Fall 2025 Course Descriptions | Department of Philosophy

Undergraduate

Course Number & Section	Title	Instructor	Date and Time	Description
101-101	Introduction to Philosophy	Staff	W 6:30 pm to 9:20 pm BURN 119	Historical-cultural introduction to philosophy. Considers a broad range of philosophical problems in relation to the major historical and cultural conditions which have influenced their formulations and proposed solutions. Topics: the principles of rational inquiry; the nature of knowledge; the metaphysics of mind, world, and God; and the sources and authority of morality. The course may be used to satisfy either ACE 5 (Humanities) or ACE 8 (Ethics).
101-150	Introduction to Philosophy	Harry Ide	MW 9:30 am to 10:20 am HAMH 112	What are human beings, and what does human nature tell us about the best life for us? You'll develop your own ideas by reflecting on the philosophical theories we consider, and by writing an essay explaining and defending your ideas. Course goals: develop students' own theory of what humans are and what the meaning of life is develop student ability to understand theories they don't agree with introduce students to different styles of philosophical argument
101-250	Introduction to Philosophy	Joseph Mendola	TR 11:00 am to 11:50 am HAMH 102	This is an historical introduction to philosophy. We will consider a broad range of philosophical questions, including the nature of ethical truth, the relationship between the mind and body, our knowledge, and the existence of God. We will read a wide range of famous philosophers. All course materials will be available free on Canvas. The course may be used to satisfy either ACE 5 (Humanities) or ACE 8 (Ethics).
101-700	Introduction to Philosophy	Reina Hayaki	Online	We will examine a range of important topics that have been discussed by philosophers through the ages: the concept of knowledge, and whether we have any knowledge of the world around us; the nature of the mind and its relationship to the body, and how the two are related to the self; determinism, free will, and moral responsibility; whether morality is objective; and conflicting accounts of what makes an action right or wrong. These topics cover a lot of ground, but they are united by a couple of broad themes: Who are we, and how do we fit into the world? This course is certified for both ACE 5 (Humanities) and ACE 8 (Ethics). You will be able to choose which one of these two requirements you want this course to count for. Textbook: Gideon Rosen, Alex Byrne, Joshua Cohen, Elizabeth Harman, and Seana Shiffrin (eds.), The Norton Introduction to Philosophy, 2nd ed. (W. W. Norton & Co., 2018). Major assignments: two exams and two short papers. Smaller assignments are due weekly.
105-700	The Philosophy of Food	Colin McLear	Online	A wide-ranging examination of the philosophical, political, social, and economic aspects of food, its production and consumption. Topics include the ethical treatment of animals, factory farming, food justice, the relation of food to social and religious identity, and climate change. Meets Ace 8 (Civic/Ethics/Stewardship) and ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
106-150	Philosophy and Current Issues	John Brunero	MW 9:30 am to 10:20 am BESY 117	The course will introduce some of the important questions of moral philosophy: What is it for a life to go well? (Is the good life one of happiness, one in which you get what you want, or one in which you accomplish something of value?) What is it to act in a morally right way? (Is it to produce the best consequences possible? Is it to act in accordance with certain moral principles? If so, which principles?) Why should we act in a morally right way, especially when doing so often appears contrary to our self-interest? What is the relationship between morality and religion? Are there objective moral truths, or is ethical truth relative to cultures or individuals? We’ll then consider the application of moral philosophy to some current ethical issues: Is it morally acceptable to kill and eat animals or to use animals in experiments? Is abortion immoral? Is capital punishment unjust? Is torture ever permissible? What are our obligations to relieve world poverty? Is euthanasia ever morally permissible? Is there an obligation to obey the law? When is civil disobedience justified? Should the recreational use of drugs be illegal? The course will consist of two lectures and one discussion section per week. Students are required to attend both the lectures and their assigned discussion section. There are no prerequisites for this course. The course is certified for ACE 8 and ACE 9 outcomes.
106-250	Philosophy and Current Issues	Adam Thompson	TR 11:00 am to 11:50 am BESY 117	Critical survey of current issues and the role of philosophy in attempts to resolve them. Recent topics: sexual morality, pornography and the law, capital punishment, sexism and racism, extraordinary treatment for the terminally ill, abortion, church and state, and nuclear war and disarmament. Meets Ace 8 (Civic/Ethics/Stewardship) and ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
106-W99 (WH Thompson Scholars only)	Philosophy and Current Issues	Staff	TR 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm HENZ 107
110-150	Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking	Wade Munroe	TR 9:30 am to 10:20 am HENZ 53	Introduction to the principles of correct reasoning and their application. Emphasis on improving skills of thinking and reading critically, analyzing and evaluating arguments objectively, and constructing sound arguments based on relevant evidence. Meets ACE 3 (Math/Stat/Reasoning)
213-001	Medical Ethics	Staff	MWF 11:30 am to 12:20 pm LPH 34	Philosophical study of moral problems in modern medicine, exploring such issues as the allocation of scarce medical resources, patients rights, research on human subjects, abortion, the care of seriously impaired newborns, and socialized medicine and the right to health care. The course may be used to satisfy either ACE 5 (Humanities) or ACE 8 (Ethics).
213-101	Medical Ethics	Staff	T 6:30 pm-9:20 pm BURN 102
213-150	Medical Ethics	Adam Thompson	TR 12:30 pm to 1:20 pm HAMH 102
221-001	Political Philosophy	Adam Thompson	TR 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm LPH 34	Basic concepts and problems of political theory. Freedom, equality, democracy, justice, and the relation of the individual to the state. The course may be used to satisfy either ACE 5 (Humanities) or ACE 8 (Ethics).
225-001	Environmental Ethics	Mark van Roojen	TR 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm OLDH 208	Topics involve our relationship to and treatment of the natural and not so natural environment. Some of these may be specific and practical; others will be theoretical. Main work will include papers, discussion participation and likely an exam of some sort. Meets Ace 8 (Civic/Ethics/ Stewardship) and ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
231-001	History of Philosophy (Ancient)	Harry Ide	MWF 1:30 pm to 2:20 pm OLDH 207	Classical theories of human nature, the good life, reality, and knowledge. Course goals: introduce students to classical theories of human nature, the good life, reality, and knowledge. improve students' ability to write coherent argumentative essays with effective structures, improve students' ability to argue for philosophical positions using inferences to the best explanation. Meets ACE 5 (Humanities)
305-001	Introduction to Philosophy of Language	Reina Hayaki	TR 11:00 am to 12:15 pm (Room TBA)	Philosophy of language is a central area of contemporary analytic philosophy, dealing with the nature of language and its relationship to its users and to the world. We’ll consider questions such as the following. A definite description is a common way to pick out an object to talk about. These are phrases such as “the oldest living person”, or “the element with atomic number 79”. How should we assess the truth or falsity of a sentence that contains a definite description? Consider the sentence, “The current King of France is bald.” France is now a republic. Is the sentence false? Or does it lack a truth value because its subject fails to refer? Suppose someone looking at a photo from a G7 summit says, “The King of France is shaking hands with President Biden.” The person they are looking at is actually the President of France, but he is indeed shaking hands with Biden. Have they managed to say something true, even though the definite description they used is not satisfied by the person they intended to talk about? A proper name is another way to pick out an object. Are names actually disguised definite descriptions, or do they refer by some other way than by describing unique qualities that their referents have? How do names get their referents? Can a majority of speakers ever be wrong about the referent of a name? Can a name fail to refer? How does context affect the meaning of a sentence that contains indexical terms such as “I”, “today”, or “that book”, or tensed verbs? What is the correct account of performative utterances (utterances that constitute actions, such as promises, resignations, or christenings)? Can they be true or false? What are the conditions under which they can be successfully carried out? Some words, uttered in certain contexts, communicate information beyond their semantic content. What are some of the ways this can happen? Consider a hypothetical recommendation letter that is just one sentence long, written by a professor about a former student: “X attended class regularly and has very tidy handwriting.” (This is a classic example of conversational implicature.) Or consider utterances that employ irony or sarcasm: “The chapter on expressive language was soooo clear and easy to understand.” How should we understand pejorative language? Is the derogatory force of slurs part of their semantic content, or do slurs denigrate in some other way? Textbook: William G. Lycan, Philosophy of Language, 3rd edition (Routledge, 2019). ISBN-13: 978-1-138-50458-5. Additional readings will be posted on Canvas. Major assignments: two in-class exams and a term paper. Additional smaller assignments, to be determined. This course is certified for ACE 5, and satisfies the M&E requirement for the philosophy major.
317-101	Philosophy of Science	Joseph Mendola	TR 2:00 pm to 3:15 pm OLDH 207	Critical analysis of the philosophical foundations of the sciences. Topics include the nature of theories, the role of observation and scientific method, explanation, realism, laws, interfield relations, and some specific topics in the philosophy of biology and the philosophy of physics. The principal text for the course will be Curd, Cover, and Pincock (eds.), Philosophy of Science (2^nd edition). The principal assignments will be two exams and a paper. The course may be used to satisfy ACE 5 (Humanities).
400-101	Undergraduate Seminar	Mark van Roojen	TR 9:30 am to 10:45 am LPH 308	Prerequisites: Philosophy major. Topic will be decided by participants in the class. Main work will be papers, presentations and discussion.
414-001	Philosophy of Mind	Wade Munroe	R 3:30 pm to 6:05 pm LPH 308	Prerequisites: 9 hours PHIL. Main problems in the philosophy of mind, including dualism and materialism, instrumentalism and eliminativism, wide and narrow content, qualia, and mental causation.
471-001	Kant	Colin McLear	T 3:30 pm to 6:05 pm LPH 308	Prerequisites: 9 hours PHIL. Kant's philosophy, and of problems in the interpretation of his writings. The primary text will be the First Critique.

Graduate

Course Number & Section	Title	Instructor	Date and Time	Description
814-001	Philosophy of Mind	Wade Munroe	R 3:30 pm to 6:05 pm LPH 308	Main problems in the philosophy of mind, including dualism and materialism, instrumentalism and eliminativism, wide and narrow content, qualia, and mental causation.
871-001	Kant	Colin McLear	T 3:30 pm to 6:05 pm LPH 308	Kant's philosophy, and of problems in the interpretation of his writings. The primary text will be the First Critique.
915-001	Advanced Metaphysics	Jennifer McKitrick	W 3:30 pm to 5:35 pm LPH 308	This course will explore the scope and limits of metaphysical inquiry. We will read Aimee Thomasson’s forthcoming book Rethinking Metaphysics and related texts.
920-001	Ethical Theory	John Brunero	M 12:30 pm to 2:35 pm LPH 308	The seminar will work through Mark Schroeder and Nathan Howard’s 2024 book, The Fundamentals of Reasons (Oxford University Press), with readings accompanying each chapter.