Philosophy Course Descriptions

PHIL1103 Philosophy of Religion (R)

This course examines philosophical questions about God and religion. It will clarify the concepts of God in the great religious traditions stemming from Abraham and examine the classic arguments designed to prove that this God exists. Additional topics discussed are miracles, the possibility of life after death, the natural evils embedded in God’s creation, the tension between modern science and religion, and the atheistic critiques of Nietzsche and Freud.
Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits

PHIL1111 Literature and Philosophy (A)

Literature often provides extensive and moving descriptions of people engaging in moral reasoning as they face complex situations in life. Philosophy traditionally seeks to deepen our understanding of morality and the nature of moral reasoning. This course will explore some of the fundamental complementarities in moral reasoning that exist between literature and philosophy by interpreting, evaluating, and analyzing selected literary texts.
Fall semester. 4 credits

PHIL1112 Aesthetics (A)

The philosophical field of aesthetics has a long history that includes contributions from some of the most prominent philosophers of Western history. The class will explore a variety of key areas regarding aesthetics, including the nature of beauty, the grounds of aesthetic judgment, and the various functions of art in society, with reference to some of the most important texts of aesthetic philosophy. The course takes a historical approach, beginning with classical ideas of aesthetics in antiquity, through the early-modern period, and concluding with aesthetics theory in the modern era. Controversial questions will also be examined, such as whether artistic evaluations can possibly be objective, or whether determinations of beauty and artistic merit are culturally determined.
Spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL1115 Recent Moral Issues (M)

The nature of ethical decision making is first discussed. Skills of moral reasoning are then applied to various issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia and prolonging life, abortion, world hunger, preferential treatment and discrimination, pornography and censorship, poverty and welfare, environmental ethics, war, reproductive technology, genetic engineering, organ transplants, and the legalization of drugs.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL1117 Critical Thinking (M)

The goal of this course is to improve skills of critical thinking. Students learn to define concepts accurately, to examine assumptions of their thinking, to be aware of various points of view, to reason correctly and evaluate the reasoning of others, and to examine the logical consequences and interconnections of their beliefs. Students practice various techniques to improve problem-solving skills and their ability to think creatively.
Spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL2106 Ethical Theory (M)

This course addresses some fundamental questions about the “Good Life” and what makes life worth living. Students will explore questions about what makes an action “right” or “wrong,” what makes us happy, what kinds of qualities a person should have, and how we should treat other people. The course will begin with an examination of various conceptions of the good life and what it means to be virtuous. This will be followed by a discussion of the central moral theories that continue to influence contemporary discussions about ethics: Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, and Immanuel Kant’s Deontology. Throughout the semester, we will also consider the ways in which feminist and non-western perspectives both parallel and challenge some of the ideals of Western moral philosophy.
Spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Sophomore status or permission of the instructor.

PHIL2101 Problems of Philosophy (M)

This course discusses fundamental problems in philosophy, problems which recur with each generation: the nature of reality, the existence of God, the nature of the self, life after death, the nature and foundations of society, right and wrong, good and evil, the meaning of life and the nature of knowledge. Major philosophers from various historical periods are discussed but the emphasis is on how answers to their questions affect the basic beliefs and world view of students. Fall and spring semester. 4 credits PHIL2103 Ethics at Work (M) After a brief introduction to moral theory and moral reasoning the course will examine some typical ethical issues that arise in managing organizations. Case studies will help students develop their skills in deliberation and ethical decision making.
Fall semester. 4 credits

PHIL2104 Theories of Human Nature (M)

This course is an introduction to a wide variety of views on how human beings understand human nature. It will consider the accounts of Confucianism, Hinduism, the Bible, the early Greeks (Plato and Aristotle), Darwin, Descartes, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Hume and Skinner. The course will conclude with an overview of some contemporary issues and topics: gender, sociobiology, evolutionary psychology and cognitive science.
Fall and spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL2105 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

This course surveys ancient Western philosophy, including the pre-Socratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Medieval philosophers studied include Augustine, Anselm, Bonaventure and Aquinas.
Spring semester, alternate years. 4 credits

PHIL2106 Ethical Theory (M)

This course addresses some fundamental questions about the "Good Life" and what makes life worth living. Students will explore questions about what makes an action "right" or "wrong," what makes us happy, what kinds of qualities a person should have, and how we should treat other people. The course will begin with an examination of various conceptions of the good life and what it means to be virtuous. This will be followed by a discussion of the central moral theories that continue to influence contemporary discussions about ethics: Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, and Immanuel Kant's Deontology. Throughout the semester, we will also consider the ways in which feminist and non-western perspectives both parallel and challenge some of the ideals of Western moral philosophy.
Spring semester. 4 credits.
Prerequisite: Sophomore-plus standing

PHIL2113 Health Care Ethics (M)

After an overview of the various normative frameworks for making moral decisions and judgments that moral philosophies and moral theologies propose, the course will focus on intelligent decision making about the ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in the field now known as bioethics. Among the topics considered are: patient choices and informed consent, proxy decision making, advance directives, brain death, withholding life-prolonging treatments and feeding tubes, diagnostic and experimental interventions on human embryos, cloning, artificial reproductive techniques, surrogate motherhood, preimplantation and prenatal testing, treatment and destruction (abortion) of fetuses, treatment of seriously defective babies, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, medical research on human subjects, transplanting organs from dead and living donors, the ethical implications of genetic medicine and genomic information, and the ethical issues arising in managed care payment systems.
Spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL2114 Global Ethics (M)

This course examines what various cultures consider to be a good moral life. It examines both the moral principles offered by many cultures to determine right from wrong, and the values that they believe we ought to pursue to lead full, rich and happy lives. Moral traditions considered include European, Asian, Arab, African, Latin American, Caribbean, and Native American. In this global age, multicultural ethical views will deepen a students’ appreciation of major ethical traditions from various cultures, serve as a foundation for further exploration, and develop moral reasoning and critical thinking skills.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Sophomore status or permission of instructor.

PHIL2115 History and Philosophy of Science (M)

This course is an introduction to the history and philosophy of science. It covers the major historical developments from Aristotle through the rise of Newtonian science to the twentieth century developments in relativity theory, quantum theory, and genetics. It also considers major philosophical questions relating to science, questions such as the nature of scientific truth and method, empirical fact, inductive reasoning, theory formation and scientific revolutions, falsifiability, instrumentalism, realism, and neuroscience.
Spring semester. 4 credits

PHIL2117 War, Terrorism, and Morality (M)

This course explores just war theory, terrorism, humanitarian intervention, and nonviolent action. It discusses some of the central tenets of just war theory, the rules of jus ad bellum (justice of going to war) and jus in bello (justice during war), and the supposed moral distinction between combatants and non-combatants. Much of the course is devoted to applying these theories to real-life military interventions.
Fall semester. 4 credits

PHIL2119 Symbolic Logic (QA)

The study of logic can make a deep and lasting contribution to the intellectual life of every student. Knowledge of the principles of clear and accurate thinking are required to evaluate information and judge between completing cognitive claims. The study of symbolic logic is an especially effective way to develop the higher order reasoning skills which such abilities require. Both categorical logic and propositional logic are examined in this course, which will focus on how to symbolize arguments and construct proofs of their validity. Topics discussed include syllogisms, sentential connectives, truth tables, quantification, rules of inference, formal and informal proofs, and criteria for proper definitions.
Fall semester. 4 credits

PHIL3105 Neurophilosophy

Sound philosophy requires an understanding of the latest scientific discoveries. In particular, the recent and rapidly developing understanding of the brain by various neurosciences, and the new understanding of the mind based on these discoveries, is indispensable for contemporary discussion of many traditional philosophical problems. This course will examine in the light of recent discoveries by the “brain” and “mind” sciences, such philosophical problems as the nature of knowledge, our knowledge of the external world, the nature of the self, the nature of consciousness, free will and life after death.
Fall semester, alternate years. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Junior or senior status and one philosophy course.

PHIL3107 Women and Philosophy

This course is an introduction to issues in feminist philosophy, including its critique of Western philosophy and its contributions to major areas of philosophy such as ethics, social philosophy, and theories of knowledge. It will explore issues surrounding gender, human nature, ways in which the feminist perspective contributes to our understanding of moral judgment, and ways in which knowledge and scientific inquiry can be shaped by gender.
Fall semester. 4 credits
Prerequisites: Junior or senior status and one philosophy course.

PHIL4178-4179 Directed Study

Fall and spring semester. 4 credits
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.