PHL - Philosophy

PHL 150 Introductory Philosophy

An introduction to the practice of philosophy that introduces some of the major figures and issues that have shaped the discipline. In particular, students will learn to understand and apply basic principles of logic and critical reasoning, and will be introduced to some of the central problems in metaphysics and epistemology. A writing embedded course.

3

PHL 220 Ethics

An introduction to some of the major theories in classical and/or contemporary moral philosophy. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding and concretely applying normative theories of moral obligation including Utilitarianism, Deontology, Social Contract Theory, Ethics of Care, Natural Law, and Virtue Theory. The course will also explore the limits of relativism and absolutism.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150

PHL 331 Metaphysics: Asian Philosophy

This course explains the nature and source of reality in classical and contemporary Asian philosophies. It focuses on such questions as the origin and nature of ultimate reality, the nature of the self in relation to reality, freedom and causality in human existence, idealism and realism, and methodological approaches to apprehending reality.

3

PHL 332 Metaphysics: Philosophy of Mind

This course explains a set of conceptual problems involving the nature of mind and of psychological explanations of behavior. These range from classical discussions of the "mind-body problem" to contemporary debates concerning consciousness, mental representation, mental content, innate ideas, the nature of concepts, and the plausibility of psycho-physical reductionism.

3

PHL 333 Metaphysics: Philosophy of Religion

This course explains a broad range of metaphysical issues concerning the nature of God (or a god) and religious experience. It focuses on some major areas of debate such as arguments for the existence of a god, whether such a god should be conceived as a person, the problem of evil, and the relationship of faith and reason.

3

PHL 334 Metaphysics: Problem of Being

This course studies some major topics and approaches in the history of philosophical reflection on Being and ontology from the beginnings of metaphysical speculation in the pre-Socratics through the contemporary period. Topics may include potency and act, essence and existence, causality, the ontolological foundations of logic, and the question of God.

3

PHL 335 Metaphysics: Self and Identity

This course studies a range of metaphysical issues relevant to the nature of personal identity and self-consciousness such as identity over time, what makes someone a person, the nature of self-consciousness, the relationship of the self to a body, freedom of the will, the development of the self in the context of society and socio-political relations.

3

PHL 336 Metaphysics: Native American Philosophy

This course explores Native American Philosophy with particular emphasis on Mexico or the continental US. Topically, the course focuses on metaphysical aspects of Native American thought such as the nature or reality, time, space, truth, freedom, the self and the relationship between the self and the world. The course will draw comparisons to the Western philosophical tradition.

3

PHL 337 Metaphysics: Freedom

This course explores various philosophical conceptions of freedom and the issues that they raise. Topics may include free will and determinism, existentialism and freedom, whether freedom is related to reason, and the implications of metaphysical freedom for political liberation and moral responsibility.

3

PHL 410 Education and Politics

Inquiry into the political foundations of education and how these interface with epistemological, ethical, and metaphysical concerns. Concrete issues relating to educational injustices will also be addressed. Students will study both classical and contemporary thinkers, such as Confucius, Lao Tzu, Plato, Rousseau, Jane Addams, John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Bell Hooks, Maria Lugones.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 412 Philosophy of Law

The basic philosophical principles of justice and law in the Western legal traditions: morality and law; natural and positive law; Roman law and common law traditions; logic, language, and symbols of law; Marxian concept of law; legal education.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 413 Socio-Political Philosophy

Analysis of some major topics in contemporary socio-political thought, e.g., freedom, social justice and structural violence, equality, the relation between rights and obligations, sovereignty, authority, legitimacy, and consent.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 414 Philosophy and Feminism

An investigation of the philosophical underpinnings of various feminist theories and their implications for philosophical inquiry from De Beauvoir to Irigaray.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 421 Logic

This course offers an introduction to basic concepts of logic, including the nature and evaluation of arguments as well as an examination of common informal fallacies. Students will also be introduced to major systems of logic (categorical, propositional, and/or predicate logic) including ordinary-language statements into each logical system and testing arguments for validity within each system.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 422 Philosophy of Science

An analysis of fundamental concepts of science: fact, law, observation, theory, explanation, truth, discovery, progress, methods of scientific reasoning, science and pseudo-science, moral implications of scientific research, science and society.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 430 Advanced Ethics

An inquiry into current issues and debates in the field of ethics. The course will consider the relationship of ethical debates to other areas of philosophy. Investigation may focus on issues such as autonomy, internalism, moral realism, and/or the relationship between moral philosophy and problems in social and political philosophy.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 434 Environmental Ethics

An inquiry into our obligations to the non-human world and the philosophical basis of that obligation.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 435 Bioethics

This course will examine ethical issues in medicine, biotechnology, and related fields. Issues to be discussed may include the concept of informed consent, stem cell research, reproductive technologies, human enhancement, end of life issues, the global AIDS epidemic, genetics, biomedical research, and justice in the distribution of healthcare.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 451 Philosophy and Psychology

A study of the relationship between philosophy and contemporary psychology; a critical examination of the philosophical presuppositions underlying key personality theories: e.g., Freudian psychoanalysis, Jungian analysis, Skinnerian behaviorism, phenomenological psychology, and existential psychoanalysis.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 469 Great Philosophers

This course is devoted to an intensive study of the work of a single philosopher. Different philosophers will be featured in different semesters.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 471 Ancient Philosophy

The origins of Western philosophy and its development up to Plotinus, including the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic schools (Epicureans, Stoics, Skeptics), and Neoplatonism. Taught biennially.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 472 Medieval Philosophy

The major philosophers from Augustine through late scholasticism with particular attention to Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Scotus, and Ockham. Taught biennially.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 220 or equivalent.

PHL 473 Modern Philosophy

Philosophical figures and topics from the Renaissance through Kant: the scientific revolution, continental rationalism (Descartes, Leibniz), British empiricism (Locke, Hume, Berkeley), and Kant's transcendental philosophy. Taught biennially.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 474 Hegel and 19th Century Philosophy

An examination of nineteenth-century philosophy focusing upon the work of Hegel. The course traces the roots of Hegelianism in German idealism, the British Economists, and romanticism, and its influences on subsequent involvements including Marxism, existentialism, and American pragmatism. Taught biennially.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 475 Contemporary Philosophical Traditions

This course is a survey of some major philosophical tradition of the 20th century. Versions of the course could include Analytic Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, Contemporary Catholic Thought, or Classical American Philosophy.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 479 Existentialism

A survey of existential philosophers including Sartre, De Beauvoir, Marcel, and Merleau-Ponty; a critical study of their reflections on the nature and meaning of human existence, freedom, and authenticity.

3

Prerequisites

PHL 150, PHL 220

PHL 490 Directed Study

Credit arranged.

Variable

PHL 499 Senior Capstone

Research, study, or original work under the direction of a faculty mentor, leading to a scholarly thesis document with a public presentation of results. Requires approval of thesis director and department chair.

Variable