Philosophy Department

Spring 2010

 

COURSES IN PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)

101 Introduction to Philosophy. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An introduction to some of the main branches of philosophy. Some of the issues that might be addressed are: What is knowledge? Is reason or experience the basis for all knowledge? Can we have knowledge of the past, or of the future? What is Truth? Does God Exist? Is there a mental realm separate from the material realm? Are the laws of nature deterministic? Do we have free will? What makes an action morally permissible? What is the proper role of the State in regulating our lives?

Class Code

Course

Section

Title

Days

Start

End

Instructor

PHIL

101

901

Introduction to Philosophy

T

1900

2140

Kuczynski

PHIL

101

902

Introduction to Philosophy

R

1600

1840

Akiba

103 Ancient Greek and Medieval Western Philosophy. Semester courses:  3 credits. A survey of Western philosophy from the ancient Greeks (e.g. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) through the medieval period (e.g. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas).

PHIL

103

001

ANCNT GREEK & MEDIEVAL WESTERN

TR

1400

1515

Sutton

PHIL

103

901

ANCNT GREEK & MEDIEVAL WESTERN

TR

1600

1715

Sutton

104 Modern Western Philosophy. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A survey of Western Philosophy from the Renaissance to the 19th century (e.g. Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant).

PHIL

104

901

MODERN WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

TR

1600

1715

Kuczynski

 

201 Critical Thinking about Moral Problems. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 111 or equivalent. This course focuses on the development of sound critical thinking skills and their application to a range of topics in moral philosophy, including questions about the nature of morality, whether we have reason to be moral, and also to topics in applied ethics like the morality of abortion, animal rights, world hunger, pornography, capital punishment, sexual behavior, environmental ethics, and reverse discrimination. (Only one of PHIL 201,212/213/214 may be taken for credit.)

PHIL

201

001

CRIT THINKING ABOUT MORAL PROB

TR

1100

1215

Carey.

PHIL

201

002

CRIT THINKING ABOUT MORAL PROB

TR

930

1045

Carey

PHIL

201

003

CRIT THINKING ABOUT MORAL PROB

TR

2.00

3.15

Carey

PHIL

201

901

CRIT THINKING ABOUT MORAL PROB

R

1600

1840

Mills

PHIL

201

902

CRIT THINKING ABOUT MORAL PROB

T

1900

2140

Valdman

213 Ethics and Health Care. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Corequisite: ENG 101 by course or placement. A philosophical investigation of the main concepts and theories of ethics, with applications to fundamental moral questions as they arise in health care. The following issues may be used as illustrations: abortion, euthanasia and the right to die, human experimentation, treating mental illness, genetic technologic, the concepts of health and disease, and the funding of health care. (Only one of PHIL 201/212/213/214 may be taken for credit.)

PHIL

213

004

ETHICS & HEALTH CARE

MWF

1400

1450

Scow

222 Logic. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An evaluation of deductive arguments utilizing the methods of symbolic logic.

PHIL

222

001

LOGIC

MWF

1500

1550

Scow

230 Reason, Science and the Self. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. For Honors College students only. The reasonableness of a belief often depends on the arguments that support it. One primary goal of this course is to sharpen the abilities to identify, analyze, and assess arguments. Another primary goal is to show how to apply critical reasoning skills to philosophical explorations of the nature of science, knowledge, and personal identity.

PHIL

230

701

REASON, SCIENCE, & SELF-HONR

TR

1230

1345

Smith

PHIL

230

702

REASON, SCIENCE, & SELF-HONR

TR

1400

1515

Smith

PHIL

230

703

REASON, SCIENCE, & SELF-HONR

TR

1600

1715

Smith

301 Mind and Reality. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 9 credits in philosophy including PHIL 221 or 222, and one of PHIL 101, 103 or 104, or permission of instructor. An examination of central metaphysical issues, for example, the mind-body problem, free will, causality, action, realism and the problems of universals. This course is writing intensive.

PHIL

301

001

MIND & REALITY WI

TR

1100

1215

Sutton

302 Reason and Knowledge. Semester course, 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 9 credits in philosophy including PHIL 221 or 222, and one of PHIL 101, 103 or 104, or permission of instructor. An examination of central epistemological issues, for example, the problem of justification, empirical knowledge, perception, rationality, and truth. This course is writing intensive.

PHIL

302

901

REASON & KNOWLEDGE WI

W

1600

1840

Scow

303 Philosophy of Language. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 9 credits in philosophy including PHIL 222 and 6 additional credits, at least 3 of which must be from PHIL 101, 103 or 104, or permission of the instructor. An examination of central issues in the philosophy of language; for example, the nature of meaning and reference, reductionism, properties of languages and the character of artificial symbols systems. This course is writing intensive.

PHIL

303

901

PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE WI

M

1600

1840

Akiba

320 Philosophy of Law. Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits.  Prerequisite: Nine credits in philosophy including PHIL 222 or 221 and  one of PHIL 201, 211, 212, 213, or 214, or permission of instructor. The course consists of a detailed examination of such problems as the nature of law; the relations between morality and the law; provisions of the American Constitution, in particular of the Bill of Rights; the nature and provisions of international law. This course is writing intensive.

PHIL

320

901

PHILOSOPHY OF LAW WI

T

1600

1840

Ellis

327 Ethical Theory.  Semester course, 3 lecture hours.  3 credits.  Prerequisite: Nine credits in philosophy including PHIL 222 and one of PHIL 201, 211, 212, 213, or 214. A study of the problems of philosophical ethics, including relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, intrinsic value, and the meaning and justification of ethical principles.  Both historical and contemporary thinkers will be considered.  This course is writing intensive.

PHIL

327

901

ETHICAL THEORY WI

R

1600

1840

Valdman

490 Seminar in Philosophy Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics, for a maximum of 6 credits. Prerequisite: One of PHIL 301, 302, 327, 335 or permission of instructor in exceptional cases. Counts as ‘capstone course’ if taken after the completion of at least 90 credit hours towards the degree.

PHIL

490

901

Philosophical Topics: Vagueness

W

1600

1840

Mills

 

 

Cross-Listed Courses

The following courses in Religious Studies are cross-listed with Philosophy: RELS 326 Existentialism; RELS 408 Indian Tradition; RELS 410 The Chinese Tradition in Philosophy; RELS 342 Buddhist Reasoning and Debate; RELS 412 Zen Buddhism. For details please consult the School or World Studies; RELS 440 Mysticism.

 

 

 

 

Upper Level Courses: Important Note

In order to major in Philosophy, you must, in addition to other requirements, do:

 

       1.     PHIL 490, Seminar in Philosophy;

       2.     three of the following courses, with at least one from group (a) and one from group (b):

                 a.     PHIL 320, Philosophy of Law; PHIL 327 Ethical theory; PHIL 335, Social and Political Philosophy;

                 b.     PHIL 301, Mind and Reality; PHIL 302, Reason and Knowledge; PHIL 303, Philosophy of Language;

                 c.     PHIL 391, Topics in Philosophy.

 

In order to graduate with the Ethics and Public Policy concentration, you must in addition to the other requirements, do:

 

       1.     One of:

                 a.     PHIL 301 Mind and Reality;

                 b.     PHIL 302 Reason and Knowledge;

                 c.     PHIL 303 Philosophy of Language;

       2.     Three of:

                 a.     PHIL 320 Philosophy of Law;

                 b.     PHIL 327 Ethical Theory;

                 c.     PHIL 335 Social and Political Philosophy

                 d.     PHIL 490 Seminar in Philosophy.

 

In order to graduate with a Minor in the Philosophy of Law, you must in addition to the other requirements, do all of the following: PHIL 320 Philosophy of Law; PHIL 327 Ethical Theory; PHIL 335 Social and Political Philosophy.

                        

We aim to offer each of these courses at least once every two years. Most of them will be offered more often, but you cannot rely upon that. So make sure that you do not delay in getting these courses if you wish to major in philosophy.