102. Introduction to Philosophy.

An introduction to the history and problems of philosophy. Particular philosophers and philosophic problems are introduced to provide the student exercises in the rigorous examination of complicated issues and to give some knowledge of how such problems have been handled by some of the great minds of our culture. Offered in the spring semester. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

105. Introduction to Ethics.

A critical rational investigation into the major questions of morality. Issues such as whether there are any objective moral truths, what is a good person, and what is a right or wrong action are discussed. Classical and contemporary texts will be used. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

109. Critical Thinking.

In this class we will discuss and explore basic forms of reasoning. Some topics to be covered include argument construction and criticism, the nature of evidence and how to use it in argument construction, statistical reasoning, and probability. Students will also be introduced to logical fallacies and how to identify them in informal arguments. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

110. Introduction to Logic.

Critical thinking involving the systematic use of language, fallacies of reasoning, modes of valid deduction, sets, truth tables, and natural deductions as found in modern symbolic logic. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

121. History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy.

Selected philosophers from Thales to Aquinas. Attention is given to the fundamental ideas which shaped the birth and development of the Western philosophical tradition. Offered in the fall semester. Cornerstone 1A. Three hours.

122. History of Modern Philosophy.

The birth and development of modern philosophy from the Scientific Revolution through the nineteenth century. Of particular concern is the interplay between the Continental philosophers and the British Empiricists, for example: Descartes and Locke, Kant and Hume, and Hegel and Berkeley. Offered in the spring semester. Cornerstone 1B. Three hours.

190. Special Topics in Philosophy.

211. Feminist Ethics.

This course is an investigation into feminist ethical theory and its application. In the first half of the class we will explore the major tenets and trends within the two major movements of feminist ethics: the care approach and the power approach. In the second half of the course we will examine applications of these approaches to various issues of concern for feminists, for example, issues about the ethical approach toward creating and conceptualizing ethical relationships with others, domestic violence, and reproductive freedom. Cornerstone 6. Three hours.

220. Political Philosophy.

A survey of the major figures and ideas in western political philosophy. This course will cover Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Hobbes, Locke, Kant and Rousseau. We will start with the Greek concept of a polis, consider Roman law, work our way through the Christian transformation of politics, and fi nish with social contract theory. We will pay careful attention to the philosophical background that shaped democratic theory and the contemporary notion of human rights. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

235. Health Care Ethics.

The United States is experiencing a health care crisis. This crisis has two elements. The first element is the large and growing numbers of people who have no access to health care, people who have no health insurance, or people who have too little health insurance because of the rising costs of health care. The second element is that once people receive health care, they are often not treated in ethical ways. In this course, we will study the roots of the crisis and how the tools of philosophical ethics can help us resolve it by asking: What is a just health care system? And, what kind of services must be included in a just health care system, (i.e. assisted death, abortions, infertility treatments, body enhancements)? Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

245. The Ethics of Globalization.

It is no secret that we are in a world where globalization is a fact of life. We are constantly bombarded with debates about whether globalization is a positive or negative for the United States and other nations, but rarely are we able to investigate what globalization is and what ethical issues it produces or alleviates. In this class we will examine these questions, as well as different proposals about how to proceed with globalization in an ethical way from philosophical writers around the world. We will also explore how the issues of globalization change in different regions of the world, focusing on Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

250. Applied Ethics.

The application of various ethical theories to contemporary moral problems in our society. Sample topics include: moral dilemmas in the business world, capital punishment, environmental ethics, and animal rights. Students will be asked to critically examine and evaluate specific cases. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

255. The Ethics of Development and Consumption.

This course will examine the ethical aspects of balancing the goals of development with the responsibility to be an ethical consumer. While specific topics will vary, possible topics include: what constitutes ethical consumerism, what constitutes ethical development, the circumstances of expanding business within and beyond the United States, environmental effects of development and consumerism, and the ethical requirements of investigating and promoting devices and technologies, and sharing or withholding scientific and technological advancements with “less developed” nations. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

265. Metaphysics & Epistemology.

In this course, we will address some of the basic questions in metaphysics and epistemology and the methodology implemented to answer these questions. Students will analyze the questions as they were first formulated by Plato and Aristotle, and will then trace the transformation of both questions and methodology through the enlightenment. The last section of the course will focus on the renewed interest in these questions in contemporary thought. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

290. Special Topics in Philosophy.

311. Feminist Philosophy.

This class will be a detailed examination of topics in feminist philosophy. While specific topics will vary, possible topics include: feminist ethics and social/political philosophy, feminist metaphysics and feminist epistemology. In addition, we will expressly focus on applying feminist theories through service learning and campus activist projects. Cornerstone 6. Three hours.

332. Philosophy of Religion.

The nature of philosophy of religion, its methods, and the relation of its method and content to the modern philosophical tradition. An examination of the philosophical importance of religious sensibility for understanding the structures of personal being and knowledge. Same as Religion 332. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

335. Philosophy of Technology.

This class examines the nature of technology and how it has shaped the way our society thinks and acts. Specifically, how technology informs, distorts, or improves our understanding of human relations, the natural world, labor leisure, politics and the ethical/spiritual life. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

340. Value Theory.

This class will explore and discuss the grounds for judgment concerning what is good and valuable. Focus will be on practices that our culture regards as worthy of pursuit including: art, science, athletics, leisure, the pursuit of wealth, technology and religious/spiritual life, and the relationship between the value of these activities and conceptions of an ethical life. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

345. Philosophy of Science.

This class will cover some of the fundamental questions in the philosophy of scientific inquiry, including the following: What precisely is the scientific method and does it gradually reveal the truth about the natural world (including human beings), does scientific method and reason involve value judgments in any way, what does it mean to construct a scientific theory, and how does scientific reasoning relate to other kinds of inquiry. Same as Psyc 345. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

350. Philosophy of Language.

This class will examine several of the most current debates in the philosophy of language. Are the universal components of spoken language hardwired or do we learn these universal components empirically? Are animals, specifically the great apes, capable of learning language or is language unique to humans and constitutive of our humanity? Does language have the power to shape social or political reality? We will also examine the traditional questions in the philosophy of language including: how do we determine the meaning of words, and what is the relationship between language and thought. Cornerstone 4A. Three hours.

385. Senior Seminar in Philosophy and Religion.

This capstone course for majors in philosophy requires students to engage some of the important methodological questions in doing research in philosophy. Each student will prepare a major research paper and present it to the departmental faculty during the final weeks of the spring semester. Three hours.

390. Special Topics in Philosophy.

391. Honors Program.

392. Honors Program.