PHIL - Philosophy

This course introduces students to philosophy through a discussion of problems and issues of concern to philosophers today. Sample topics include contemporary discussions of ethics and the virtues, such as courage, conceptions of evil, just war and terrorism, and the nature and extent of human knowledge.

This course considers various feminist perspectives on issues concerning sex, gender, gender roles, ethics (particularly reproductive ethics), embodiment, epistemology, family, motherhood, law and politics. A majority of the readings cover contemporary perspectives, though theoretical topics and historical thinkers are also typically included.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of Greco-Roman religion and philosophy. Students are introduced to the ancient world first via its public and private religious practices and then via its philosophical perspectives on issues such as free will, ethical conflicts and the nature of the just person and the just state.

Credit by exam. This course is an introduction to informal logic, which uses ordinary language to identify and evaluate arguments and to identify and avoid common fallacies, and to formal symbolic logic, which uses symbolic notation and inference and equivalence rules to prove the deductive validity of arguments. (Recommended for students taking the LSAT.)

This course uses films to introduce students to some contemporary philosophical problems and issues. Topics covered may include issues in epistemology, metaphysics, personal identity, philosophy of mind, ethics, and existentialism. Particular attention will be given to questions concerning meaning and value.

An inquiry into the nature and possibilities of human beings and a critical analysis of the meaning of responsibility in society. Study will focus on matters of practical as well as theoretical import (e.g. leadership, ideal communities).

Ethics and leadership in key areas of society: e.g., education, religion, the military, corporations, and politics. The focus is on key principles of conduct and relevant virtues, such as courage, faith, humility, fortitude, and prudence. Theory and practice will be analyzed together, as examples will be drawn from important historical episodes.

This course introduces students to the variety of ethical challenges that confront professionals in such fields as law, journalism, business and management. Students critically examine issues in professional ethics primarily by applying moral theories to practical case studies.

A critical study of classical and contemporary ethical theories on the topics of ethical relativism, free will and determinism, and the source and justification of moral values. The relevance and applicability of these theories to the solution of pressing contemporary moral problems are emphasized.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Composition area of the core with a grade of C- or above. Through analysis and discussion of selected works of great literature, students will examine themes of vice and virtue. Topics may include the relation between individual and community, evil, ends and means, the good life, and moral conflict.(H2, CT)

Prerequisite: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry section of the Core. An introduction to the religious and philosophical traditions of India. Special emphasis will be given to the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, the classical philosophical systems and the mythologies of Hinduism and to the Buddhist traditions of South Asia.

Prerequisite: Completion of a course in philosophy: PHIL 200, PHIL 203, PLRL 205, PHIL 212, PHIL 221, or PHIL 319. This course introduces students to the philosophical texts and ideas of an important historical figure or of a group of closely related thinkers in the history of philosophy. Students may repeat when a study of a different figure is offered.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry section of the Core. An introduction to the religious and philosophical traditions of China from the Shang dynasty to the modern era. Special emphasis is given to the role of ancestor veneration, ritual, social and political ethics, the development of the Confucian and Daoist traditions, the global diaspora of Confucianism, and the encounter of Confucianism with modernity (including the modern West).

Prerequisite: Completion of a course in philosophy: PHIL 200, PHIL 203, PLRL 205, PHIL 212, PHIL 221, or PHIL 319. This course introduces some of the significant Western philosophical texts and thinkers from the ancient world to the Renaissance. The philosophical works of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Cicero, Anselm and Aquinas, as well as topics in political philosophy, ethics, epistemology, religion, metaphysics and philosophy of law, are typically covered.

Prerequisite: Completion of a course in philosophy: PHIL 200, PHIL 203, PLRL 205, PHIL 212, PHIL 221, or PHIL 319. This course introduces some of the primary texts and thinkers of Western philosophy from the 17th century to the 20th century. Thinkers covered typically include Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Topics include philosophical issues in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and political theory.

Prerequisite: Completion of the Philosophical Inquiry area of the Core or permission of the instructor. Through analysis and discussion of works of great literature, students will examine questions concerning human nature and ethical responsibility. Authors may include Tolstoy, Greene, Hurston, Marx, Golding, Camus, Sophocles and C.S. Lewis.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Scientific Thought and Philosophical Inquiry areas of the Core. This course examines basic advances in genetics, reproductive medicine and in combating infectious diseases and explores their ethical implications, particularly for non-Western cultures. Students use a case study approach to consider topics like genetics, epidemics, euthanasia and reproductive technology from a global, non-Western perspective.

Prerequisites: One course from the Scientific Thought section of the Core. This course takes a philosophical and scientific approach to understanding current ethical issues in medicine and covers topics such as abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, genetic testing, informed consent, organ transplantation and experimentation with human subjects.

Prerequisite: Completion of a course in philosophy: PHIL 200, PHIL 203, PLRL 205, PHIL 212, PHIL 221, or PHIL 319. This course considers topics in ancient Greek philosophy, such as Aristotle's Ethics and Plato's Republic. Students may repeat the course when it is taught under a different topic.

Prerequisites: 6 credits in philosophy and permission of the instructor. Students work independently on some philosophic subject matter selected in consultation with the department. Reports and papers are given during the semester.

An upper-level special topics course offered at the discretion of the department. The content and methods vary with the interest of students and faculty members

Prerequisites: 18 credits in philosophy and permission of the department. Participation in a supervised off-campus educational project that provides students with an opportunity to exercise philosophical reflection in a nonacademic setting. Credit requires submission of written work discussing the philosophical issues and/or implications of the work done in the internship. Grading is on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisites: 9 credits in religion and/or philosophy or permission of the instructor. Advanced study of special topics in religion or philosophy.

Prerequisites: 21 credits in religion or philosophy, junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor. Credit for a critical paper is earned by substantially expanding and revising a paper the student has written for a previous course in Philosophy or Religious Studies. The final critical paper of 15 to 20 pages is to be revised under the supervision of a departmental faculty member and defended before departmental faculty and students.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the department. The departmental honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects in close coordination with faculty advisers. Departmental honors students are known as the Christine P. Tischer Scholars and receive 6 credits for this work.