Lower Level Coursework in Philosophy

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Upper Level Coursework in Philosophy

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Introduction to the Western philosophical tradition through a study expository and critical, of a variety of issues - the existence of God, freedom, foundations of belief, etc. - as they have been formulated in the writings of outstanding classical and contemporary philosophers.

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This class explores China's major philosophical and religious traditions, or the ""Three Teachings"" of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. We look at doctrinal debates that unite and divide these three traditions, as well as at their rituals and practices. We pay special attention to how early texts discuss the effectiveness of various ritual actions. That is, how does Confucian ritual aid in moral cultivation? How does Buddhists meditation lead to enlightenment? And, what practices produce the astonishing skills of Daoist sages? Along the way, we will learn about Chinese culture and society, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Students will gain a solid foundation for continued study of China in various disciplines.

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An exploration of attempts to develop an adequate personal moral philosophy, including the analysis of selected normative ethical theories and the problems of relativism, egoism and determinism.

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Study of contemporary ethical problems from the perspective of philosophical and religious principles. Various sections of the course may specialize in different types of ethical problems. Crosslisted with REL 091. May be used as part of Women's Studies Concentration.

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This class explores China's major philosophical and religious traditions, or the ""Three Teachings"" of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. We look at doctrinal debates that unite and divide these three traditions, as well as at their rituals and practices. We pay special attention to how early texts discuss the effectiveness of various ritual actions. That is, how does Confucian ritual aid in moral cultivation? How does Buddhists meditation lead to enlightenment? And, what practices produce the astonishing skills of Daoist sages? Along the way, we will learn about Chinese culture and society, in both historical and contemporary contexts. Students will gain a solid foundation for continued study of China in various disciplines.

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The study of the major philosophers of the ancient era, including Pre-Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and the major schools of the Hellenistic period. The philosophy of the period is set in the context of intellectual, social and scientific developments.

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A study of the major philosophers of the medieval era, from Augustine through Ockham, with reference to such issues as the existence of God, the nature of belief, the problem of universals and the rediscovery and extension of Greek philosophy.

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A study of the major philosophers of the modern era, such as Bacon, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant, with reference to certain, developments that influenced these men, e.g. the Renaissance, the Reformation, the rise of science and other important intellectual developments.

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A study of the major philosophers of the late 19th century and the 20th century. Such philosophical movements as Pragmatism, Idealism, Existentialism and Analytic Philosophy are examined, with an emphasis on the social and intellectual developments that influenced them - developments that followed from the work of such men as Darwin, Marx and Freud.

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Explore the meaning of life through films as well as readings in existential philosophy. This class will investigate questions about personal identity, fate and human freedom, moral relativism and universal truth, and finding fulfillment in life through readings by philosophers from a variety of world cultures. These readings will be paired with a selection of films all providing a different perspective on existential themes. All films will be available on reserve at the library, and students should plan on watching movies outside of class as part of weekly homework assignments.

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An examination of recent discussions of ethical issues in AI (broadly defined to include Big Data) including, but not limited to, issues of privacy, bias, problematic influence, and social consequences of AI.

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Study of the concepts and techniques of modern formal logic, including axiomatic developments of the sentential calculus and an examination of the first-order predicate calculus in a system of natural deduction. Crosslisted with CS 114.

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As humans have now reached the point of being able to destroy just about anything we want, questions arise of how we should think about our relationship with the non-humans, what our obligations are to the non-human and what grounds these obligations. If the elimination of a particular species (of any life form) could enhance the lives of humans, what should we think about as we contemplate an activity that would eliminate that species? If the destruction of a naturally occurring ecosystem or artifact would enhance the lives of some humans, how should we think about the question of destroying that ecosystem or artifact? Do non-humans have value independent of the value they have to humans? Which non-humans, if any, have rights and why? Answering these, and other questions related to them, will help us to not only be more thoughtful and intentional about our relationship with the non-human world but also to better understand the grounding of our relationships with other humans (e.g., to figure out which non-humans have moral rights we need to have a better understanding of why any right holder has rights)

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This course is an introduction to issues ethics in healthcare, between healthcare professionals and patients, between the state and its citizens, and with regard to individual decision-making. Topics discussed may be genetic technology, euthanasia, the concepts of disease and health, healthcare education, mind/body issues.

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This course serves as an introduction to recent philosophy of language in the Continental philosophical tradition as focused on the theme of textual interpretation. Philosophical movements to be considered include hermeneutics, deconstruction, semiotics, and critical theory.

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This class serves both as an introduction to the academic field of comparative religion and as an actual comparison of several of the world's religions with respect to some question or theme (which will vary from year to year).

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This class serves as an introduction to the contemporary practice of philosophy of religion as well as an exercise in the comparative explanation and evaluation of religious reason-giving. Each year we will examine one particular set of religious ideas and reasons in several different religious traditions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

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Examination of significant issues in the theory of knowledge; such as the criteria of meaning and truth; a priori knowledge; knowing and sensing; and the problems of induction, memory and skepticism. Prereq.: One philosophy course.

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Discussion of selected metaphysical problems such as universals, materialism, causality, freedom, personal identity and the nature of metaphysical thinking. Prereq.: One philosophy course.

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An introduction to philosophy of language, linguistics, and semiotics focused on the issue of linguistic relativism, i.e., whether languages are significantly different, and if so, whether they shape significantly different views of reality. Examines evidence both in support of and against linguistic relativism, and then uses this evidence as a means of addressing the relationship between language and reality.

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Examination of the major topics and issues of contemporary philosophy of science, including: debates about the demarcation of science; issues related to theory change; questions of confirmation, evidence, and falsification; the nature of scientific explanation; the nature of laws; and the relative mertis of various positions in the scientific realism debate.

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An introduction to philosophy of mind, focused on the nature of intentionality and consciousness, the relationship between mental and physical states, and the possibility of artificial intelligence.

Concentrated study of selected individuals and schools from the history of philosophy, such as Plato, Kant or Positivism. A student may receive credit for four semesters of this course. Prereq.: One philosophy course or instructor consent.

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Issues of distributive justice are frequently topics of passionate discussion with everyone agreeing that we ought to be just but also disagreeing about what criteria have to be met for justice to be achieved. Since the mid-twentieth century, philosophers have spent considerable time working to articulate and defend plausible theories of justice. This course focuses on close examination of several of these theories. Students will read primary texts, work to understand arguments presented in texts, apply the different theories to particular cases and evaluate the arguments.

Investigation of the philosophical questions regarding moral rights. Assuming that we have them, what are they? Why do we have them? Does the obsession with rights lead to a problematically individualistic culture? As we look at all of the questions, we will also be looking at the extent to which rights are connected with responsibilities.

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What is art? In this class, we will investigate four traditional definitions of art, apply these definitions to actual artworks, and try to come up with definitions of our own. We will learn about aesthetics and the philosophy of aft from both the analytic and continental philosophical traditions, and we will explore interdisciplinary connections with fields such as art criticism, literary theory, and studio arts.

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This course investigates assumptions about choice, responsibility, and punishment reflected in our legal system and considers the extent to which our growing knowledge of the brain may support or challenge those assumptions. The course also considers what kinds of changes to existing legal and public policy may be reasonably supported by this investigation.

This course will explore the past, present, and future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will begin by looking at the initial aims of AI and the theoretical and technological developments that made AI look like a genuine possibility (and survey some of the early successes and failures of that research program). We will then consider the current state of AI and the way future developments may (or may not) have a significant impact on society and self.

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What is science? What is religion? Why has there been so much conflict in Western history between these cultural forces, and is such conflict inevitable? Do religious believers who speak about science or scientists who speak about religion overstep the legitimate boundaries of their respective disciplines? This course offers an examination of these and other questions. We will begin with an introduction to several perspectives and terms that will shape our discussion, and then we will proceed with a historical survey of the interaction of science and religion in Western culture. Students who succesfully complete this course will achieve a greater knowledge of the history of science and religion, sharpened skills for analyzing the nature of both the scientific enterprise and religious thought and practices, and a cultivated awareness of how science and religion continue to interact in contemporary American society to shape public policy and perceptions.

A seminar approach to significant issues in contemporary philosophy. A student may receive credit for four semesters of this course. Sophomore, junior or senior standing or consent of instructor.

Some of our current physical theories have quite radical and seemingly paradoxical things to say about reality. But what do they really mean? What are their philosophical consequences? Why should we take them seriously? This course offers an examination of these and other questions. We will study avarious conceptions of space and time across history and consider philosophical issues arising from classical and quantum mechanics.

The Senior Capstone course is a culminating course in which students will bring to bear their philosophical knowledge and skills to ""do philosophy"" in one area which furthering their knowledge and skills. Emphasis will be put on primary sources, individual research and creative work and collaborative work. All seniors will participate in a departmental presentation of their work at the end of the semester. The particular topic of study will be selected by the professor teaching the course. Limited to Senior Philosophy majors or permission of instructor.

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Enrollment limited to students with a classification of Senior.

Enrollment is limited to students with an major in Philosophy.

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