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Courses of Instruction
PHILOSOPHY (PHL-Arts and Science)
Note: Except where specific prerequisites are stated, all 100-, 200-, and 300-level
courses are open to any student. 300-level courses without prerequisites require
a higher degree of sophistication than lower level courses, but do not presuppose
prior course work.
Note: All PHL courses satisfy CAS-B except 273 and 373 (CAS-E).
MPF, MPT 101 Knowledge of World, God, and Morality (3)
Can you know for certain
or know at all whether there really is a world or whether God exists? Can you
know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong? These and related
questions are explored while taking up the skeptical challenges to knowing anything
at all. lntroduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills,
methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further
work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing
for any area of learning. IIB.
MPF 103 Society and the Individual (3)
A study of the relationship between human
beings and the societies in which they live and of the implications different
perspectives on this relationship have for a view of social justice. We investigate
this relation in terms of its political, economic, social, ethical, and epistemological
dimensions. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning
skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared
for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading,
and writing for any area of learning. IIB.
MPF, MPT 104 Purpose or Chance in the Universe (3)
Is the present universe the
result of purpose or chance? Positions and arguments on this question by scientists
and philosophers at different points in Western history are studied. In this inquiry,
special attention is paid to recent developments in scientific cosmology that
throws important new light on the question. Whether the results of the inquiry
support purpose or chance more strongly is considered. Introduces fundamental
questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts
used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and
develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.
IIB, H.
MPF, MPT 105 Theories of Human Nature (3)
There have been various ways that
human beings have understood themselves and their place in nature. Every conception
of the self embodies a conception of what can be known, of how we ought to live,
of what values we ought to hold, and to what extent we are free. We consider various
conceptions of the person in light of these questions. Introduces fundamental
questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts
used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and
develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.
IIB.
MPF, MPT 106 Thought and Culture of India (4)
Examines India's history
and civilization, philosophies and religions, arts and literature, science and
technology as a culture's self-understanding and self-expression of its
ideas, values, and ways of thinking. Comparisons made between Indian and other
ways of thought and modes of living. IIIB, H.
MPF, MPT 131 Problems of Moral and Social Values (3)
Introduction to ethical
theory and its application to individual moral issues relating to human conduct
and social institutions and political systems. As a background for critical evaluation
of these issues, major theoretical positions in ethics are investigated (including
egoism, deontology, utilitarianism, religious ethics, and often virtue ethics
and feminist ethics). Considers a number of issues relating to and often critical
of ethical theories (may include relativism, skepticism, moral alienation, and
cultural diversity of ethics). Course is historical and thematic with major ethical
theories analyzed in relation to concrete situations. Involves students in the
creative process of developing skills and arguments necessary to engage in reflective
moral reasoning. IIB.
205 Science and Culture (3)
Study of science and scientific method as it relates
to its social and cultural contexts. Cultural, aesthetic, ethical, and social
dimensions of science. Offered infrequently.
211 Problems of God and Religion (3)
Critical analysis of selected problems
such as nature and existence of God, problem of evil, justification of religious
belief, and significance of religious experience.
MPT 221 Problems of Metaphysics and Knowledge (3)
Critical examination of the
nature of reality and our knowledge of it. Sample topics include relation of mind
to body, freedom and determinism, whether the world is fundamentally material
or mental, nature and extent of our knowledge of the world.
231 Happiness (4)
Examines various approaches to the meaning, value, and possibility
of happiness. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning
skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared
for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading,
and writing for any area of learning.
241 Aesthetics (4)
Introduction to basic notions of aesthetics, such as the
definition of art, truth in the arts, characterization of aesthetic experience,
etc. through examination of specific philosophies and problem areas. Readings
may range from classical to contemporary thinkers. Offered infrequently.
MPT 263 Informal Logic (4)
Informal analysis of discourse, especially argument,
with the aim of improving understanding, criticism, evaluation, and construction
of arguments in significant contexts.
MPF, MPT 273 Formal Logic (4)
Survey of elementary logical systems: Aristotelian,
Boolean, sentential, quantified. Scientific method and issues in the philosophy
of logic may be included. V. CAS-E.
MPT 301 Ancient Philosophy (4)
Survey of ancient philosophical thought covering
pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Hellenistic philosophy. Problems
discussed include the nature of being and becoming, monism and pluralism, knowledge,
value, and society. Emphasis given to philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.
MPT 302 Modern Philosophy (4)
Philosophical study of the development of philosophy
at the beginning of modern period, Descartes to Kant. Both the interrelationship
of points within each philosopher's thought and the change of thought from
earlier philosophers to later ones are emphasized. Specific issues for study include
relation of thought and reality, knowledge and opinion, truth and appearance,
value.
304 Indian Philosophy (4)
A survey of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Yogic philosophic
traditions with special emphasis on the nature of self, consciousness and intentionality;
knowledge and error; suffering, release and transcendence.
307 Gandhian Philosophy (3)
This course will survey Gandhi's philosophy
and practice of non-violence, Truth, politics, religion, education and economics.
It also examines Gandhi's relevance to modernity and discusses his influence
on Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement.
310 Special Topics (1-4; maximum 8)
Treatment of selected topics or philosophers.
311 Ethical Theory (4)
Topical and historical in-depth study of classical and
contemporary ethical theories. Addresses such questions as the following: What
are the fundamental principles of moral action? Can such principles be justified?
What moral theories are most adequate and why? What constitutes the well-lived
life? Are persons moral agents? What is the relationship between morality and
happiness? What is the relationship between freedom and morality? Why be moral?
Prerequisite: PHL 131.
MPT 312 Contemporary Moral Problems (4)
Moral argument and bases of moral decision.
Discussion of such issues as sexuality, career and professional ethics, environmental
responsibility, individual conscience and authority, abortion, suicide, and war.
Prior completion of PHL 131 is recommended.
322 Contemporary European Philosophy (4)
Introduction to contemporary European
philosophy that emphasizes its reliance on the historical development of philosophic
concepts. Examines the ways in which contemporary philosophers reconstruct concepts
such as rationality, language, value, time, and subjectivity. Special attention
given to the processes by which concepts are invested with meaning, analyzed,
and/or transformed. Offered infrequently.
331 Political Philosophy (4)
Inquiry into values and principles of government,
justice and law, rights and responsibilities, freedom and power, violence and
revolution. Prerequisite: PHL 103 or 131.
335 Philosophy of Law (4)
Philosophical study of some problems arising in law.
Problems discussed include: concept of law and its relation to morality; logic
of legal reasoning; legal rights, duties, responsibility, punishment, fault, voluntariness,
etc.
MPT 355 Feminist Theory (4)
Examination of major writing by contemporary feminist
thinkers. Traditional philosophical questions, such as justice, freedom, nature
of a person, and relationship of an individual to society, are raised in context
relevant to both male and female students. Cross-listed with WMS 355.
360 Interdisciplinary Special Topics (1-4; maximum 8)
Course of study on selected
topic examined from perspective of two or more disciplines. Offered infrequently.
MPT 360A Confronting Death (4)
Interdisciplinary course offered jointly by three
or four departments examining how people regard their deaths and deaths of others.
Approaches to death such as denial, acceptance, and rebellion are considered;
issues such as immortality, funerals, grief, suicide, and euthanasia are taken
up in a variety of literature and films. Cross-listed with ENG, PSY, and REL 360.A.
Offered at least every other year.
MPT 373 Symbolic Logic (4)
Study of standard notation, principles of inference,
formal systems, methods of proof. Chief attention given to first-order predicate
logic. Some focus placed on the philosophy of logic. CAS-E. Offered every other
year.
MPT 375 Moral Issues in Health Care (4)
Purpose of course is to think together
in an informed and critical manner about selected issues in the field of health
care. Attempt made with each issue addressed to consider distinctive interests
and perspectives of physicians, nurses, patients, and the public. Issues considered
include physician/patient relationships; lying, truth-telling, paternalism, and
trust; death and dying, including suicide, euthanasia, and treatment of defective
newborns; treatment of mental illness and patient rights; allocating scarce resources;
nature of health and purposes of medicine. Prerequisite: Prior completion of one
course in philosophy; PHL 131 is recommended.
MPT 376 Environmental Philosophy (4)
Critical study of metaphysical, epistemological,
and moral problems associated with questions of ecology and humankind's
relation to natural environment. Considers such issues as conceptions of nature,
character and impact of various forms of technology, relations of environment
and economics, environmentalism and justice, and environmental ethics. Offered
alternate years.
390 Existentialism (4)
Study of major ideas in existential philosophers such
as Camus, Heidegger, Jaspers, Kafka, Kierkegaard, Marcel, Merleau- Ponty, Nietzsche,
Sartre. Repeatable with different content once. Cross-listed with REL 390.
392 Philosophy of Religion (4)
Study of major philosophical problems relating
to religion. Topics are drawn variously from Western and Eastern intellectual
traditions or from both. Problems such as the meaning of religious utterances,
existence of a divine being, life after death, relationship of faith and reason
are treated. Cross-listed with REL 392. Offered alternate years.
Advanced Courses
Note: All of the following require a minimum of two previous courses in philosophy,
and sometimes a specific prerequisite is cited. Students may also seek permission
of instructor for entrance to a course.
402/502 19th Century Philosophy (4)
Detailed study of advances in philosophy
attempted by major philosophers of the 19th century. Emphasis on solutions they
offered to problems of early modern thought and to foundations laid for important
developments in 20th century thinking. Course may follow philosophical systems
of leading philosophers (e.g., Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx) or it may proceed topically
(e.g., dialectics, alienation in Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard). Offered alternate
years. Prerequisite: PHL 302.
MPC 404 What is Philosophy? (4)
Addresses the questions of the nature and ends
of philosophy. The capstone course offers both a culmination of a philosophical
education through a discussion of various philosophical views on the meta-question
of the nature of philosophy, and a culmination of a liberal education through
a comparison of philosophy with other fields of inquiry. Prerequisite: 9 hours
of completed philosophy courses and senior status.
MPC 405 Philosophy for Children (4)
Focuses on humanistic thinking in K-8 education.
Investigates the implications of and justification for the claim that it is the
humanities that initiate us into a culture, into a historical community with its
traditions and meanings. Considers how the humanities can lay foundations that
will prepare children to assume the responsibility of critically assessing their
culture in order to advance it.
410/510 Special Topics (1-4)
Seminar treatment of selected topics or philosophers.
New topics at student initiative. Offered infrequently.
411/511 Advanced Ethical Theories (4)
Critical discussion of recent works in
ethics. Prerequisite: PHL 131.
430/530 Seminar in Ancient or Medieval Philosophy (4)
Intensive study of a major
topic (e.g., universals, knowledge and perception, the human soul, God, morality,
language and reality) or work of a major philosopher (e.g., Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,
Plotinus, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas) of ancient or medieval period. Repeatable
with different content up to three times.
440/540 Seminar in Modern Philosophy (4)
Intensive study of philosophy of one
major philosopher of early modern period, e.g., Spinoza, Descartes, Leibniz, Berkeley,
Hume, Kant, or a topical study in the philosophy of the period. Repeatable with
different content up to three times.
450/550 Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (4)
Examination of one or more 20th
century philosophers such as Russell, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Quine, or a study
of contemporary treatments of selected philosophical issues such as self, consciousness,
knowledge, reality. Repeatable with different content up to three times.
460/560 Seminar in Marxism (4)
Intensive study in Marxist philosophy. Deals
with multifaceted shape of consciousness of a single philosopher (such as Marx),
or survey thematically issues (such as a value or knowledge or the nature of human
beings) dealt with by many Marxists, or be problem oriented using the Marxist
shape of consciousness to illuminate the issue. Repeatable with different content
up to three times. Offered alternate years.
470/570 Advanced Aesthetics (4)
Selected topics in advanced study of philosophy
of art. Topics may include film aesthetics, philosophy of tragedy, metaphysics
of the novel, aesthetic formalism. Repeatable with different content up to three
times. Prior completion of PHL 241 recommended. Offered infrequently.
471/571 Philosophy of Science (4)
Philosophical foundations of science both
natural and social. Such issues as the role of observation, laws, theories, and
paradigms in science; ethical implications of science; objectivity of science
are investigated. Offered infrequently.
475/575 Justice in Health Care (4)
This seminar considers what is required of
a health care system in the U.S. by considerations of justice. Such questions
as the following are taken up: Do people have a right to a basic level of health
care? What financing and delivery system is most fair? Should doctors (or legislators?)
ration scarce medical resources, especially to the elderly, the poor, or persons
with AIDS? Prerequisite: PHL 131 and either 312 or 375 or permission of instructor.
480 Independent Reading for Departmental Honors (3, 3)
To earn departmental
honors, a student must complete two semesters of independent reading courses.
493/593 Phenomenological Method (4)
Theoretical study of method in phenomenology
as exemplified in the works of the major figures of the movement.
494/594 Philosophy of Mind (4)
Selected topics or authors, historical or contemporary.
Topics include such problems as personal identity and individuation, the self,
mind/body problems, the will, thought and cognition, perception, philosophy and
psychology. Prior completion of PHL 221 is recommended. Offered infrequently.
495/595 Metaphysics (4)
Selected topics or authors in metaphysics, historical
or contemporary. Topics include such problems as universals and particulars, causality,
space and time, freedom and determinism, God, existence. Prerequisite: PHL 221
is recommended. Offered alternate years.
496/596 Epistemology (4)
Analysis of such
concepts as knowledge, belief, certainty, evidence, truth, perception. Prior completion
of PHL 221 recommended. Offered alternate years.
600 Independent Reading Philosophy (1 to 6)
Intensive study of a group of problems
in a limited field or of particular philosophers or of particular schools of philosophy.
610 Research Seminar (3-4)
Each student will take one paper written for a philosophy
course and develop it into a length and quality suitable for publication in a
scholarly journal. Members of the seminar will read each of these papers and suitable
parts of its bibliography in order to critique the paper and assist its progress
toward publication.
631 Advanced Political Philosophy (4)
Intensive inquiry into values, principles,
essence, and varieties of government; exploration of relation between justice
and law; nature of freedom, power, rights, responsibilities, coercion, and revolution;
contract, parliamentarianism, and their alternatives. Offered infrequently.
673 Symbolic Logic (4)
Study of propositional calculus and monadic and polyadic
quantification, with some focus on propositional calculus as an axiomatic system.
Offered infrequently.
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