Descriptions of all courses, from the Undergraduate Bulletin

FALL 2009 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES (3 credits each):

PHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical Problems

#19604, TTH 10:15-11:35, LC-22

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

#29232, MWF 12:35-1:30, HU-133

Instructor: N. Powers

            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

#27502, MWF 11:30-12:25, LC-2

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 in-class quizzes and participation (20%, using the iClicker).

See the course web page at http://phi111.profron.net for more information.

PHI 111Y - The Mind And The World

#30630, MWF 11:30-12:25, LC-2

Instructor: R. McClamrock

PHI 111Y - The Mind And The World

#30650, W 12:35 – 1:30, HU-132

Instructor: R. McCamrock

In addition to the regular 3-credit section of this course which meets MWF 11:30-12:25 in LC-24, there is a 4-credit oral discourse version which has those meeting plus an additional 1-hour meeting each week on Wednesday from 12:35-1:30 in Education 123. If you’re signed up for the 4-credit oral discourse version, you should be in both PHI 111Y, section 0001, class #8974, and in PHI 111Y, section D001, class #8986

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.

This section is a 4-credit oral discourse version of the PHI 111, with

one extra meeting hour per week. 75% of the grade will be based on a

combination of in-class exams (80%) and quizzes (20%). The other 25% of

the grade will be based on participation and presentations in the

oral-discourse part of the class.

See the course web page at phi111y.profron.net for more information.

PHI 114 - Morals and Society

#28646, TTH 1:15-2:35, LC-19

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.  Finally, we will study exploitation as a distinctive moral wrong, and examine how exploitation might exist in families as well as problems of exploitation connected with globalization.

PHI 114Y - Morals and Society

#31686, MWF TTH 1:15-2:35, LC-19

Instructor: K. Hessler

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PHI 114Y - Morals and Society

#31688, F 11:30-12:25, HU-116

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.  Finally, we will study exploitation as a distinctive moral wrong, and examine how exploitation might exist in families as well as problems of exploitation connected with globalization.

PHI 114 - Morals and Society

#32190, MWF 11:30-12:25, HU-133

Instructor: D. Pinkowski

            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 115 - Moral Choices

#19606, TTH 11:45-1:05, HU-132

Instructor: B. Steinbock

            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

#30512, MWF 1:40-2:35, 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. Students will need to learn to recognize, construct, and criticize logical arguments on these topics. Our topics will be related to the conflict between individual liberty and the social good, and may include the legalization of recreational drugs, hate speech, pornography, and/or the legitimacy of war, terrorism, and torture. 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 115Y is limited to 25 students and consists of the lectures for PHI 115 plus an extra weekly oral discourse section (for an additional 1 credit).

PHI 115Y - Moral Choices

#31690, MWF 1:40-2:35, LC-19

Instructor: R. Cohon

PHI 115Y - Moral Choices

#31692, W 2:45-3:40, HU-132

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. Students will need to learn to recognize, construct, and criticize logical arguments on these topics. Our topics will be related to the conflict between individual liberty and the social good, and may include the legalization of recreational drugs, hate speech, pornography, and/or the legitimacy of war, terrorism, and torture. 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 115Y is limited to 25 students and consists of the lectures for PHI 115 plus an extra weekly oral discourse section (for an additional 1 credit).

PHI 116 - World Views

#23788, MWF 9:20-10:15, HU-128

Instructor: K. Olbrys

'World Views' is an introduction to Philosophy that will focus on the relationship between individuals and political societies. We will be especially concerned with the foundations of states and their moral or ethical justification. As such the existence of God and God's role, if any, in the justification of a state will be considered. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rawls, Nozick and others will be critically examined. Your grade will be based on 2 short papers, 2 exams, some short quizzes and class participation.

PHI 116 - World Views

#30690, MWF 1:40-2:35, HU-128

Instructor: K. Olbrys

            'World Views' is an introduction to Philosophy that will focus on the relationship between individuals and political societies. We will be especially concerned with the foundations of states and their moral or ethical justification. As such the existence of God and God's role, if any, in the justification of a state will be considered. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rawls, Nozick and others will be critically examined. Your grade will be based on 2 short papers, 2 exams, some short quizzes and class participation.

TPHI 116 - World Views

#32191, MWF 12:35-1:30, HU-128

Instructor: J. Mandle

         This course will examine various theories of the relationship between the individual and society in the history of Western Philosophy. We will read primary works by Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, and King, among others. Topics to be discussed include: whether we have a moral duty to obey the law; what life would be like outside of society in a “state of nature”; whether modern society leads to alienation; different models of democracy and majority rule; the fascist model of society; the justification of civil disobedience.

PHI 210 - Introduction to Logic

#19628, MWF 10:25 -11:20, 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

#19630, TTH 10:15-11:35, LC-1

Instructor: P.D. Magnus

An introduction to modern logic, semantics, and proof theory of first-order logic with identity.

PHI 210 - Introduction to Logic

#25620, MWF 9:20-10:15, HU-133

Instructor: D. Krueger

            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

#32306, MWF 1:40-2:35, SS-255

Instructor: D. Krueger

            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 212 - Introduction to Ethical Theory

#19632, MWF 10:25-11:20, SS-255

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.

PHI 214 – World Religions

# 30972, TTH 8:45-10:05, HU-128

Instructor:W. Mehl

            In this course we will explore (some of) the world’s religions, which focus of course on the nature of reality and of human being. We will ask religion’s basic questions, “What is this world?” (What’s walking around on earth all about?), and “What am I?” (What is a human being and how can I be a good one?). Another way to put it: we will seriously investigate the deepest or highest place human consciousness can be; we will inquire into true-human-spirituality and reality-just-as-it-is. This exploration is the philosopher’s journey:gaining a deeper understanding of reality and human life and becoming a better person.

PHI 310 - Ancient Philosophy

#19634, MWF 10:25-11:20, AS-14

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 320 - Political and Social Philosophy

#32172, TTH 10:15-11:35, FA-114

Instructor: K. Hessler

            In this course, we will study views in historical and contemporary social/political philosophy and ethics that have something to say about the impact that social justice (or injustice) has on individual morality.  We will begin with Aristotle and Rousseau, and then consider contemporary views on the effects of deliberative democracy on individual moral development.

PHI 324 - Philosophy of Art

#32189, TTH 11:45-1:05, HU-133

Instructor: J. D’Cruz

This course focuses on some central issues in analytical aesthetics. Questions we will consider include: What is a work of art? What role do imitation, representation, and convention play in understanding art? On what basis can we judge, with justification, that an artwork is good, or that something is beautiful? Are aesthetic claims objectively true or false? To what extent are an artist's intentions relevant for interpreting their work? Why are we emotionally moved by fictions - movies, novels - when we know that the fictional events are not real? How can we appraise our emotional responses to fiction morally? Can an artwork be immoral, and if so, does this affect the work's aesthetic value? This is an upper level philosophy course. Students are required to have previous coursework in philosophy.

PHI 325 - Philosophy of Law

#32186, MWF 12:35-1:30, SS-255

Instructor: L. Fuller

         This course is an introduction to some key texts and questions in the philosophy of law. We will read both classic and contemporary philosophers, such as J.L. Austin, H.L.A. Hart, Ronald Dworkin, Lon Fuller, and Lord Patrick Devlin. We will begin by asking the question, “What is law?” and will examine arguments from five prominent schools of thought on this issue: positivism, natural law, interpretism, realism, and feminist jurisprudence. Other issues we will consider include: the relationship between law and morality, the nature and extent of our obligation to obey the law, and whether laws meant to “protect us from ourselves” can ever be justified.

PHI 412 - Metaphysics

#32182, TTH 2:45-4:05, SS-255

Instructor: P. Magnus

Shared Resource with PHI 512

PHI 416 - Philosophy of Mind

#32184, MWF 1:40-2:35, AS-14

Instructor: R. McClamrock

Shared resource with PHI 516

An examination of the modern version of the traditional mind-body problem and issues connected with it. Topics to be covered will include varieties of dualism and materialism, the problem of mental causation, reductionism and the mind-body problem, the relevance of various kinds of scientific theorizing about mind to the traditional mind-body problem, and some puzzles concerning consciousness, qualia, embeddedness, and intentionality.

The grade for PHI 416 will come from a combination of short papers, in-class exams, and online and in-class participation.

The readings for the course will come from David Chalmer's anthology "Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Approaches" and some papers made available as PDF's on the course E-Reserves page. More information (including a preliminary syllabus) can be found at the course web site at http://phi416.profron.net.