Philosophy
PHIL F102 Introduction to Philosophy (h)
3 Credits
Survey of philosophers and problems in the Western tradition beginning with the ancient Greeks (Plato, Aristotle) and continuing with medieval (Anselm, Augustine, Aquinas) and modern European thinkers (Descartes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche). Themes and topics may vary. (3+0)
PHIL F104 Logic and Reasoning (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall
Principles of deductive and inductive logic and application of the principles to critical thinking in logic and its application. (3+0)
PHIL F108 Science, Critical Thinking and Pseudoscience (h)
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Examines the difference between science and pseudoscience, making use of the tools of critical thinking to understand what counts as knowledge. Examples are drawn from evolutionary theory, creationism, astronomy, astrology, history, race theory and Holocaust revisionism. Prerequisites: PHIL F102 or permission of instructor. (3+0)
PHIL F110 Introduction to Political Philosophy (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Introduction to historical and contemporary issues in political thought. Topics and themes vary, but include questions such as: Should we consent to be governed? What is civil society? What does it mean to be a citizen? What are the basic forms of government? (3+0)
PHIL F202 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy (h)
3 Credits Offered Spring
Basic assumptions, problems and systems of the major philosophical traditions of the Far East. Prerequisites: PHIL F102 or permission of instructor. (3+0)
PHIL F322X Ethics (h)
3 Credits
"Ethic," -- from the Greek "ethos" meaning character, custom, usage -- is the study of value distinctions. Examination of the nature of value judgments -- their historical origins and philosophical assumptions -- and exploration of the application of value distinctions to contemporary social, religious and scientific/technical issues. Also available via Independent Learning. Prerequisites: Placement in ENGL F111X or higher; junior standing; or permission of instructor. Recommended but not required: Two courses in the Perspectives on the Human Condition baccalaureate core. (3+0)
PHIL F341O Theories of Knowledge (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
The nature of knowledge, truth and certainty. Prerequisites: COMM F131X or F141X; PHIL F102. (3+0)
PHIL F342 Theories of Reality (h)
3 Credits Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Theories of reality and their relationship to science, philosophy and religion. Prerequisites: PHIL F102. (3+0)
PHIL F351 History of Ancient Greek Philosophy (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall
Review of the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle; minor attention to Presocratics. Prerequisites: PHIL F102 or its equivalent. (3+0)
PHIL F352 History of Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant (h)
3 Credits Offered Spring
Review of continental rationalist and British empiricist thought, 17th - 19th centuries. Prerequisites: PHIL F102 or its equivalent. Recommended: PHIL F351 strongly recommended. (3+0)
PHIL F353 Survey of Buddhist Thought (h)
3 Credits
Survey of the major themes and schools of Buddhist thought. Emphasis on the interactions with surrounding cultures and competing philosophical systems. Includes modern developments in India, China, Japan, Tibet and other parts of Asia. Prerequisites: Upper class standing or permission of instructor. (3+0)
PHIL F361 Philosophy in Literature (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Examination of philosophical issues in literary works. Topics include the nature of free will, the effects of choice in building a character, the desirable (and undesirable) ways of confronting morality, and the nature of evil. Topics and readings vary. (3+0)
PHIL F362 Feminist Philosophy (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Examination of contemporary feminist philosophical positions. Emphasis on feminist ethics, social and political philosophy, and epistemology. (Cross-listed with WMS F362.) (3+0)
PHIL F363W Philosophy of Religion (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Introduction to topics such as arguments for the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, the relation of faith and reason, religious language and the connection of religion to the meaning of life. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X or permission of instructor. Recommended: PHIL F102 and upper-division status. (3+0)
PHIL F402W Biomedical and Research Ethics (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall
Issues in biomedical ethics. Topics will vary but include discussion of moral principles and problems of research ethics and medical ethics, such as: animal and human experimentation; data management; informed consent; therapeutic and non-therapeutic research; physician/patient relationship; autonomy; assisted reproductive technologies; euthanasia; organ transplantation; and allocation of scarce medical resources. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; either ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X; junior or senior standing; a course in philosophy, science, or nursing; permission of instructor. Recommended: A course in philosophy, science or nursing. (Cross-listed with BIOL F402.) (3+0)
PHIL F411W,O Classical Political Theory (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Political ideas from ancient Greece, Rome, and the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Theories of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine and Aquinas. Prerequisites: COMM F131X or COMM F141X; ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X; PHIL F102; PS F101; or permission of instructor. (Cross-listed with PS F411.) (3+0)
PHIL F412W Modern Political Theory (s)
3 Credits Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
Political ideas from the Renaissance to the modern world. Theories of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, Marx and Lenin. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL 213X; PHIL F102; PS F101; or permission of instructor. (Cross-listed with PS F412.) (3+0)
PHIL F421 Aesthetics (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
The nature of aesthetic experience in poetry, music, painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts; studies in relation to artistic production and the role of art in society. Prerequisites: Junior/senior standing or permission of instructor. Recommended: PHIL F102 or HUM F201X. (3+0)
PHIL F471 Contemporary Philosophical Problems (h)
3 Credits Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Ideological issues facing the modern world. Prerequisites: PHIL F351; PHIL F352; or permission of instructor. (3+0)
PHIL F472 Ethics in International Affairs (h)
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Examination of questions including: What is in the interest of the nation-state according to the logic of statecraft? How does the national interest relate to broader human interest? How does morality relate to the international legal order? Examination is through theory and case studies. Prerequisites: PHIL F322X or equivalent or PS F321; or permission of instructor. (Cross-listed with PS F472.) (3+0)
PHIL F481 Philosophy of Science (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Comparison and discussion of various contemporary methodological positions. Prerequisites: Junior standing. (3+0)
PHIL F482 Comparative Philosophy and Religions (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Review of non-western philosophical thought, e.g., African, Jewish, Latin American, Oriental and others. (3+0)
PHIL F487 Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Analysis of some of the main models which explain evolutionary change, followed by consideration of the practical implications these models have on the study of biological phenomena in general. (Cross-listed with BIOL F487. Stacked with BIOL F687; PHIL F687.) (3+0)
PHIL F488 B.A. Thesis Research (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Independent research on a topic preparatory to writing the thesis in philosophy. Graded Pass/Fail. Prerequisites: All major requirements in philosophy. (1+2)
PHIL F499W B.A. Thesis in Philosophy (h)
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
Writing the senior thesis in philosophy. Prerequisites: ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or ENGL F213X or permission of instructor; PHIL F488. (1+2)
PHIL F687 Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Analysis of some of the main models which explain evolutionary change, followed by consideration of the practical implications these models have on the study of biological phenomena in general. (Cross-listed with BIOL F687. Stacked with BIOL F487; PHIL F487.) (3+0)