Course List

Philosophy Course Descriptions  

PHI 101E Introduction to Philosophy: Free Will and Determinism

Is there a human will at all? This course will concentrate on the issue of free will vs. determinism. The importance of the human will insofar as it influences views of experience, politics, society, etc., will be considered.   This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 102E Introduction to Philosophy: The Quest for Certainty

Philosophy has often been defined as the attempt to become aware of the hidden assumptions we make on our everyday outlooks on life. The present course will deal with one of the most pervasive of these assumptions—the thesis that human beings should pursue certainty and objectivity at any price. The history of philosophy will be utilized to trace and to criticize the identification of all true knowledge with certainty.  Questions will be raised as to whether the quest for certainty is either feasible or beneficial to the human person. An extensive analysis of some 20^th century alternatives, such as existentialism and pragmatism, will be undertaken.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite:  A college writing course.  Cr. 3 

PHI 103E Introduction to Philosophy: Human Alienation

Why do human beings picture themselves as being alienated from nature and others? How did the problem of alienation come about? What possibilities exist for overcoming it? This course will deal with these issues and attempt to suggest viable alternatives.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.  Cr. 3 

PHI 105E Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy Thought Its History

An introduction to philosophy through its history and development, i.e., through the examination of central texts in history of philosophy, up to and including contemporary works. Specific readings may vary from semester to semester, but will always include some canonical works by classic Western philosophers (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Kant).  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 106E Introduction to Philosophy: Why Philosophize?

This course centers about the exploration of a single question: what it means to think philosophically. In the context of this question, we will examine what are the sources of philosophical thought and whether philosophy can justify its claim to be the foundation of reflective endeavor. This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 107E Introduction to Philosophy: World Philosophy

This course presents the world’s view of philosophy from ancient to contemporary times. The thinkers will be chosen from a broad range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Emphasis will be placed on the wide diversity and historical backgrounds of philosophical positions.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite:  A college writing course.  Cr. 3 

PHI 109E Introduction to Philosophy: Law, Politics, and Society

This course examines the traditional political questions that face everyday society: Who should rule? What should the rules be? Why should the rules be obeyed? The approach is largely historical, emphasizing the answers that major political figures have offered to these questions. The relevance of these historical answers to current social issues is addressed using a number of contemporary topical readings.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

 PHI 110E Introduction to Philosophy: Gender and Society

To what extent are social norms influenced by assumptions about sex and gender?  The course examines philosophical arguments on topics such as masculinity, femininity, sexualities, war, religion, fatherhood, motherhood, abortion, gay marriage, and politics.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.  Cr. 3 

PHI 111E Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophical Reading (and Writing)

This course aims to teach the student a particular skill: philosophical reading (and writing). On the most immediate level this will be a course in reading (and writing) philosophical texts. The texts will give the student a sense of the immense history, wealth and suggestibility of philosophical writing, its various genres, and its authors. On another level, this course will teach the skill of reading (and writing) philosophically. Any piece of writing can be read (and written about), with profit, philosophically. The second skill and its profit cannot be acquired without first studying the first, thus the bulk of the course will focus on reading (and writing about) philosophy texts philosophically. About one month will be devoted to reading each book. This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 112E/W Introduction to Philosophy: Feminist Perspective

To what extent do cultural assumptions about gender shape a society's notion of truth, rationality, and justice?  Feminist Perspectives explores theoretical understandings of oppression and privilege in all walks of life.  Students will consider and construct a variety of theories resistance strategies and philosophies that facilitate coalition building.    Writing intensive.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite:  A college writing course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 199E Introduction to Philosophy: Basis of Good Reasoning

An introduction to the difference between good and bad arguments.  Significant attention is paid to analyzing everyday reasoning in advertising, letters to the editor, political speeches, newspaper columns, talk show, etc. and to evaluating that reasoning as sound or unsound.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite:  A college writing course.    Cr. 3                 

PHI 200 Metaphysics

An analysis of the various theories of reality, together with a critical examination of their conceptual constructs, principles and methodologies. Issues to be discussed include change, time freedom and necessity, immortality and God, good and evil. Thinkers to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, Whitehead and Heidegger.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 205 Symbolic Logic

Techniques of modern deductive logic; properties of formal systems; logical implications and paradoxes of language.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 210 Ethical Theories

Critical evaluation of major ethical theories and systems. Extensive reading in original texts. Analysis of contemporary ethical issues.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 211 Media Ethics

In the information age, media play an increasingly large role in our lives.  Our notion of living a global society is largely shaped by media.  What is responsible journalism?  Does violent programming contribute to violence in America?  What are professional ethics and how should they guide media practitioners?  We will discuss these questions by examining key ethical values in media such as: privacy, confidentiality, truth telling, conflicts of interest, and social responsibility.  We will also explore some fundamental issues in ethical theory such as:  Why be ethical?  What is ethics?  The course is designed for majors in philosophy, media studies, and communication as well as other interested students.   Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 212 Environmental Ethics

This course analyzes the relations between human beings and the environment in terms of concepts of justice, the good, and human responsibilities. It attempts to provide a new cosmological model for adjudicating between conflicting rights and duties. Issues to be discussed include animal rights, environmental protection and ecological harmony.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 215 Philosophy of Literature

While many cultures accord a vital role to stories, myths and poetry in cultivation of wisdom, traditional European philosophy has tended to marginalize them. This course seeks to investigate the historical roots for this separation between philosophy and literature in European thought. It will then consider the perspectives of some contemporary thinkers (e.g., Robert Coles, Michael Ende, Martha Nussbaum, and Martin Heidegger) who are convinced that literature plays an indispensible role in that pursuit of wisdom.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 220 Philosophy of Art

What makes a person creative?  What do artists think about their art?  How do critics evaluate a work?  If art is created for a cultural ritual or healing, is it to be understood differently?  How do the circumstances of a work’s creation and reception influence its evaluation?  How do person’s class, ethnicity, and gender influence the artwork and its reception?  Philosophers in the field of Aesthetics attempt to answer questions which artists, art historians, anthropologists, and critics ask about art.  The works of art and philosophy considered will be drawn from a wide variety of cultural contexts. Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 221 Philosophy of Film

This course concentrates on the construction of meaning in context of cinema. Major emphases is placed on cinema as a product of social construction. Issues to be discussed include perception, memory, images and the uses of stereotypes.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.      Cr. 3 

PHI 225 Philosophy of the Mind

An analysis of the major philosophical issues facing the science of psychology: language and the unconscious, body-mind interaction, freedom and determinism. Major figures to be studied include Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Freud, Mercleau-Ponty, Lacan, and Skinner. Thematic emphasis will be on historic interaction between psychology and philosophy in the development of Western thought.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 230 Philosophy of Religion

Analysis of the nature of religion experience, knowledge, and language. Special attention is given to problems, classical and contemporary, exhibited in religious experience and relevant to areas of concern in the sciences, humanities and philosophy.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 235 Philosophy of Social Media

The course examines the moral dimensions of communicative social interaction in a digital context. The focus is how social media transform traditional ethical issues such as: truth, trust, privacy, autonomy, sexual responsibility, civility and community. Students will learn moral and legal frameworks for evaluating the digital dimensions of social life. Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 240 Political Philosophy

Critical evaluation of political philosophies, classical and contemporary; extensive reading in original texts; analysis of contemporary political issues.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 245 Africa, Social Justice, and Exile

Why are people forced to leave Africa, where do they go, what makes it difficult for them to return?  This course examines exile, its effect on men, women and children.  Looking at theories of social justice, personal narratives, short stories, and visual culture will help us consider moral issues in the post-colonial landscape of Africa. Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 250 Philosophy of Science

An examination of two different models generally used in approaching scientific activity philosophically; the logical model, and the historical model. Questions to be raised include whether these two approaches are mutually exclusive or whether one can subsume the other, and at what cost. Issues to be covered include description vs. explanations; scientific vs. non-scientific explanation; the issue of whether to include pragmatic or psychological dimensions of meaning in scientific explanations; the question of whether all facts are “theory-laden” and the relationship between facts, laws and theories in science.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 260 Philosophy of Law

Critical evaluation of select issues in philosophical law. Possible topics include; the nature of law (positivism, natural law, legal realism); judicial decision making; constitutional adjudication; the justification of punishment; the legal enforcement of morality; legal responsibility; the judicial system. Readings are drawn from the disciplines of both philosophy and law, and include contemporary as well as historical selections.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 265 Philosophy of Gender

The course explores the contributions of feminist philosophers to gender analysis. It will examine the philosophical assumptions inherent in theories of gender difference that arise in sociobiology, biological determinism, physiology, and the social construction perspective. Assumptions about gender will be studied in some of the following areas: violence, war, religion, reproduction, family, sexualities, and sport.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 270 Epistemology

An analysis of the various theories of knowledge in reference to their methodologies and consequences. Texts to read include: Berkley, Hume, Descartes, Kant and Hegel.  Prerequisite:  Any 100-level course.     C3

PHI 275 Nature and Compassion

Whether and how we respond to the suffering of others defines, and in many ways, who we are as persons and communities. This course is an investigation into the emotion and compassion and its social role. Drawing upon a wide variety of sources such as Greek Tragedy, Buddhist scriptures, classical and contemporary philosophical thought, it will address philosophical defenders of the need to cultivate compassion (Rouseau, Schopenauer, and Adam Smith) as well as thinkers suspicious of this notion (Nietzsche, e.g.). The work of contemporary philosophers—Phillip Hallie and Martha Nussbaum—will also receive close attention. Students will have a chance to think through some important philosophical issues, such as the role of emotions in moral deliberation, the extent to which compassion can be both aided and obstructed by the use of language, and whether there are appropriate limits to compassion.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 285 Genetics & Society

The course examines key ethical controversies in new and future genetic technologies including:  reproductive cloning embryonic stem cell research, genetic testing, enhancement, gene patenting and regenerative medicine.  Students will learn about the history of genetics, basic concepts in genetics, and the philosophical debates about the relationship between genetics and society.  This course satisfies the "Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility ad Citizenship" requirement of the Core Curriculum. Prerequisite:  Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3

PHI 290 Problems in Philosophy

Consideration of selected problems of systems of philosophical significance, including general problems of metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, specialized areas, etc. May be repeated for credit.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 291 Death and Dying

Recent success in life-prolonging techniques has resulted in the creation of new disagreements over the proper definition of death. Which definition of death is the most adequate? Some have argued that dying, not death, is the vitally important topic. Has the term death changed its meaning from time to time and place to place in human history? This course will deal with these and similar epistemological issues.  This course satisfies the "Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility ad Citizenship" requirement of the Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 295 Medicine, Madness and Disease

 Recent advances in modern medicine and medical technology challenge traditional notions of health, sanity and social order. This course will examine some of the controversial ethical dilemmas that patients, families and health care providers confront, such as informed consent, truth-telling, parental screening, abortion, involuntary commitment for the mentality ill, drug testing, and patient rights. The course will critique the assumptions behind these and other medical practices.  This course satisfies the "Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility ad Citizenship" requirement of the Core Curriculum.   Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 310I History of Ancient Philosophy

Philosophic thought from the pre-Socratics to the late Hellenistic period, with major emphasis on Plato and Aristotle.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 312I Gender in African Literature and Film

Intellectual, cinematic and literary movements will be examined through generations of thinkers in African national, cultural and geographical settings. The course will look at texts from West, East, and Southern Africa dealing with theory, fiction, and visual culture. Important recent controversies in gender and post-colonial philosophy are explored. This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. 

Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 315I Eastern Philosophy

This course examines the major texts of the great Asiatic religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen. Special emphasis is placed on the ethical and metaphysical dimensions of these traditions as well as their significance for the contemporary theories of the person, social justice, and human fulfillment.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 320I History of Medieval Philosophy

The merger of the philosophic with the religious stream; ideas of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, and others critically examined; determining cultural factors explored.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 330I History of Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant

Main currents of rationalism and empiricism are explored, as developed in major writings from Descartes to Kant.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum. Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.   Cr. 3 

PHI 340I History of Late Modern Philosophy

Development of German idealism; emergence of social and scientific philosophies; contributions of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Feuerbach, and others.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 350I American Philosophy

History and background of the origin of philosophical ideas in America; particular emphasis given to Peirce, James, Royce, and Dewey.    Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 360I Existentialism

An Examination of the historical development and basic themes of existentialism as found in the writings of its major representative: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Buber, Marcel, and others.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 370I Analytic Philosophy

An historical approach to twentieth-century linguistic philosophy.  This course will begin with logical atomism, continue through the era of logical positivism, and end with ordinary language analysis. Extensive reading of primary sources and major commentators.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.      Cr. 3 

PHI 380I Postmodernism

The course presents a survey of the central movements within continental philosophy in the 20^th century; phenomenology, structuralism, hermeneutics, and deconstruction. Possible figures of study are: Foucault, Derrida, Levinas, Gadamer, Barthes, Lacan, Irigary, Cixous, and Lyotard.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.    Cr. 3 

PHI 390I Hermeneutics

How do we go about interpreting something that is foreign to us? What does it mean to understand a person or text? Hermeneutics is the tradition of philosophical inquiry into the dynamics of interpretation and understanding. The course examines the historical roots of hermeneutics in the works of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey, and it proceeds with he close analysis of several 20^th century thinkers, for example, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Martin Heidegger—whose works extend and develop the hermeneutical tradition.  This course satisfies the Cultural Interpretation requirement of the new Core Curriculum.  Prerequisite: Any 100-level course.     Cr. 3 

PHI 398 Independent Stud

This course provides students with an opportunity to design a set of readings and learning objectives concerning a topic in the history of philosophy or a specific issue in philosophy. Students must complete an independent study proposal, and obtain permission of a faculty mentor and the Department chair. Students must meet regularly with the faculty mentor. May be repeated for credit.   Prerequisite: A minimum of two (2) 300-level philosophy courses plus written permission of the instructor involved.  Cr. 3 

PHI 400 Seminar in Philosophy

This is a seminar course dealing with a specific topic or person in philosophy.  Topics or individual philosophers will change from year to year and the course may be repeated for credit.  The prerequisite for any 400-level seminar course is two (2) 300-level courses in philosophy, or permission of the instructor.   Cr. 3

PHI 409 Research Seminar

A research seminar designed to provide senior level students with an opportunity to participate in the research efforts of individual faculty and collaborate with each other in the design, methodology and completion of their tutorials.  Prerequisite: Advanced standing as a philosophy major and permission of the department.     Cr. 3  

PHI 410 Senior Thesis

Designed to furnish senior philosophy majors with extensive training, under tutorial supervision, an analysis of a philosophical problem or system or philosopher, with a view to producing and presenting a senior paper for oral defense.  Prerequisite: advanced standing as a philosophy major, successful completion of PHI 400 and permission of the Department.   Cr. 3