Philosophy, Minor

An examination of major philosophical issues such as the existence of God, freedom and determinism, moral rights and obligations, and the nature and limits of human knowledge.

Basic principles and techniques used in understanding, constructing, and evaluating arguments. Topics covered may include formal methods of analyzing arguments, informal fallacies, scientific reasoning, and moral arguments.

This course includes a study of ethical theories and principles, and application of those theories and principles to ethical issues.

An historical and critical examination of traditional Indian philosophical and religious systems (such as various versions of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism) and their relevance for contemporary people and societies.

A historical and critical examination of some of the philosophical and religious systems developed in China, Tibet, and Japan (such as various schools of Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism).

An introduction to American philosophy and the influential movement known as Pragmatism. The course focuses on the works of C.S. Peirce, William James, John Dewey, and George Santayana. Issues addressed include skepticism, the rejection of foundationalism, the role of belief in inquiry, verification and meaning, and the nature of truth.

This course is a study of the ethics of human relationships. Topics include friendship, romance, marriage, sexual orientation, adultery, promiscuity, sexual consent, sexual harassment, rape, pornography, and prostitution.

An introduction to philosophical issues concerning the law, such as the nature of law, relations between law and morality, theories of legal responsibility, and the role of law in society.

A survey of classical and contemporary material in social and political philosophy, covering topics such as individual liberty and government intervention, the role of government, and social justice.

An exploration of a variety of views concerning the meaning of life. Three kinds of responses to the question of life's meaning will be examined: theistic responses; non-theistic responses focusing on the creation of personal meaning within a natural universe; and responses that challenge the intelligibility of the question regarding the meaning of life.

A course on technical methods and foundational issues in Philosophy, Computer Science, and Mathematics. Topics include the Propositional Calculus, First-Order Predicate Calculus, meta-theoretic results (such as consistency, soundness, completeness, and decidability), and Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Theory.

An exploration of issues in contemporary philosophy such as the nature of life, personhood and self, knowledge and skepticism, time travel, and obligations to the non-human world. The course combines the reading of purely philosophical works with an examination of contemporary works of science fiction (including novels, short stories, and films).

Why is it wrong to kill? Is killing an innocent person ever justified? Under what conditions can we justify war? How should we respond to terrorist threats? The course explores ethical theories in application to these and similar issues.

A study of the relationship of the mental to the physical as it pertains to the foundations of psychology, artificial intelligence, and robotics.

An examination of issues in contemporary metaphysics, such as freedom of the will and determinism, the nature of causation, the mind-body problem, and the existence of abstract and concrete entities.

In this course, we will discuss the following questions among others: What is the nature of truth? Should truth be understood as correspondence with reality? What is it to know something? Is knowledge of the external world possible at all? Can I conclusively rule out the possibility that I might be dreaming right now, or that I might be just a brain in a vat? Are there any privileged beliefs that can be said to constitute the foundation for all of our knowledge? Are the standards for rationality and justification absolute or rather relative to cultural norms? Can there be rational disagreement between equally intelligent people who share the same body of evidence?

A survey of the ancient Western philosophical tradition, including the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic Philosophers.

A study of some of the major philosophical developments of the 17th -20th centuries, focusing on topics such as the relation between mind and body, religious belief and the problem of evil, rationalism and empiricism, and the limits of human knowledge.

A course on important trends in contemporary philosophy beginning with the Fregean linguistic turn, and examining the major works of philosophers such as Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine, Davidson, Dummett, Putnam, Kripke, and Lewis.

An exploration of important issues concerning the natural and formal sciences from the standpoint of historical disputes and technological advances. Issues include the nature of science and of scientific progress, the justification of scientific theories, the possibility of objective knowledge of the world, the distinction between science and pseudo-science, and the relationship between faith and science.

Standard philosophical methods will be used to explore issues such as the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, and the relationship between morality and religion.

An examination of moral issues that arise in medicine, focusing on topics such as euthanasia, genetic interventions, medical research involving vulnerable subjects, and the distribution of medical resources.

An examination of our ethical obligations with respect to animals, plants, and environmental systems, and of the foundations of environmental law and policy. Can be cross listed with ESCI 4490, BIOL 4590 or BIMS 4590.

A study of moral theories, and of moral issues such as whether morality is subjective, whether there are moral facts, and the justification of practices such as capital punishment and abortion.

In-depth exploration of philosophical topics, designed for philosophy majors, with emphasis on student research and presentations.

A philosophical investigation into the nature of language. Topics include meaning, truth, theories of mediated reference, theories of direct reference, and speech acts.

Study of important philosophical themes and figures. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Topics may include, for example, Minds and Machines, Eastern Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, American Philosophy, and Moral Issues in Contemporary Medicine.

See College description.

Practical experience is acquired through placement in a Philosophy internship position. Positions may be with law firms, organizations with an applied ethics focus (e.g., environmental or medical ethics), or other organizations in which philosophical skills and abilities play a significant role. Students are eligible to apply for a Philosophy internship if they meet the following criteria: have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.25 in Philosophy coursework; have at least junior standing at the university; be a Philosophy major or minor; and have completed at least 12 hours of coursework in the major or minor. If a student does not meet the eligibility criteria, they must solicit a recommendation from a Philosophy program faculty member in order to be considered for an internship. This course is graded Credit/No Credit.