Philosophy

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The Major

Philosophy courses are divided into three general subject areas: survey (PHIL 100-49), history (PHIL 200-99), and area (PHIL 100 and above). Survey courses introduce students to a broad range of philosophical problems and techniques and are appropriate for beginning philosophy students. Courses in the history of philosophy focus on issues of perennial philosophical concern in the context of specific historical eras, emphasizing the examination of original sources of the period. Area courses focus on relatively restricted areas of philosophy, allowing for greater depth in the investigation of selected topics and techniques.

Requirements

Philosophy majors must complete 10 courses. These include one logic course (PHIL 130 or 350), two ethics courses (PHIL 120 and an ethics course numbered 100 or above), two epistemology/metaphysics courses (PHIL 100 and an epistemology/metaphysics course numbered 100 or above), two history of philosophy courses (PHIL 220 and one other course numbered 200-99), the Senior Seminar (PHIL 461), one other course numbered 100 or above, and one elective, which may be any philosophy course, or GOVT 310, 314, or 400, or HIST 314, or REL 125.

The Minor

The minor in philosophy consists of 24 credits. Courses taken to fulfill the minor are negotiated with the Philosophy Department. Students electing to minor in philosophy should consult an advisor in the department.

Course Descriptions (PHIL)

100 Introduction to Philosophy.

Fall (4), Spring (4). An introduction to substantive issues in philosophy through examination of historical and contemporary sources. This course is designed to provide a survey of topics in various areas, including ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.

120 Ethics and Social Philosophy.

Fall (4), Spring (4). An examination of competing ethical and social-political theories in the context of current ethical controversies.

125 Animals, Humans, and Morals.

Interim (3). An examination of ethical implications of relationships between humans and animals. Do animals have rights? What are our obligations to animals? Topics include intensive farming, research use of animals, hunting, pets, and use of animals for clothing, cosmetics, and sports. Not regularly offered.

130 Reasoning and Logic.

Fall (4) or Spring (4). A practical introduction to logic and critical thinking, with emphasis on developing the student's ability to detect fallacious arguments and construct sound ones in a variety of practical contexts.

145 American Philosophy.

Spring (4). A study of classic texts in American philosophy. Readings selected from the writings of Peirce, Royce, James, Dewey, Santayana, and appropriate 20th-century thinkers. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission. Offered as needed.

150 Philosophy of Religion.

Spring (4). An examination of selected issues surrounding religious beliefs and practices: arguments for and against God's existence, the relationship of faith and reason, the relationship of religion and ethics. Readings from classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: one history of philosophy course or permission. Offered as needed.

200 Greek Philosophy.

Fall (4). A study of original texts in Greek philosophy: the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Acquaints students with philosophers who began the Western intellectual tradition. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission. Offered in alternate years.

210 Medieval Philosophy.

Spring (4). A study of original texts from medieval philosophy: Augustine, Aquinas, Anselm, Abelard, Bonaventure, Scotus, and Ockham. Emphasis on the place philosophy occupied in medieval culture and especially its relations to religious faith. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission. Offered in alternate years.

220 17th- and 18th-Century Philosophy.

Fall (4) or Spring (4). A study of the works of major philosophers selected from the modern period (1600-1780). Readings selected from writings of Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Leibniz, Spinoza, Berkeley, and Hume. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission.

230 19th-Century Philosophy.

Spring (4). A study of major thinkers in the period from 1780 to 1850. Primary focus on Kant and Hegel, with readings from original sources. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission.

240 Existentialism and Phenomenology.

Fall (4) or Spring (4). An examination of original texts in existential and phenomenological traditions, exploring distinctiveness and interrelation. Readings selected from Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Levinas. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission.

250 20th-Century Philosophy.

Fall (4). Examination of original texts in continental and Anglo-American traditions, exploring common origins and current convergence. Readings selected from Brentano, Meinong, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, Austin, Carnap, Ayer, Ryle, and Quine. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission.

300 Epistemology.

Spring (4). Examination of traditional and contemporary problems in the theory of knowledge: the challenge of skepticism; role of belief, truth, and certainty; whether there are different kinds of knowing. Prerequisite: history of philosophy course or permission. Offered in alternate years: 97S.

310 Philosophy and Feminism.

Interim (3) or Spring (4). Examines conceptual and moral issues surrounding sexual equality: sexism and its relation to other forms of oppression; the notion of male and female natures; friendship, love, marriage, and the family; moral analyses of rape, abortion, and preferential treatment. Classical and contemporary readings from philosophy, the social sciences, and political documents. Prerequisite: one history of philosophy course or permission. Offered in alternate years: 96I.

320 Ethical, Legal, and Political Theory.

Spring (4). Examines selected problems concerning law, society, and morality. Topics include legal paternalism, legal moralism, the ethics of criminal punishment, political obligation, civil disobedience, and justification of the state. Readings from classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: PHIL 120, GOVT 310, 314, or permission. Offered in alternate years: 95F.

330 Ethics and the Environment.

(4). Examination of ethical issues about the environment. Fundamental questions about moral status (Do animals have rights?), public policy issues (Should we preserve endangered species?), and questions of personal morality (Is it wrong to have children?). Traditional anthropocentrism and individualism contrasted with alternatives such as the land ethic and ecofeminism. Prerequisite: PHIL 120 or permission. Offered in alternate years: 96S.

340 Philosophical Psychology.

Interim (3) or Spring (4). A seminar examining selected topics in the philosophy of mind, emphasizing contemporary sources. Topics include the mind-body problem, privacy and the problem of other minds, self-deception, artificial intelligence, personal identity, and analysis of such concepts as memory, emotion, action, belief, and dreaming. Prerequisite: one history of philosophy course or permission. Offered in alternate years: 95F.

350 Symbolic Logic.

Fall (2-4). A study of increasingly complex systems of deductive logic. Topics include sentential logic and predicate logic. Prerequisite: either one course in philosophy, MATH 121 or above, or permission. Offered in alternate years.

460 Seminar in Selected Topics or Figures.

Fall (3-4), Spring (3-4). Examination of a particular philosopher, movement in philosophy, or specialized topic chosen to reflect student interest and staff availability. Prerequisite: one history of philosophy course or permission. Offered as needed.

461 Senior Research Seminar in Philosophy.

Fall (2), Spring (2). The Senior Seminar involves weekly class meetings in the fall, attendance at scheduled philosophy colloquia and subsequent discussions in both Fall and Spring semesters, and completion and presentation of a senior research project in the spring. Project topics are negotiated with the instructor and may be interdisciplinary. Prerequisites: declared philosophy major (or double major) and senior standing. Offered as needed.




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