101 001 Intro to Philosophy STAFF MWF 10:30-11:20 30
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).
101 250 Intro to Philosophy Mendola TR 11:00-11:50 75 AVH 106
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 Intro to Philosophy Hayaki — — 75 — 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). When you register for the course, you will automatically be signed up for a 180-day rental of an electronic version of the textbook through the Inclusive Access Program, at a discounted price. You may opt out of the e-rental but are strongly recommended not to do so, as the e-book may be used during exams and quizzes but hard copies may not.
Major assignments: two exams and two short papers. Smaller assignments due weekly.
105 001 Philosophy of Food STAFF MWF 11:30-12:20 30
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.
This course satisfies both ACE 8 (Civic/Ethics/Stewardship) and ACE 5 (Humanities).
105 700 Philosophy of Food Stratman — — 90 — online
The term “diet” comes from the Greek word “diatia”, and originally meant much more than simply the food we eat. Indeed, diatia refers to a way of life or a way of living, which highlights the important link between what we eat and how we live. This connection provides a foundation for this course, which introduces students to philosophy through the topic of food and engages with questions about how to live a flourishing life. The course will examine a wide range of the philosophical, political, social, and economic aspects of food. Topics include the metaphysics of food, our knowledge of food, ethical treatment of animals, factory farming, agriculture and the environment, food justice, and the relation of food to social and religious identity. Texts for the course include Thinking Through Food: A Philosophical Introduction by Alexandra Plakias and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan.
This course satisfies both ACE 8 (Civic/Ethics/Stewardship) and ACE 5 (Humanities).
105 790 Philosophy of Food STAFF — — 30 — 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.
This course satisfies both ACE 8 (Civic/Ethics/Stewardship) and ACE 5 (Humanities).
106 150 Phil & Current Issues Brunero TR 9:30-10:20 150 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 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 quiz section per week. Students are required to attend both the lectures and their assigned quiz section. There are no prerequisites for this course.
This course may be used to satisfy either ACE 8 (Ethics) or ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
106 250 Phil & Current Issues Thompson MW 11:30-12:20 75 AVH 106
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.
This course may be used to satisfy either ACE 8 (Ethics) or ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
106 W99 Phil & Current Issues STAFF TR 12:30-1:45 25
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.
This course may be used to satisfy either ACE 8 (Ethics) or ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
107 150 Ethics of Emerging Media Thompson MW 1:30-2:20 75 CPEH 212
Explores dynamics of information gathering and delivery in the context of value, access discrepancies, privacy, and autonomy.
This course may be used to satisfy ACE 8 (Ethics)
110 150 Logic & Critical Thinking STAFF MWF 9:30-10:20 30
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.
This course may be used to satisfy ACE 3 (Formal Reasoning)
212 Ethics of AI and Big Data STAFF MWF 12:30-1:20 30
Ethical issues in computer science, data science, and artificial intelligence. Topics include algorithmic bias and fairness, surveillance, privacy, big data, free speech and the interaction of technology and democracy.
This course may be used to satisfy either ACE 8 (Ethics) or ACE 9 (Global/Diversity).
213 101 Medical Ethics STAFF W 6:30-9:20 PM 30
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).
213 150 Medical Ethics Thompson MW 9:30-10:20 75 CPEH 213
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).
230 Philosophy of Law Brunero TR 12:30-1:45 30
This course is divided into three parts. In the first part, we’ll discuss various issues concerning the relationship between law and morality. In the second part, we’ll consider several important legal and moral concepts, including liberty, privacy, justice, and equality. In the third part, we’ll consider issues related to punishment and responsibility. We'll read essays by philosophers and lawyers, as well as the judicial opinions in several important US Supreme Court cases. The course does not presuppose any background in philosophy or in law. Here are some of the questions we'll consider in this course: Are unjust laws legally valid? Is there a moral obligation to obey the law? Which standards should we employ when we attempt to interpret the law and the Constitution? Why is liberty important and to what extent should people be left free to do as they choose? What are the proper limits to free speech and expression? What are the
Constitutional and moral grounds for personal privacy and autonomy? What does it mean to treat people justly and equally? Why, and to what extent, should we punish criminals? Is capital punishment morally permissible? Should we punish unsuccessful attempts at murder less severely than successful attempts, and, if so, why? Should people be held legally responsible for
their omissions as well as their actions? When are people excused from responsibility for their acts?
This course may be used to satisfy either ACE 5 (Humanities) or ACE 8 (Ethics)
232 History of Modern Stratman MWF 11:30-12:20 30
The 17th and 18th centuries represent a crucial period in the history of Western Philosophy. This course is a survey of the key philosophical thinkers and texts from this period. We will examine the problems raised and solutions offered to various philosophical problems concerning issues like the existence of God, the nature of the material world, and the nature of perception and knowledge, with particular attention to the development of scientific thinking and its influence on philosophical debate. Our investigation of these matters will take the form of class dialogue and critical analysis of texts by philosophers like Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Students should be aware that this course requires reading a large selection of these authors’ texts, reflecting thoughtfully on them, and thinking critically to formulate one’s own views and ideas.
302 Metaphysics McKitrick MWF 10:30-11:20 30
Introduction to some of the main problems and central concepts of metaphysics, including the nature of time, causation, personal identity, and realism.
320 Ethical Theory van Roojen TR 9:30-10:45 30
Morality, considering the major views in normative ethics as well as a broad range of questions in theoretical ethics centering on the nature of morality and its place in human life.
(Satisfies ACE 5 Humanities or ACE 8 Ethics)
337 Knowledge: Ancient & Medieval Ide TR 11:00-12:15 30
What, if anything, gives us good reason to believe something? Can perception, inference, testimony, or faith really justify belief? We’ll explore how classical and medieval thinkers in both Europe and India answered these questions, comparing their accounts of knowledge and justification. The course emphasizes developing your own considered view through close reading, discussion, and writing and revising argumentative essays.
(Satisfies ACE 5: Humanities.)
4/811 Formal Logic Hayaki TR 2:00-3:15 19
PHIL 411/811 is a second course in symbolic logic. It presupposes familiarity with propositional (sentential) and first-order predicate logic. You will learn how to construct metatheoretic proofs about various formal systems (rather than derivations using the rules of a formal system, as in PHIL 211 and other first courses in symbolic logic). The main topics covered will be: the soundness and completeness of classical propositional logic, non-classical propositional logics, and propositional modal logics; and extensions of and alternatives to classical first-order predicate logic.
Prerequisites for PHIL 411: PHIL 211, MATH 310, MATH 325, or CSCE 235.
This course satisfies the logic requirement for the Ph.D. in philosophy.
Textbooks: Theodore Sider, Logic for Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2010); Daniel J. Velleman, How to Prove It: A Structured Approach, 3rd edition (Cambridge University Press, 2019).
Major assignments: two exams and four problem sets. Reading and homework exercises will be assigned for each class.
4/822 Why Be Moral? van Roojen T 3:30-6:05 19
Explore the foundations of ethics with consideration of major historical and contemporary views about the source of ethical obligation, practical normativity and morality. Prerequisites: 9 credit hours in PHIL
905 Philosophy of Language Mendola W 3:30-5:35 15
This course will concern various important relationships between psychological states and language. The course requirements are a seminar paper in two drafts, a class presentation, and a 4-page written summary of one of the books discussed in the course. Seminar papers throughout most of the range of philosophy of language and philosophy of mind would be germane to the course. The reading list will include Pitt, Carey, Block, Fodor, Johnson, Quilty-Dunn, Mandelbaum, Rey, Ludlow, Richard, Shea, Dove, and Laurence and Margolis.
952 Greek Philosophy Ide R 3:30-5:35 15
Topic to be determined, but something in Classical or Medieval European philosophy. (Talk with me if you have a preference!) The grade will be determined by a paper interpreting or evaluating one of the texts or theories we consider.