These are course descriptions for current course offerings. If you are not sure what to take, make an appointment with your advisor.
Undergraduate courses are 3 credits each, unless otherwise noted.
Advanced undergraduates may also be interested in graduate course offerings.
Fall 2011
Spring 2012
Browse here, or download a PDF of course descriptions.
APHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical
Problems (#2528)
TuTh 1:15PM - 2:35PM
Location: HU-129
Instructor:
Survey of representative problems in some of the major areas of philosophy; topics such as free will, morality, justice and social order, knowledge and truth, God and religion, art, and beauty.
APHI 110 - Introduction to Philosophical
Problems (#5301)
TuTh 10:15AM - 11:35AM
Location: HU-132
Instructor:
Survey of representative problems in some of the major areas of philosophy; topics such as free will, morality, justice and social order, knowledge and truth, God and religion, art, and beauty.
APHI 111 - The Mind and the World
(#8617)
MoWeFr 10:25AM - 11:20AM
LC 21
Instructor: Ronald 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).
More information can be found on the course web page at http://profron.net/111-Sp2012.
APHI 111 - The Mind and the World
(#9246)
MoWeFr 10:25AM - 11:20AM
LC 21
Instructor: Ronald 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).
More information can be found on the course web page at http://profron.net/111-Sp2012.
The oral discourse section for this course is APHI 111Y “The Mind and the World” (#9246). It meets with the main section MoWeFr 10:25AM - 11:20AM in LC-21, and for an extra hour discussion section D001-DIS (#6991) Wednesday 9:20AM - 10:15AM in BA-215.
D001-DIS(9247) Section Status
Wednesday 9:20AM - 10:15AM
Location: BA-215
APHI 114 - Morals and Society (#7581)
TuTh 11:45AM - 1:05PM
Location: LC-21
Instructor: Kristen Hessler
Some of the most difficult and persistent questions in moral philosophy concern the relationship between the individual and society. We will begin studying these issues by exploring the famous conflict between the philosopher Socrates and the democracy of ancient Athens. The rest of the course will trace some important themes raised by this conflict throughout the subsequent development of Western moral and political philosophy, looking for insight into ethical questions that we face today, including the following: Is it ever morally permissible to cheat on college coursework? What moral obligations do you have, if any, to the poor? Under what circumstances, if any, is the killing of innocent civilians permissible in war? NOTE: This course utilizes Team-Based Learning. On the first day of the semester, you will be assigned to a team that will work together throughout the duration of the course. Individual grades will be influenced (nearly always improved!) by team performance on team-based assignments.
APHI 115 - Moral Choices (#6177)
MWF 1:40PM - 2:35PM
Location: HU-124
Instructor: Daniel Feuer
This class will examine contemporary moral issues in light of the most influential moral theories. We will start by examining these competing theories, each of which offers a different understanding of what our moral obligations are. We will assess these theories and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Then we will apply these theories to particular contemporary moral problems to better understand what our responses should be. Some possible contemporary issues include: Are there certain ways we ought to treat animals? Do we have responsibilities towards the world's poor, and if so, what are they? Should abortion be allowed? Is torture always wrong? Should I be allowed (with or without help) to end my own life, and under what circumstances? Who should we be allowed to marry? How far should freedom of speech extend?
APHI 115 - Moral Choices (#9216)
MWF 11:30AM - 12:25PM
Location: HU-123
Instructor: Daniel Feuer
This class will examine contemporary moral issues in light of the most influential moral theories. We will start by examining these competing theories, each of which offers a different understanding of what our moral obligations are. We will assess these theories and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Then we will apply these theories to particular contemporary moral problems to better understand what our responses should be. Some possible contemporary issues include: Are there certain ways we ought to treat animals? Do we have responsibilities towards the world's poor, and if so, what are they? Should abortion be allowed? Is torture always wrong? Should I be allowed (with or without help) to end my own life, and under what circumstances? Who should we be allowed to marry? How far should freedom of speech extend?
APHI 116 - World Views (#7897)
MoWeFr 12:35PM - 1:30PM
Location: HU-123
Instructor: Lisa Fuller
This is an introductory philosophy course focusing on our understanding of ourselves and others. We will attempt to answer the questions “Who/what am I?” Who/what are you?” and “How are we related?” by studying a series of interconnected philosophical issues. Topics we will consider include: whether we are essentially minds or bodies, whether we each have a fixed “inner” nature or are simply the sum total of our actions, whether race and gender are essential to identity and whether we persist as one-and-the-same self throughout the mental and physical transformations we each undergo as our lives progress. The course readings will include both classical and contemporary philosophers, and we will cover problems originating in a variety of sub-disciplines within philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and political theory.
Please note that this class utilizes the team-based learning approach. This means that students will be assigned permanent groups for the semester and given in-class group work to complete for credit. Much of this work is intended to generate discussion. Each student will have an opportunity to confidentially evaluate the other members of his or her team during the semester. Those students who are uninterested or unable to attend class regularly and participate fully are probably not a good fit for this type of class.
APHI 210
- Introduction to Logic (#2543)
TuTh 1:15 PM - 2:35 PM
Location: LC-4
Instructor: Bradley Armour-Garb
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 arguments--where the premises of the argument are supposed to “entail” its conclusion. Due to some remarkable progress made in the 20th 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.
APHI 210
- Introduction to Logic (#5315)
MoWeFr 11:30 AM - 12:25 PM
Location: LC-4
Instructor: P.D. Magnus
An introduction to modern logic, semantics, and proof theory of first-order logic with identity.
TPHI 212 - Introduction to
Ethical Theory (Honors students only #8210)
TuTh 10:15 AM - 11:35 AM
Location: HU-27
Instructor: Rachel Cohon
Enrollment limited to students in the Honors College.
What is the basis of our moral judgments and attitudes? What do right actions have in common that makes them right, and what do wrong actions have in common that makes them wrong? (Is it that they are commanded by a divine being? Required by existing social rules? Are actions right or wrong because of their consequences for human happiness? Their conformity to a rule of reason?) What sort of person is it best to be? What is valuable in life? We will examine answers to these classic philosophical questions about ethics in the works of traditional and contemporary authors. These answers take the form of ethical theories. We will study a selection drawn from these theories: the divine command theory, cultural ethical relativism, the moral sentiment theory, utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and virtue ethics. We will look closely at the justifications offered for these theories, and subject the theories to critical analysis. In order to think and write clearly and reason well about these issues, we will begin with an introduction to logical arguments and we will work on the special skills required for writing philosophy.
APHI 212 - Introduction to Ethical
Theory (#8919)
MoWeFr 12:35 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: HU-124
Instructor: Jason D'Cruz
What is the basis of our moral judgments and attitudes? What do morally right actions have in common that makes them right, and what do wrong actions have in common that makes them wrong? (Is it that they are commanded by a divine being? Required by existing social rules? Are actions right or wrong because of their consequences for human happiness? Their conformity to a rule of reason?) What sort of person is it best to be? What is valuable in life? We will examine answers to these classic philosophical questions about ethics in the works of traditional and contemporary authors. These answers take the form of ethical theories. We will study the following theories: ethical relativism, the divine command theory, utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, virtue ethics, and (briefly) immoralism (a theory that attacks morality as usually understood). We will subject these theories to critical analysis.
APHI 214 - World Religions (#6628)
TuTh 8:45 AM - 10:05 AM
Location: AS-14
Instructor: William 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.
APHI 218
- Understanding Science (#6326)
MoWe 2:45 PM - 4:05 PM
Location: SS-256
Instructor: John Milanese
This class examines philosophical issues in science, such as the following. (1) Should we believe that our current best scientific theories are approximately true, or will future theories look substantially different? (2) What should be the role of science in the policies of a democratic government? (3) What is the nature of scientific explanation? (4) Should we think that the task of science is to tell us about the underlying structure of the world or to devise useful models and tools for prediction? (5) Which research gets funded and how observations are interpreted introduces human interests and biases, so in what sense is scientific knowledge objective?
APHI 312
- 17c + 18c Philosophy (#2545)
TuTh 1:15 PM - 2:35 PM
Location: SS-131
Instructor: Rachel Cohon
This course covers the theories of some major thinkers of Western philosophy from the seventeenth through the eighteenth century: René Descartes, Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza, John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant. Topics include: the metaphysical components of the universe (in particular, whether it contains matter, spirit, or both, and whether God exists), how human beings fit into the universe (are we material, spiritual, or a combination of the two?), whether and how we can have genuine knowledge of the world outside our minds, and whether the human will is free. Grading will be based on tests, essays, and daily reading questions answered on-line.
APHI 325
- Philosophy of Law (#9057)
MoWeFr 10:25 AM - 11:20 AM
Location: LC-3C
Instructor: Lisa 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.
APHI 336 -
Existentialist Philosophy (#9225)
MoWeFr 1:40PM - 2:35PM
Location: SS-131
Instructor: P.D. Magnus
A central existentialist idea is that
individuals as human beings are caught between the particular stages
of their lives and themselves as existing across time--in 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.
APHI 410
- Perspectives of Reason (#9217)
TuTh 10:15am - 11:35am
Location: BA-213
Instructor: Bradley Armour-Garb
This course introduces issues in the philosophy of logic, which is philosophy about issues and features in or related to logic. One of things on which we will focus regards the relationship between logic and reasoning. We thus attempt to answer questions like the following:
What is a paradox and how are we to understand and resolve certain philosophical paradoxes?
What is the relationship between logic and reasoning--Is logic normative for reasoning? Is reasoning normative for logic? and
What is the relationship between
a natural language and a logical language, e.g., what is the connection
between the logical form of a sentence and its grammatical form.
APHI 423
- The Skeptical Tradition (#9220)
TuTh 11:45am - 1:05pm
Location: HU-132
Instructor: Nathan Powers
Doubt is a powerful philosophical weapon. A skeptic is a philosopher who doubts systematically, challenging the very possibility of establishing definitive claims about the structure of reality or about what constitutes right and wrong. This course provides a selective overview of the role that skeptical arguments have played in the history of philosophy. First, we will examine the main schools of ancient Greek skeptical thought (Pyrrhonian and Academic), assessing their methods and motives. Then we will turn to the revival of skepticism in the early modern period, focusing especially on Descartes' method of doubt and its complicated (and ongoing) legacy.
Prerequisites: APHI 210 and a 300 level course in philosophy.
APHI 425Y
- Contemporary Ethical Theory (#9218)
W 5:45pm - 8:35pm
Location: SS-255
Instructor: Jason D'Cruz
In contemporary ethics, there are three dominant schools: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. All three have intuitive appeal, but they analyze moral worth, right and wrong, and good and evil in seemingly incompatible ways. This course investigates the dialogue between contemporary ethical theorists, focussing on the most interesting and subtle criticisms that are leveled at each type in the contemporary debate. Most assigned works were written since 1970. Philosophers whose work we will study include Bernard Williams, Philippa Foot, Christine Korsgaard, Michael Stocker, Stephen Darwall, and Rosalind Hursthouse. Much of the course will be discussion driven, and students will be required to produce an oral presentation to the class.
This is an advanced course. If
you have not previously studied philosophy at the university level,
you should not start with this course. It is assumed that you
have some background in utilitarianism (especially Mill), deontology
(especially Kant), and character ethics (especially Aristotle). If you
are unsure about whether you have requisite background, please come
and talk to me.
APHI 442
- Phenomenology (#9221)
MoWeFr 12:35pm - 1:30pm
Location: AS-15
Instructor: Ron McClamrock
This course examines the historical
and conceptual development of phenomenology in the 20th century, starting
with Husserl's "presuppositionless and purely descriptive science
of the structures of consciousness", and including works by Sartre,
Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. We'll emphasize (a) the idea of
a presuppositionless account of consciousness; (b) the motivations for
and nature of the "existential turn", and (c) connections
between phenomenology and both analytic philosophy and scientific psychology.
Grades will be based on 2 of 3 exams,
2 short papers, and a combination of in-class and online participation.
Note: Undergraduates should sign up
for PHI 542; graduate students should sign up for PHI 442.
More information can be found on the course web page at http://profron.net/phi542.
