Philosophy (PHIL)
Chair: Associate Professor David J. MacCallum
Professor: Roy O. Elveton
Associate Professor: David J. MacCallum
Assistant Professors: Jennifer Everett, Anna Moltchanova
Visiting Assistant Professor: Patricia A. Ross, Eric Wolf
Visiting Instructor: Gregory N. Schaefer
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 first-year seminars) or permission of the instructor.
For courses numbered 300 through 400: twelve credits in philosophy (not including credits earned in 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); two 395's (advanced seminars), 399, and 400 (21 credits); and two other courses numbered 220 or above (12 credits).
Philosophy Courses
PHIL 110. The Ethics and Politics of Consumer Society This course is concerned with the extent to which a consumer society is a good society, as well as with the sorts of lives we ought to make for ourselves in such a society. We will address such concepts as ecological footprints, ethical limitations on the market, and consumerism's implications for individual happiness, freedom, and civic engagement. 6 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 110. World, Knowledge and Science This course is an introduction to three basic areas of study within philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science. Topics to be covered include: the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; what reasons we have for maintaining that our claims about the world are true; and what special role, if any, science has to play in this process. Students will be introduced to these topics through readings of primary source material from the ancient, modern and contemporary periods. HU 6 cr., HU, Spring—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Evolution and Mind An introduction to questions in the philosophy of mind and language by considering the importance of evolution theory for issues relating to the nature of cognition and language. Central questions to be discussed include: the nature of Darwinian evolution: the nature, structure and function of human language; the nature and role of consciousness; the possibility of innate structures of cognition and language; the university and diversity of human culture and categorization of experience. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Elveton
PHIL 110. Multicultural Thought A basic assumption of much of philosophy is that the nature of thought is the same everywhere. Is this assumption justified? What are the ramifications for philosophy if it is not? One of the many cultural differences relevant to this issue is the striking contrast between Individualist and Collectivist thought. Topics to be covered: the nature of the self; the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; and the basis of logical reasoning. Readings will be from the eastern and western traditions, and from the classical, modern and contemporary periods. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Global Problems The world, as we are constantly being told and as we can easily see, is getting smaller all the time. A result of this figurative shrinking is that problems that once seemed purely local are now matters of planetary concern: issues like pollution, global warming, economic globalization, political freedom, and so on. In this course, we'll try to figure out exactly what, if anything, makes these issues problems, and what, if anything, should be done about them. The course will involve both abstract philosophical theory and more practical issues of policy. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter,Spring—E. Wolf
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 2004-2005. Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 110. The Ethics and Politics of Consumer Society This course is concerned with the extent to which a consumer society is a good society, as well as with the sorts of lives we ought to make for ourselves in such a society. We will address such concepts as ecological footprints, ethical limitations on the market, and consumerism's implications for individual happiness, freedom, and civic engagement. 6 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 110. World, Knowledge and Science This course is an introduction to three basic areas of study within philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science. Topics to be covered include: the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; what reasons we have for maintaining that our claims about the world are true; and what special role, if any, science has to play in this process. Students will be introduced to these topics through readings of primary source material from the ancient, modern and contemporary periods. HU 6 cr., HU, Spring—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Evolution and Mind An introduction to questions in the philosophy of mind and language by considering the importance of evolution theory for issues relating to the nature of cognition and language. Central questions to be discussed include: the nature of Darwinian evolution: the nature, structure and function of human language; the nature and role of consciousness; the possibility of innate structures of cognition and language; the university and diversity of human culture and categorization of experience. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Elveton
PHIL 110. Multicultural Thought A basic assumption of much of philosophy is that the nature of thought is the same everywhere. Is this assumption justified? What are the ramifications for philosophy if it is not? One of the many cultural differences relevant to this issue is the striking contrast between Individualist and Collectivist thought. Topics to be covered: the nature of the self; the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; and the basis of logical reasoning. Readings will be from the eastern and western traditions, and from the classical, modern and contemporary periods. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Global Problems The world, as we are constantly being told and as we can easily see, is getting smaller all the time. A result of this figurative shrinking is that problems that once seemed purely local are now matters of planetary concern: issues like pollution, global warming, economic globalization, political freedom, and so on. In this course, we'll try to figure out exactly what, if anything, makes these issues problems, and what, if anything, should be done about them. The course will involve both abstract philosophical theory and more practical issues of policy. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter,Spring—E. Wolf
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 2004-2005. Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 110. The Ethics and Politics of Consumer Society This course is concerned with the extent to which a consumer society is a good society, as well as with the sorts of lives we ought to make for ourselves in such a society. We will address such concepts as ecological footprints, ethical limitations on the market, and consumerism's implications for individual happiness, freedom, and civic engagement. 6 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 110. World, Knowledge and Science This course is an introduction to three basic areas of study within philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science. Topics to be covered include: the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; what reasons we have for maintaining that our claims about the world are true; and what special role, if any, science has to play in this process. Students will be introduced to these topics through readings of primary source material from the ancient, modern and contemporary periods. HU 6 cr., HU, Spring—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Evolution and Mind An introduction to questions in the philosophy of mind and language by considering the importance of evolution theory for issues relating to the nature of cognition and language. Central questions to be discussed include: the nature of Darwinian evolution: the nature, structure and function of human language; the nature and role of consciousness; the possibility of innate structures of cognition and language; the university and diversity of human culture and categorization of experience. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Elveton
PHIL 110. Multicultural Thought A basic assumption of much of philosophy is that the nature of thought is the same everywhere. Is this assumption justified? What are the ramifications for philosophy if it is not? One of the many cultural differences relevant to this issue is the striking contrast between Individualist and Collectivist thought. Topics to be covered: the nature of the self; the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; and the basis of logical reasoning. Readings will be from the eastern and western traditions, and from the classical, modern and contemporary periods. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Global Problems The world, as we are constantly being told and as we can easily see, is getting smaller all the time. A result of this figurative shrinking is that problems that once seemed purely local are now matters of planetary concern: issues like pollution, global warming, economic globalization, political freedom, and so on. In this course, we'll try to figure out exactly what, if anything, makes these issues problems, and what, if anything, should be done about them. The course will involve both abstract philosophical theory and more practical issues of policy. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter,Spring—E. Wolf
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 2004-2005. Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 110. The Ethics and Politics of Consumer Society This course is concerned with the extent to which a consumer society is a good society, as well as with the sorts of lives we ought to make for ourselves in such a society. We will address such concepts as ecological footprints, ethical limitations on the market, and consumerism's implications for individual happiness, freedom, and civic engagement. 6 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 110. World, Knowledge and Science This course is an introduction to three basic areas of study within philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science. Topics to be covered include: the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; what reasons we have for maintaining that our claims about the world are true; and what special role, if any, science has to play in this process. Students will be introduced to these topics through readings of primary source material from the ancient, modern and contemporary periods. HU 6 cr., HU, Spring—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Evolution and Mind An introduction to questions in the philosophy of mind and language by considering the importance of evolution theory for issues relating to the nature of cognition and language. Central questions to be discussed include: the nature of Darwinian evolution: the nature, structure and function of human language; the nature and role of consciousness; the possibility of innate structures of cognition and language; the university and diversity of human culture and categorization of experience. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Elveton
PHIL 110. Multicultural Thought A basic assumption of much of philosophy is that the nature of thought is the same everywhere. Is this assumption justified? What are the ramifications for philosophy if it is not? One of the many cultural differences relevant to this issue is the striking contrast between Individualist and Collectivist thought. Topics to be covered: the nature of the self; the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; and the basis of logical reasoning. Readings will be from the eastern and western traditions, and from the classical, modern and contemporary periods. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Global Problems The world, as we are constantly being told and as we can easily see, is getting smaller all the time. A result of this figurative shrinking is that problems that once seemed purely local are now matters of planetary concern: issues like pollution, global warming, economic globalization, political freedom, and so on. In this course, we'll try to figure out exactly what, if anything, makes these issues problems, and what, if anything, should be done about them. The course will involve both abstract philosophical theory and more practical issues of policy. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter,Spring—E. Wolf
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 2004-2005. Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 110. The Ethics and Politics of Consumer Society This course is concerned with the extent to which a consumer society is a good society, as well as with the sorts of lives we ought to make for ourselves in such a society. We will address such concepts as ecological footprints, ethical limitations on the market, and consumerism's implications for individual happiness, freedom, and civic engagement. 6 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 110. World, Knowledge and Science This course is an introduction to three basic areas of study within philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science. Topics to be covered include: the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; what reasons we have for maintaining that our claims about the world are true; and what special role, if any, science has to play in this process. Students will be introduced to these topics through readings of primary source material from the ancient, modern and contemporary periods. HU 6 cr., HU, Spring—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Evolution and Mind An introduction to questions in the philosophy of mind and language by considering the importance of evolution theory for issues relating to the nature of cognition and language. Central questions to be discussed include: the nature of Darwinian evolution: the nature, structure and function of human language; the nature and role of consciousness; the possibility of innate structures of cognition and language; the university and diversity of human culture and categorization of experience. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—R. Elveton
PHIL 110. Multicultural Thought A basic assumption of much of philosophy is that the nature of thought is the same everywhere. Is this assumption justified? What are the ramifications for philosophy if it is not? One of the many cultural differences relevant to this issue is the striking contrast between Individualist and Collectivist thought. Topics to be covered: the nature of the self; the relationship between our thoughts, our categories and the world; and the basis of logical reasoning. Readings will be from the eastern and western traditions, and from the classical, modern and contemporary periods. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Fall—P. Ross
PHIL 110. Global Problems The world, as we are constantly being told and as we can easily see, is getting smaller all the time. A result of this figurative shrinking is that problems that once seemed purely local are now matters of planetary concern: issues like pollution, global warming, economic globalization, political freedom, and so on. In this course, we'll try to figure out exactly what, if anything, makes these issues problems, and what, if anything, should be done about them. The course will involve both abstract philosophical theory and more practical issues of policy. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter,Spring—E. Wolf
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 2004-2005. Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 cr., HU, Winter—R. Elveton
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 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 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 cr., HU, Spring—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 212. Epistemology A topical and issue-centered introduction to the theory of knowledge, 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. 6 cr., HU, Winter—D. MacCallum
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 cr., HU, Spring—J. Everett
PHIL 220. Topics: 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 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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Topics: Continental Philosophy: Time and History
This course will discuss selected texts from Heidegger, Foucault and Sartre with a view to determining their views on the temporal and historical nature of human experience. Selections from "Being and Time" and several of Heidegger's late essays will be read, as well as Foucault's "Discipline and Punish", "The History of Sexuality" and Sartre's "Search for a Method." 6 cr., HU, Spring—R. Elveton
PHIL 220. Topics: Philosophy of Biology I can't find a description...I went back in the online catalogs forever and couldn't find one. I am sooooo sorry! Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2004-2005 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics: 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 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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Topics: Continental Philosophy: Time and History
This course will discuss selected texts from Heidegger, Foucault and Sartre with a view to determining their views on the temporal and historical nature of human experience. Selections from "Being and Time" and several of Heidegger's late essays will be read, as well as Foucault's "Discipline and Punish", "The History of Sexuality" and Sartre's "Search for a Method." 6 cr., HU, Spring—R. Elveton
PHIL 220. Topics: Philosophy of Biology I can't find a description...I went back in the online catalogs forever and couldn't find one. I am sooooo sorry! Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2004-2005 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics: 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 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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Topics: Continental Philosophy: Time and History
This course will discuss selected texts from Heidegger, Foucault and Sartre with a view to determining their views on the temporal and historical nature of human experience. Selections from "Being and Time" and several of Heidegger's late essays will be read, as well as Foucault's "Discipline and Punish", "The History of Sexuality" and Sartre's "Search for a Method." 6 cr., HU, Spring—R. Elveton
PHIL 220. Topics: Philosophy of Biology I can't find a description...I went back in the online catalogs forever and couldn't find one. I am sooooo sorry! Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2004-2005 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics: 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 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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Topics: Continental Philosophy: Time and History
This course will discuss selected texts from Heidegger, Foucault and Sartre with a view to determining their views on the temporal and historical nature of human experience. Selections from "Being and Time" and several of Heidegger's late essays will be read, as well as Foucault's "Discipline and Punish", "The History of Sexuality" and Sartre's "Search for a Method." 6 cr., HU, Spring—R. Elveton
PHIL 220. Topics: Philosophy of Biology I can't find a description...I went back in the online catalogs forever and couldn't find one. I am sooooo sorry! Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2004-2005 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics: 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 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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 220. Topics: Continental Philosophy: Time and History
This course will discuss selected texts from Heidegger, Foucault and Sartre with a view to determining their views on the temporal and historical nature of human experience. Selections from "Being and Time" and several of Heidegger's late essays will be read, as well as Foucault's "Discipline and Punish", "The History of Sexuality" and Sartre's "Search for a Method." 6 cr., HU, Spring—R. Elveton
PHIL 220. Topics: Philosophy of Biology I can't find a description...I went back in the online catalogs forever and couldn't find one. I am sooooo sorry! Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 220. Topics in Philosophy Selected topics from various areas of philosophy. In 2004-2005 the following section will be offered: Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 234. Aesthetics Various issues in aesthetics: the definition of art, the nature of the aesthetic, the description, interpretation, and evaluation of aesthetic objects. Readings will be drawn primarily from the works of philosophers and from case materials. 6 cr., HU, Winter—A. Curran
PHIL 235. Feminist Philosophy 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 cr., HU, Spring—J. Everett
PHIL 242. Environmental Ethics 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 cr., HU, Fall—J. Everett
PHIL 250. Philosophy of Physics A study of how contemporary physics forces us to revise our common-sense understanding of the world, focusing on the conceptual revolutions brought about by special relativity and quantum mechanics. Topics include the relativity of simultaneity, the twins paradox, causality, nonlocality, hidden-variables theories and quantum information theory. Prerequisite: 6 credits in philosophy or physics, or permission of the instructor. 6 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 253. Philosophy of Cognitive Science Through an examination of primary source materials, including, for example, works by Descartes, Kant and W. Jamesas well as a number of current writersthis course will explore the foundations of contemporary cognitive science. Topics to be treated include: mind/body dualism, consciousness, self-knowledge, rationality and the nature of psychological explanation. Prerequisite: 6 credits in philosophy or psychology, or permission of the instructor. 6 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 cr., HU, Spring—A. Curran
PHIL 272. Modern Philosophy The sixteenth and seventeenth 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 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
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 cr., HU, Fall—A. Moltchanova
PHIL 281. Advanced Logic Topics in logic presupposing familiarity with first order logic. Possible topics: metalogic (incompleteness and undecidability), non-classical logics (e.g., modal, intuitionistic and non-monotonic logics), applications to other disciplines, and philosophy of logic. Our topic will be the application of a modal logic to a central issue in philosophy: the nature of knowledge. We will use modal logic to develop a formal model of knowledge, prove things about properties of that model, and then explore various applications of the model to situations where there are multiple agents that reason about both the world and each other’s knowledge of it. The course will be self-contained (i.e. no particular course content is presupposed), but does assume a willingness to learn how to work with formal systems and apply them to various kinds of problems. Prerequisite: Philosophy 210, Mathematics 211, or permission of the instructor. 6 cr., HU, Not offered in 2004-2005.
PHIL 395. Film and the Emotions
Horror movies, thrillers, and melodramas…the evocation of emotions, of one kind or another, is central to our experience of watching films. This seminar looks at the variety of emotional responses to movies. Questions we examine include: How do we engage with characters in film? What is the relation of cognition and emotion in our response to film? Do films manipulate our emotions? Readings will be drawn from works in philosophy and film theory and criticism. Weekly film screenings are required in addition to the regular class meeting. 6 cr., HU, Spring—A. Curran
PHIL 395. Android Epistemology
Traditional epistemology has been devoted to understanding human knowledge. We will investigate recent work in philosophy, psychology and computer science that broadens the scope of epistemology to include human-engineered knowers. This broader scope will help us gain a new perspective on traditional epistemology as well as open up new areas of research. 6 cr., HU, Spring—D. MacCallum
PHIL 395. Latin American Philosophy
A seminar on the Latin American Philosophy and Liberation movement. We will begin with Salazar Body's question "Is there a Latin Philosophy?" to initiate a critique of the Latin American mimetic response to European and Anglo American philosophy. Mignolo's The Darker Side of the Renaissance and Dussel's The Invention of the Americaswill deepen the critique of eurocentrism and the possibilities of a philosophy of liberation that begin to be adumbrated in that critique. Rodolfo Kusch's work will take us to the deep liminal currents in popular thought in the Americas. 3 cr., HU, Fall—M. Lugones
PHIL 395. Desire
For many philosophical and religious thinkers, desire has been a source of some anxiety: depicted as being by their very nature powerful and insatiable, desires appear to weaken people's capacities to control themselves and at the same time to open up opportunities for other people to control them. Focusing especially on the importance of desire to a consumer society, we shall be examining questions such as: Is it possible to make a clear distinction between need and desire? Between necessity and luxury? What moral, political, and economic interest has there been in the creation or regulation of desire? 3 cr., HU, Fall—E. Spelman
PHIL 395. Advanced Seminar Sex and Social Justice
This seminar examines the requirements of justice with respect to sex, gender, sexual orientation, and sexual activity. Does justice permit restrictions on prostitution, pornography, or same-sex relations? Is it just for any society to limit women's freedom or political participation? Does everyone have a basic right to sexual self-determination, or is this a peculiarly Western value? Liberal commitments to universalism, humanism, and essentialism will be interrogated, with particular focus on Martha Nussbaum's defense of internationalist liberal feminism, broad sexual freedoms, and a capabilities-based definition of the quality of human life. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—J. Everett
PHIL 395. Advanced Seminar: Embodied Cognition This seminar will consider recent work in philosophy, cognitive science and linguistics critical of views of human cognition as "disembodied" and Cartesian. Philosophical sources of the early critiques of symbolic AI and "cartesianism" will be considered (Heidegger, Dewey), as will the linguistic theories of George Lakoff and Ray Jackendoff and recent and current work on embodied cognition by Eleanor Rosch, Hubert Dreyfus, John Haugeland, Andy Clark and Herbert Brooks. The Seminar will include materials relevant to students in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—R. Elveton,
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—R. Elveton, E. Wolf
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, Winter,Spring—R. Elveton, E. Wolf
Other Courses Pertinent to Philosophy:
RELG 273 Indian Philosophy