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Philosophy Current Courses

Spring 2024

Course Code Title/Instructor Meets
PHIL 101-01 Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Jeff Engelhardt
Course Description:
An introduction to Western philosophy through an examination of problems arising in primary sources. How major philosophers in the tradition have treated such questions as the scope of human reason, the assumptions of scientific method, the nature of moral action, or the connections between faith and reason.
03:00 PM-04:15 PM, TF
DENNY 311
PHIL 102-01 Introduction to Ethics
Instructor: Jim Sias
Course Description:
An introduction to the philosophical study of morality, focusing on concepts of right and wrong, virtue and vice, and wellbeing. This course provides students the opportunity to hone their ethical reasoning skills by critically examining how some of historys most influential philosophers thought about issues in morality. Students will also develop more general skills, such as evaluating philosophical arguments, and expressing and defending their own ideas in writing.
10:30 AM-11:20 AM, MWF
EASTC 411
PHIL 103-01 Logic
Instructor: Chauncey Maher
Course Description:
The study and practice of forms and methods of argumentation in ordinary and symbolic languages, focusing on elements of symbolic logic and critical reasoning, including analysis and assessment of arguments in English, symbolizing sentences and arguments, constructing formal proofs of validity in sentential and quantificational logic.Offered every semester, or every three out of four semesters.
10:30 AM-11:45 AM, TR
TOME 115
PHIL 104-01 Practical Ethics
Instructor: Amy McKiernan
Course Description:
This course introduces students to contemporary debates in practical ethics. Course materials investigate how theoretical approaches to ethics apply to practical issues, including discussions of animal ethics, environmental ethics, reproductive ethics, civil disobedience, and the ethics of mass incarceration and the death penalty. This course is best suited for students interested in thinking about the relationship between ethical theory and practice, with an emphasis on how power, privilege, and responsibility intersect in our everyday lives.
09:30 AM-10:20 AM, MWF
ALTHSE 207
PHIL 113-01 Dialogue and Difference
Instructor: Peter Schadler, Jeff Engelhardt
Course Description:
Cross-listed with RELG 260-02.
10:30 AM-11:45 AM, TR
DENNY 110
PHIL 180-01 Political Philosophy
Instructor: Harry Pohlman
Course Description:
Cross-listed with POSC 180-01. An introduction to the history of political thought, focused on such problems as the nature of justice, the meaning of freedom, the requirements of equality, the prevalence of moral dilemmas in political life, the question of whether we ought to obey the law, and the importance of power in politics. We will also discuss how these issues continue to resonate today.This course is cross-listed as POSC 180.
03:00 PM-04:15 PM, TW
DENNY 313
PHIL 202-01 17th and 18th Century Philosophy
Instructor: Emily Kelahan
Course Description:
This course treats the Rationalists, Empiricists and Kant, with particular emphasis on issues in epistemology and metaphysics, such as the possibility and limits of human knowledge, the role of sense perception and reason in knowledge, the nature of substance, God and reality.Prerequisite: one prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.
08:30 AM-09:20 AM, MWF
EASTC 314
PHIL 256-01 Philosophy of Mind
Instructor: Chauncey Maher
Course Description:
This course investigates the nature of the mind and its relation to the brain, body, and the surrounding world. Analyses of these topics will draw on information from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, or computer science. Prerequisite: one previous course in philosophy, or permission of the instructor.
01:30 PM-02:45 PM, MR
EASTC 314
PHIL 261-01 Philosophy of Humor
Instructor: Jim Sias
Course Description:
Examination of specific problem, author, text, or movement. Prerequisite: one prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.
01:30 PM-02:45 PM, TF
EASTC 301
PHIL 261-02 Philosophy of Mental Illness
Instructor: Jim Sias
Course Description:
Examination of specific problem, author, text, or movement. Prerequisite: one prior course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.
01:30 PM-02:45 PM, MR
DENNY 104
PHIL 261-03 Sex
Instructor: Jeff Engelhardt
Course Description:
Cross-listed with WGSS 201-03. This course investigates sex, sexual activity, sexual orientations, and related philosophical topics. We'll consider questions such as, Is sex important? What is morally good sex, if there is such a thing? What is a sexual orientation? What roles should sex, sexual activity, and sexual orientation play in our lives?
03:00 PM-04:15 PM, MR
EASTC 314
PHIL 261-04 Gender and Justice
Instructor: Kathryn Heard
Course Description:
Permission of instructor required. Cross-listed with LAWP 234-01, POSC 234-01, SOCI 230-04 and WGSS 302-02. This course analyzes how legal theorists have drawn upon notions of gender, sex, and sexuality in order to understand and critique the American legal system and its norms. It considers questions like: How might a feminist perspective on the law illuminate instances of systematized inequality or legalized discrimination? Can queer theorists engage with the law in order to alter it, or does the very act of engagement hinder the possibility of future socio-legal change? How can the law better represent women of color, working women, queer women, stay-at-home mothers, transgender or non-binary individuals, women seeking surrogate or abortion services, and more, without reinforcing traditional understandings of what it means to be a "woman"? These questions - and more - will be taken up as we move through a rich combination of political philosophy, legal cases, and works of socio-legal analysis. Prerequisites: One POSC, LAWP or WGSS course or permission of instructor.
10:30 AM-11:45 AM, TR
DENNY 317
PHIL 302-01 Ethical Theory
Instructor: Amy McKiernan
Course Description:
Cross-listed with WGSS 301-02. This seminar will explore major issues or texts in classical or contemporary moral philosophy. Prerequisites: three prior courses in philosophy, at least two at the 200 level, or permission of the instructor. Offered at least once every two years.
01:30 PM-02:45 PM, MR
DENNY 112
PHIL 500-01 Neuroethics
Instructor: Amy McKiernan
Course Description:

PHIL 500-02 Trauma-Informed Ethics
Instructor: Amy McKiernan
Course Description: