Philosophy (PHIL)

College of Arts and Sciences

(GE) = Approved General Education Course
(WR) = Approved Writing Reinforcement Course

110 Introduction to Philosophy, 3 credit hours (GE)
Basic concepts, distinctions, and theories used in philosophical thinking. Emphasis on reasoning and critical thinking as applied to problems in philosophy.

111 Honors Introduction to Philosophy, 3 credit hours (GE)
An advanced introduction to basic concepts, distinctions, and theories used in philosophical thinking, appropriate for Honors students. Emphasis on reasoning and critical thinking as applied to problems in philosophy as discussed in the classic primary sources.

180 Critical Reasoning, 3 credit hours (GE)
Logical reasoning, including principles and methods of argument, mistakes in reasoning, theory or evidence, problems of meaning and definition.

220 Ethics, 3 credit hours (GE) (WR)
Process of moral reasoning, with a survey of theories of moral philosophy and their application to selected contemporary moral problems.

221 Honors Ethics, 3 credit hours (GE)
An advanced introduction to the process of moral reasoning, with a survey of theories of moral philosophy and their application to selected contemporary moral problems. Discussions will center on classic primary sources.

230 Science, Technology, and Value, 3 credit hours
A study of the impact that the progress of science has on our lives and our futures through the development of various technologies, and the ethical questions raised by our ever-increasing ability to control the world.

240 Medical Ethics, 3 credit hours
A study and analysis of the complex moral issues facing doctors and patients. Issues such as distribution of scarce medical resources, development and testing of new drug therapies, end-of-life decisions, and fetal tissue research will be studied and discussed against the backdrop of a variety of ethical traditions and theories.

250 Symbolic Logic, 3 credit hours
Advanced modern formal logic, symbolizing prose, evaluating arguments for validity and soundness, proving theorems with various logical systems. Emphasis on the relationships between logic and language and the role of logic in analytic philosophy.

270 Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century, 3 credit hours
An examination of the leading philosophers of the 19th century, including: Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. Particular attention on issues of epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of religion, as well as to the influence such figures continue to have on the philosophical and cultural landscape of the 20th century. Readings from the primary sources.

280 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, 3 credit hours (GE) (WR)
Development of Western philosophy, from its beginnings in Greece through the medieval period. Emphasis on the outstanding philosophers of each period.

290 Modern Philosophy, 3 credit hours (GE) (WR)
Modern philosophy from the Renaissance to the present. Emphasis on the outstanding philosophers of the period.

300 Special Topics in Philosophy, 3 credit hours
In-depth study of a topic in philosophy, through individual or small-group sessions, with assigned readings. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

310 Philosophy of Religion, 3 credit hours
In-depth study of the main arguments for and against the existence of the traditional Judeo-Christian God and several other problems that the theist must address. Emphasis on the relationship between faith and reason, the traditional properties that God is thought of as having, and problems concerning reference to God.

320 Feminist Philosophy, 3 credit hours
An examination of some central themes in Feminist philosophy, including the definition of gender and gender roles, discrimination and affirmative action, institutional sexism, Feminist Ethics and Feminist Epistemology. Classical and contemporary philosophical sources will be read and analyzed.

321 Philosophical Pragmatism, 3 credit hours
An examination of American philosophical pragmatism, especially as represented by the classical pragmatism of C.S. Pierce, William James, and John Dewey. Attention paid to contemporary pragmatism and such figures as Richard Rorty and Cornel West. West’s Introduction to Pragmatism, The American Evasion of Philosophy, will be supplemented with primary sources. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 and PHIL 180 or consent of the instructor.

330 Philosophy of Science, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of the classic issues in the philosophy of science: the nature of scientific explanation, the confirmation of scientific theories, theories of truth, the distinction between science and metaphysics, the structure and status of observation statements, and the “unity science” thesis.

350 Existentialism, 3 credit hours
Introduction to some of the more important themes of contemporary existentialism, such as primacy of the individual, authentic existence, I-Thou relationship, and estrangement. Examination of the thought of Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marcel, Buber, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

360 Philosophical Analysis, 3 credit hours
An in-depth study of the Analytic Philosophy Movement, the development and influence of Analytic thought in the areas of philosophy and language, philosophy of mind and metaphysics, as well as some contemporary criticisms from the Continental perspective. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

370 Epistemology, 3 credit hours
An introduction to the problems and methods of modern epistemology, with a survey of various answers to such central questions as “What is it to know something?,” “What is the nature of truth?,” and “What is it about some beliefs that makes them more highly justified than others?” Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

380 Metaphysics, 3 credit hours
The classical issues in metaphysics, including the nature of Being and its relation to existence, the nature of mind, and the question of the relation of freedom and causality, as well as a brief introduction to the questioning of metaphysics by the post-modern movement. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.