Credit Hour(s): 2.0
Critical Thinking. Development of practical, logical, and problem-solving skills important to all disciplines, with emphasis on the composition of argumentative essays. Definitions, types of meanings, fallacious and deceptive arguments, deductive and inductive reasoning. Introduction to major forms of scientific and logical reasoning used across humanities, sciences and social sciences, including deductive, hypothetico-deductive, and inductive arguments such as statistical, causal, and analogical. This course may be used as one of the courses required in Area B, Institutional Options, and is designed to prepare students for courses in Areas C, D, and E. This course is not an introduction to philosophy. Students interested in an introduction to philosophy should take Philosophy 2010 (Introduction to Philosophy).
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introduction to Philosophy. This course is an introduction to philosophy. We will explore some fascinating questions about human existence and discuss various answers offered by philosophers--questions such as: Does God exist? How should I live my life? What is justice? What is human nature? Do we have free will? What is the meaning of life? Students are not required to take Philosophy 1010 (Critical Thinking) before taking Philosophy 2010.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophical Thinking. Philosophical methods, concepts, skills, and principles. For example: sentential logic, regress and reductio arguments, paradigm-case arguments, types of supervenience, Leibniz's Law, necessity versus apriority. Applications to important philosophical texts. (Required for philosophy majors in Area F.)
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Introductory Seminar in Philosophy-CTW. Prerequisite: Phil 2010 with grade of C or higher. This course offers an in-depth treatment of a philosophical issue (for example, free will, justice, Kantian ethics) in a seminar setting, where students have an opportunity to engage in systematic discussions of primary texts and the philosophical issues they raise. This investigation of a topic from a variety of vantage points allows students to develop an informed position and the argumentative skills necessary to defend it successfully, both orally and in writing. This course is designed to introduce students to the major in philosophy. There is no requirement that one be a philosophy major to take this course. Students considering a philosophy major or minor are encouraged to take this course. Serves as one of the two Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) courses required of all philosophy majors.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
History of Western Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval. (Same as RelS 3010.) Development of European philosophy from the early Greeks to the Renaissance. Typically included are Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
History of Western Philosophy II: Modern. (Same as RelsS 3020.) Development of European philosophy from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. Typically included are Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
History of Western Philosophy III: 19th-20th Century. (Same as RelS 3030.) Development of European and American philosophy from the Enlightenment to the mid-twentieth century. Philosophers and schools may include Hegel, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Russell, James, Dewey, Sartre, Whitehead, and Wittgenstein, and idealism, pragmatism, process thought, existentialism, and analytic philosophy.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Analytic Philosophy. Introduction to analytic philosophy through some of the most important works by leading figures, such as Russell, Ayer, Quine, Austin, Ryle, and Putnam.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Existentialism. Introduction to existentialism through selected literary and philosophical writings of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, de Beauvoir, Sartre, and others.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Religion. (Same as RelS 3230.) Issues such as the nature of religion, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, faith and reason, religious experience, immortality, myth and symbol, and alternative religious philosophies.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 3.0
Honors Readings. Prerequisite: consent of the instructor and Honors Program director. Discussion and readings on selected topics.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Contemporary Moral Problems. Selected moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, environmentalism, genetic engineering, feminism, animal rights, gay and lesbian rights, and political violence. Brief coverage of ethical theories as they relate to the issues at hand.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Business Ethics. Moral issues in business, such as social responsibility, employee obligations and rights, ethics and the professions, marketing and advertising practices, and the environment. Issues in both domestic and international areas may be discussed.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Biomedical Ethics. An introductory survey of major moral problems in bioethics. Topics such as abortion, death and euthanasia, treatment of the mentally ill, experimentation with human subjects, and genetic research will be covered.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Political Theory. Introductory survey of the great writings in political thought. Examines the contributions these works made to Western conceptions such as democracy, equality, human nature, citizenship, and liberty, as well as their continuing relevance for understanding contemporary moral and political dilemmas. May be repeated if topic varies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Studies in Philosophy. Examination of selected philosopher(s) or topic(s). May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Plato. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level course in philosophy, or consent of instructor. Advanced introduction to the major areas of Plato's philosophy, which may include the relationship between virtue and knowledge, the theory of recollection, the theory of forms, the nature of sensible objects, and the relationship between the individual and the state. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Aristotle. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Advanced introduction to the major areas of Aristotle's philosophy, which may include early and later theories of substance, methodology, the study of nature, the soul, and ethics. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Ancient Philosophy. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Investigation of a specific theme, philosopher, or text, such as Aristotle's ethics, the philosophy of Socrates, Plato's Republic, Stoicism, Hellenistic ethics, or Aristotle's philosophy of mind. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied to the major. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Augustine and Aquinas. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level course in philosophy, or consent of instructor. (Same as RelS 4040. Formerly Phil 4120.) Selected works of the major religious philosophers of the Middle Ages with emphasis on their views on topics such as God, sin, human nature, free will, faith, and politics. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Modern Philosophy. (Formerly Phil 4150.) Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course or consent of instructor. Intensive study of works of modern philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Malebranche, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Kant, and Hegel. The course may be organized around the works of a single philosopher, or it may survey the development of a particular area of modern philosophy (such as moral philosophy, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, or aesthetics). May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Hume. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level course in philosophy or consent of instructor. Advanced introduction to the major areas of Hume's philosophy. Topics may include the relation between his theoretical and moral philosophy, skepticism, causation, necessity, the foundations of human knowledge, self- consciousness, personal identity, reason, will, sentiment, naturalism, and normativity. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Kant. (Formerly Phil 4160.) Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Advanced introduction to the major areas of Kant's theoretical and/or practical philosophy. Topics may include: Kant's conception of the task and method of philosophical inquiry, the relation of metaphysics and epistemology to natural science, skepticism, causality, freedom, the moral law, and the religious, political, and social ramifications of Kant's moral philosophy. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Marxism. (Formerly Phil 4790.) Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Origin and development of central themes in the philosophy of Karl Marx, such as alienation, exploitation, and dialectal materialism, with limited reference to contemporary trends in Marxist thought. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in 19th Century Philosophy. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Investigation of a specific theme, philosopher, or text, such as Hegel, Nietzsche, German Idealism, or the emergence of philosophy in America. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied to the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in the History of Philosophy. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Investigation of a specific theme, philosopher, or text, such as Scepticism in Ancient and Modern Philosophy, Anselm, or the Summa Contra Gentiles. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Continental Philosophy. (Formerly Phil 4190.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Study of works of such authors as Husserl, Scheler, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and Ricoeur. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied to the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Analytic Philosophy. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Study of works of such authors as Russell, Moore, Carnap, Putnam, Lewis, Feinberg, Hart, and Rawls.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Epistemology. (Formerly Phil 4190.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Problems in the concept of knowledge, such as the definition of propositional knowledge, the problem of induction, the a priori, and theories of truth. May also include theories such as coherentism, reliabilism, and foundationalism.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Science. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. An examination of philosophical problems associated with the nature, scope, and significance of the sciences. Topics may include: scientific versus non-scientific world views; explanation and its limits; confirmation; paradigms, laws, and theories; intertheoretic reduction; realism versus antirealism; science and human values.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Epistemology. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Investigation of selected contemporary or classical topics in epistemology, May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Metaphysics. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. (Same as RelS 4300. Formerly Phil 4600.) Topics may include personal identity and human nature; space, time, matter, and causality; freedom and determinism; teleology; conceptions of divinity; and world views and paradigm shifts.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Mind. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. An examination of various theories of the mind-body relationship, such as dualism, identity theory, and functionalism, and of specific issues such as consciousness, mental representation, mental disorders, the emotions, artificial intelligence, personal identity, and free will.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy and Cognitive Science. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor (background in the sciences is not required). An interdisciplinary examination of the problems, theories, and research strategies central to the study of the human mind and of other cognitive systems. Basic readings will come from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. Topics of investigation may include perception, mental representation, language, modularity, consciousness, emotions, moral psychology, action, mental disorders, folk psychology, and animal minds.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Metaphysics. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of the instructor. Study of specific issues in metaphysics, such as free will, causation, time, personal identity, possible worlds, existence of God, realism, etc. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Symbolic Logic. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent on instructor. Fundamentals of propositional and predicate logic, with selected topics in such areas as the logic of identity and relations. Emphasis placed on construction of proofs in formal systems.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Language. (Formerly Phil 4400.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Efforts in twentieth-century philosophy to account for the unique capacities of language to represent the world and to communicate our beliefs about it. Topics may include the nature of language, theories of meaning and reference, semantic paradoxes, private language, speech acts, and non-human language.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Hinduism. (Same as RelS 4610.) Introduction to the Hindu gods and goddesses, Hindu temple and domestic worship, and key themes in modern Hinduism. Will include an overview of the development of Hindu thought and practice from ancient times to the present.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Buddhism. (Same as RelS 4615.) Historical introduction to the Buddhist tradition, tracing its developments in India, Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Japan, and the West.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Confucianism and Taoism. (Same as RelS 4620.) Historical introduction to Chinese religion and philosophy, tracing developments in Confucianism and Taoism. Some consideration given to Chinese Buddhism and popular religion.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Zen and Shinto. (Same as RelS 4625.) Historical introduction to Japanese religion and philosophy, tracing its developments in Shinto, folk religion, and various Buddhist schools. Special consideration given to Zen Buddhism.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Religion and Ethics. (Same as RelS 4650.) Study of the relation between religion and morality, including both Eastern and Western religious perspectives. Topics may include such issues as warfare, social justice, sexual ethics, and issues in modern medicine.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Church and State. (Same RelS 4670.) Philosophical and theological perspectives on the relationship between church and state. Issues such as conscientious objection, school prayer, the free exercise of religion, and Islamic attitudes toward the state.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
War, Peace, and Religion. (Same as RelS 4680.) Comparative study of attitudes toward war and violence in major religious traditions. Topics may include the Christian just-war tradition; Islamic notions of jihad; Buddhist renunciation and pacifism; the writings of Gandhi; nuclear arms and the status on noncombatants; civil disobedience and conscientious objection; and religious motivated terrorism.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Philosophy of Religion. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. An advanced introduction to the philosophy of religion. May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied to the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Ethics. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Major Western theories, such as relativism, egoism, emotivism, utilitarianism, deontology, naturalism, intuitionism, virtue ethics, existential ethics, and feminist ethics.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Environmental Ethics. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. A consideration of the challenges environmental problems pose for ethical theory. Topics covered may include: the moral status of nonhuman animals, environmental preservation and restoration, environmental sustainability, development, human population growth, ethics as it bears on issues in nonbiological environmental sciences, and other related issues.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Advanced Biomedical Ethics. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Major moral problems in science and medicine, including abortion, death and euthanasia, treatment of the mentally ill, experimentation with human subjects, and genetic research.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Ethics. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of the instructor. Study of the works of major authors or views in normative ethics and/or metaethics. The focus will be on contemporary ethics but the course may include some study of historical figures. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Social and Political Philosophy. (Formerly Phil 4760.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Issues such as the definition and justification of human rights, justice, social welfare, and forms of political participation, and the debate between ideologies. Readings from classical and contemporary sources, for example, Plato, Locke, Mill, Marx, and Rawls.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Law. (Formerly Phil 4720.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Topics such as theories of law, feminist legal theory, the nature of legal reasoning, legal obligation, law and justice, law and morality.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Philosophy of Law. Prerequisite: one 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Study of selected topics in the philosophy of law. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophy of Art. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Historical and contemporary accounts of the nature of art, aesthetic experience, creative activity, imagination, expression, interpretation, and aesthetic evaluation.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
African-American Ethical and Legal Issues. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. (Same as AAS 4750. Formerly Phil 4750.) Application of ethical and legal theories to selected issues, such as affirmative action, the legality of slavery, civil disobedience, punishment, and reparations.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Advanced Topics in Political Theory. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Advanced survey of the great writings in political thought. Examines the contributions these works made to Western conceptions such as democracy, equality, human nature, citizenship, and liberty, as well as their continuing relevance for understanding contemporary moral and political dilemmas. May be repeated if topic varies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Philosophical Perspectives on Women. (Same as WSt 4360, Formerly Phil 4770.) Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Classical and contemporary issues concerning women, such as discrimination on the basis of gender, class, race, or sexuality, whether gender is natural or constructed, and historical roots of feminist and anti- feminist perspectives.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Honors Thesis: Research. Prerequisites: consent of the instructor and Honors Program director. (Formerly Phil 4770.) Readings or research preparatory to honors thesis or project.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 6.0
Honors Thesis: Writing. Prerequisites: Phil 4870, consent of the instructor and Honors Program driector. Writing or production of honors thesis or project.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Topics in Social and Political Philosophy. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of the instructor. Study of selected issues in social/political philosophy. The focus will be on contemporary ethics but the course may include some study of historical figures. May be repeated if topic varies. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward the major.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Issues in Philosophy. Prerequisite: One 2000 or 3000-level philosophy course, or consent of instructor. Examination of selected philosopher(s) or topic(s). May be repeated if topic varies, but only six credit hours may be applied to the major.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0 TO 3.0
Independent Research. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Designed to provide students with the opportunity to do more advanced work in an area in which they have already had regular course work. Not to be used as a substitute for regular upper-level courses. May be repeated if topic varies.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Supplemental Instruction in Philosophy. This course focuses on helping students who have successfully completed PHIL 2010 become successful Supplemental Instruction ("SI") Leaders for that course. The course is open only by authorization. While taking this course, the student will be assigned to be a Supplemental Instruction Leader for a Phil 2010 class.
Credit Hour(s): 1.0
Practicum Instruction in Philosophy. Prerequisite: This course is only open to students who have taken Phil 4980 and done well in that course and as a Supplemental Instruction Leader. The course focuses on improving the student's skills as Supplemental Instructions ("SI") leaders. This is a 1 credit course, open only by authorization, and does not count towards the requirements of the degree in philosophy. While taking this course, the student will be assigned to be a Supplemental Instruction Leader for a Phil 2010 class. May be repeated.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0
Senior Seminar in Philosophy-CTW. Prerequisites: senior class standing, major in philosophy, Phil 2010, Phil 2050 or 3000, Phil 3010, and Phil 3020 with grades of C or higher. This course offers an in-depth treatment of a specific philosophical issue (for example, the role of paternalism in a liberal society, reliabilist theories of knowledge, the nature of moral emotions) in a seminar setting, where students have an opportunity to engage in systematic discussions of primary texts and the philosophical issues they raise. This investigation of a topic from a variety of vantage points allows students to develop an informed position and the argumentative skills necessary to defend it successfully, both orally and in writing. This course is the capstone to the major in philosophy. Serves as one of the two Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) courses required of all philosophy majors.
Credit Hour(s): 3.0 TO 4.0
Directed Readings B.I.S.-CTW. Directed Readings designed for Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies students. This course may satisfy the junior and/or senior-level Critical Thinking Through Writing requirements.