Philosophy Courses

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  • PHIL 1 / Introduction to Philosophy (4) - view
    A probing of fundamental philosophical questions, such as: Are there rational grounds for the existence of God? Can the notion of God be reconciled with the presence of evil? How do we know what we know? What is a cause? Could there be disembodied thoughts? Is human behavior free or is it determined? Are there objective grounds for values? What makes a society just? What counts as a good explanation? The specific questions for extended study are selected by the instructor. Offered every semester. Fulfills: BH
  • PHIL 4 / Introduction to Ethics (4) - view
    An examination, both critical and historical, of moral theories that have shaped Western thought. Of central concern are questions about the criteria of moral goodness, the strictures of moral obligation, and the nature of justice. Some attention is given to the subjects of moral relativism, hedonism, and egoism. The theories of moral reasoning considered include those of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Cynics, the Epicureans, Hobbes, Kant, Bentham, and J. S. Mill. Offered every semester. Fulfills: BH
  • PHIL 13 / Introduction to Logic (4) - view
    A study of the principles and methods of correct reasoning. Emphasizes the analysis of arguments, informal fallacies, and elementary deductive logic. Offered annually. Same as: MATH 13. Fulfills: BH
  • PHIL 36 / History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (4) - view
    A survey of the history of philosophy from pre-Socratic Greek thought to medieval scholasticism. Particular attention is given to works of Plato and Aristotle. The views of pre-Socratics, Stoics, Epicureans, Augustine, and Aquinas are also discussed. Offered fall semester. Fulfills: BH
  • PHIL 38 / History of Modern Philosophy (4) - view
    A survey of European philosophical thought in the 17th and 18th centuries. Readings are largely in the areas of metaphysics and epistemology and include selections from the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Offered spring semester.
  • PHIL 104 / Problems of Ethics and Meta-Ethics (4) - view
    Critical discussions of issues in contemporary moral philosophy in the areas of applied ethics, normative ethics, and meta-ethics. At the most highly theoretical level are considerations about the meaning of moral terms that give rise to cognitive and noncognitive theories of ethics. At a more immediate level are problems of practical concern having to do with such issues as euthanasia, abortion, animal rights, and world hunger. Readings are from 20th-century philosophers, most of whom are alive today. Offered spring semester.
  • PHIL 113 / Analytic Philosophy (4) - view
    A seminar on influential work of 20th-century philosophers who developed and practiced methods of analysis. Discussions center on problems in the philosophy of language and on problems of epistemology concerning the grounds for our knowledge of the external world, of the past, and of ourselves and others. Readings are drawn from the works of Russell, Moore, Ayer, Ryle, Strawson, and Quine. Offered fall semester in even-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 111.
  • PHIL 114 / Existentialism (4) - view
    A study of the classics of, and major influences upon, existentialist thought. Authors emphasized are Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Camus, and Sartre. Some attention is given to Husserl's phenomenology and its influence outside philosophy proper. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 110.
  • PHIL 117 / History of 19th-Century Philosophy (4) - view
    A study of post-Kantian Continental philosophical systems from Hegel through Nietzsche. Other major figures studied are Fichte, Schopenhauer, Feuerbach, and Marx. Offered alternate years. Same as: HISTG 117.
  • PHIL 118 / Theory of Knowledge (4) - view
    A critical examination of the following topics: the problems of perception, of memory, and of necessary truth; the justification of empirical knowledge; and the issue between rationalism and empiricism. The readings are taken from primary sources, both classical and contemporary. Offered fall semester in even-numbered years.
  • PHIL 119 / Problems of Metaphysics (4) - view
    A critical examination of the following topics: the problem of time, of mind and body, of the self, of determinism and fatalism, and of the issue between idealism, materialism, and psychophysical dualism. The readings are taken from classical and contemporary primary sources. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 119.
  • PHIL 120 / Philosophy of Science (4) - view
    An emphasis on the theory of scientific explanation. Other topics include the logic of confirmation and of disconfirmation, the nature of scientific laws, and the marks of pseudo-science. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 121.
  • PHIL 122 / Philosophy of Mind (4) - view
    A study of the distinctive nature of self and mind. Topics covered are behaviorism, identity materialism, dualism, the problems of personal identity and of individuation. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
  • PHIL 128 / Philosophy of Religion (4) - view
    An exploration of whether or not belief in the existence of God is rational. Arguments are considered based on the origin of the universe, the problem of evil, the nature and variety of religious experience, the phenomenon of morality, and the ethics of belief. Offered fall semester in odd-numbered years.
  • PHIL 130 / Philosophy of Law (4) - view
    A critical appraisal of various theories of law: the theory of natural law, legal positivism, legal realism, and the recent critical legal studies movement. An investigation of the limits of the authority of society over the individual, including the issues of paternalism and privacy. A study of different theories of punishment and the scope of responsibility for criminal behavior. Offered in alternate years. Same as: PSCI 130.
  • PHIL 134 / Aesthetics (4) - view
    A study of a variety of questions centered upon philosophical aspects of art. Of primary concern are the notions of beauty, formalism, emotivism, criticism, expression, creation, and evaluation. Throughout, careful attention is paid to specific works of art as they serve to illuminate philosophical concerns. Offered alternate years. Same as: ARTHST 42.
  • PHIL 135 / Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (4) - view
    A seminar on issues at the center of philosophical controversy today, such as the controversy over free will and determinism, the possibility of artificial intelligence, and the Gettier problem. Discussions range over epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language. Readings are selected from works written in the second half of the 20th century by philosophers such as Ayer, Foot, Strawson, Frankfurt, Putnam, Boden, Searle, Gettier, Chisholm, and Nagel. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 136.
  • PHIL 144 / Environmental Aesthetics (4) - view
    An exploration of questions centered at the intersection of aesthetics and environmental philosophy. Of primary concern are the relation between the aesthetic appreciation of nature and the aesthetic appreciation of art; the roles played by scientific knowledge, emotional engagement and imagination in the aesthetic appreciation of nature; the thesis that all of wild nature has positive value; and the theoretical role aesthetic considerations play in the rationale behind environmental conservation. Offered in alternate years. Same as: ESS 144.
  • PHIL 145 / Selected Topics in Philosophy (4) - view
    Topics in philosophy, varying from term to term as the department may direct. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Offered annually.
  • PHIL 151 / Symbolic Logic (4) - view
    An introduction to the propositional and predicate calculus, notions of proof, model, consistency, and truth; the Deduction, Compactness, and First Incompleteness Theorems and philosophical ramifications. Meets: 150 minutes weekly. Prerequisite: May differ between the 2 departments. Same as: MATH 151.
  • PHIL 152 / Philosophy of Language (4) - view
    A seminar on problems of meaning, truth, and reference. Discussions focus on some of the following topics: the nature of names and descriptions, identity statements and their analysis, necessary truths, the semantic theory of truth, the thesis of the interdeterminacy of translation, and the problem of propositional attitudes. Readings include selections from Frege, Russell, Strawson, Quine, Tarski, Austin, Searle, Wittgenstein, and Kripke. Offered fall semester in odd-numbered years. Same as: HISTG 152.
  • PHIL 153 / Seminar in the History of Philosophy (4) - view
    A seminar centered on the study of a major historical figure, such as Plato, Aristotle, or Kant, or an influential movement, such as pragmatism, logical positivism, or process philosophy. Topic determined each year. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Offered annually. Same as: HISTG 153.
  • PHIL 156 / Independent Study in Philosophy (4) - view
    A tutorial investigating a topic not covered in the regular curriculum. Weekly meetings. Several short papers and a longer term paper. Open to junior and senior philosophy majors at the discretion of the department and the proposed instructor. Required for registration: Departmental approval of the student's written proposal. May be repeated for credit. Signature of instructor required for registration. Offered every semester.