Philosophy (PHIL)
Chair: Professor Roy O. Elveton
Professors: Roy O. Elveton, Gary H. Iseminger, Dale Jamieson, Perry C. Mason
Associate Professor: David J. MacCallum
Assistant Professors: Jennifer C. Manion, Anna Moltchanova
Visiting Assistant Professor: Ronald Loeffler
Prerequisites for Courses in Philosophy:
For courses numbered 100-210: none.
For courses numbered 211 through 299: six credits in philosophy (not including credits earned in Integrated General Studies or First-year Seminars) or permission of the instructor.
For courses numbered 300 through 400: twelve credits in philosophy (not including credits earned in Integrated General Studies or First-year Seminars) or permission of the instructor.
Requirements for a Major:
Sixty-nine credits in philosophy, including Philosophy 110, 111, or 112 (6 credits); 210, 211, 212, and 213 (24 credits); 270, 272, 274, or 276 (6 credits); 298, 395, 399, and 400 (21 credits); and two other courses numbered 220 or above (12 credits).
Philosophy Courses
PHIL 110. Arguing About Politics This course introduces students to several classic texts in the history of political thought and provides them with an opportunity to interpret these texts critically by concentrating on argument analysis. Students will also learn to construct and effectively communicate their own arguments about foundational issues in politics. We will discuss justifications of democracy, the challenge of diverse citizenship, the role of deliberation in politics and related questions. We will read works by Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Locke, de Tocqueville, Mill as well as some contemporary political theorists. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 110. Knowledge and Mind: Cartesian Meditations The first part of the course will be devoted to an intensive study of Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), one of the seminal documents of "modern" philosophy. The second part of the course will consider recent discussions of two of the main items on the agenda that this work established for subsequent philosophers: foundationalism and the search for certainty in epistemology and dualism in the philosophy of mind. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—G. Iseminger
PHIL 110. Virtue and Vice Instead of thinking primarily about duties and rights and thus about right and wrong actions, many moral philosophers have focused on the question of moral character, asking which character traits make one a good person or a bad one, where those traits are spoken of, respectively, as virtues and vices. The class will begin by dealing at length with Aristotle's account of character and virtue and then will consider several contemporary variations on that theme, all by way of critically formulating our own accounts of virtue and vice as such and of several particular virtues and vices. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—P. Mason
PHIL 110. Minds, Genes, and Quanta: Computations in Nature Students will be introduced to philosophy by investigating important recent claims that minds, genes and quanta are computers. Our philosophical focus will be on topics such as the difference between abstract and concrete objects, the role of experience in knowledge, and the relation of necessity to contingency. While our primary goal is to understand current developments, we will base that understanding on material from the ancient Greeks, the scientific revolution and its aftermath, the 20th century, and some recent criticisms of mainstream views. The course is self contained, presupposing no background in philosophy, mathematics or science. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—D. MacCallum
PHIL 110. Introduction to Philosophy An introduction to philosophical thinking through intensive reading of primary philosophical sources and careful discussion and writing about them and the philosophical issues they raise. Each section (1) focuses on one fundamental area of philosophy while making connections with another such area, (2) involves the study of both historical and contemporary texts, and (3) pays some attention to issues of race and/or gender as they bear on the subject matter of the section. All sections follow a discussion format and require several brief papers. There are no prerequisites. The following sections will be offered in 2003-2004. Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 110. Mind, Matter and Consciousness Many people outside academia, among them most people with religious convictions, assume that body and mind are separate entities. They assume that body and mind interact causally, but are nevertheless numerically distinct; even if the body dies, the mind survives. Yet this view ("Substance Dualism") is widely rejected among contemporary philosophers of mind and cognitive psychologists. In this class we will examine a number of classical and contemporary arguments in favor of, or against, mind-body dualism. And we will study alternative ways of conceiving of the relation between mind and body, in particular various types of identity theories. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall,Winter—R. Loeffler
PHIL 111. Introduction to Western Philosophy I: Ancient and Medieval A study of the history of Western philosophy from its beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages. The course is a series of lectures on the historical/cultural contexts of major philosophical positions, the interrelations among the central questions on which these positions focus, and the positions' relationships to today's philosophical discussions. Philosophers such as Heraclitus, Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas will be considered, and extensive selections from their writings will be read. May be taken independently of Philosophy 112. No prerequisites. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 112. Introduction to Western Philosophy II: Modern and Contemporary A study of the history of Western philosophy from the Renaissance to the present day. The course is a series of lectures on the historical/cultural contexts of modern philosophical positions, the interrelations among the central questions on which these positions focus, and the positions' relationships to today's philosophical discussions. Emphasis is given to the ways in which modern philosophy has sought to either extend, modify, or critique the philosophical tradition it inherits. Philosophers such as Descartes, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, James, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Rawls, and Habermas will be considered, and extensive selections from their writings will be read. May be taken independently of Philosophy 111. No prerequisites. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—R. Elveton
PHIL 210. Logic A topical and issue-centered introduction to logic, considering both historical and contemporary developments. Topics will include propositional logic, predicate logic, the relation of logic to natural languages, arguments and their analysis, and informal reasoning. No prerequisites. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall—D. MacCallum
PHIL 211. Metaphysics A topical and issue-centered introduction to metaphysics, considering both historical and contemporary developments. Topics may include substance, essence, and accident; being and becoming; appearance and reality; universals and other abstract entities; and the mental and the physical. Prerequisite: any section of Philosophy 110, 111, or 112. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Loeffler
PHIL 212. Epistemology A topical and issue-centered introduction to epistemology, considering both historical and contemporary developments. Topics may include foundationalism and scepticism, the a priori and the empirical, justification and reliability, naturalized epistemology, and normativity. Prerequisite: any section of Philosophy 110, 111, or 112. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—G. Iseminger
PHIL 213. Ethics A topical and issue-centered introduction to ethics, considering both historical and contemporary developments. Topics may include utilitarianism, pragmatism, virtue theory, Kantianism, contractualism, subjectivism, intuitionism, emotivism, relativism, moral skepticism, moral justification, the objectivity of values, normative ethics, metaethics, and feminist approaches to moral theory. Prerequisite: any section of Philosophy 110, 111, or 112. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—D. Jamieson
PHIL 220. Philosophy of Law This course provides students with an opportunity to engage actively in a discussion of theoretical questions about law. We will consider the nature of law as it is presented by the natural law theory, legal positivism and legal realism. Then we will deal with responsibility and punishment, and challenges to the idea of the primacy of individual rights from legal paternalism and moralism. We will next inquire into the relations between individuals and legal systems, explanations of why individuals should obey the law, and conditions under which civil disobedience is justified. Finally, we will discuss issues raised by feminist legal theory and some theories of minority rights. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Medical Ethics The application of moral principles and theories to controversial issues in medical ethics, such as abortion, euthanasia, human experimentation, reproductive technology, the allocation of scarce medical resources, and the right to health care. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—J. Manion
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2003-2004 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 232. Social and Political Philosophy: Justice and Politics What distinguishes just states from unjust states? Are some states so unjust that we are not obliged to comply with their laws? We will examine answers to these and related questions proposed by liberal, socialist, libertarian, communitarian, feminist and post-modern theories of political and social justice. The following are some of the authors we will read: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Berlin, Lyotard, Nozick, Rawls, Habermas, Sandel, Seyla Benhabib, Jean Hampton, Charles Taylor, and Amy Gutmann. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 234. Aesthetics Cross-listed with ENTS 235. Various issues in aesthetics: the definition of art, the nature of the aesthetic, the description, interpretation, and evaluation of aesthetic objects. A special topic of concern for this year will be the aesthetics of nature. Readings will be drawn primarily from the works of philosophers and from case materials. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—G. Iseminger
PHIL 235. Feminist Philosophy Cross-listed with WGST 235. . Drawing on developments in feminist theory and philosophy, this course focuses on the ways in which feminism has affected our understanding and evaluation of basic philosophical problems, concepts, and theories. Special emphasis will be paid to the very idea of theory in feminist thought and the implications of feminist philosophy for institutionalized racism, sexism, and heterosexism. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—J. Manion
PHIL 236. Philosophy of Religion Cross-listed with RELG 236. . An examination of several philosophical questions that arise concerning the sphere of religion. We ask, for example, what religion as such is, what faith or piety is, what we are to make of the existence of profoundly different religious traditions in the world, what religious experience is and how it relates to religious belief, and how religious belief relates to the norms of rationality. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 242. Environmental Ethics Cross-listed with ENTS 242. What is our proper moral stance toward the natural environment? Toward individual non-human animals in that environment? Toward other species of living beings? Toward the biotic community as a whole? The class will aim not so much at definite solutions to particular environmental problems as at an increased philosophical sophistication in framing and supporting answers to these and related questions about our environment and our place in it. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—D. Jamieson
PHIL 243. Animals: Mind and Morals Cross-listed with ENTS 243. . Human identity is in part constituted in opposition to the idea of the animal. In this class we will discuss how views about the relationships of humans to animals have played out in philosophy of mind, ethics, and environmental policy. Among the questions we will explore are the following: Do animals have minds? How seriously should we take the interests of individual animals in our decision-making? How should the interests of animals be weighed against various environmental goods such as the conservation of rare plants? 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 250. Philosophy of Physical Sciences Drawing on a number of case studies from the history of physics, such as the modern scientific revolution and the developments in optics and electrodynamics in the 19th and early 20th century, this course focuses on issues in the philosophy of physics and general issues in the philosophy of science. Topics will include: the history of, and philosophical problems with, the concepts of space, time, motion, and simultaneity, the relation between theory and observation, scientific revolutions/scientific change, scientific realism vs. antirealism, and methodological issues concerning explanation, induction, reduction, and the role of models in scientific practice. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 251. Philosophy of Biology A study of some important conceptual and foundational issues in evolutionary biology. Topics to be considered will include the role of fitness in evolutionary theory, functional and teleological explanations, the problem of the units of selection, the nature of a species, the reduction of genetics to molecular biology, and sociobiology. Prerequisite: 6 credits in philosophy or biology, or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 253. Philosophy of Cognitive Science Cross-listed with CGST 253. A study of the central theories, methodological foundations, and philosophical issues in the cognitive sciences. Topics to be treated include: mental representations, intentionality, consciousness, self-consciousness, metaphysics and physicalist theories of the mind, formal and connectionist models of cognition, and the nature of psychological explanation. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 254. The Origins of Modern Science The course will focus on the renaissance of science in the 16th and 17th centuries. It will begin by considering the science of Aristotle, Ptolemy, and the medieval period in order to understand the relationship between the new science and the old. We will then concentrate on the writing of such figures as Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, and Newton, illustrating the mathematical, conceptual, and experimental aspects of the new science. Prerequisite: 6 credits in philosophy or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 255. Philosophy of Mathematics Cross-listed with MATH 234. Before 1800, the theorems of mathematics were generally regarded as paradigms of certainty, and philosophers (e.g., Plato and Kant) were happy to construct their theories on the firm bedrock of mathematics. In the 19th century this foundation collapsed as new discoveries (non-Euclidean geometry, non-commutative algebras, continuous nowhere-differentiable functions) forced a critical re-examination of the foundations of mathematics. We will study some of these discoveries and in light of them ask ourselves philosophical questions such as: In what sense do mathematical objects (triangles, the number 42) exist? In what sense are mathematical truths true? Why does mathematics seemingly describe the real world? 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 270. Ancient Philosophy The focused study of an important concept, problem, theme, tradition of thought, theory, or some combination of these in the work of major Greek philosophers of the period between 640 BCE and 386 CE, including such philosophers as Heraclitus, Parmenides, Plato, and Aristotle. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—P. Mason
PHIL 272. Modern Philosophy The 16th and 17th century saw one of the most radical shifts in the history of Western thought: the modern scientific revolution. In its shadow, a body of philosophical literature emerged, which set the pace for many Western philosophical debates up to the present: works by Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and others. We will study this literature, focusing on three broad issues: 1) What is the nature of human knowledge? 2) How can psychological beings inhabit the fundamentally non-psychological natural world described by modern physics? 3) What are the fundamental objects and relations in the world? 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—R. Loeffler
PHIL 274. Existentialism We will consider the emergence and development of major themes of existentialism in the works of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, as well as "classical" existentialists such as Heidegger, Sartre and De Beauvoir. We will discuss key issues put forward by the existentialist movement, such as "the question of being" and human historicity, freedom and responsibility and look at how different authors analyzed the nature and ambitions of the Self and diverse aspects of subjectivity. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 275. Indian Philosophy Cross-listed with RELG 273. An introduction to the classical philosophical tradition of India. The primary emphasis is on reading and discussion of selected Hindu and Buddhist sources in English translation, though contemporary and comparative materials also may be included. In terms of the "fields" of Western philosophy, the major focus is on Indian approaches to metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, with secondary consideration of logic, linguistic philosophy, and aesthetics. Some prior work in either Western philosophy or South Asian religion is highly desirable. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 276. Topics in the History of Philosophy Selected topics in the history of philosophy. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 281. Advanced Logic Issues in logic presupposing mastery of first order logic. Possible topics to be covered include metalogic (incompleteness and undecidability), non-classical logics (e.g., modal, intuitionistic and non-monotonic logics), applications to other disciplines, and philosophy of logic. Prerequisite: Philosophy 210, Mathematics 211, or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
PHIL 298. Junior Seminar An advanced seminar, open only to philosophy majors in their sophomore or junior year (preferably the latter), in which each member will research, write, and present a paper on a specific aspect of a general topic selected for the year. The seminar is organized by one member of the department's faculty, but each member will lead a discussion on some aspect of the general theme for the year. Special attention will be given to the process of identifying a paper topic, researching it, preparing a series of drafts of one's paper on it, and giving and making good use of critical feedback to each other throughout that process. Required for the major; not open to non-majors. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—R. Loeffler
PHIL 395. Advanced Seminars Seminars in advanced topics in philosophy to be announced. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall,Spring—P. Mason, R. Loeffler
PHIL 399. Senior Thesis The planning, preparation, and completion of a philosophical paper under the direction of a member of the department and as part of a seminar group. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall,Winter—Staff
PHIL 400. Integrative Exercise A colloquium in which seniors defend their senior theses and discuss the senior theses of others. 3 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Spring—A. Moltchanova