III. Philosophy Courses

Note: Not all of these courses are offered on a regular basis.  Consult the current list of courses available for registration and the Philosophy Undergraduate Advisor to find out when particular courses are offered.

PHIL 1010 Introduction to Philosophy (BG Perspective course)

(3) Fall, Spring. Systematic study of enduring human concerns about God, morality, society, the self and knowledge.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.  Approved for Distance Ed.

PHIL 1020 Introduction to Ethics (BG Perspective course)

(3) Fall, Spring. Discussion of ethical concepts such as good and evil and right and wrong in the context of contemporary moral issues; major ethical theories as a basis for dealing with contemporary moral concerns.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 1030 Introduction to Logic

(3) Fall, Spring. Basic concepts of logic; how to distinguish arguments from non-arguments, premises from conclusions.  Methods for evaluating arguments and how to recognize typical mistakes in reasoning. Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 1250 Contemporary Moral Issues (BG Perspective course)

(3) Fall, Spring.  Study of contemporary moral problems with a focus on what values are and how they differ from facts.  Topics may include abortion, promise-keeping, mercy killing, academic dishonesty, and animal rights.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2020 History of Ethics

 (3) Fall or Spring. A study of the classic moral philosophers who have shaped modern thought on the subject, including Aristotle, Hume, Kant and Mill. Attention will be paid to the views of each on moral psychology.

PHIL 2040 Aesthetics

(3) Fall, Spring. Meaning of "beauty" or aesthetic value in art and nature, approached problematically and applied to present-day experiences. Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2110 History of Ancient Philosophy

(3) Fall. Progress of Greek philosophy from its earliest origins in Greece through the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle, concluding with main themes of Hellenistic, Roman and medieval philosophy. PHIL 2110 can function as an excellent introduction to philosophy. Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2120 History of Modern Philosophy

(3) Spring. Focus on rationalists (Descartes and Leibniz), empiricists (Locke, Berkeley and Hume) and Kant. Attention to the emergence of skepticism and the rise of modern science as influences on modern philosophy; can function as an excellent introduction to philosophy.

PHIL 2170 World Religions

(3) Fall or Spring. Fundamental tenets of major world religions-Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, with the cultural back grounds of lands of their development.

PHIL 2180 Philosophy of Law

(3) Fall and Spring. Philosophical foundations of legal system, essential nature of law and relation to morality; liberty, justice and legal responsibility (intention, human causality, negligence, men’s rea, fault, etc) and punishment.

PHIL 2190 Philosophy of Death and Dying

(3) Fall and Spring. Conceptual, metaphysical and epistemological issues related to nature of death; existential issues related to human significance of death for individual and community; normative issues related to care of dying.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.  Approved for Distance Ed.

PHIL 2200 Business Ethics

(3) Fall, Spring. Value conflicts that arise in business situations and philosophical ways of resolving them including issues involving the social responsibility of business people.

PHIL 2240 Socialism, Capitalism and Democracy

(3) Fall or Spring.  Theory behind modern capitalism, socialism and democracy.  Topics include individualism, community, freedom, justice and democratic representation.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2270 Philosophy of Punishment

(3) Fall, Spring. Basic theories of punishment and whether punishment is justified. Issues include punishment versus rehabilitation, capital punishment, the insanity defense and related issues.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2300 Scientific Reasoning

(3) Fall or Spring. Study of the scientific method, which develops skills for interpreting scientific findings and evaluating theories, tests and causal and statistical claims. One component deals with decision-making procedures based on these evaluations. No prerequisites. Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 2320 Environmental Ethics (BG Perspective course)

(3) Fall or Spring. Critical evaluation of prevalent standards used in responding to long-standing and emerging environmental problems. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.  Approved for Distance Ed.

PHIL 2360 Philosophy of Film

 (3) Alternate years. Aesthetic theories concerning definition of film as distinctive art form; criteria for evaluation of films.  Popular, documentary, art and experimental films shown in class.

PHIL 2400 Topics in Philosophy

(3) Fall, Spring. Subject matter designated in class schedule. Primarily for students with little or no background in philosophy.  May be repeated.

PHIL 2420 Medical Ethics (BG Perspective course)

(3) Fall, Spring. Selected topics such as genetic engineering, euthanasia, honesty with the dying and human experimentation viewed from perspective of representative ethical theories.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.  Approved for Distance Ed.

PHIL 2450 Philosophy of Feminism

(3) Fall or Spring. Philosophical presuppositions and specific proposals of feminists; views on sex roles, human welfare, justice and equality, rights, self-actualization, self-respect, autonomy, exploitation, oppression, freedom and liberation, reform and revolution. Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 3000 Life, Death, Law and Morality

(3) Fall or Spring.  Examination of normative philosophical concepts such as justice, responsibility, freedom, utility, rights, etc.; their justification; and the use of these concepts in argument about such issues as the value of life and the nature of death, the appropriateness of capital punishment, the relationship between the law and morality, etc.  Open only to juniors and seniors with no previous courses in Philosophy, or admitted by consent of instructor.  Applicable to the humanities and arts general education requirement.

PHIL 3020 Ethical Theory

(3) Fall or Spring.  A survey of classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to moral philosophy.  Covers such theories as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, ethical relativism, and the divine command theory.  Prerequisite: three hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3030 Symbolic Logic

(3) Alternate years. Notation and proof procedures used by modern logicians to deal with special problems beyond traditional logic; propositional calculus, truth tables, predicate calculus, nature and kinds of logical proofs.  Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil OR MATH 2320 OR consent of instructor.

PHIL 3100 Philosophy of Mind

(3) Fall or Spring.  Topics covered will include some of the nature of mental phenomena, the relation between minds and bodies, free will, the relationship between thought and action, and the problem of other minds.  Prerequisite: 3 hours in Philosophy.

PHIL 3110 History of Medieval Philosophy

(3) On demand. Major philosophical positions of Middle Ages; St. Augustine through Renaissance philosophers.  Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3120 Social and Political Philosophy

(3) Fall or Spring. Some of the classics of political thought, including works by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Smith and Marx.  Topics include liberty and authority, justice and equality. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3160 Philosophy of Psychology

(3) On demand. Study of philosophical underpinnings and implications of major movements in psychology, including the discovery of the unconscious, behaviorism, cognitive science, artificial intelligence and sociobiology. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3170 Philosophy of Religion

(3) Fall or Spring. Nature of religion; gods and/or God; faith, revelation and religious belief; evil and righteousness; meaning of life. Readings from variety of sources, largely contemporary. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3210 Indian and Chinese Philosophy

(3) On demand. Some non-Western philosophical traditions. Possible topics include Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and Vedanta; epistemology, formal inference, causality, metaphysics, mind-body relationships. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.  Applicable to the humanities and arts and international perspective general education requirements.

PHIL 3300 Theory of Knowledge

(3) Alternate years. Theories of knowledge, truth, belief and evidence. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3310 Existentialism

(3) Alternate years. Various existential themes, including the meaning of life, human freedom, the limits of reason, the meaning of death and the individual vs. society. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Camus, Sartre, Jaspers, Buber and others comprise the reading. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3390 Meditation: Practice and Theory

(3) Fall or Spring. Integrate insight (mindfulness) meditation practice with theoretical reflection about a variety of meditation techniques and practices that have been developed in diverse meditation traditions. Weekend field trip required. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.  Extra fee.

PHIL 3400 Problems in Philosophy

(3) On demand. Subject matter designated in class schedule.  May be repeated.

Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3440 Computers and Philosophy

(3) Fall or Spring. Philosophical dimensions of the impact of computers on society with emphasis on the issues of ethics and artificial intelligence. Prerequisite: 3 hours in Phil, 3 hours in CS, or consent of instructor.

PHIL 3950 Workshop on Current Topics

(1-4) Fall, Spring on demand. Intensive educational experience on selected topics. Typically, an all-day or similar concentrated time format is used. Requirements are usually completed within this expanded time format. May be repeated if topics differ and advisor approves.

PHIL 4060 Philosophy of Language

(3) Alternate years. Historical and contemporary theories of meaning; their use in resolving traditional philosophical controversies and in providing foundation for contemporary analytic philosophy; various interdisciplinary connections.  Prerequisite: 6 hours in Phil or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4110 History of Contemporary Anglo-American Philosophy

(3) Alternate years. Major twentieth century movements in the analytic tradition, including ideal language philosophy, ordinary language philosophy and naturalized, holistic philosophy, including such philosophers as Russell, Austin, Wittgenstein, Quine, Davidson, Putnam and Rorty. Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4120 Contemporary Continental Philosophy

(3) Alternate years. Major twentieth century movements in France and Germany, beginning with the phenomenology of Husserl, proceeding through Sartre and Heidegger and including philosophical hermeneutics, critical theory, the theory of communication and genealogies of values, with attention to such philosophers as Gadamer, Ricoeur and Derrida, Adorno, Habermas and Foucault. Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4140 Metaphysics

(3) Alternate years. Survey of traditional metaphysical issues and concepts combined with in-depth treatment of some metaphysical problem(s). Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4170 Skepticism and Faith

(3) Fall or Spring. In-depth examination of modern challenges to religious faith and religious responses. Topics such as evolution, societal secularization, the autonomy of morals and naturalistic explanations of religion and religious experience.  Prerequisites: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4180 Topics in the Philosophy of Law

(3) On demand. In-depth examination of such topics as the nature and analysis of law, legal reasoning, judicial decision, hard cases, responsibility, causation and fault, the mental element in crime, formal and material principles of justice and the legal enforcement of morality. Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.  May be repeated with different topics.

PHIL 4240 Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

(3) Alternate years.  An in-depth treatment of some theme(s) in social and political philosophy, including the justification of the state, the nature of citizens' obligations to the state, justifications for limiting liberties, state neutrality vs. perfectionism, the nature and justification of various social ideals, feminism, and justice.

PHIL 4250 Topics in Moral Philosophy

(3) Alternate years. An in-depth treatment of some theme(s) in moral philosophy. Topics may include classic and contemporary debates in metaethics, normative ethical theory, and/or applied ethics. Prerequisites: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4310 Topics in Philosophy of Science

(3) On demand. Content varies from year to year. Topics include: nature of scientific explanation, causality, contemporary empiricism, Philosophy of biology, methods, presuppositions, concepts of behavioral sciences. May be repeated for credit.  Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.  May be repeated with different topics.

PHIL 4320 Philosophy of Social Science

(3) Alternate years.  Methods, ideals and politics of social inquiry. Topics include the very idea of a social science, explanation, prediction and laws, problems of interpretation and meaning, the nature of rationality, reductionism, individualism and holism, and objectivity and values.  Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL, PSYC, HIST, or SOC, or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4330 Philosophy and Physics of Space and Time

(3) Alternate years. Physical theories of space and time from philosophical, scientific and historical points of view. Topics include Zeno's paradoxes, Greek concepts of space and time, classical Newtonian world view, general ideas of modern theory of relativity and cosmology. Course presupposes high school-level mathematics only. Cross-disciplinary; cross-listed as PHYS 4330.  Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL, MATH or PHYS or consent of instructor.

PHIL 4400 Senior Seminar

(3) Fall only. Extended research project on a topic of the student's choice. The focus will be on formulating a thesis and pursuing appropriate means of developing it in a research project. Class meetings will focus on research methodologies and on students' discussion of their projects. Collaborative learning is required. Prerequisite: required of all philosophy majors with senior standing. Open to others by permission of the instructor.

PHIL 4420 Philosophy of Medicine

(3) On demand. In-depth examination of selected issues in medical epistemology, philosophy of science and the philosophy of mind, drawing on the continental philosophical tradition to examine professional and social constructs and their impact on the therapeutic relationship. Prerequisites: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.  May be repeated with different topics.

PHIL 4450 Topics in the Philosophy of Business and Economics

(3) On demand. In-depth examination of some issue(s) in business ethics, such as the moral limits of the market, the relative merits of capitalism and socialism, the nature and value of work, and/or the ethical aspects of corporate governance, advertising, workplace privacy, and international business.  Prerequisite: six hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.  May be repeated with different topics.

PHIL 4700 Readings and Research

(1-3) Fall, Spring. Supervised independent work in selected areas. Prerequisites: 12 hours of PHIL and consent of chair of department. May be repeated to six hours.

PHIL 4800 Seminar in Philosophy

(3) On demand. In-depth examination of one specific philosopher, philosophical movement or problem. Determined by need and interest of student. Prerequisite: 6 hours in PHIL or consent of instructor.  May be repeated.