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Courses in
Philosophy
Since a major in philosophy involves a rigorous
study of basic questions about human life and
action, knowledge, truth, and values, it is
recognized as providing a sound base for those
who plan to continue their education in one of
the professional specialties such as law,
medicine, or the ministry. More recently,
liberal arts degrees in fields which “make you
think” have become increasingly valued in
business and government. Majoring in philosophy
also prepares a student for graduate work in any
of the humanities (most notably philosophy); in
most cases the graduate will pursue a doctoral
degree to teach at the college level.
Students majoring in other fields who find
themselves seriously interested in the
theoretical aspects of their disciplines — e.g.
ethical implications of practice, the functions
of knowledge in the field, the legitimacy of
methods — may want to consider a special
concentration, minor, or second major in
philosophy to explore that interest. The
emphasis of such studies could be philosophy of
science and technology, ethics in the
professions (engineering, medicine), or
aesthetics in literature or fine arts, to name a
few examples.
101. Introduction to Philosophy. 3
credits. An introductory survey of the
discipline of philosophy. Students will join the
thoughtful search, in which philosophers have
engaged through reading and discussion since
ancient days, into the problems of reality
(metaphysics), of truth and meaning (logic and
philosophy of language), of moral standards
(ethics), of knowledge (epistemology), of beauty
(aesthetics), and other fundamental questions.
F, S
209. Introduction to Ethics. 3 credits.
This course investigates the nature of the Good
Life, of moral principles, and the application
of moral systems to contemporary debate. These
may include questions about the morality of war,
capital punishment, sexual behavior, welfare,
and so forth. F,S
220. Introduction to Logic. 3 credits.
A theoretical and practical introduction to the
principles of reasoning—formal and informal,
deductive and inductive. Students will study
language and patterns of reasoning as vehicles
for and obstacles to critical thinking. The
central characteristics of deduction and
validity; the role of hypotheses, inductive
reasoning, probability estimates in scientific
and quasi-scientific investigations and other
models of critical thinking and their limits
will be covered. F, S
283. Asian Philosophy. 3 credits. The
main philosophical systems of India, China and
Japan will be examined. F/3
300. Ancient Philosophy. 3 credits. The
ancient Greeks and Romans laid the foundations
for even the most contemporary philosophy, and
their ideas have had a continuing influence on
all Western thought from their time to our own.
This course attempts to examine those ideas and
the reasons for their persistent relevance. F/2
301. Medieval Philosophy. 3
credits. Philosophy in Western Europe from the
end of the Roman Empire to the early 15th
Century as reflected in the writings of such
thinkers as Boethius, Augustine, Abelard,
Aquinas and Ockham. S/2
302. Renaissance and Enlightenment. 3
credits. Philosophy from the time of Petrarch
(c. 1350) to that of the American Revolution as
seen in the writings of such philosophers as
Bruno, Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza and Hume. This
is the period that sees the origins of modern
thought. The implications of the work of the
philosophers had an important role in shaping
contemporary society, including the arts,
literature, science, politics, and economics.
F/2
303. Kant and the Nineteenth Century.
3 credits. Philosophy from the “Age of Reason”
through the Industrial Revolution as reflected
in the writings of Kant and other philosophers
such as Hegel, Mill, Marx, and Nietzsche. S/2
304. Twentieth Century Philosophy.
3 credits. Contemporary developments in
Philosophy since the beginning of the 20th
century. S/2
309. American Philosophy. 3
credits. A survey of major figures and movements
in American philosophy. F/3
325. Ethical Theory. 3 credits.
This course examines the theoretical foundation
of a variety of ethical systems. It expands the
core traditional ethical theories by considering
contemporary elaborations on Virtue Ethics,
Deontological Ethics (Kantianism), and dominant
theories. Students are strongly advised to have
taken PHIL 209 before enrolling in this course.
S/2
335. Philosophy of Language. 3
credits. An examination of the nature of
language concerning issues of meaning,
reference, language use, linguistic structure,
and difference from other symbol systems. S/3
350. Symbolic Logic. 3 credits.
The modern deductive logic of propositions and
functions (including relations); logistic
systems. Students majoring in mathematics or
computer science will be especially welcome in
this course. S/2
355. Social and Political Philosophy. 3
credits. This course examines core issues in
society and governance: the nature of justice,
the limits of freedom, the role of religion,
family and pluralism in the modern community,
are a few examples of possible topics. Students
in the course may examine both classical and
contemporary theories of political society. F/3
356. Aesthetics. 3 credits.
This course will investigate the philosophical
foundations of art (understood in its widest
sense, including, for example, music and
writing). It will ask whether definitions of art
or beauty are possible, what the relationship
between form and substance is in art, whether or
not art should be valued as a product or
process, as well as other such questions. The
course will rely upon classical and modern
texts, as well as a variety of examples from the
history of the arts. S/3
370. Ethics in Engineering and Science.
3 credits. Prerequisite: Junior/senior
standing. This course centers on the ethical
issues of particular concern to both citizens
and professionals involved in engineering and
related technical/scientific fields. We review
ethical history and ethical theory in all class
discussions. The major focus of the course,
however, is on ethical dilemmas, case studies,
and codes relevant to contemporary engineering
and scientific practice. Issues surveyed
include: ethical responsibility of theorists and
of applied scientists, risk and negligence in
technological enterprises, the limits of
knowledge/safety/quality, an update of the two
cultures debate. F, S
372. Ethics in Health Care. 3
credits. Some ethical problems and ethical
guidelines are of particular concern to citizens
and to professionals interested in health care
fields. Examples are informed consent, abortion,
euthanasia, organ transplant policies,
professional standards versus patient rights,
assisted suicide, ethics of testing/screening,
health care policy and reform. Class members
will explore such issues through case studies in
a context of relevant ethical history and
theory. Junior/senior standing encouraged. No
prerequisites. S/2
373. Ethics in Business and Public
Administration. 3 credits. Ethical
issues occurring in business and public
administration. Basic values promoted or
inhibited by people and institutions in these
areas will be investigated. Case studies will
also be used within a context of ethical theory
and history, to explore more defined problems
such as unsafe products, employee rights, the
relation between business life and personal
life, and many more. F/2
399. Philosophic Themes. 1-3 credits.
This course provides an opportunity for detailed
examination of important philosophic themes.
Topics will vary depending on faculty and
student interests. Investigations into
philosophy of religion, foundations of logic,
African American philosophic schools, political
correctness, and many others are possible. May
be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. On
Demand.
408. Philosophy of Human Nature.
3 credits. A consideration of philosophical
problems arising from the methodology of the
behavioral sciences. Of special relevance to
students majoring in Psychology, Political
Science, Economics, Anthropology or Sociology.
S/2
412. Philosophy of Law. 3
credits. An investigation of the nature of both
law and legal reasoning. Study of the nature of
law focuses on theories of natural law, legal
positivism, and legal realism. Legal reasoning
concerns justified interpretation of precedent
and statute within the common law tradition.
Additional topics dealt with as time allows,
encompass such issues as the justification of
punishment and enforcement of morality. F
425. Metaethics: Is Ethics Possible?
3 credits. A study of traditional problems in
ethical theory including the foundations of
ethical philosophy, the nature of the good,
ethical relativity, free will versus
determinism. Although case studies and
contemporary examples will appear in
discussions, the central focus of the course
will be historical and theoretical. F/3
430. Philosophy of Science and Technology.
3 credits. A study of the philosophic
aspects of science and technology. Problems
include, what makes a theory scientific?, is
there a scientific “method?”, can one believe in
science and religion at the same time?, how can
we tell whether a technological enterprise is a
reasonable risk or a negligent gamble?, how
should a technological advance be controlled.
S/3
440. Metaphysics: What is Real?
3 credits. A study of the basic categories by
which things are understood. Topics include such
issues as appearance and reality, substance,
particular and general, space and time, and
personal identity. F/3
465. Existentialism. 3 credits.
An examination of the nature of human existence
and its relationship to freedom. This course
investigates the consequences of one’s choices
and their effects on identity, ethics, and on
other people. By examining the works of such
philosophers as Kierkegaard, Sartre, Camus, de
Beauvoir, and others, students will investigate
the ways in which human beings construct their
own identities and develop their own ethical and
political standards. S/3
470. Epistemology: What Can We Know and How Can
We Know It? 3 credits. Inquiry into the
nature and limits of knowledge as distinguished
from belief; types of knowledge; the role of
reason and sense experience in empirical
knowledge. S/3
491. Seminar in Philosophy. 3-6
credits. Prerequisites: Junior or senior
standing and consent of the instructor. A
consideration of selected philosophical problems
or classic texts of mutual interest to
departmental faculty and more advanced students.
Previous work in philosophy or related
disciplines is recommended. On Demand.
494. Independent Study in Philosophy.
1-3 credits. May be repeated to 8
credits. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Supervised tutorial on an individual basis.
Typically, a student will work independently to
a considerable extent. In other cases, the
course may take the form of regularly scheduled
meetings. F, S |
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