Course Descriptions

Philosophic Reflections on Our Cultural Environment (PHI 1001/ELA 1041)
This course is an introduction to philosophy that explores philosophical problems as they emerge from reflection on basic human practices that are part of our cultural environment, such as science, religion, morality and politics. Through critical evaluation of conflicting claims issuing from these dominant features of our cultural environment, students will acquire an understanding of standard positions on topics including the existence of God, the nature of morality, and the extent of our knowledge of the natural world. Throughout the course, students will develop their own views on philosophical problems and examine the likely environmental impact of holding such views. 3 credits.

Environmental Ethics (PHI/ELA 1045)
The central theme of this course is the appropriate relation of humans to the environment. Specific topics include ethical and religious sources of the environmental crisis, our moral duties to non-human organisms, ways of conceptualizing nature, and ethical dimensions of the human population explosion. 3 credits.

Topics in Philosophy (PHI 2000/3000)
This course explores a variety of topics in philosophy. Students may repeat the course whenever a new topic is offered. 3 credits.

Philosophy of Religion (PHI/REL 2003)
A consideration of the philosophical basis and implications of religious belief and theological formulations. Such questions as the existence of God, the problem of evil, religious experience and language, and the nature of faith are discussed. 3 credits.

Religious Beliefs & Atheism (PHI 2009/REL 2015)
A study of classical atheism examining the philosophy of such thinkers as Feuerbach, Freud, Nietzsche, Russell, Sartre and Ayer. Religious responses to atheism and agnosticism from diverse points of view will also be discussed. 3 credits.

Topics in 19th & 20th Century Philosophy (PHI 2011)
A survey of the work of key figures in 19th through 21st century philosophy. Topics such as the nature of truth, the range of human freedom and the validity of traditional ethics will be explored through the works of Nietzsche, James, Dewey, Wittgenstein, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Rorty, and Putnam, among others. Students should acquire a basic understanding of the Continental, American, and analytic traditions in recent philosophy. 3 credits.

Philosophies of Being Human (PHI/REL 2013)
A study of the way in which human beings and human nature have been defined through the ages from the early Greek philosophers and Hebrew thinkers to modern interpretations. Special emphasis will be given to practical implications of modern psychological, philosophical, and religious theory. 3 credits.

Logic (PHI 2021)
Introduction to Logic is a study of informal reasoning and an introduction to symbolic logic. The course moves through a graduated series of skills, such as recognizing arguments, analyzing their structure, representing them in formal ways, and testing their validity. 3 credits.

Business Ethics (PHI 2031)
Students will study moral and ethical issues, which relate to problems in business. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the responsibilities of business to employees and the responsibilities of employees to business and ethical issues in economic systems with primary emphasis on capitalism. Particular emphasis will be placed on the social responsibilities of business, including quality of products, truth in advertising, and environmental concerns. Case studies will be used extensively throughout the course. 3 credits.

Independent Study in Philosophy (PHI 3003)
Independent reading, research, and project work with individual conferences and evaluation. By permission of instructor only. 1-3 credits.

Topics in Social & Political Philosophy (PHI 3007)
This course will explore key issues in sustaining a legitimate, healthy, well-ordered society. Students will focus on questions such as: What uses of power are legitimate in a social group? Can religious, social, and ideological diversity contribute to a healthy social group? How can trust be built and maintained in a social group? Timely issues will provide case studies for social-political theories. 3 credits.

Philosophy of Science (PHI 3009)
A systematic and critical study of the methodologies of the social and natural sciences, including an analysis of their presuppositions, sources, concepts, and aims. This course also examines problems about the intellectual and ethical limitations of science: to what extent does science give us objective
knowledge and to what extent should research be restrained on ethical grounds? This course is recommended for students in the humanities and for students in the sciences who wish to reflect on the scientific enterprises. 3 credits.

Topics in Ancient Philosophy (PHI 3011)
A survey of the work of key figures in ancient philosophy. Topics such as the nature of truth and reality, the identification of the virtues and the role of friendship in a good life will be explored through the works of the Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and the Stoics. Students will acquire a basic understanding of key metaphysical, ethical and political debates that informed the Greek world. 3 credits.

Topics in Modern Philosophy (PHI 3012)
A survey of the work of key figures in modern philosophy. Topics such as the sources and extent of knowledge, language and its impact on knowledge, and the nature of ethics will be explored through the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. Students will acquire a basic understanding of the rationalist and empiricist traditions in modern philosophy. 3 credits.

Philosophy of Education (PHI/EDU 3013)
This course explores the fundamental question of the place of public education in a liberal democracy. The goal is for students to draw on important philosophical ideas to construct a carefully reasoned position on public education. Authors and arguments from a range of philosophical traditions will be applied to case studies of contemporary educational practices, policies, and proposed reforms. Skills of analysis will be developed through written and oral exercises. Meets the foundations requirement for all education programs. 3 credits.

Asian Philosophies (PHI/REL 3023)
How do ancient and contemporary Asian philosophers think about human nature, the natural environment, ethics, politics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and religious practices? This course explores Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen, and Shintoism from the perspective of ancient texts and modern critical responses. These worldviews are further experienced via cultural traditions such as literature, film, poetry, music, calligraphy, visual arts, and architecture. 3 credits.

Animal Ethics (PHI 3025/ENV 3026)
What is the appropriate ethical relationship between humans and nonhuman animals? This course is a systematic study of animal ethics, a field that has emerged as a response to the profound impact of human practices on other species. Topics will include animal experimentation, hunting, bushmeat, livestock agriculture, landscape sustainability, biodiversity, companion animals, vegetarianism, activism, suffering, animal intelligence, animal cultures, animal emotions, animal rights law, and the tension between animal rights and environmental ethics. 3 credits.

Feminist Philosophy (PHI/WST 3030)
This course is a survey of the perspectives and issues of feminist and gender theory in philosophy, including ethics, social-political theory, ecofeminism, metaphysics, religion, philosophy of science, aesthetics, and theories of knowledge. Topics will include historical and contemporary philosophic theories by and about women, as well as social and political issues concerning a plurality of gendered perspectives. 3 credits.

Environmental Philosophy (PHI 3045)
An intensive exploration of selected environmental issues which will focus on contemporary philosophers. Topics such as wilderness preservation, environmental restoration, and the loss of biodiversity will receive detailed treatment, as students clarify their values and develop their own well-reasoned views. 3 credits.

Philosophy of Law (PHI 4011)
An analysis of the major philosophical issues concerned with legal concepts such as “liberty”, “justice”, “responsibility”, and “law” itself. The course will study historically significant treatments of these topics as well as current discussions of them. 3 credits.

Honors Thesis in Philosophy (PHI 4099)
This course involves individualized research with a member of the philosophy program. Each student will read a significant body of philosophical work and produce an honors thesis that will be defended in a public presentation. Prerequisite: A successful petition to be considered for honors in philosophy. 3 credits.