Department of Philosophy P.O. Box 5190
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242
Phone: 330-672-2315 | Fax: 330-672-4867
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Fall 2009 Philosophy Course Descriptions
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Introduction to Philosophy
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Course Content: The aim of this course is to introduce students to selected fundamental issues in philosophy. The first section will concentrate on the person who many people consider the founder of Western philosophy, Socrates. Socrates left no written texts, but his teaching and also his famous trial in Athens in 399 B. C., are recorded by his student, Plato, in the first three dialogues on the last days of Socrates. The second section will concentrate on political philosophy. The third section of the course will be on the meaning of life. Requirements: REQUIREMENTS There will be three written assignments, each worth one third of the course. The first will be an in class essay test. The second will be a nine page paper. The third will be an in class essay test. Class attendance is required. More than four unexcused absences will result in failing the class. Texts: The Trial of Socrates, Stone, ISBN: 0 385 26032 6. |
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Introduction to Philosophy
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Course Content: An introduction to the diverse methods and subject matters of philosophy. Primary philosophic sources from varied philosophical traditions focus on at least three philosophic areas. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. This course may be used to satisfy the University Diversity Requirement. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Introduction to Philosophy
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Course Content: Course Content: This course will be topical in nature and will focus on epistemological issues. Epistemology is the area of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge. We will survey some of the predominant philosophers throughout history and their views on what knowledge is, and how one acquires knowledge. During the course of our studies other areas of philosophy, such as metaphysics and logic, will be explored. The main objective of this course is to foster a foundational understanding of the issues philosophy explores, and some of the predominant philosophers that have influenced western thought. Diversity Element: Diversity Element: Through an attempt to understand the ideas of others, we become more aware of our own thoughts on these topics. This course becomes an exercise in breaking down the barriers that may hinder our ability to consider issues from different social and cultural points of view. Requirements: Requirements: There will be a series of short quizzes, and a series of exams during the session. Participation in class discussion will be required. TEXTS: The Problems of Philosophy, Russell Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes, tr. by D. A. Cress Republic, Plato, tr. By G. M. A. Grube Texts: The Problems of Philosophy, Bertrand Russell, ISBN: 0872200981. |
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Introduction to Philosophy
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Course Content: An introduction to the diverse methods and subject matters of philosophy. Primary philosophic sources from varied philosophical traditions focus on at least three philosophic areas. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. This course may be used to satisfy the University Diversity Requirement. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Principles of Thinking
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Course Content: The place of argument in reasoning and the place of reasoning in thinking are explored through a concentration on argument -- its structure, expression, function, and limits. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Principles of Thinking
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Course Content: The place of argument in reasoning and the place of reasoning in thinking are explored through a concentration on argument -- its structure, expression, function, and limits. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Principles of Thinking
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Course Content: The place of argument in reasoning and the place of reasoning in thinking are explored through a concentration on argument -- its structure, expression, function, and limits. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Principles of Thinking
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Course Content: The place of argument in reasoning and the place of reasoning in thinking are explored through a concentration on argument -- its structure, expression, function, and limits. Prerequisite: None. This course may be used to satisfy the Liberal Education Requirements. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Introduction to Ethics
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Course Content: The aim of this course will be to introduce you to some basic philosophical tools for analyzing ethics by concentrating on diverse opinions on (1) ethics of rights; (2) ethics of justice; and (3) ethics of the environment and human relation to animals. Diversity Element: As in all my courses the concept of freedom of expression to think about diverse opinions is conceived of as central to philosophy and education. In this course, we actually read a text, Mill?s On Liberty, that analyzes freedom of expression. Requirements: Two in class tests and one take home assignment. Texts: Republic, Plato, ISBN: 0 19 50064 0. |
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Introduction to Ethics
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Course Content: Aristotle, Kant, Hume, and Mill each offer different yet systematic ways of thinking about what we ought to do, what sort of lives we ought to lead, and what morality requires of us. In this course we will explore not only the traditions mentioned, but consider critiques of those traditions and newer explorations in ethical theory, including Noddings’ critique of these approaches. Each tradition’s approach to ethics explores different aspects, such as virtues and vices, duties and obligations, divine authority, rules and regulations, and caring. We will explore these different approaches’ strengths and limitations. Requirements: Weekly reading quizzes, three exams. Texts: Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle. Terence Irwin (Translator), ISBN: 9780872204645. |
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Introduction to Ethics
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Course Content: Course Content: This course will focus on a theoretical perspective of ethics. Our study will include such topics as: virtue-based ethics, duty-based ethics, hedonism, utilitarianism, and care ethics. We will examine the structure of each moral system, along with the various social and political influences that gave rise to each system. Our studies will concentrate on the predominant philosophers in each system. During the course of our study we will be able to compare and contrast the various moral systems. The main objective of this course is to foster a foundational understanding of moral theories, which in turn will help each of us to reflect on our personal views concerning morality and how we make moral decisions. Diversity Element: Diversity Element: We will examine how cultural attitudes are reflected in moral philosophy. We will also explore the impact of social and political events on the creation of a moral system. Requirements: Requirements: Three in-class exams, and a series of short quizzes. Texts: Nicomachean Ethics,, Aristotle, tr. by Martin Ostwald, ISBN: 0023895306. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, 3rd edition, Immanuel Kant, tr. by J.W. Ellington, ISBN: 087220166X. Texts: Nicomachean Ethics,, Aristotle, tr. by Martin Ostwald, ISBN: 0023895306. |
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Introduction to Ethics
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Course Content: What must we do to be happy? Is the highest human good found in wealth or fame?, in love or spirituality? Throughout history humans have sought the key to happiness and a worthwhile life--a search we collectively call “ethics.” Our introduction to ethics covers a wide range of beliefs: from the “objectivist” claim that we have absolute duties to others, to the “relativist” view that our only moral obligation is to ourselves. Our journey will be aided by some of the greatest thinkers in history, including Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, and John Dewey. We will also have the opportunity to apply these theories to contemporary issues from gender issues to environmental ethics. Ultimately, however, our study of ethics will yield options rather than final answers: the choice of values in the quest for a meaningful life is a personal lifelong pursuit. Diversity Element: We will work with a multicultural text that considers ethical options from a wide variety of gendered, ethnic and cultural perspectives. Requirements: Objective Unit and Final Exams; Friday Section Study Questions and Practice Exercises; Paper Project; Attendance Texts: Great Traditions in Ethics, 12th Edition, Denise, White, and Peterfreund, ISBN: 0495094986. |
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Introduction to Formal Logic
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Course Content: The focus of this course is on deductive arguments and the formal systems of analysis applied to arguments. The formal systems will include the use of Venn Diagrams, truth tables, and the rules of natural deduction that are used to develop proofs in both sentential and predicate logic. The concepts of validity and soundness will be explored during the process of analysis. As the course develops, we will be able to examine the relationship between logical reasoning, language usage and mathematical reasoning at its most fundamental levels. The formal analysis of deductive arguments will be approached as a process of puzzle solving in an attempt to temper the formal aspect of the course. The text we are using for this course has both a web site and a CD with helpful study aids. The web page provides the student with exercises for self-testing and evaluation on course material with immediate feedback and identification of page numbers in the text the student can review. The CD contains a tutorial for each reading section with concise and clear examples. Students who have used the CD in the past have indicated that it was very useful for understanding the course material. Requirements: There will be a series of short quizzes, and a series of exams during the semester (2 midterm and 1 final). Homework will be assigned and evaluated, but it will not contribute directly to the final grade. Texts: Concise Introduction to Logic, 10th edition (Custom Print), Patrick J. Hurley, ISBN: 978-0-495-75226-6. |
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Introduction to Formal Logic
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Course Content: This course will introduce you to several formal languages which allow us to represent the logical structure of deductive reasoning. We will begin with Propositional Logic and will go on to study Categorical Logic -- a system first developed by Aristotle over 2,300 years ago -- and Predicate Logic, one of the formal languages which is most widely used today. Not only will we study the formal structure and properties of these languages, but we will also use them as a tool for evaluating arguments expressed in the natural language of English. Requirements: Weekly homework assignments, two midterm exams, and a cumulative final exam. Texts: Introduction to Logic: Propositional Logic, Howard Pospesel, ISBN: 0-13-025849-0. |
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Introduction to Formal Logic
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Course Content: This course explores the criteria for evaluating deductive arguments, in particular the formal notion of validity. We will examine several artificial languages created to simplify this task: these languages include categorical logic, using diagrammatic or graphic-based methods of evaluation; truth-functional sentential logic, using truth-tables and proofs; and predicate logic, using mainly proofs. Requirements: 2 Unit exams, and a cumulative final exam; daily homework problems; attendance. Texts: Concise Introduction to Logic (Custom Textbook + CengageNOW Access Card), Patrick Hurley, ISBN: 0495781541. |
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Comparative Religious Thought I
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Course Content: The purpose of this course is to become aware of the different religious sensibilities of seven major world religions: Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. We start the course from what I deem to be the most unfamiliar of the seven religions (Confucianism) and work our way back to what I regard as the most familiar (Christianity) in order to view the familiar in a different light in addition to becoming more closer with the foreign. During this process the diverse religious traditions will be compared with one another at relevant points. Requirements: TBA Texts: Focusing The Familiar (Paperback), Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall, ISBN: 0824824601. |
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Comparative Religious Thought I
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Course Content: Imagine what kind of a world this would be if people appreciated one another’s religions! To take a step in that direction, this course introduces beliefs, ideals, and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Diversity Element: The course focuses on five major world religions. The course employs intellectually diverse methods--scientific, philosophic, and religious. Our approach emphasizes affirming our common humanity, understanding differences, and appreciating the wonderful uniqueness of each personality. This course satisfies Kent State University's diversity requirement. Requirements: Participation, three midterms (the last of which is the final examination), and three experiential projects that prompt dialogue between the ideals of these traditions and our lives. Texts: Pocket Bhagavad Gita, Winthrop Sargeant (trans.), ISBN: 0791420302. |
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Comparative Religious Thought I
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Course Content: The purpose of the course is two fold: (1) to extend our awareness of the religious thought and practices of various peoples and cultures, and (2) to begin to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of religion beyond the limits of a particular religious tradition or culture. We will begin the course with a preliminary philosophical inquiry into the phenomenon of religion. The philosophical inquiry will yield a matrix or constellation of concerns which will structure our investigation of texts and artifacts which are expressions of human religious activity. Diversity Element: The course is concerned with the diversity of religious thought and expression. We will read translations of primary works from every major and many minor religious traditions from throughout the world. Students will also visit a local religious community associated with one of the religious traditions we are studying (and not familiar to the student) in conjunction with one of the course term papers. Requirements: One mid-term examination, a comprehensive final examination, and two term papers (3-5 pages). Texts: Sacred Texts, N. Smart, ISBN: 9780824506391. |
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Comparative Religious Thought I
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Course Content: The purpose of the course is two fold: (1) to extend our awareness of the religious thought and practices of various peoples and cultures, and (2) to begin to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of religion beyond the limits of a particular religious tradition or culture. We will begin the course with a preliminary philosophical inquiry into the phenomenon of religion. The philosophical inquiry will yield a matrix or constellation of concerns which will structure our investigation of texts and artifacts which are expressions of human religious activity. Diversity Element: The course is concerned with the diversity of religious thought and expression. We will read translations of primary works from every major and many minor religious traditions from throughout the world. Students will also visit a local religious community associated with one of the religious traditions we are studying (and not familiar to the student) in conjunction with one of the course term papers. Diversity Element: The course is concerned with the diversity of religious thought and expression. We will read translations of primary works from every major and many minor religious traditions from throughout the world. Students will also visit a local religious community associated with one of the religious traditions we are studying (and not familiar to the student) in conjunction with one of the course term papers. Requirements: One mid-term examination, a comprehensive final examination, and two term papers (3-5 pages). Texts: Sacred Texts, N. Smart, ISBN: 9780824506391. |
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Medicine and Morality
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Course Content: This course will focus on three ethical issues of current interest in medicine. Before examining each of these issues we will review different moral theories. After establishing a foundation for moral discussion, we will turn our attention to the first question in medicine: genetic engineering. When is it permissible, and when is it impermissible, to perform genetic engineering? Are there some forms of permissible genetic enhancement? How is genetic enhancement different from genetic therapy? What are the ethical distinctions between somatic cell genetic alterations and germ cell genetic alterations? Where does human cloning fit in this debate? The second issue in medicine we will examine is organ donation. The shortage of transplantable organs in the United States is at epidemic proportions. What is a just allocation of organs? Who should go at the top of the organ donation list, and who should go at the bottom? Is it ever right to pay someone for his/her organs? The last issue we will look at is assisted suicide. What are the different types of assisted suicide? Are there any acts of assisted suicide that are morally permissible? Is there a difference between killing someone, and letting the person die? Requirements: Three in-class essay exams. Active participation in classroom discussion will be an integral part of this course. Texts: From Chance to Choice: Genetics and Justice, Allen Buchanan, et al, ISBN: 9780521669771. |
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Medieval Philosophy
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Course Content: This course is a survey of the philosophy of the western world from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance. In addition to reading important Christian thinkers such as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Duns Scotus, we will consider representative figures from both the Jewish and Islamic traditions. Our reading of canonical figures from these traditions will be complemented by study of some of the important “mystical” thinkers associated with them. Requirements: At least six short and three longer writing assignments, class participation, and possibly quizzes and/or additional in-class writing assignments. Texts: Philosophy in the Middle Ages, Arthur Hyman and James J. Walsh, ISBN: 0-915145-80-4. |
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British Empiricism
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Course Content: In this course we will examine some of the main works of the British empiricists Locke, Berkeley and Hume (as well as some of the writings of contemporary commentators) with an eye toward answering the questions: (i) is there really a fairly determinate range of philosophical theories which are identifiable as empiricist theories? And, assuming an affirmative answer to this question, (ii) what are the basic metaphysical and epistemological commitments of an empiricist theory? We will also examine some of the philosophical motivations for adopting an empiricist view (especially those involving a criticism of the rationalism of Descartes and Leibniz) and the philosophical problems associated with empiricism (especially the problem of our knowledge of the external world and other minds). Other relevant issues covered will include: the ground of our universal terms, the nature of substance, the nature of mind, the role and nature of a priori knowledge, the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, and the distinction between appearance and reality. Requirements: Three (macro) term papers, six shorter (micro) writing assignments, and a final exam. Texts: The Empiricists, Locke, Berkely, and Hume, ISBN: 0385096224. |
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Existentialism
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Course Content: Development and themes of existentialism. Prerequisite: Junior standing or one course in philosophy, or permission. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Philosophy and Justice
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Course Content: This course will examine some classical and modern theories of justice. We will attempt to do a conceptual analysis of justice by examining its relationship to the notions of rights, equality, democracy, freedom, law, and punishment. We will explore the different dimensions of the notion of justice and how it is used in the context of the conception of the nature and functions of the state, in terms of its relation to individual rights and freedom. Some of the specific functions where the notion of justice has special relevance are the distribution of amenities, the provision of equal opportunities for all its citizens to achieve their individual rational life plans, the making of law and the democratic political process of representation, and the enforcement of laws in the judicial and penal system. We will explore the application of the notion of justice in these different contexts. Requirements: There will be three take-home exams and occasional one-page summary, critical, and reflective papers, which may constitute class presentations or reports. Also required are attendance, class participation, and thorough reading of the assigned texts. All these requirements will be factored into the final grade. Texts: Justice: Alternative Political Perspectives, James Sterba, ISBN: 10:0534602193. |
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Aesthetics
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Course Content: The main goal of the course is to introduce the student to the history and logic of philosophy’s ways of thinking about the aesthetics of the fine arts from classical Greece down to the present. A secondary goal is to reflect on the beauties of nature and the interrelations of truth, beauty, and goodness--in aesthetics and in our lives! Requirements: Class participation, three midterms (the last of which is the final examination), and two papers with an experiential component. Texts: Art and Its Significance, Stephen David Ross, ISBN: 0-7914-1852-9. |
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SEM: Reflections on Humanity
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Course Content: This course will examine some of the philosophical implications of autism. After a short examination of the psychological aspects of autism, we will examine the ways in which autism leads to unique philosophical questions. These questions include questions in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, questions about the nature of a good human life, and questions about what makes certain actions morally right or morally wrong. The course will conclude by examining some of the interesting implied ethical questions that emerge from autism, including questions about the use of genetic technologies and autism, and the use of persons with autism as human research subjects. Requirements: The course will be conducted in a seminar setting, in keeping with an upper-division philosophy course. Students will be expected to engage in informed discussion about readings, give at least two brief presentations on an assigned reading, and write a term paper for the course. Students will be required to purchase a course packet and three books. Texts: The Ethics of Autism: Among Them But Not of Them, Deborah R. Barnbaum, ISBN: 9780253220134. |
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Health Care Ethics
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Course Content: This course will serve as an examination of several contemporary issues encountered in the delivery of primary healthcare, as well as the ethical theories and principles that shape our understanding and treatment of these issues. The course will emphasize the complexity of the questions at hand, and attempt to undermine an attitude of formulaic problem solving that occasionally accompanies applied ethics. Topics addressed will include respect for patients and autonomy, paternalism, the patient-provider relationship, the complications introduced with pregnancy, conflicts between research and therapy, end of life issues, resource allocation, and the funding of and access to healthcare. Philosophical theories addressed will include virtue ethics, deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and principlism. Requirements: Texts: Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 6th ed., Beauchamp and Childress, ISBN: 9780195335705. |
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Health Care Ethics
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Course Content: In this course, we will investigate various ethical issues associated with the practice of medicine and related health care activities, particularly as they arise in the clinical setting. We will begin with a brief examination of various competing moral theories and their implications for ethical decision making. We will also consider several basic moral principles that are of central importance to discussions of health care ethics: including principles of beneficence, autonomy, and justice. In light of these considerations, we will then spend the bulk of the class exploring a number of concrete ethical issues that arise in various contexts of health care delivery. In particular, we will address normative issues associated with such topics as: the role of physicians and nurses, the physician-patient and nurse-patient relationships, patient autonomy and informed consent, patient confidentiality, human and animal research, living wills and advanced directives, and managed care. Requirements: Weekly quizzes, two exams, and class participation. Texts: Biomedical Ethics, 6th Ed., Mappes and DeGrazia, ISBN: 9780072976441. |
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Problems in the Philosophy of Religion
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Course Content: We begin with articles on varieties of religious exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism; the relations of science and religion; religious experience; the existence and nature of God; and Eastern and feminist perspectives. The second text probes contributions to the debate on whether phenomenologists who express a religious perspective betray the kind of neutrality essential to phenomenology. Requirements: Participation, a midterm and final examination, and an experiential project on love that involves at least two written installments. The course does not presuppose religious belief or practice, and the student is encouraged to adapt the project to his or her interests. Texts: Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues, Paul Copan and Chad Meister, ISBN: 978-1-4051-3990-8. |
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Philosophy of Law
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Course Content: This course will explore issues regarding the nature of law, legal reasoning, legal obligation, and adjudication, in the context of the debate between natural law theory, which affirms a necessary connection between law and morality, and legal positivism, which denies such connection. We will also explore philosophical and moral foundations of issues in constitutional, criminal, tort, and civil law, such as, rights, justice, freedom, compensation, intention, guilt, causation, harm, negligence, responsibility, and liability. Requirements: For Undergraduate students, there will be three short papers or take-home exams. As for Graduate Students, there will be two papers of about 15-25 pages. Also required are attendance, class participation, and a thorough reading of the assigned texts. All these requirements will be factored into the final grade. Texts: Readings in the Philosophy of Law, 4th edition, John Arthur & William H. Shaw, ISBN: 0-13-193151-2. |
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Phenomenology
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Course Content: This course will provide an in-depth study of the phenomenological movement in twentieth-century philosophy, from its origin in the thought of Edmund Husserl and his contemporaries, through such canonical thinkers as Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, to various contemporary developments. Scholars from the German, French, and English-language traditions will be studied. Requirements: Several short writing assignments, an in-class presentation (graduates) or written reports on secondary sources (undergraduates), and a substantial final paper (graduates) or final exam (undergraduates). Texts: The Phenomenology Reader, Tim Mooney and Dermot Moran, ISBN: 9780415224222. |
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Aristotle
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Course Content: Detailed examination of selected works of Aristotle, with some attention given to Aristotle's development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic and Platonic themes. Prerequisite: At least one of PHIL 31001-31020; or permission. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Philosophy of Expression
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Course Content: In connection with Taoism, the topics to be covered include the following: Requirements: Three papers. Texts: Awakening the Buddha, Lama Sura Das, ISBN: 0767901576. |
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Special Topics
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Course Content: Metaethics is the study of the nature and justification of moral judgments, as distinct from ethics, which aims to articulate principles, criteria, or alternative approaches to understanding and achieving goodness and right action. Metaethics studies the concepts, ontology, and modes of justification employed within ethics. Our course will divide into two parts: the epistemology of ethics, and the metaphysics of ethics. In the former, we will explore the extent to which, if at all, ethical judgments can be true or false, whether we can know true ethical statements, and the like. In the latter part, we will discuss what kinds of properties, if any, ethical judgments and beliefs refer to, and in virtue of which they might be true. The course will cover first the 20th century noncognitivists, such as Stevenson and Hare, and then explore the naturalist and rationalist responses to these thinkers. On the metaphysics side, we will look into moral subjectivists such as Mackie, and then delve into the realist responses to these views. Requirements: Two papers, class contribution, final exam. Texts: TBA |
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Course Content: Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Graduate Seminar
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Course Content: Confucianism is not just a philosophy, but historically has been, and still is a way of life for East-Asians. In this course we will inquire into the absence of essentialistic tendencies, the presence of process philosophy, and a pragmatic understanding of the dao (way) in Confucianism through an intensive reading of the Zhongyong (Focusing the Familiar), a Confucian primary-text. We will critically appreciate the significance Confucianism has for us living and philosophizing in the contemporary West through reading secondary sources on Confucianism. Requirements: TBA Texts: East and West: Fusion OF Horizons, Kwang-Sae Lee, ISBN: 9781931907330. |
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Metaethics
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Course Content: Metaethics is the study of the nature and justification of moral judgments, as distinct from ethics, which aims to articulate principles, criteria, or alternative approaches to understanding and achieving goodness and right action. Metaethics studies the concepts, ontology, and modes of justification employed within ethics. Our course will divide into two parts: the epistemology of ethics, and the metaphysics of ethics. In the former, we will explore the extent to which, if at all, ethical judgments can be true or false, whether we can know true ethical statements, and the like. In the latter part, we will discuss what kinds of properties, if any, ethical judgments and beliefs refer to, and in virtue of which they might be true. The course will cover first the 20th century noncognitivists, such as Stevenson and Hare, and then explore the naturalist and rationalist responses to these thinkers. On the metaphysics side, we will look into moral subjectivists such as Mackie, and then delve into the realist responses to these views. Requirements: Two papers, class contribution, final exam. Texts: TBA |
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College Teaching of Philosophy
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Course Content: Discussion, critique, and development of concepts to guide the teaching of philosophy including concepts of procedures and tactics for planning, pacing, presenting, representing, and reviewing philosophic texts, figures, and issues. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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Colloquium
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Course Content: Students, faculty, and invited guests participate in conference-like contexts to present and discuss issues of current philosophic interest. Repeated registration permitted. Requirements: TBA Texts: TBA |
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