| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophical Problems and Arguments | Introduction to philosophy as a working discipline, with emphasis on analysis of problems and proposed solutions. Sample topics: Is there a thing that can be called the self? What is the meaning of life? What is the relationship between knowledge and... |
| PHIL 120 | Contemporary Moral Issues | Philosophical introduction to the application of moral reasoning. Aims to clarify, organize, and sharpen our ideas about moral concerns of everyday life, and to examine and critique prominent moral theories. Topics may include abortion, euthanasia, c... |
| PHIL 239 | Existentialism and Postmodernism | Survey of themes in 20th-century existentialist and postmodern philosophy. Issues to be addressed include freedom, selfhood, embodiment and historical situation, and knowledge in the absence of transcendence. Students will read works by such thinkers... |
| PHIL 250 | Selected Topics: Historical | Selected topics in philosophy arranged historically. Recent topics: Kant, critical theory, Freud, Bertrand Russell's Radical Essays. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 251 | Elementary Symbolic Logic | Introduction to modern logic beginning with truth-functions and covering formal proofs (propositional and predicate) to the level of multiply-general and relational statements. No mathematical applications. Recommended for pre-law and pre-computer st... |
| PHIL 260 | Philosophical Problems in Law and Society | Examination of purpose and justification for legal limits on individual liberty, with special attention to problems of liability and punishment. |
| PHIL 265 | Bioethics | A survey of prevalent topics in recent bioethics, the study of ethical discussions surrounding the sciences of biology and medicine. Works to improve ability to think critically and to argue from the standpoint of a certain moral theory in the ethica... |
| PHIL 269 | Environmental Ethics | Examines various ethical approaches to environmental problems. Topics may vary from year to year but typically will include such issues as treatment of nonhuman animals, resource depletion, environmental justice, genetic engineering, and climate chan... |
| PHIL 271 | Ancient Greek Philosophy | Introduction to ancient Western philosophy, with emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Discussion of both the development of philosophical thought and topics such as: What is knowledge? Why should I be moral? What is the good life? Readings drawn from pri... |
| PHIL 272 | Modern European Philosophy | Study of development of modern philosophy from Descartes to Kant. Readings from Descartes, Hume, and Kant; some attention may be given to other modern philosophers such as Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, and Berkeley. Readings drawn from primary texts. |
| PHIL 280 | Topics Seminar: Issues | Selected topics in philosophy arranged by issues. Recent topics: the emotions; science, pseudoscience, and the paranormal; intermediate logic; ethics, human and nonhuman. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 314 | Philosophy of Science | General introduction to philosophy of science. Topics may include distinguishing science from nonscience; the structure of scientific theories and explanations; the nature of scientific activity; and the relationship(s) of science with values, cultur... |
| PHIL 344 | Contemporary Continental Philosophy | Critical examination of 20th-century topics and thinkers in the French and German traditions. |
| PHIL 351 | Topics Seminar Historical I | Selected topics in philosophy arranged historically. Recent topics: Kant, critical theory, Freud, Bertrand Russell's Radical Essays. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 352 | Topics Seminar Historical I | Selected topics in philosophy arranged historically. Recent topics: Kant, critical theory, Freud, Bertrand Russell's Radical Essays. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 353 | Philosophical Methods | Development of skills related to critical reading, evaluation, writing and presentation of philosophical texts along with techniques of analysis and interpretation. Required for majors. |
| PHIL 358 | Topics in Feminist Philosophy | Examination of recent and contemporary feminist theory. (Same as Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies 379 and Political Science 379.) |
| PHIL 360 | Ethics | Critical examination of main types of ethical theory. Discussion of current topics and controversies, as well as fundamental questions about the object of morality and the objectivity and justification of moral evaluations. |
| PHIL 362 | Philosophy of Religion | Is there such a thing as religious knowledge? Can a rational individual believe in God(s)? Alternative conceptions of use and meaning of theological language (description, ritual, belief formation, moral persuasion); Transcendence; Mysticism, and log... |
| PHIL 363 | Power and Politics | Examination and appraisal of classical liberal political philosophies--particularly their treatment of consent, rebellion, and political change--in light of 20th-century civil rights movements. Theorists studied include John Locke and various America... |
| PHIL 364 | Philosophy of Law | Alternative ways of conceiving of law. Such legal concepts as right and strict liability. Such problems as nature of judicial decision-making process, tension between crime control and due process, rationale of legal punishment, insanity defense. |
| PHIL 365 | Action, Responsibility, and Free Will | Examination of a core philosophical puzzle--can responsible action be both free and determined?--in writings of classical and contemporary philosophers. Seminar format, with multiple written and oral critiques, term paper, midterm, and final exams. |
| PHIL 369 | Economic Justice | Understanding and critical discussion of the main questions and theories of economic justice. What normative principles should guide the design of economic institutions? What is a just system of economic institutions? |
| PHIL 370 | Philosophy of Mind | Critical examination of fundamental questions in the philosophy of mind such as: How can we tell if something has a mind or is capable of thinking? What is the mind? What is thought? Consciousness? Do machines or non human animals have minds? What is... |
| PHIL 373 | Epistemology | Explores central issues in epistemology. These include the nature of knowledge, justification, and rationality. Historical and contemporary readings will expose students to a wide variety of different approaches and answers to questions concerning th... |
| PHIL 375 | Ethics and Practical Reason | A survey of basic issues about the nature of practical reason. Also considers associated issues about intentional action; persons; the good, moral demands; and the normativity of ethics. |
| PHIL 381 | Topics Seminar Issues I | Selected topics in philosophy arranged by issues. Recent topics: the emotions; science, pseudoscience and the paranormal; intermediate logic; ethics, human and nonhuman. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 382 | Topics Seminar Issues I | Selected topics in philosophy arranged by issues. Recent topics: the emotions; science, pseudoscience and the paranormal; intermediate logic; ethics, human and nonhuman. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. |
| PHIL 386 | Honors Seminar | Seminar for honors students on topic selected mutually by instructor and those enrolled. Permission of department. |
| PHIL 390 | Independent Study | Faculty member directs student's reading and study. |
| PHIL 395 | Honors Thesis | Supervised completion of research thesis begun and approved in majors' seminar. |
| PHIL 406 | Summer Undergraduate Research | Documentation of the work of students who receive summer fellowships to conduct research [or produce a creative arts project] in the summer. The work must take place over a minimum of 6 weeks, the student must engage in the project full-time (at lea... |