Philosophy

A sustained study of Plato and Aristotle with some consideration of pre-Socratic antecedents and Hellenistic successors. (H, I) GR-E†

An examination of ancient Greek and Roman political theories and their ethical foundations.

This course is a survey of medieval philosophy. Philosophers to be read many include Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Maimonides, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Ockham. Topics include the nature of God, universals, individuation, future contingents.

A survey of the work of major philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries, from Descartes to Kant, in the primary texts. (H, I)

A variable topic seminar focusing on a particular topic, period, or school in the philosophy of Greco-Roman antiquity.

A variable topic seminar focusing on a period, school, or topic in 17^th or 18^th century philosophy.

A study of selected works by 19^th and 20^th century continental philosophers, with emphasis to be determined by the instructor. Selections to include such thinkers as Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Foucault. (H)

A variable topic seminar on the work of a major historical or contemporary philosopher. Examples of philosophers who might be studied under this course number are Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hobbes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Russell, Moore, Sartre, Wittgenstein and Quine. A detailed course description will be available in the philosophy department office prior to registration for terms in which the course is offered. (H)

An introduction to philosophy through a study of a number of traditional central questions of philosophy, for example, questions about the existence of God, the nature of the mind, the definition of "good," freedom of the will, and criteria of truth and knowledge. The particular issues emphasized may vary with the instructor. (H) GR-E†

A survey at an elementary level of a variety of different methods of formal and informal analysis of the logical structure of propositions and arguments. Possible topics include syllogistic logic, propositional logic, quantification logic, inductive logic, informal fallacies and probability. (M) GR-M†

An introduction to moral philosophy through selected contemporary issues, e.g. abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering and the treatment of animals. (H) GR-E†

A systematic study of forms of deduction; techniques and topics include truth-functional analysis and quantification. (M) GR-M†

A study of the central topics and concepts of the theory of knowledge, including the analysis of the concepts of knowledge, truth, justification, and related concepts, the nature of empirical knowledge, the problem of skepticism, the nature of a priori knowledge, and the structure of the justification of our beliefs. (H)

This course surveys the central issues in the philosophy of perception. It examines the nature of perceptual experiences, their relations to our environment, and to the perceptual beliefs we form on their bases.

A study of central contemporary issues in the philosophy of natural science, e.g., the nature of laws, the logic of discovery, and the relationships between different sciences. The sciences most used for illustration vary with the instructor. (H)

A study of such issues as the possibility of social laws, the nature of social explanation and rationality, and the role of value judgments in social-scientific research. (H)

A study of one or more of the problems of "first philosophy." For example, subjects of study might include the concepts of existence, essence, object, property, and event, universals and particulars, the nature of change, possibility, causation, space and time. Also, many traditional philosophical issues such as free will, the mind/body problem, personal identity, and the existence of abstract entities (e.g., numbers), fall in the domain of academic metaphysics, as do broad philosophical views, such as realism, idealism, materialism, and relativism. Course focus may vary with the interests of the instructor. (H)

This course systematically addresses the ethical issues that arise in medicine and biotechnology.

Analysis and criticism of various normative ethical theories, such as egoism, utilitarianism, Kantianism, deontology and virtue ethics. (H)

A study of problems in philosophical theology, including the nature of God, arguments for God’s existence, the problem of evil, and the relation between faith and reason, from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

Available by department permission to upper division students who make suitable advance application to the undergraduate coordinator.

Check the department office for a course description for the term in which it is given. (H)

An intensive course in philosophical writing. Topics to be treated will vary with the instructor. (H, C) GR-E†

A study of the major topics and concepts of the philosophy of language. Topics typically covered will include truth and meaning, speech act theory, reference and descriptions, names and demonstratives, propositional attitudes and indirect discourse, the nature of language, and metaphor. Course focus may vary with the interests of the instructor. (H)

A study of the central problems of the philosophy of mind, including the mind-body problem, the nature of mental states, intentionality and representation, sensation and consciousness, and related topics. (H)

A study of the nature of space and time: subjects may include the concepts of substantival space and time (or space-time), relational space and time (or space-time), dynamical space-time, conventional space-time metrics, casual reduction of time, time’s arrow, dimensionality of space (or space-time). The approach, historical or issue-oriented, and the required amount of knowledge of physics may vary with the instructors.

Advanced topics in moral theory, such as cognitivism, obligations and permissions, moral reasons, and moral epistemology. (H)

Available by departmental permission to upper division students who have taken at least 12 hours of philosophy and who make suitable advance application via the undergraduate coordinator.

Open to qualified philosophy majors upon application to the undergraduate coordinator.

Check the department office for a course description for the term in which it is given.

A survey of fundamental issues, designed as an introduction to classic works in political philosophy. Topics such as comparative systems, authority, and freedom will be discussed. (H) GR-E†

A normative study of the relationships between human beings and the environment, with special emphasis on land and resources. (H)

An analysis of theoretical and practical issues in feminism such as radical, liberal and socialist perspectives, gender roles and equal opportunity. This course is an elective in Women’s Studies. (H, I)

A study of philosophical problems about such issues as political freedom, justice, obligation and coercion. (H) GR-E†

An introduction to philosophical issues in legal thought and practice. It is designed especially for pre-law majors and as an introduction to PHM 4440 (Philosophy of Law). It introduces the student to the types of philosophical issues that the major schools of legal thought have attempted to resolve. (H) GR-E†

A study of the philosophical problems raised by historical explanations and narratives of past events. (H)

An examination of ethical issues in communication between individuals and in the media. Possible topics include truth-telling, misrepresentation, privacy and fairness. (H)

An examination of philosophical issues in legal theory such as the concept of law, legal reasoning, responsibility and punishment. (H)

An examination of the existentialist movement in philosophy through readings from such figures as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre. (H)

A study of the major philosophers, themes, and developments of the analytic tradition, from Frege, Russell, Moore, and Wittgenstein, to Quine, Austin and contemporary figures. (H)