PHIENV 304 Environmental Ethics (3) (V)
PHIL 101 Individual and Society (3) (V)
An introduction to philosophy as critical thinking and analysis (the ability to reason well and willingly) through an examination of questions of human value(s). Students learn how to recognize and analyze the values by which they live, examine the issues of self and society, and learn how to develop a philosophical skill in seeing the basic values which influence these personal and social issues. Offered each fall.
PHIL 102 Contemporary Moral Issues (3) (V)
Introduces the practice of moral reasoning through the study of representative moral theories and their application to controversial issues in contemporary life. Students develop the critical and analytical skills required for thinking clearly about moral problems and forming their own conclusions about them. Offered each spring.
PHIL 104 The Examined Life (3) (V)
Introduces the practice of philosophizing through close reading and discussion of Socratic dialogues, including Euthyphro, Laches, Lysis, Meno, Theatetus, Symposium and Republic. The course engages with the substance of Socrates's peculiar questioning, (What is piety, courage, friendship, justice, virtue, knowledge, and so forth) but also reflects on the sort of knowledge that Socrates seeks, how he searches for it, and why he thinks this activity is necessary for a well-lived life. Offered each fall.
PHIL 105 Meaning, Happiness and The Good Life (3) (V)
Examines key texts from philosophy and literature, East and West, on the meaning of life. We attempt to grapple with questions such as "Can happiness be found in the fulfillment of our desires, or in their elimination?", "Or in the worship and service of a universal being?", "Is a meaningful life a happy life?" and "What does the question "What is the meaning of life?" mean?" Offered intermittently.
PHIL 109 Critical Reasoning (3) (C)
The structure of the philosophical essay is examined after a brief introduction to some basic principles of logic. Teaches students how to write clearly and precisely. Offered each fall.
PHIL 110 Perennial Questions (3) (V)
A critical examination of several great issues which confront us in modern philosophical thought including the question of the existence of God, the nature of ultimate reality, the sources of human knowledge, the principles of moral values, and the problems of aesthetic judgments. Offered each spring.
PHIL 200 Myths, Metaphors & Models (3)
PHIL 209 Methods of Logic (3)
A continuation of Phil 109, this course is an introduction to first-order logic. Primary emphasis is placed on the translation of ordinary language into symbolic notation and the application of formal proof techniques. The presentation of formal methods concludes with a brief examination of selected questions in philosophical logic. Offered each spring.
PHIL 211 The Human Condition (3)
A critical exploration of the possible meanings of "human being," and how individuals might interpret their own existence. Selected literary, scientific, and philosophic accounts of being human are studied and criticized. Offered intermittently.
PHIL 212 Practical Ethics (3) (V)
Explores the potential of moral reasoning as a tool for conflict resolution and consensus building. Through a series of practical exercises, students learn to use moral argumentation as a means of fostering constructive dialogue and mutual understanding. Students develop the ability to listen carefully, distinguish real from apparent disagreements, discover common ground, and find creative solutions to moral problems. Prerequisite: PHIL 102. Offered intermittently.
PHIL 215 Philosophy of Religion (3) (V)
Addresses some major questions that have emerged in the history of philosophy concerning the justification of theistic belief, the meaning of religious language, the nature of miracles, and mystical experience. Offered on demand.
PHIL 221 Ethics & Health Care (3) (V)
Foregoing life-sustaining treatment . . . procurement of organs and tissue for transplantation . . . artificial reproduction . . . allocation of scarce health resources . . . AIDS: public health vs. private rights. Such questions of health care confront all of us at some time both as matters of individual concern and as issues of public policy. Students study the ethical principles that should undergird decisions in health care. It focuses on the application of ethical principles to concrete cases. Offered each spring.
PHIL 253 Social & Political Philosophy (3)
A survey of important themes in the history of social and political philosophy. Topics for discussion include: strategies for social change, the nature of political authority, the autonomy of the individual, anarchism, and democracy. Readings are drawn from classical and contemporary sources. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
PHIL 272 Beyond the Western Tradition (3) (V)
We live in a world characterized by multiplicity, plurality, and difference. Students are provided with the opportunity to enter into frames of reference of people with differing experiences of, and assumptions about, the world. We are educated in this world to the degree that we are aware of our own boundedness, and that we become skilled in critically understanding and integrating the perspectives of others. Examines the beliefs of Native Americans, West Africans, Chinese thinkers, and philosophers of India. Offered each spring.
PHIL 292 Alternative Futures (3)
Is there hope for HUMAN beings? Can we forecast futures as other than more of the same? What choices might we exercise in shaping futures? After initial reflections on the human prospect, students working in groups are responsible for conjecturing sensibly and usefully about possible alternative futures. Topics include: future shock, coping, population, resources, war, environment, and genetic engineering. Offered intermittently.
PHIL 304 Environmental Ethics (3) (V)
From ancient Sumer to the present, ecological realities have required human beings to reflect on their values and their responsibilities to nature. Students examine the relevance of philosophy to environmental questions and, in particular, explore the connection between the environment and ethics. Identical to ENVS 304.
PHIL 310 Theory of Knowledge (3)
What is the basis of our knowledge about the world, other people, ourselves? Focusing on work done in the 20th century, students examine some recent theories about the nature of human knowledge, as well as the related concepts of truth, justification, and belief. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
PHIL 316 Needs of the Soul (3) (V)
Discusses the meaning of history, the proper function of politics, religion, and culture, the nature of the human condition, and the true needs of human beings with constant reference to the writings of three writers of the middle 20th Century: Simone Weil, Simone de Beauvoir and Hannah Arendt. Prerequisite: at least three semester hours in philosophy or consent. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
PHIL 321 Ethics & Health Care (3) (V)
Foregoing life-sustaining treatment . . . procurement of organs and tissue for transplantation . . . artificial reproduction . . . allocation of scarce health resources . . . AIDS: public health vs. private rights. Such questions of health care confront all of us at some time both as matters of individual concern and as issues of public policy. Students study the ethical principles that should undergird decisions in health care. It focuses on the application of ethical principles to concrete cases. Offered each spring.
PHIL 328 Buddhist Philosophy (3) (V)
Introduces the major themes in Buddhist philosophy. Readings and lectures are aimed at understanding the way Buddhist thinkers approach questions in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind. Course readings are drawn from various canonical sources that record the teachings of the historical Buddha. These are supplemented by additional readings that discuss the development of these teachings in various schools of Buddhist thought. Special emphasis is placed on the Mahayana and Zen Buddhist traditions. Prerequisite: 100/200-level philosophy course or consent. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
PHIL 332 Ancient Greek Philosophy (3) (H)
A close study of selected texts of Plato and Aristotle. Some Presocratic and Hellenistic philosophers may be considered. Offered each fall.
PHIL 334 Medieval Philosophy (3)
A survey of representative Christian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages. Special emphasis is placed on the moral and political philosophy of the period.
PHIL 336 Early Modern Philosophy (3)
Surveys the development of early modern philosophy in light of the scientific background from which it emerged. Major works by Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant are supplemented by readings from women philosophers of the period. Offered each spring.
PHIL 337 The Enlightenment: A Movement and Its Critics (3) (V,W)
An examination of the philosophical and cultural movement that came to be called the Enlightenment. The course identifies the constellation of ideas around which the movement coalesced and the tensions and contradictions within that constellation. The arguments of those who directly opposed the enlighteners are considered. A survey of recent criticisms of Enlightenment ideals and the significance of those ideals for our own time concludes the course. Prerequisite: sophomore status or consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years. ý
PHIL 338 19th-Century Philosophy (3)
Surveys major trends in post-Kantian European philosophy. Readings are drawn from the work of Fichte, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and others. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
PHIL 340 20th-Century Philosophy (3)
Surveys major trends in 20th-century philosophical thought, with special emphasis on developments in Anglo-American philosophy. Readings are drawn from the works of Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, Quine, and others. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
PHIL 350 Existential Philosophy (3) (V)
Intensive study of recent phenomenological investigation into human existence. Thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty are discussed. Offered each fall.
PHIL 353 Social & Political Philosophy (3)
A survey of important themes in the history of social and political philosophy. Topics for discussion include: strategies for social change, the nature of political authority, the autonomy of the individual, anarchism, and democracy. Readings are drawn from classical and contemporary sources. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
PHIL 372 Beyond the Western Tradition (3) (V)
We live in a world characterized by multiplicity, plurality, and difference. Students are provided with the opportunity to enter into frames of reference of people with differing experiences of, and assumptions about, the world. We are educated in this world to the degree that we are aware of our own boundedness, and that we become skilled in critically understanding and integrating the perspectives of others. Examines the beliefs of Native Americans, West Africans, Chinese thinkers, and philosophers of India. Offered each spring.
PHIL 385 Problems in Philosophy of Art (3)
Explores central questions in the philosophy of art through reading and discussion of landmark texts in the discipline. Focus is on the question of the nature and function of art. Offered each spring.
PHIL 392 Alternative Futures (3)
Is there hope for HUMAN beings? Can we forecast futures as other than more of the same? What choices might we exercise in shaping futures? After initial reflections on the human prospect, students working in groups are responsible for conjecturing sensibly and usefully about possible alternative futures. Topics include: future shock, coping, population, resources, war, environment, and genetic engineering. Offered intermittently.
PHIL 400 Philosophy Seminar (3)
An in-depth study of the work of a single major philosopher. The figure selected changes with each offering. Contact the department coordinator for the current selection. Offered intermittently.
PHIL 402 Thinking About Technology (3)
A critical look at technology and its effects on society. Some of the important ways in which modern technology has changed how we think about ourselves, our obligations to others, and the natural environment are examined. Prerequisite: consent. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
PHIL 434 Issues in the Study of Happiness (3) (I)
A study of recent research into happiness, what it is, the factors which affect it, and individual and governmental responses. This is an interdisciplinary course which draws on philosophy, psychology, sociology, neuroscience, economics and political science.