Philosophy Courses

Philosophic ideas and problems at the root of human culture. Major Western views of self, conduct, and meaning. 4 credits (UQ)

Comparative introductory study of major philosophical traditions of east and west: ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion. 4 credits (UQ or GP)

Introduction to logical and inductive reasoning emphasizing arguments in everyday contexts. Common informal fallacies and their relation to debates about current events and prominent philosophical arguments. Topics including emotive and ambiguous language, causation, common statistical mistakes, and how to read polls. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 4 credits

General introduction to Western ethical philosophy with a focus on the application of ethical theory to contemporary moral issues. Through an examination of classic and contemporary readings students will gain a working familiarity with central theories, issues, and moral dilemmas in ethics. Some comparative work in Non-western and/or divergent U.S. ethical traditions. Issues in both normative and metaethics will be examined, including: the problems of relativism and skepticism; the nature and limits of moral obligations to others; religion and ethics; and ethical analysis applied to social and political issues relevant to the 21st century in U.S. life. 4 credits (UQ or US)

Introduction to categorical logic, truth-functional logic, quantificational logic, induction, and the classification of logical fallacies. Includes translation of arguments in ordinary language into their logical equivalents as well as some study of the properties of logical systems. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (QR)

Examination of sport from philosophical and sociological perspectives. Topics may include metaphysics of sports and games, sports and technology, human embodiment and sports, issues of race, gender, and politics, unique ethical problems of sports (e.g. doping), sport and society, the connections between art, aesthetics, and sport, or the relation between sport, culture, and life. Readings from classical and contemporary sources. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Case studies and primary source readings highlighting central theories, issues, and problems in bioethics, generally, and biomedical ethics, specifically. Bioethical concerns including the right to live and die, paternalism versus autonomy and the patient's bill of rights, biomedical experimentation and research, reproductive technologies, social and institutional justice, and healthcare duties, responsibilities, and relationships. Both normative ethics and metaethics considered. Offered spring of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Historical survey of ancient Western philosophy from Presocratics to the Neoplatonism of Plotinus (6th Century BCE to 6th Century CE). Study of selected primary source readings to examine foundational Western questions and conceptions about the nature of being, the nature and limits of knowledge, and the nature and origin of politics and morality. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Survey of aesthetic theories that engages issues such as definition of art, relationship between art and truth, role of expression, nature of aesthetic experience, artistic creation, relevance of beauty, autonomy of art, women and art, and non-Western conceptions of art. Selections from classical and contemporary aestheticians may include figures such as Plato, Kant, Hume, Nietzsche, Danto, Dewey Margolis, Weitz, besides others. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ or CS)

Examination of educational philosophies operative in and/or relevant to the U.S. educational tradition. Designed to bring into focus the often unexamined ways in which educational goals, policies, procedures, methods, etc. are founded upon particular conceptions of the nature, purpose, and interrelations of human beings. Primary source readings are utilized to critically interrogate selected educational theories, practices, and outcomes through an examination of the philosophical and cultural assumptions and practices of their respective theorists and practitioners. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ or US)

Examination of imaginative literature as a vehicle for philosophy, examining those philosophical problems best suited to literary expression. Variable content where philosophical and critical pieces work in conjunction with works ranging from novels and short stories to plays or poems. Considers such issues as truth and literature, interpretation, authorship, ontology of fictional characters, and the definition of literature. Offered spring of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Introduction to philosophy of science, including such topics as verification and falsification of theories, laws in nature, objectivity, impartiality, theory versus description, and value commitments of scientists outside the framework of scientific explanation. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Moral and aesthetic readings applied to questions of value about land, air, water, and non-human species. Particular attention to issues surrounding human disruption of ecosystems. 4 credits (UQ)

Study of systematic approaches to moral philosophy from virtue ethics to deontology to utilitarianism to human rights theory. Considers both the normative conclusions of ethical theory and the metaphysical basis for those conclusions. Prerequisite: one previous philosophy course or consent of instructor. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Historical survey of modern philosophy, emphasizing but not limited to rationalism and empiricism. Primary readings including key representatives such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and/or others. Offered spring of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Examination of moral dimension of legal reasoning (jurisprudence), with consideration of such topics as natural law, legal positivism, jurisprudence and the U.S. Constitution, international law, and moral justification of punishment. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Examination of major topics in social/moral and political philosophy, such as: freedom and liberty, order and revolution, peace and justice, rights and representation, power and authority, individual and community. Concepts and issues will be studied via an examination of selected primary source texts, both classical and contemporary. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Historical survey of twentieth-century philosophy, including pragmatism, positivism, ordinary language philosophy, process philosophy, and post-modern philosophy. Offered fall of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Study of philosophical and cultural traditions of some area(s) of Asia, as compared with those traditions in the West, especially the U.S. Readings consist of primary and secondary sources in literature of East-West comparative philosophy, including texts of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and/or Hinduism. Offered Jan Term or spring of even-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ or GP)

Examination of interrelated movements of Existentialism and Phenomenology, beginning with Dostoyevsky or Nietzsche as introduction to existentialist themes. Primary source readings include texts from selection of movements' most influential thinkers: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Arendt, Sartre, DeBeauvoir, and/or Merleau-Ponty. Some analysis and/or reading of contemporary issues or texts. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Senior-level seminar focusing on key issue(s), current topic(s), and/or exploring some school(s) of thought from the last forty years of philosophical scholarship. Topical content variable, according to discretion and expertise of instructor. May be repeated for credit with different content. Prerequisite: at least one lower level philosophy class or consent of instructor. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Advanced study opportunity for outstanding students to assist faculty members in the class- room. Focus on course content and pedagogy. Prerequisites: Application and consent of instructor. 1-4 credits (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)

Examination of the historical emergence and nature of classical U.S. American Philosophies, including Puritanism, Transcendentalism, and Pragmatism, with concentration on American Pragmatism. Primary source readings include contemporary American perspectives, including one or more of the following: Neo-Pragmatist, Native American, African American, and/or Latin American perspectives. Prerequisite: at least one lower level philosophy course or consent of instructor. Offered spring of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ or US)

Examination of issues arising when we think philosophically about the mind, with consideration of advances in neurosciene, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. Questions include: what is (the concept of a mind) , what counts as a thinking being , what is consciousness , could a robot or computer ever be considered a person Topics include dualism, materialism, the nature of consciousness, the nature of thought, and others. Prerequisite: One previous course in philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered fall of odd-numbered years. 4 credits (UQ)

Program of directed tutorial reading on some topic or problem of special interest to the student. 1-5 credits

Individualized learning in applied philosophy through work in an approved business, government agency, or community organization. Prerequisite: junior standing or higer, and consent of instructor. 3-4 credits (EL)

Intensive research on a topic of special interest to the student, culminating in a senior thesis on an advanced topic in philosophy. Seminar includes course readings, discussions, and presentations, along with research guidance and collaborative writing support. Required of majors in their senior year. Minors may enroll with instructor's consent. Offered every fall. 4 credits (MWI)