Courses
View Current Syllabi and Course Materials
View Course Offerings on Cyberbear
Catalog Listing
- U = for undergraduate credit only
- UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit
- G = for graduate credit
- R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.
U 100 Introduction to Philosophy, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
An introduction to philosophy through examination of the thought of selected
great philosophers or of traditional positions on classical philosophical
problems.
U 105 Introduction to Existentialism, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
An introduction to philosophy through examination of a selected theme.
Focusing themes will vary; existentialism, technology and the good life,
justice, environmental value, and science and society are examples.
U 119H Philosophical Perspectives on Women in the Western Hemisphere,
3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Same as LS & WS 119H. Introduction to the
discipline and scope of Western philosophy focusing on women as the subject
rather than men. A chronological study following the ideological development
in the West of social attitudes and scientific theses.
U 190 Supervised Internship, 1-6 cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department
chair.
U 195 Special Topics, Variable cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors,
experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current
topics.
U 198 Internship, 1-6 cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Prereq. consent of faculty supervisor and the
Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides
practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward
graduation.
U 200E Ethics: The Great Traditions, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS SEC. 2
Offered every term. An examination of the Western vision of morality through
the careful study of selected writings from Aristotle, Kant and Mill.
Additional works in ethics may supplement primary readings.
U 201E Political Ethics, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
Offered autumn and spring. An examination of the issues of political ethics
through the careful study of selected writings from the three great Western
political traditions: classical natural law theory, modern individualism,
and contemporary distributive justice.
U 202E Ethics and the Environment, 3 cr.
Offered yearly. An introductory-level ethics course for students with
a special interest in the natural environment. The course will (a) introduce
students to the three classical traditions in ethics-virtue, Kantianism
and utilitarianism, (b) ground these theories in questions about the moral
status of non-humans and our moral duties to non-humans, (c) include an
applied section of the course that will cover animal welfare, biotechnology
and other current topics.
U 210 Introduction to Logic: Deduction, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
Offered autumn and spring. Understanding general principles of reasoning
and the habits of clear and correct thinking. Emphasis on the analysis
of the logical structure of claims in natural language and the skills
of elementary deductive inference.
U 211 Introduction to Logic: Applied Logic, 3 cr.
Offered spring. Prereq., Phil 210. Elementary principles of induction
and scientific reasoning. Emphasis on effective evaluation of information
and argument in public discourse.
U 215 Philosophical Reasoning, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
Offered autumn. Prereq., philosophy major or minor or consent of instructor.
A focus on basic skills essential to success in philosophy: careful reading,
critical analysis, and well-structured writing. Emphasis on repeated practice
in recognizing, reading, analyzing, and writing philosophical arguments.
U 223E Business and Ethics, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. An analysis of ethical conflicts that may arise
in business.
U 240H History and Philosophy of Science, 3 cr.
Same as HIST 240H. Offered intermittently. The epistemological and metaphysical
developments of natural philosophy or science. The origins of science
in ancient Greece, and its subsequent developments during the scientific
revolution. Developments in biology, especially Darwinism and genetics.
Development in physics.
U 251H History of Ancient Philosophy, 3 cr. CURRENT
SYLLABUS
Offered autumn. The origin of philosophy in ancient Greece. Its development
in the Roman Empire. Its encounter with the Jewish, Christian and Islamic
traditions.
U 252H History of Modern Philosophy, 3 cr.
Offered spring. A survey of the history of philosophy from Descartes to
Hegel, which includes other Continental Rationalists, the British Empiricists,
and Kant.
U 290 Supervised Internship, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department
chair.
U 295 Special Topics, Variable cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors,
experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current
topics.
U 296 Independent Study, 1-6 cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently.
U 298 Internship, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq. consent of faculty supervisor and the
Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides
practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward
graduation.
U 300E Systematic Ethics, 3 cr.
Offered spring. Development of the fundamental principles grounding moral
reasoning in the Western tradition. A more thorough treatment of the material
offered in PHIL 200 intended for the philosophy major or prepared student
interested in a rigorous introduction to the foundations of ethics.
U 325E Morality and the Law, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower-division course in Perspective
5 or consent of instr. Analysis of moral reasoning in Anglo-American law,
emphasizing certain ethical and legal concepts and the role of the Supreme
Court.
UG 340L Aesthetics, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. The nature of
aesthetic experience, of the standards of art criticism, and of the kinds
of knowledge communicated by art. Readings from philosophers, artists,
and art critics.
U 362H Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Same as MCLG 362H and LS 362H. Examination of
the thought of the philosophers of Greece and Rome as expressed in original
works read in English translation. Ancient philosophy studied within its
historical, linguistic and cultural setting.
U 390 Supervised Internship, 1-12 cr. (R-12)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department
chair.
U 391 Agriculture in the Humanities and Fine Arts, 1
cr.
Offered autumn. Same as LS 391. Lecture series that accompanies cooperative
education credit for students participating in the PRogram in Ecological
Agriculture and Society (PEAS).
U 393 Omnibus, Variable cr. ( R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent work under
the University omnibus option.
U 394 Seminar, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
U 395 Special Topics, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors,
experimental offerings of new courses or one-time offerings of current
topics.
U 396 Independent Study, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
U 397 Research, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
U 398 Internship, 1-12 cr. (R-12)
Offered intermittently. Prereq. consent of faculty supervisor and the
Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides
practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward
graduation.
UG 410 Formal Logic: Scope and Limits, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., Phil 210 or equiv. A systematic study
of first-order logic, including development of standard metatheory and
the significance of modern formal methods.
UG 411 Philosophy of Science, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. A consideration
of philosophical issues relating to the nature of modern physical science:
method, explanation, theory, progress, space/time, causality, relation
of science to philosophy.
UG 421E Medical Ethics, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and lower-division
course in Perspective 5, or consent of instr. An examination of ethical
problems raised by the practice of medicine and by recent developments
in medically-related biological sciences.
UG 422E Contemporary Moral and Political Theory, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHIL 200E
or 201E. Recent theories in ethics and their implications; recent work
in political theory, emphasizing contemporary liberalism and its critics.
UG 427E Ethics and the Environment II, 3 cr.
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., PHIL 202E or PHIL 300E. Same as EVST
427E. Critical exploration of selected philosophical and literary texts
pertinent to the ethics of human relationships with the natural environment.
UG 429E Feminist Ethics, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower-division perspective 5 course or
consent of instr., Phil 200 strongly recommended. Examination of the implications
for philosophic ethics of the claim that Western men and women have different
moral perspectives.
UG 430 Topics in the Philosophy of Religion, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. An examination of one or more of the classic problems
of Western philosophy of religion, such as the traditional arguments for
and against the existence of God, the relationship of faith and reason,
the status of religious experience, the problem of evil, and the problem
of reconciling divine omniscience with human freedom.
UG 441E Philosophy in Literature, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of
instr. Philosophical thought in selected works of literature.
UG 443E Ethics and Public Affairs, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower-division perspective 5 course or
consent of instr. Examination of morally relevant issues in government,
journalism, education and other social institutions. Issues considered
include deception, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, privacy, paternalism,
responsibilities in conflict with other institutions and responsibilities
across national boundaries, among others.
UG 444 Topics in the Philosophy of the Arts, 3 cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Same as LS 444.
Examination of philosophical problems related to the particular arts and
discussion of the nature of the arts. Topics include music, visual arts,
literature, and film.
UG 450 Classical Modern Philosophy, 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered autumn even-numbered years. Prereq. PHIL 252H or consent of instr.
Intensive reading of one major philosophy from the rationalist tradition
(Descartes, Spinoza or Leibniz) and one from the empiricist tradition
(Locke, Berkeley or Hume).
UG 453 Kant, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., Phil 252H or 6 credit hours in philosophy
or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.
UG 461 Plato, 3 cr.
Offered every other spring. Prereq., Phil 251H. General introduction to
the philosophy of Plato emphasizing dialogues of the Early and Middle
periods.
UG 463 Aristotle, 3 cr.
Offered every other spring. Prereq., Phil 251H. General introduction to
Aristotle. Early biological writings, Categories, De Interpretatione,
Nicomachean Ethics, selections from Physics, De Anima and Metaphysics.
UG 465 Major Philosophers of the 19th Century, 3 cr.
(R-6)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., Phil 252H. Selection to be announced
in the class schedule.
UG 467 20th Century Continental Philosophy, 3 cr.
CURRENT SYLLABUS
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Intensive study
of the work of one philosopher (Heidegger, Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty,
Ricoeur, Derrida, etc.) or several texts representing a major movement
in 20th century continental thought (Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics,
Post-structuralism, etc.)
UG 469 20th Century Anglo-American Philosophy, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Readings in
analytic philosophy, contemporary empiricism, and contemporary pragmatism.
UG 471 Topics in Philosophy of Language, 3 cr.
CURRENT SYLLABUS
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Same as Ling
482. Discussion of one or more of the following topics: theories of meaning,
theories of reference, pragmatics, the origin of language, psycholinguistics,
and foundations of linguistic theory.
UG 477 Philosophy of Society and Culture, 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. A philosophical
examination of cultural forces shaping modern society, forces such as
science, technology, or domesticity.
UG 480 Senior Seminar, 3 cr. (R-9)
Offered spring. Prereq., senior standing. Research in problems in philosophy.
U 490 Supervised Internship, Variable cr. (R-12)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department
chair.
U 493 Omnibus, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent work under
the University omnibus option.
UG 494 Seminar, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
UG 495 Special Topics, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Experimental offerings
of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time
offerings of current topics.
U 496 Independent Study, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
U 497 Research, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
U 498 Internship, 1-6 cr (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Prereq. consent of faculty supervisor and the
Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides
practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward
graduation.
G 501 Topics in Epistemology, Philosophy of Technology and Philosophy
of Science; 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered every year.
G 502 Topics in Value Theory, 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered every year.
G 503 Topics in History of Philosophy, 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered every year.
G 504 Colloquium in the Philosophy of Ecology, 3 cr.
(R-6) Same as EVST 504.
Offered autumn and spring. Same as EVST 504. Critical study/discussion
of current (as well as benchmark) texts and issues in environmental ethics,
environmental politics, and the philosophy of ecology. Interdisciplinary;
open to concerned students from all disciplines.
G 505 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy, 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently.
G 506 Nature, Language and Politics; 3 cr.
Offered intermittently. Same as ENLT 524. Investigation of environmental,
social and political thought from the perspective of contemporary language
theory.
G 510 Philosophy Forum Colloquium, 1 cr. (R-3)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., graduate standing. Discussion and further
exploration of issues presented at the weekly Philosophy Forum.
G 520 Seminar in Foundations of Ethics, 4 cr.
Offered summer. Major traditions in Western moral philosophy along with
feminist and non-Western critiques.
G 521 Theory and Skills for Ethics Teaching, 3 cr.
Offered summer. Exploration and critical reflection of concepts and significant
issues in the teaching of practical ethics in classroom and corporate
settings.
G 523 Practicum in Teaching Ethics, 4 cr.
Prereq., M.A. teaching ethics emphasis candidates. Field experience in
a post-secondary classroom or off campus learning environment. Field work
includes lesson planning, teaching, and evaluation.
G 530 Research Ethics Online, 1 cr.
Offered every term. Online asynchronous instruction in ethical issues
in research; interpersonal, institutional, and professional responsibility;
research with animals and human participants. Interactive case studies
in biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences.
G 581 Thesis Proposal Preparation, Variable cr. (R-2)
Offered intermittently.
G 590 Supervised Internship, 1-12 cr. (R-12)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department
chair.
G 593 Professional Paper, Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
G 594 Seminar, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently.
G 595 Special Topics, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors,
experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current
topics.
G 596 Independent Study, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
G 597 Research, Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Directed individual research and study appropriate
to the background and objectives of the student.
G 598 Internship, 1-12 cr. (R-12)
Offered intermittently. Prereq. consent of faculty supervisor and the
Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides
practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.
G 599 Thesis, Variable cr. (R-6)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., approval of a thesis proposal by the
student's thesis committee.