Undergraduate Courses
11001 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
An introduction to the diverse methods and subject matters in philosophy. Topics may include: What are the arguments for the existence of God? Do humans have free will? Can we know anything with certainty, and how do we know anything at all? Is what we see real, or might it be only an illusion? What makes a person a person - their mind, or their physical attributes? Is the mind the brain, or is it something else? This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts Requirement. This course may be used to satisfy the University Global Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: None. | top
11009 Critical Thinking (3)
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. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core. Prerequisites: None. | top
21001 Introduction to Ethics (3)
This course considers what constitutes ethics, not just which specific acts or act-kinds are ethical, using at least three primary sources from varied ethical traditions. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core. This course may be used to satisfy the University Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: None. | top
21002 Introduction to Formal Logic (3)
Techniques of formal logic, traditional and contemporary. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core. Prerequisites: MATH 00022 with a minimum C grade or minimum 22 ACT mathematics score or minimum 520 SAT mathematics score or minimum 35 ALEKS placement exam score. | top
30015 Medicine and Morality (3)
A philosophical exploration of at least three issues related to current medical practices, which may include ethical, religious, legal and clinical aspects. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy or junior standing. | top
30025 Environmental Ethics (3)
A philosophical examination of ethical issues in environmental studies, including topics such as: animal ethics and the sources of our food; the value of nature and environmental aesthetics; sustainability and biodiversity; ecofeminism, social justice and radical ecology; and the human response to climate change. The course is designed to complement fields of study such as geography, environmental studies and biology. Prerequisites: None. | top
31001 Ancient Greek Philosophy (3)
Examination of issues of Greek thought from its inception through Plato and Aristotle. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31002 Medieval Philosophy (3)
Examination of issues in medieval thought: for instance, the existence and nature of God and the problem of universals. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31003 Continental Rationalism (3)
Selections from Rationalists; for instance, Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31004 British Empiricism (3)
Selections from British Empiricists such as Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. The empiricists believed that reality was best understood using sensory evidence and observational methods. What do these human investigations tell us about the nature of properties, existence, and causation? This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31005 German Critical Philosophy (3)
Selections from philosophers such as Kant, Fichte, and others who began the movement known as German idealism. These thinkers emphasized a turn towards mind as constructing the world as it appears to us. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31006 Nineteenth Century Philosophy (3)
Nineteenth-century philosophy is primarily a response to German Idealism. Questions in social and political philosophy, as well as in metaphysics and epistemology, are considered in the works of philosophers such as Hegel, Fichte, Schelling, Schopenhauer, Marx, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31010 Twentieth Century Philosophy (3)
Selections from representatives of the most influential schools of thought within twentieth-century philosophy; for example, existentialists such as Sartre, pragmatists such as Dewey, logical positivists such as Carnap, phenomenologists such as Heidegger, and post-structuralists such as Derrida. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31020 American Philosophy (3)
Selection from principal American philosophers from colonial times to present, such as Emerson, Peirce, William James, Dewey, Quine and Martin Luther King. American philosophy reflects the historic values of liberty, enterprise, industry, practicality, and diversity interwoven in the fabric of American life. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course graduation requirement with approval of major department. Prerequisites: At least one of PHIL 11009, 21002, 41038; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. | top
31030 Existentialism (3)
Examination of the themes of existentialism, which include absurdity, freedom, and the individual's relationship to the world. Philosophers studied may include Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, de Beauvoir, Ortega y Gasset, Marcel, and Tillich. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31035 Philosophy and Justice (3)
Consideration of topics and issues relevant to the concept of justice, as addressed by a range of classical and contemporary philosophers. Topics may include the nature of justice from feminist, libertarian, liberal, socialist, communitarian, egalitarian, and social welfare perspectives; and the application of these perspectives to practical issues such as affirmative action, democracy, equal pay, environmental justice, just war, criminal justice, civil disobedience, tort law and poverty. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. This course may be used to satisfy the University Domestic Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31040 Women and Philosophy (3)
This course philosophically investigates topics, ideas, and events that are relevant to the study of women’s issues and gender theory. Topics may include the ways in which the history of philosophy has shaped our understanding of the role of women in society and gender more broadly; the ways in which women philosophers have shaped questions and issues regarding gender and their own treatment; and philosophical approaches to the ways that gender issues are manifest in contemporary society, such as pay inequality, rape culture, childcare and parenting, sexuality, and what it means to be a woman. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. This course may be used to satisfy the University Domestic Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31060 Philosophy of Art and Beauty (3)
Investigation of concepts such as the artistic object and creative expression, and examination and critique of a range of theories designed to solve various problems in the field of aesthetics, or the study of the nature and principles of artistic beauty. Examples drawn from diverse genres such as the visual arts, drama, music, and dance provide the context for discussion of topics including what makes something beautiful and what is involved in an act of creativity. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31070 African and African-American Philosophies (3)
(Cross-listed with PAS 30010) Exploration of philosophical issues in African and African-American or Black thoughts systems. Topics may include the examination of the issue of the existence of a Black philosophy, the nature of traditional African knowledge, beliefs about personhood, the basis and rationality of witchcraft or other metaphysical beliefs, communalism, the nature of Black moral and aesthetic values, and contemporary analysis of race, racism, slavery, civil rights, pan-Africanism, and criticisms of colonialism, Black development, democratic governance and social policies regarding Blacks. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. This course may be used to satisfy the University Domestic Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31072 American Indian Philosophies (3)
Examination of philosophical issues and themes in American Indian world views with attention given to the reflections of contemporary native scholars. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. This course may be used to satisfy the University Domestic Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31075 Philosophy and Multiculturalism (3)
Philosophical examination of various approaches to multiculturalism, in terms of definitions, justifications, and relevant alternative views regarding the scope and nature of multiculturalism. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. This course may be used to satisfy the University Global Diversity Requirement. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
31080 Intro to the History and Philosophy of Science (3)
An introduction to the study of science as a social, cultural, and historical phenomenon with an emphasis on the history of science since 1500 and the major philosophical approaches to science developed in the twentieth century. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
32091 SEM: Reflections on Humanity (3)
(Repeated registration permitted with departmental approval.) Junior-level seminar with variable topics of philosophical interest. Please check the departmental website or contact the professor regarding each semester’s topic. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
40005 Health Care Ethics (3)
Ethical problems in health care critically assessed, and consideration of how these specific ethical problems illuminate the ethical enterprise. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
40093 Variable Title Workshop in Philosophy (1-6)
(Repeated registration permitted with departmental approval. S/U grading.) Senior-level workshopp with variable topics of philosophical interest. Please check the departmental website or contact the professor regarding each semester’s topic. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
41010 Problems in the Philosophy of Religion (3)
Philosophical examination of issues and problems presented by various writers in philosophy of religion. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41020 Social and Political Philosophy (3)
Critical examination of classical and contemporary philosophical theories of the nature of society, and the state as political system that best represents a well-organized society. Topics may include the nature, existence, and justification of the state, the issue of political obligation, theories of anarchism, utopia, democracy, liberalism, communitarianism, citizenship, and patriotism, and examination of the nature of the social and political values or notions of rights, equality, and liberty. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41025 Philosophy of Law (3)
Critical examination of the nature, features, foundation, and function of law. Topics may include the debate between natural law theory and legal positivism, with respect to whether law and moral are necessarily connected, as well as the nature of judicial decision, constitution interpretation, the basis and elements of criminal, civil law (contract, tort) law, the grounds for obeying or disobeying bad laws, and analysis of some supreme court cases which raise philosophical issues about the nature and function of law. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41030 Ethical Theory (3)
In this course, students will explore developments in the dominant normative theories of 20th and 21st century Anglo-American ethics, including consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, ethics of care, and varieties of contract theory. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41035 Philosophy of Science (3)
What is science? What are its distinctive aims and methods, and how do they bolster the epistemic authority of scientific theories? Do sociological, historical, and cultural factors play a major role in the advancement of scientific thought? These questions, and others like them, define the philosophy of science – a branch of philosophy that deals with the metaphysical, epistemological, and normative issues that arise in the study of scientific practice. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41036 Philosophy of Cognitive Science (3)
In this course, students focus on issues at the interface of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and artificial intelligence. These fields, which comprise contemporary cognitive science, present the philosopher with an opportunity to clarify foundational concepts, such as computation, innateness, language, perception, and learning. Ultimately, the goal of the course is to understand various proposals about how neural computation could amount to human intelligence and consciousness. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41037 Renaissance and Early Modern Phil. and Science (3)
An investigation of the work of the most important European philosophers of the 15th-17th centuries, with a particular emphasis on the interrelation between philosophy and science in their thought, and on the influence of Greek philosophy on the intellectual life of the time. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41038 Intermediate Logic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 41038 and MATH 41038 and MATH 51038) A detailed, systematic study of symbolic logic for philosophy majors, mathematics majors, computer science majors, and anyone else interested in advanced study in logic. The aim of the course is twofold: first, to develop a facility in understanding and using symbolic logic for various purposes, and second, to understand and appreciate symbolic logic as an area of study in itself. Topics include the distinction between syntactic, object-level proofs and semantic, meta-level proofs, the distinction between axiomatic systems and natural deduction systems of object-level proofs, various systems of modal logic, and some non-classical logics. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy (PHIL). Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. | top
41040 Epistemology (3)
What is the difference between merely believing something to be the case and knowing it to be the case? In this course students examine various theories designed to answer this question and evaluate their respective strengths and weaknesses. The course will cover the Gettier problem that questions the traditional definition of knowledge as justified true belief, the debate between foundationalism and coherentism, the debate between internalism and externalism about justification, naturalized epistemology, and virtue epistemology. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41042 Metaphysics (3)
Covers several topics in contemporary analytic metaphysics. Topics may include existence, identity, things and their persistence over time, the nature of modalities and possible worlds, and the relationship between material parts and wholes. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41045 Metalogic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 41045 and CS 51045 and MATH 41045 and MATH 51045) A detailed, systematic study of metalogic for philosophy majors, mathematics majors, computer science majors, and anyone else interested in advanced study in logic. Topics include the soundness and completeness of the propositional and predicate calculi, the decidablility of propositional calculus, the undecidability of predicate calculus, Gödel’s incompleteness proof for languages capable of expressing arithmetic, the co-extensionality of the set of general recursive functions, abacus computable functions, and Turing computable functions, and the philosophical motivations for the Church-Turing Thesis that all computable functions are Turing computable. Prerequisites: PHIL 41038. | top
41048 Metaethics (3)
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 examines the concepts, ontology, psychology, and modes of justification employed within ethics. This course will explore recent developments about such questions as: which, if any, ethical judgments can be true or false; whether we can know true ethical statements; and to what kinds of properties, if any, ethical judgments and beliefs refer. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41050 Analytic Philosophy (3)
Focuses on the history and continued evolution of analytic philosophy. Readings include works by philosophers such as Frege, Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, Schlick, Carnap, Ryle, Austin, Strawson, Grice, Quine, Davidson, Kripke, Putnam, and others. The aim of the course is (i) to understand the theses and themes that commonly arise in analytic philosophy, their philosophical motivations, and the problems they face, and (ii) to become familiar with the methodologies used by analytic philosophers including (but not limited to) logical analysis, appeals to ordinary language, the use of thought experiments, and the use of possible world semantics. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41055 Phenomenology (3)
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. Substantial time is also devoted to considering applications of phenomenology to various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. This is in keeping with the overall focus in this seminar on phenomenology not only as a philosophical school, but also as a methodology with broad and diverse applications. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41060 Pragmatism (3)
Detailed reading from classical American pragmatists along with some attention to later interpretations and explorations of current re-appraisals and developments. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41065 Plato (3)
Detailed examination of selected Platonic dialogues, with some attention to Plato's development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic (and Socratic) themes. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41070 Aristotle (3)
Detailed examination of selected works of Aristotle, with some attention given to Aristotle's development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic and Platonic themes. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41076 Continental Philosophy (3)
Investigation of some figure, issue, or theme in continental philosophy from Descartes to present. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41080 Philosophy and Art in the Modern Age (3)
Exploring, with emphasis on the modern age, philosophical conceptions of art in their interplays with, especially, practicing artists' attitudes toward theory. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41091 Seminar in World Philosophy (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions outside the Western canon. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41491 Seminar in Asian Philosophy (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions in Asian philosophy. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
41591 Seminar in the History of Ethics (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions in the history of ethics. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: PHIL 31001, PHIL 31002, PHIL 31003, PHIL 31004, PHIL 31005, PHIL 31006, PHIL 31010 or PHIL 31020. | top
49995 Special Topics (2-3)
(Repeatable when content varies) Prerequisites: Departmental permission. | top
49996 Individual Investigation (1-3)
(Repeatable for credit with departmental approval. IP grade permissible.) Prerequisites: Departmental permission. | top
49999 Senior Honors Project (2-3)
(Repeated registration permitted with departmental approval prior to registration) Thesis or other independent study or creative project. Prerequisites: Departmental permission. | top
Graduate Courses
50005 Health Care Ethics (3)
Ethical problems in health care critically assessed, and consideration of how these specific ethical problems illuminate the ethical enterprise. Students with junior standing or above, who have not taken a Philosophy (PHIL) course, should contact the department for a prerequisite override. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
50093 Variable Title Workshop in Philosophy (1-6)
(Repeated registration permitted with departmental approval. S/U grading.) Senior-level workshopp with variable topics of philosophical interest. Please check the departmental website or contact the professor regarding each semester’s topic. Prerequisites: Instructor permission. | top
51010 Problems in the Philosophy of Religion (3)
Philosophical examination of issues and problems presented by various writers in philosophy of religion. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51020 Social and Political Philosophy (3)
Critical examination of classical and contemporary philosophical theories of the nature of society, and the state as political system that best represents a well-organized society. Topics may include the nature, existence, and justification of the state, the issue of political obligation, theories of anarchism, utopia, democracy, liberalism, communitarianism, citizenship, and patriotism, and examination of the nature of the social and political values or notions of rights, equality, and liberty. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51025 Philosophy of Law (3)
Critical examination of the nature, features, foundation, and function of law. Topics may include the debate between natural law theory and legal positivism, with respect to whether law and moral are necessarily connected, as well as the nature of judicial decision, constitution interpretation, the basis and elements of criminal, civil law (contract, tort) law, the grounds for obeying or disobeying bad laws, and analysis of some supreme court cases which raise philosophical issues about the nature and function of law. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51030 Ethical Theory (3)
In this course, students will explore developments in the dominant normative theories of 20th and 21st century Anglo-American ethics, including consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, ethics of care, and varieties of contract theory. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51035 Philosophy of Science (3)
What is science? What are its distinctive aims and methods, and how do they bolster the epistemic authority of scientific theories? Do sociological, historical, and cultural factors play a major role in the advancement of scientific thought? These questions, and others like them, define the philosophy of science – a branch of philosophy that deals with the metaphysical, epistemological, and normative issues that arise in the study of scientific practice. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51036 Philosophy of Cognitive Science (3)
In this course, students focus on issues at the interface of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and artificial intelligence. These fields, which comprise contemporary cognitive science, present the philosopher with an opportunity to clarify foundational concepts, such as computation, innateness, language, perception, and learning. Ultimately, the goal of the course is to understand various proposals about how neural computation could amount to human intelligence and consciousness. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51037 Renaissance and Early Modern Phil. and Science (3)
An investigation of the work of the most important European philosophers of the 15th-17th centuries, with a particular emphasis on the interrelation between philosophy and science in their thought, and on the influence of Greek philosophy on the intellectual life of the time. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51038 Intermediate Logic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 41038 and MATH 41038 and MATH 51038) A detailed, systematic study of symbolic logic for philosophy majors, mathematics majors, computer science majors, and anyone else interested in advanced study in logic. The aim of the course is twofold: first, to develop a facility in understanding and using symbolic logic for various purposes, and second, to understand and appreciate symbolic logic as an area of study in itself. Topics include the distinction between syntactic, object-level proofs and semantic, meta-level proofs, the distinction between axiomatic systems and natural deduction systems of object-level proofs, various systems of modal logic, and some non-classical logics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51040 Epistemology (3)
What is the difference between merely believing something to be the case and knowing it to be the case? In this course students examine various theories designed to answer this question and evaluate their respective strengths and weaknesses. The course will cover the Gettier problem that questions the traditional definition of knowledge as justified true belief, the debate between foundationalism and coherentism, the debate between internalism and externalism about justification, naturalized epistemology, and virtue epistemology. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51042 Metaphysics (3)
Covers several topics in contemporary analytic metaphysics. Topics may include existence, identity, things and their persistence over time, the nature of modalities and possible worlds, and the relationship between material parts and wholes. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51045 Metalogic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 41045 and CS 51045 and MATH 41045 and MATH 51045) A detailed, systematic study of metalogic for philosophy majors, mathematics majors, computer science majors, and anyone else interested in advanced study in logic. Topics include the soundness and completeness of the propositional and predicate calculi, the decidablility of propositional calculus, the undecidability of predicate calculus, Gödel’s incompleteness proof for languages capable of expressing arithmetic, the co-extensionality of the set of general recursive functions, abacus computable functions, and Turing computable functions, and the philosophical motivations for the Church-Turing Thesis that all computable functions are Turing computable. Prerequisites: PHIL 51038. | top
51048 Metaethics (3)
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 examines the concepts, ontology, psychology, and modes of justification employed within ethics. This course will explore recent developments about such questions as: which, if any, ethical judgments can be true or false; whether we can know true ethical statements; and to what kinds of properties, if any, ethical judgments and beliefs refer. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51050 Analytic Philosophy (3)
Focuses on the history and continued evolution of analytic philosophy. Readings include works by philosophers such as Frege, Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, Schlick, Carnap, Ryle, Austin, Strawson, Grice, Quine, Davidson, Kripke, Putnam, and others. The aim of the course is (i) to understand the theses and themes that commonly arise in analytic philosophy, their philosophical motivations, and the problems they face, and (ii) to become familiar with the methodologies used by analytic philosophers including (but not limited to) logical analysis, appeals to ordinary language, the use of thought experiments, and the use of possible world semantics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51055 Phenomenology (3)
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. Substantial time is also devoted to considering applications of phenomenology to various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. This is in keeping with the overall focus in this seminar on phenomenology not only as a philosophical school, but also as a methodology with broad and diverse applications. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51060 Pragmatism (3)
Detailed reading from classical American pragmatists along with some attention to later interpretations and explorations of current re-appraisals and developments. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51065 Plato (3)
Detailed examination of selected Platonic dialogues, with some attention to Plato's development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic (and Socratic) themes. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51070 Aristotle (3)
Detailed examination of selected works of Aristotle, with some attention given to Aristotle's development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic and Platonic themes. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51076 Continental Philosophy (3)
Investigation of some figure, issue, or theme in continental philosophy from Descartes to present. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51080 Philosophy and Art in the Modern Age (3)
Exploring, with emphasis on the modern age, philosophical conceptions of art in their interplays with, especially, practicing artists' attitudes toward theory. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51091 Seminar in World Philosophy (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions outside the Western canon. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51491 Seminar in Asian Philosophy (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions in Asian philosophy. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
51591 Seminar in the History of Ethics (3)
(Repeatable a maximum of 2 times) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues from traditions in the history of ethics. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
59995 Special Topics (3)
(Repeatable when content varies) Prerequisites: Departmental permission and graduate standing. | top
59996 Individual Investigation (1-3)
(Repeatable for credit with departmental approval prior to registration) Prerequisites: Departmental permission and graduate standing. | top
60191 Graduate Seminar (3)
(Repeatable for credit) Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more philosophical figures or one or more philosophical issues. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
60201 Seminar: History of Philosophy (3)
Intensive primary-source reading and critical appreciation of the significant works of one or more historical philosophers (other than Plato and Aristotle) or one or more historical philosophical issues. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
61000 Responsible Conduct of Research (1)
(Cross-listed with BMS 61000 and BMS 71000) Introduction into professional and ethical conduct of research. Topics include codes and laws governing research, identification of scientific misconduct, plagiarism, authorship and intellectual properties, ethical animal and human research. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
61050 Philosophy of Language (3)
Critical examination of nature and function of language, especially in relation to mental function and development. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
61055 Semiotics (3)
(Cross-listed with MCLS 60020) An introduction to contemporary theories of semeiotics and to the application of those theories to linguistics, literature, translation, and technology. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
61056 Hermeneutics (3)
Critical appreciation of the theories and practices of interpretation comprehended according to certain classical, current, and emergent philosophic styles and traditions. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
69194 College Teaching of Philosophy (1)
(Repeatable for credit) 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. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
69198 First Year Paper (1)
Research paper for graduate students conducted under direction of the advisory group. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
69199 Thesis I (2-6)
(IP grade permissible) Thesis students must register for a total of 6 hours, 2 to 6 hours in a single semester, distributed over several semesters if desired. Prerequisites: Departmental permission and graduate standing. | top
69299 Thesis II (2)
(Repeatable for credit. IP grade permissible) Thesis students must continue registration each semester until all degree requirements are met. Prerequisites: PHIL 69199 and graduate standing. | top
69995 Special Topics (3)
(Repeatable for credit) Selected topics in philosophy. Prerequisites: Departmental permission and graduate standing. | top
69997 Colloquium (1)
(Repeatable for credit) Students, faculty, and invited guests participate in conference-like contexts to present and discuss issues of current philosophic interest. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. | top
69998 Research (1-15)
(Repeatable for credit) Research or individual investigation for master's level graduate students. Credits earned may be applied toward meeting degree requirements. Prerequisites: Departmental permission and graduate standing. | top