Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 100. Introduction to Philosophy. 3 hours.
A survey of traditional problems concerning the existence and nature of God, freedom, justification, morality, etc. Readings from historical or contemporary philosophers. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 101. Critical and Analytical Reasoning. 3 hours.
Practical course designed to improve student reasoning skills useful for life, college coursework, and explicitly tested on standardized tests like MCAT, GRE, LSAT. Emphasis is on developing skill at evaluating, formulating and presenting arguments. Course Information: Course is offered in both face-to-face and online formats. Check the class schedule for details on specific sections. Note that the online format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 102. Introductory Logic. 3 hours.
Sentential logic: representation of English using truth-functional connectives, decision methods, natural deduction techniques. Introduction to predicate logic: representation of English using quantifiers. Course Information: Course is offered in both face-to-face and online formats. Check the class schedule for details on specific sections. Note that the online format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion and one Lecture. Natural World - No Lab course.
PHIL 103. Introduction to Ethics. 3 hours.
Surveys attempts to answer central questions of ethics: What acts are right? What things are good? How do we know this? Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 104. Introduction to Political Philosophy. 3 hours.
An introductory survey of topics in political philosophy that bear on U.S. society. Readings will usually be drawn from both classical and contemporary sources. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.
PHIL 105. Science and Philosophy. 3 hours.
An exploration of central philosophical (and/or religious) issues as they arise in the sciences. Readings include both scientific (e.g. physics or biology) and philosophical works, and may be drawn from various periods. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Natural World - No Lab course.
PHIL 106. What Is Religion? 3 hours.
Examination of issues concerning religion, including varying views of the purposes that religions serve, differences between religions, and arguments for the existence of God. Course Information: Same as RELS 106. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 107. What is Art? 3 hours.
Introduction to the fundamental problems in understanding art; the historical background; the concept of the aesthetic; theories of art; intentionalistic criticism; metaphor; symbolism; expression; theories of evaluation. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Creative Arts course.
PHIL 108. What Is Freedom? 3 hours.
Introduction to philosophy through an investigation of freedom. What is freedom, and why do we value it? Do we have free will? What limitations on individual freedom by society are legitimate? What is a free society? Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 109. Who Am I? 3 hours.
Who am I? What does it mean to be human? How am I different from other humans? What is the source of my identity, and is it something I can control? These questions addressed through philosophical texts from Plato to the present. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 110. Philosophy of Love and Sex. 3 hours.
A philosophical inquiry into traditional and contemporary views about love and sex. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 111. What Is a Fact? 3 hours.
Introduction to philosophy via an examination of the notion of a fact, and of methods for discerning facts. Topics include: facts and opinions; facts and theories; facts and expertise; facts and free speech. Course Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in on Lecture and one Discussion/Recitation. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 112. Morality and the Law. 3 hours.
What must the law do if it is to protect our rights (such as free speech, privacy, equal treatment)? Why believe we have rights? Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 113. Philosophy in the Information Age. 3 hours.
Introduction to philosophy through an exploration of the ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical implications of and questions arising from the use of digital technology. Examples may be taken from Big Data, social media and autonomous technology. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 115. Death. 3 hours.
Philosophical examination of our attitudes towards death. Our attitudes towards mortality and immortality; definitions of death; treating others as persons; our attitudes towards life, quality of life issues, suicide, rights of the dying. Course Information: Course is offered in both face-to-face and online formats. Check the class schedule for details on specific sections. Note that the online format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 116. Biomedical Ethics. 3 hours.
Moral issues as they arise in biomedical research and practice and the use of principles from general ethics to address them. Topics may include euthanasia, paternalism, allocation of medical resources, and healthcare disparities. Course Information: Course is offered in both face-to-face and online formats. Check the class schedule for details on specific sections. Note that the online format involves heavy computer usage; computer and internet access are required. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 120. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy. 3 hours.
Introduction to issues and methods of philosophy through engagement with classic Greek and Roman texts (read in translation). Course Information: Same as CL 120. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course, and Past course.
PHIL 131. Educational Ethics. 3 hours.
A practical, case-based introduction to ethical issues that arise in the daily life of classroom teachers, and techniques and strategies for thinking well about them. Of particular interest to students in teacher training programs, but open to all. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course, and US Society course.
PHIL 184. The Basics of Neuroscience. 1 hour.
Introduction to the scientific study of the brain and behavior. Overview of neuroscience as an integrative discipline. Course Information: Same as BIOS 184 and PSCH 184. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only.
PHIL 201. Theory of Knowledge. 3 hours.
Basic issues concerning knowledge, such as knowledge of the external world, other minds, scientific laws, and necessary truths. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 202. Philosophy of Psychology. 3 hours.
Theories and methods of scientific psychology: modes of explaining the structure of theories, the nature of mental states; implications of commonsense conceptions of the mind. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or junior or senior standing in the physical, biological, or social sciences; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 203. Metaphysics. 3 hours.
Philosophical issues concerning free will, causation, action, mind and body, identity over time, God, universals and particulars. Emphasis varies from term to term. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture-Discussion.
PHIL 204. Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. 3 hours.
The nature of scientific observation, explanation, and theories; confirmation of laws and theories; the relation between the physical and social sciences. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or junior or senior standing in the physical, biological, or social sciences; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 206. Introduction to the Philosophy of Language. 3 hours.
Philosophical issues concerning meaning, the relationship between language and thought, how language is to be distinguished from other forms of communication, and how truth relates to meaning. Course Information: 3 hours. Recommended background: One non-logic course in philosophy. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion.
PHIL 210. Symbolic Logic. 3 hours.
Representation of English sentences using quantifiers and identity; quantificational natural deduction; interpretations. Optional topics include naive set theory; axiomatic systems; theory of descriptions; metatheory. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Grade of B or better in PHIL 102. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 211. Inductive Logic and Decision Making. 3 hours.
How to gamble and make other decisions rationally. The role of probability, decision rules, and statistics in real-life contexts. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): PHIL 102; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 220. Ancient Philosophy I: Plato and His Predecessors. 3 hours.
Introduction to Plato and his predecessors in the ancient period. Course Information: Same as CL 220. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 221. Ancient Philosophy II: Aristotle and His Successors. 3 hours.
Introduction to Aristotle and his successors in the ancient period. Course Information: Same as CL 221. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 222. Philosophy in the Islamic World. 3 hours.
Survey of philosophy in the Islamic world from 8th century until today. Topics include: logic and psychology to metaphysics, theology, and politics. Special emphasis on cultural interactions between philosophers of different faiths and cultures. Course Information: Same as ARAB 222 and RELS 222. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 223. History of Modern Philosophy I: Descartes and His Successors. 3 hours.
Introduction to Descartes and some of his successors in the early modern period. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 224. History of Modern Philosophy II: Kant and His Predecessors. 3 hours.
Introduction to Kant and some of his predecessors in the early modern period. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 225. Nineteenth Century Philosophy. 3 hours.
A survey course of the works of major nineteenth century philosophers such as: Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Schopenhauer. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Discussion. Individual and Society course.
PHIL 226. Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy. 3 hours.
Historical introduction to the major issues and figures of twentieth-century philosophy in the analytic tradition. Readings from Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine, and others. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: PHIL 102. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 227. Continental Philosophy I: Phenomenology and Existentialism. 3 hours.
Existential themes in dramas and fiction as well as selections from the works of such thinkers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Camus and Sartre. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or the consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 230. Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy. 3 hours.
Survey of major topics in ethical theory and political philosophy. Emphasis varies. Course Information: 3 hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: PHIL 103 or PHIL 109 or PHIL 112 or PHIL 116. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 232. Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues. 3 hours.
Philosophical inquiry into controversies surrounding the changing roles of men and women. Course Information: Same as GWS 232. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 234. Philosophy and Film. 3 hours.
A philosophical examination of film. Screening accompanies discussion. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 240. Philosophy and Revelation: Jewish and Christian Perspectives. 3 hours.
Introduction to philosophical ways of addressing the claim that a book (the Bible, the Quran) comes from God. Texts by Immanuel Kant, Moses Mendelssohn, and Soren Kierkegaard, among others. Course Information: Previously listed as PHIL 141. Same as RELS 240 and JST 240. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture. Individual and Society course, and World Cultures course.
PHIL 241. Philosophy of Religion. 3 hours.
Philosophical inquiry into the grounds of faith and belief, the nature of religious and mystical experience, and the existence and nature of God. Course Information: Same as RELS 241. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion and one Lecture.
PHIL 299. Seminar. 3 hours.
Selected topics. Course Information: May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 300. Fundamentals of Philosophical Discourse. 3 hours.
An intensive course for philosophy majors or minors aimed at introducing and developing skill in philosophical writing and oral presentation. Course Information: Previously listed as PHIL 400. Prerequisite(s): Major or minor in philosophy; at least one non-logic 200-level philosophy course; or approval of the instructor.
PHIL 310. Aristotle and the Arabs. 3 hours.
Traces the major topics of ancient Greek philosophy, especially those of Aristotle, and their transformation into the philosophy developed in the Arabic classical period. Course Information: Same as ARAB 310 and CL 310. Prerequisite(s): CL 221 or PHIL 221 or RELS 230.
PHIL 390. Senior Thesis in Philosophy. 3 hours.
Students will work individually with a member of the faculty on a topic chosen by the student and approved by the faculty. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Open only to seniors; Consent of the instructor and department.
PHIL 399. Independent Study. 2-6 hours.
Independent study, under the supervision of a staff member, of a topic not covered in the regular curriculum. Offered at the request of the student and only at the discretion of the staff members concerned. Course Information: May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: This course counts toward the limited number of independent study hours accepted toward the degree and the major.
PHIL 401. Theory of Knowledge. 3 or 4 hours.
Survey and analysis of key topics in epistemology, such as skepticism, the nature of propositional knowledge, justification, perception, memory, induction, other minds, naturalistic epistemology. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 402. Topics in Philosophy of Mind. 3 or 4 hours.
Survey and analysis of one or more topics in philosophy of mind, such as the mind-body problem, philosophy of psychology, perception and sensation, intentional content, consciousness, and mental causation. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 403. Metaphysics. 3 or 4 hours.
Intensive treatment of one or more topics, such as free will, personal identity, causation, existence, substance and attribute, the nature of the mind. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: PHIL 102.
PHIL 404. Philosophy of Science. 3 or 4 hours.
Selected works on the aims and methods of science; the status of scientific theories, natural laws and theoretical entities; the nature of scientific explanation. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 102 and one non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 406. Topics in Philosophy of Language. 3 or 4 hours.
Intensive treatment of one or more topics, such as meaning and reference, communication, the structure of language, language and thought, and the relation of language to reality. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 102 and one 200-level non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 410. Introduction to Formal Logic. 3 or 4 hours.
Review of predicate logic and of introductory set theory. The concept of a formal system. Notions of completeness and soundness. Introduction to Godel's first incompleteness theorem. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 210 or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 422. Studies in Medieval Philosophy. 0-4 hours.
Study of selected philosophers such as Boethius, Avicenna, Aquinas, William Ockham, and selected issues such as the relationship between faith and reason, the nature of reason, the nature of human cognition, the nature of morality. Course Information: Same as RELS 422. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics or figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level philosophy course; or consent of the instructor. Class Schedule Information: To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Discussion/Recitation and one Lecture.
PHIL 423. Studies in Early Modern Philosophy. 3 or 4 hours.
Careful reading of selected works of one or more philosophers, 1600 to 1750, such as Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Reid and Rousseau. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics or figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 424. Kant. 3 or 4 hours.
Intensive study of Kant's philosophy. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 425. Studies in Nineteenth-Century Philosophy. 3 or 4 hours.
Careful reading of one or more post-Kantian philosophers such as Hegel, Schelling, Fichte, Schopenhauer, Marx, J.S. Mill, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the
department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 426. Analysis and Logical Empiricism. 3 or 4 hours.
Developments in twentieth century analytic philosophy with roots in the study of logic and language, such as logical atomism and logical empiricism. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics and figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 102 and one non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 427. Continental Philosophy II: European Thought Since 1960. 3 or 4 hours.
European thought since 1960: Existential Marxism; Critical Theory; Structuralism, Post-Structuralism and Deconstruction. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics or figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the
department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of instructor.
PHIL 428. Topics in Ancient Philosophy. 3 or 4 hours.
Careful reading of related works by Ancient Philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics or figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 429. Special Studies in the History of Philosophy. 3 or 4 hours.
Advanced study of a historical school, period, or the development of a historical theme. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics or figures vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in the history of philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 432. Topics in Ethics. 3 or 4 hours.
Selected topics in ethics. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to 1 time(s) with approval. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in philosophy or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Credit in a course in moral, social, or political philosophy.
PHIL 433. Topics in Social/Political Philosophy. 3 or 4 hours.
Selected topics in social and political philosophy. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 441. Topics in Philosophy of Religion. 3 or 4 hours.
Intensive study of one or more selected topics concerning the philosophical aspects of basic religious beliefs and concepts. Course Information: Same as RELS 441. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated if topics vary. Approval to repeat course granted by the department. Prerequisite(s): One non-logic 200-level course in philosophy; or consent of the instructor.
PHIL 484. Neuroscience I. 3 hours.
Neuroscience as an integrative discipline. Neuroanatomy of vertebrates, neural development, cellular neurobiology, action potential mechanisms, synaptic transmission and neuropharmacology. Course Information: Same as BIOS 484 and PSCH 484. Prerequisite(s): BIOS 286 or PSCH 262.