and medical contexts, ethics in personal relationships, environmental ethics or other similar topics. Students learn to reason critically about ethics through exercises and writing essays about ethical issues.
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PHI 014F - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format
with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to
first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is
offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and
only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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PHI 014S - First-Year Seminar Semester Hours: 3-4
Spring
This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format
with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
The course is open to
first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is
offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and
only one 14S or 12S seminar.
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PHI 015 - (HP) Law, Philosophy, and Public Life Semester Hours: 3-4
Fall
Introduction to several political philosophies that animate contemporary politics in the United States, including libertarianism, liberalism, and conservatism. Focus is on how these philosophies play out in disagreements about issues such as taxation, the role of religion in public life, and the relationship between morality and politics.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Law, Philosophy, and Public Life: An Introduction.)
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PHI 017 - (CC) Introduction to Eastern Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Introduction to the major schools of Indian philosophy, along with the Japanese School of Zen Buddhism and the Chinese philosophy of Taoism.
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PHI 020 - (HP) Self, Society, and Politics Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Introduction to the philosophical study of society and politics, with a focus on justice, rights, democracy, freedom, equality and power.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Social and Political Philosophy.)
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PHI 030 - “God” Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A critical examination of various conceptions of God’s nature ranging from the supernatural view of Thomas Aquinas to the psychological projection view of Ludwig Feuerbach.
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PHI 051 - A-Z Explorations in Philosophy Semester Hours: 1-4
Exploration of a topic, issue, question or theme in philosophy or in the contemporary context that has significant philosophical aspects to it. The subject matter will vary from semester to semester. Examples of possible course topics, issues, questions or themes are, morality in the marketplace; philosophical perspectives on health and wellness; how is “truthiness” different from truth? what are facts and are there “alternative facts”? Course may be repeated with new subject matter.
Current Special Topics
PHI 051C: Coding Philosophical Problems
This course offers a practical, hands-on introduction to computer programming, with a particular focus on philosophically interesting applications. Students will learn the basics of a modern general-purpose programming language that is used in a wide variety of academic, scientific and business settings. Students will write programs that display something like human intelligence or reasoning ability, and programs to model and explore hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of morality and altruism. No prior exposure to programming or to philosophy is required.
PHI 051D: Dangerous Ideas
Each week a faculty member from a different department will explore a concept that has shaped human experience across time and space. The course is available only on a pass/D+/D/fail basis.
Ideas matter. Concepts such as cultural identity, the meaning of food, democracy, faith, race, freedom, gender, have inspired social movements, shaped ways of life and political systems, and dramatically influenced the lives of individuals. Scientific ideas (such as evolution, species extinction, climate science) and skepticism about science also have power to shape our lives. Powerful ideas can be dangerous, generating turmoil and destabilizing the status quo, or supporting the status quo when change is needed, or creating unanticipated consequences.
No prerequisites. There is no required reading for the course, but attendance is required.
A student may register for any of the cross-listed sections (they are all one and the same course): ANTH 188K, DRAM 110C, PHI 051D, PSC 154B, RELI 090F, RHET 187F.
PHI 051H: Health and Wellness: Philosophical Perspectives
It’s challenging to become happy and healthy. For one thing, it can take a lot of work. But also, it’s often hard to know what we should try to do. In fact, what it means to be healthy and what it means to be happy are not obvious. Do meanings vary from person to person, or are there some “right” definitions? Does health mean the same thing universally or are there cultural variations? And why does research on health and happiness point us in so many different, sometimes opposite, directions? We discuss theories of what it means to be happy and healthy — classic and contemporary, philosophical and psychological — and from both western and non-western traditions.
PHI 051R: Philosophy of Race
This course examines the ideas of race and racism, primarily in the United States. We investigate the science and metaphysics of race—the question “in what way is race ‘real’?”—the cognitive science of race and racism (what psychological mechanisms are involved in race classifications)—the ethical and political theory of equality and egalitarianism, and the question, what, if anything, should we do about race and racism?
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PHI 052 - (HP) Philosophy and Popular Culture Semester Hours: 3-4 s.h.
Periodically
Most films, books, TV shows, and theatre, as well as products, in popular culture, provoke thought about philosophical issues (for example “Breaking Bad” and ethics; “Robocop” and personal identity; the iPod and philosophy of technology; “Game of Thrones” and political theory). This course is typically grounded in a single work (understanding ‘work’ to mean a series, or multiple volumes or sequels) of popular culture, and pursues a set of philosophical questions that are developed in that work. Readings will be drawn from recent philosophical work on the questions. Students will be expected to have or to develop their own familiarity with popular cultural work.
Current Special Topics
PHI 052: (HP) Philosophy & Popular Culture
Once dismissed as “kid’s stuff,” the comic book has gained respectability as a genuine literary form in recent decades. Indeed, the comic book, or graphic novel, is a good vehicle for a certain kind of speculative fiction, where philosophical ideas can be portrayed and examined. Stories of superheroes and villains, androids and aliens, travel through time and space… they are not merely thrilling to read, but offer food for thought and contemplation. In this class we will consider a selection of comic books - classics, such as Watchmen, Ronin, The Fantastic 4, Longshot, as well as newer ones, such as O Human Star and Seconds - and explore their philosophical content. Students should have some familiarity already with the genre and the works mentioned. The course will also have as a theme, how the superhero genre makes certain assumptions about good and evil, and about who we are supposed to be rooting for, that raise philosophical questions about who “the good guys” are. We will touch on many of the traditional problems that philosophers have wrestled
with - free will, personal identity, the nature of time, the existence of God - in a unique and entertaining way.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
No previous study of philosophy is presupposed or required. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
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PHI 052 A-Z - (HP) Philosophy and Popular Culture Semester Hours: 3-4 s.h.
Periodically
Most films, books, TV shows, and theatre, as well as products, in popular culture, provoke thought about philosophical issues (for example “Breaking Bad” and ethics; “Robocop” and personal identity; the iPod and philosophy of technology; “Game of Thrones” and political theory). This course is typically grounded in a single work (understanding ‘work’ to mean a series, or multiple volumes or sequels) of popular culture, and pursues a set of philosophical questions that are developed in that work. Readings will be drawn from recent philosophical work on the questions. Students will be expected to have or to develop their own familiarity with popular cultural work.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
No previous study of philosophy is presupposed or required. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
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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.
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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.
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PHI 080 - Philosophy of Love Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course explores the nature of love. It considers different kinds of love, such as love between friends, erotic or sexual love, filial love, and Agape or love of humankind. The course also considers love as a feeling, an action, a species of ‘knowing someone,’ or a way to give or take.
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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, and environmental ethics. The class may also suggest problems that it wishes to explore.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
PHI 014 recommended.
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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 .
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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 to 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 coursework in philosophy is required.
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PHI 093 - (HP) Philosophy and Ethics of Food Semester Hours: 3-4
Periodically
An examination of philosophical and ethical issues related to food. Possible topics covered include: omnivorism, vegetarianism, veganism; responsibility in the production and consumption of food; locavorism; hunger; food & gender identity; taste, pleasure, and the aesthetics of food.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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?
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PHI 113 - The Marxist Philosophers Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A critical study of Marxist theory stressing philosophy, economics and history from Hegel through Marx and contemporary developments in Marxism.
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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.
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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.)
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PHI 120 - (HP) Philosophy of Law Semester Hours: 3
Spring
The study of the nature of law and its relation to morality and custom, and conflicting theories about hard cases.
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PHI 121 - (HP) Crime and Punishment Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Examination of the justification of punishment, proper sentencing, the death penalty, and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
(Formerly Philosophical Views on Crime and Punishment.)
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PHI 122 - Morality and the Law Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
An examination of the use of law in the enforcement of morals, paternalism in
the law, the moral foundations of property and contract law, and constitutional
rights and the moral autonomy of the individual.
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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.
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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.)
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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.)
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PHI 136 - Professional Ethics Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
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 coursework in philosophy is required.
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PHI 137 - (HP) Leadership and Values Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course examines the nature of leadership and good leadership. It also considers the ethical guidelines and principles of leadership and the issue of defining worthwhile goals and values for both leaders and followers. No prior coursework in philosophy is required.
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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.
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PHI 141 - Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Fall
Historical survey of ancient and medieval philosophy, examining pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic thinkers, and medieval writers. Course is designed to help students develop competency in the oral presentation of philosophical ideas and arguments.
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PHI 143 - Classical Modern Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Spring
Beginnings of modern science and consequent reconstructions in philosophy from the 16th century forward. Particular emphasis on Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. Course is designed to help students develop competency in the oral presentation of philosophical ideas and arguments.
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PHI 145 - 19th-Century Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A study of philosophers and philosophical trends in the Post- Kantian era. Consideration of such topics as idealism, materialism, existentialism and criticism of the philosophical tradition. The course focuses on close textual readings of such figures as Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, J.S. Mill, C.S. Peirce and others.
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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.
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PHI 147 - Contemporary Philosophical Movements Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A critical examination of contemporary philosophical movements such as analytic philosophy, pragmatism and continental thought.
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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.)
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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PHI 154 - Introduction to Symbolic Logic Semester Hours: 3
Fall, Spring
A formal study of the logical properties and relationships of sentences by means
of the construction of a symbolic language for sentential and predicate logic.
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PHI 156 - Advanced Symbolic Logic Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Construction of a symbolic language for predicate (quantifier) logic. Metatheory for both sentential and predicate logic. Discussion of the limitations of predicate logic, and of more powerful formal systems designed to deal with natural language discourse, such as tense logic and modal logic.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
PHI 154 .
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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.
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PHI 161 - (HP) Philosophy of Science Semester Hours: 3
Once a year
Study of the methods, assumptions, and limits of natural science with illustrations from the history of science. Topics include the problem of demarcating science from non-science, the structure of theories and explanations, how and whether science progresses, and science’s relationship to culture and values.
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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.
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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; whether the existence of the universe can be explained if there is no God; whether God’s existence is necessary for morality; whether 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
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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?
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PHI 165 - Philosophy of Language Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
How does language relate to the world? Philosophy of language discusses the nature of language and core linguistic concepts like meaning, syntax, reference, truth and fiction.
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PHI 166 - Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Study of key contemporary thinkers who discuss the nature of justice in society. Special emphasis is placed on role played by the values of liberty, equality, and human well-being.
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PHI 167 - Philosophy of Feminism Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
The course considers how feminism challenges traditional ways of thinking about human nature. The course examines the nature/nurture distinction, rationality, objectivity and knowledge, morality, and the role of care and relationships in human life.
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PHI 168 - Philosophy of Mathematics Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
To have mathematical knowledge is to know a group of truths. But what are these truths about? What, exactly, are numbers, sets, geometrical objects, and so on? And how is it that we obtain our knowledge of these things? This course examines historical and contemporary readings that address these and other related questions.
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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.
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PHI 170 - (HP) Ethical Theory: Values, Relativism and Pluralism Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
A detailed examination of some specific issue in contemporary ethical theory. Possible topics include the nature and objectivity of morality, the relationship between moral philosophy and theories of the self, the revival of a virtue-theory approach to ethics, and pluralism about values.
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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 is no prerequisite, but a prior course in either cognitive science, neuroscience, or philosophy is recommended.
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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.
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PHI 180A - Epistemology Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
An investigation of theories of knowledge and justification that attempt to define these concepts, and a consideration of the ways in which theories of knowledge and being are related.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Six (6) s.h. in philosophy or permission of instructor.
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PHI 180B - Metaphysics Semester Hours: 3
Once a Year
An investigation of theories of being that state the most general characteristics of reality, and a consideration of the ways in which theories of being and theories of knowledge are related.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Six (6) s.h. in philosophy or permission of instructor.
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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.
Current Special Topics
PHI 181Q: Harry Potter & Philosophy
This course examines some of the philosophical issues raised in J.K. Rowling’s monumental Harry Potter series. These include, but are not limited to: the nature of evil; “pure blood”; time travel; education and childhood; transformations (of objects into objects, and of persons into other species); kinds of causation (ordinary; with words and spells; with magic); souls, Horcruxes and persons; free will and destiny; and death.
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.)
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PHI 182 A-Z - Selected Philosophers Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
This course provides an in-depth study of a major philosophical figure; the figure to be studied varies from semester to semester depending on the instructor.
Current Special Topics
PHI 182K Selected Philosophers: Kant and the Enlightenment
Was the Enlightenment a victory of reason over superstition, freedom over tyranny, science over religion? Critics claim the Enlightenment’s legacy is one of exploitation, dehumanization, and colonialism. In this course, we will examine the work of Immanuel Kant, one of the Enlightenment’s chief spokesmen who argue the claim that persons must be treated with dignity. This claim looms large in history, as it helped shape the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the United Nations charter. We will see that Kant was ambivalent about the prospects for enlightenment, and anticipated many of its critics—even as he championed its values.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
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PHI 183 - Seminar: Problems of Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Each semester topic is chosen for a study in depth, ranging from problems of space-time and universals to issues pertaining to social and political philosophy.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Students who take PHI 183 in partial satisfaction of a philosophy major or minor may take it on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
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PHI 184 - Seminar: Problems of Philosophy Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
Each semester topic is chosen for a study in depth, ranging from problems of space-time and universals to issues pertaining to social and political philosophy.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Students who take PHI 184 in partial satisfaction of a philosophy major or minor may take it on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
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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.)
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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.
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PHI 191 - Undergraduate Research in Philosophy Semester Hours: 1-3
Fall, Spring
The student will conduct research under supervision of faculty.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Permission of instructor.
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PHI 192 - Undergraduate Research in Philosophy II Semester Hours: 1-3
Fall, Spring
The student will conduct research in philosophy under the supervision of faculty.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Permission of instructor.
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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.
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PHI 194 - Seminar Semester Hours: 3
Periodically
For juniors and seniors who have previously taken at least three philosophy courses in logic: (PHI 150 , 154 , 156 ).
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