Philosophy, University at Albany




			Descriptions of all courses, from the Undergraduate Bulletin FALL 2008 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES (3 credits each): PHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical Problems #2623, TTH 1015-1135, ED-123 Instructor: R. Howell This course has two purposes. First, it is meant to acquaint you with some important answers which philosophers have given to questions like these: What are the limits of human knowledge? How are our minds related to our bodies? Can we justify any belief in human freedom? Second, it is intended to help you acquire the intellectual skills needed to understand and evaluate such questions and their answers. So we will attend to matters of this sort: how to read, understand, and assess philosophical texts, and how to produce both critical and constructive philosophical arguments. In considering each of the three main topics of the course--the scope and limits of knowledge, minds and bodies, and human freedom--we will read original works by present and past philosophers which state the most important of the positions which have been held on these topics. Class will proceed by lecture and discussion, with an emphasis on thinking for yourself, giving reasons for your views, and focusing your attention on the main points at issue. Work and Basis of Grading: Careful reading of the assigned texts, plus final and midterm examinations and some short papers on the topics to be considered. There may also be a series of pop quizzes. Class participation will not be ignored. PHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical Problems #6213, MWF 1235-130, ED-121 Instructor: M. Wunderlich Which of our beliefs about the world are best supported by our evidence? Do any arguments support the existence (or non-existence) of some sort of divine being? What is the best account of our moral obligations? This course covers a wide range of philosophical questions. These questions do not depend on empirical investigation alone; they demand that we attend to our intuitions, our background beliefs, and the arguments that might be constructed in favor of various answers. PHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical Problems #8074, TTH 245-405, HU-133 Instructor: What am I? What is knowledge, and do I have any? How do I come to know anything that I do know? Is there a god? Am I free, or are my actions and experiences determined by forces beyond my control? These are some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves, and answers to them form the core of the western philosophical tradition, now over 2500 years old. In this class we will explore and criticize these answers as they have been given by some of the best philosophers of the past and the present. The essence of philosophy is creative and critical thinking, and so class discussions, assignments and tests will be directed towards developing these skills. PHI 111 - The Mind And The World #6823, MWF 1130-1225, LC-24 Instructor: R. McClamrock A survey and critical examination of topics in contemporary philosophy, focusing largely on the relationship between the human mind and the natural world. Topics will include skepticism about knowledge of the external world, the relationship between the mind and the brain, the possibility of the mind causing free actions, and the existence or non-existence of God. Grade will be based on a combination of in-class exams (80%) and quizzes (20%). See the course web page at mind-world.profron.net for more information. PHI 111Y - The Mind And The World #8974, MWF 1130-1225, LC-24 Instructor: R. McClamrock A survey and critical examination of topics in contemporary philosophy, focusing largely on the relationship between the human mind and the natural world. Topics will include skepticism about knowledge of the external world, the relationship between the mind and the brain, the possibility of the mind causing free actions, and the existence or non-existence of God. Grade will be based on a combination of in-class exams (80%) and quizzes (20%). See the course web page at mind-world.profron.net for more information. PHI 111Y - The Mind And The World #8986, W 1235-130, ED-123 Instructor: R. McClamrock A survey and critical examination of topics in contemporary philosophy, focusing largely on the relationship between the human mind and the natural world. Topics will include skepticism about knowledge of the external world, the relationship between the mind and the brain, the possibility of the mind causing free actions, and the existence or non-existence of God. Grade will be based on a combination of in-class exams (80%) and quizzes (20%). See the course web page at mind-world.profron.net for more information. PHI 114 - Morals and Society #2625, MWF 1130-1225, HU-133 Instructor: Philosophical study of the conflict between personal values and the needs of society. Topics include personal and social values, the nature of moral reasoning, and ways to resolve conflicts between values. PHI 114 - Morals and Society #7566, TTH 1145-105, LC-5 Instructor: K. Hessler This course will provide an introduction to moral philosophy, both historical and contemporary.We will study philosophical views about the nature, scope, and foundations of morality, as well as a few specific contemporary moral questions.Philosophical questions we will address include:What is morality?Are there any universal moral principles?Does morality depend on religion?What is the relationship between morality and self-interest? We will also examine three kinds of theory about right action: utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and deontological ethics. PHI 115 - Moral Choices #2626, TTH 1145-105, HU-132 Instructor: The course provides a philosophical treatment of issues in applied ethics. We begin with the question, "Is ethics just a matter of opinion?" We consider briefly utilitarian and Kantian approaches to ethics. We then move on to specific issues, including drugs; free speech, hate speech, and pornography; abortion; cloning and stem cell research; euthanasia and assisted suicide; capital punishment; the moral status and treatment of animals; and marriage. PHI 115 - Moral Choices #8900, MWF 1235-130, LC-19 Instructor: R. Cohon This course is devoted to the philosophical analysis of some selected controversial topics in the ethics of personal behavior and social policy. Topics will be related to the conflict between individual liberty and the social good, and may include the legalization of recreational drugs, freedom of speech in times of war, taxation and welfare, civil disobedience, sexual ethics and gay marriage, and/or the legitimacy of war and terrorism. The subject matter of the course is not personal feelings or convictions (of the professor, the student, or anyone else), but rational arguments for and against positions on the selected topics. Readings include works in ethical and political theory and in applied philosophical ethics. Grading is based on examinations and at least one analytical essay (paper). PHI 116 - World Views #4821, MWF 140-235, HU-132 Instructor: N. Powers (Cross listed with REL 116) This course surveys various perspectives on the nature of society and the relationship between the individual and society. Authors include Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, and King. Grading will be based on a series of quizzes, short papers, and a final exam. PHI 116 - World Views #9008, TTH 115-235, ED-123 Instructor: (Cross listed with REL 116) This course surveys various perspectives on the nature of society and the relationship between the individual and society. Authors include Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, and King. Grading will be based on a series of quizzes, short papers, and a final exam. PHI 116 - World Views #9013, TTH 1015-1135, SS-255 Instructor: This course surveys various perspectives on the nature of society and the relationship between the individual and society. Authors include Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, and King. Grading will be based on a series of quizzes, short papers, and a final exam. PHI 210 - Introduction to Logic #2637, MWF 1025 -1120, HU-133 Instructor: R. Meyers The course will develop the student's proficiency in analyzing and evaluating arguments from the formal point of view. Three logics will be covered: (1) Aristotelian Syllogistic, (2) Boolean logic with Venn diagrams and (3) propositional logic. Basic concepts of logic will be stressed: validity, soundness, form, the role of syllogism. Work: Two one-hour tests and a final. Students should be prepared to do homework exercises in order to develop their logical skills. PHI 210 - Introduction to Logic #2638, TTH 115-235, LC-23 Instructor: P.D. Magnus An introduction to modern logic.Semantics and proof theory of first-order logic with identity. PHI 210 - Introduction to Logic #5783, MW 415-535, SS-255 Instructor: The course will develop the student's proficiency in analyzing and evaluating arguments from the formal point of view. Three logics will be covered: (1) Aristotelian Syllogistic, (2) Boolean logic with Venn diagrams and (3) propositional logic. Basic concepts of logic will be stressed: validity, soundness, form, the role of syllogism. Work: Two one-hour tests and a final. Students should be prepared to do homework exercises in order to develop their logical skills. PHI 210H - Introduction to Logic #9012, TTH 845-1005, HU-123 Instructor: B. Armour-Garb Honors Only Class A person makes an "argument" when they make a claim and try to back that claim up with some evidence. In other words, an argument consists of a claim and some reasons that are supposed to support the claim. Of course, you make and evaluate arguments all of the time, and probably with a good amount of skill. But in this class we step back and ask: what makes a good argument? What principles should we employ to discriminate between good and bad arguments? We will focus first on deductive argumentsÑwhere the premises of the argument are supposed to "entail" its conclusion. Due to some remarkable progress made in the 20^th century, we now have a simple and elegant formal characterization of good deductive arguments. In this course, you will learn the details of this characterization, and you will learn to use it to extend your skill at making and evaluating arguments. PHI 212 - Introduction to Ethical Theory #2639, MWF 1235-130, HU-133 Instructor: L. Fuller This course is an introduction to some central problems and approaches in the field of ethical theory. We will consider questions such as: "Why behave morally?" "How can I live a good life?" "How can I be a good person?" and "What makes right actions right?" Our preliminary topics will include egoism, moral relativism and hedonism. We will then work our way through a series of classic and contemporary readings from the three major ethical traditions: utilitarianism, Kantianism (deontology), and virtue ethics. Students will be assessed on the basis of two short essays, participation, and a 2-hour final exam (which will take the form of a test, including some short answer questions). PHI 310 - Ancient Philosophy #2640, MWF 1130-1225, ED-121 Instructor: Nathan Powers *Prerequisite: a 100- or 200-level course in philosophy* This course is a survey of the major achievements of classical Greek philosophy, focusing mainly on the pivotal figures of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. PHI 326 - Moral Philosophy #8852, MWF 1025-1120, HU-132 Instructor: R. Cohon Survey and analysis of ethical theories based on historical and contemporary philosophical sources. Likely topics: a) the theories of consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, and b) some specific issues pertaining to the nature of moral obligation, responsibility, good lives, and good and bad character, such as whether there is an ethical difference between doing and allowing harm, whether luck plays a role in moral responsibility, or whether it is desirable to be morally perfect. Grading is mainly based on (largely) essay examinations and papers. Class will include discussion exercises and possibly oral presentations, depending on class size. Prerequisite: a 100- or 200-level course in philosophy. PHI 336 - Existentialist Philosophy #8853, TTH 1015-135, SS-133 Instructor: P.D. Magnus *Prerequisite: a 100- or 200-level course in philosophy* A central existentialist idea is that individuals as human beings are caught between the particular stages of their lives and themselves as existing across timeÑin tension between being what they are and becoming what they will be. The course explores this theme through the works of thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Soren Kierkegaard, and Simone de Beauvoir. PHI 338 - Moral Problems in Medicine #8854, MW 245-405, ED-121 Instructor: L. Fuller This course is designed as an introduction to moral problems in medicine and health-care. Early classes will focus on models of health and disease, the major ethical theories, and the principles of bioethics. We will then consider four broad problem areas in medical ethics: The relationship between patient & health-care professional - including issues of medical confidentiality and informed consent. Decision-making in end-of-life care - including physician-assisted suicide and the use of advance directives. Parents, minors & the disabled - including the legitimacy of parental proxy consent, the (non)treatment of disabled newborns, and genetic testing and screening. Justice and health care - including the importance of health care for social justice, and health-care rationing. Students will be assessed on the basis of essays, participation, and a final exam (2 hours). PHI 340 - Topics in Philosophy Topic: PHILOSOPHY IN SCIENCE FICTION #8855, MWF 140-235, HU-20 Instructor: R. McClamrock An examination of some central issues in philosophy, using the occurrence of those issues in science fiction as a starting point. Topics to be covered will likely include the following: Can machines think? Through what changes can our self-identity persist? What kinds of beings count as persons? Should we interfere in other cultures? Is time-travel possible? Could the world be a huge illusion? This course will focus primarily on the traditional philosophical issues raised in science fiction rather than on the science fiction itself as literary or cinematic. But the settings for framing these problems will come from science fiction readings, movies, and television. Grades for the course will come from a combination of short papers, in-class exams, and participation. See the web page at http://psf.profron.net for more information. PHI 415 - Philosophy of Language #8856, TTH 1145-105, HU 20 Instructor: B. Armour-Garb *Shared resource with PHI 515* This course is an introduction to the philosophy of language. Philosophy of language concerns quite a large number of topics, including meaning, truth, content, reference, the syntax and semantics of various linguistic constructions, the nature and role of presupposition in communicative interchange, speech acts, figurative uses of language, questions about the ontology of languages, the epistemology of language understanding and language learning, the mental/psychological basis of linguistic understanding and use, and so on. Since we canÕt possibly study all of these topics, weÕll focus our energy on topics that are most central in recent philosophical work on language, and that have far-reaching consequences for other topics in philosophy of language and other areas of philosophy. In particular, weÕll be concentrating on philosophical attempts to understand reference and meaning.