Philosophy Courses

NOTE: Complete undergraduate and graduate catalogs can be found here.

PHIL 115 (3)
Fundamental Philosophical Questions
An introduction to philosophy through a study of the works and thoughts of the major philosophers in their historical context. Topics discussed will include the existence and nature of truth, God, freedom, immortality, moral obligation, knowledge, beauty and happiness. IIIO, V

PHIL 119 (3)
Logic
An introduction to the basic rules of logic used to evaluate deductive and inductive arguments. Special emphasis on determining whether conclusions follow validly from given premises. Also, an introduction to common logical fallacies. IIIQ

PHIL 204 (3)
Philosophy and Film
An examination of film as an aesthetic medium and as a social and political institution. Films will be approached both as "texts" and as cultural and commercial products. The course will also look at contemporary developments in new media that present challenges or alternatives to film in political, economic, and cultural spheres. V6a, V

PHIL 224 (3)
Ethics: Theories and Applications
A critical study of the relationship between ethical theories and current practices and issues. Theories studied will include Aristotelian virtue ethics, Kantian deontological ethics and J.S. Mills' utilitarianism. Applications studied will vary year to year, but may include topics such as euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, animal rights and affirmative action. IIIW, V

PHIL 236 (3)
Philosophy and the Arts
An examination of the nature and purpose of the arts with special attention to the visual arts, music and literature. Controversies about the roles of the artist and viewer, the status of the art object, the significance of context and the relationship of the arts to ethics and societal development will be explored. No specialized knowledge of the arts is required.

PHIL 244 (3)
Special Topics in Ethics
Topics will vary by semester. IIIO, V

PHIL 261 (1)
Directed Study
Selected topics pursued by individual students or small groups of student under supervision of a member of the department.

PHIL 275 (3)
Political Philosophy
A critical approach to the classics of modern political theory followed by an investigation of movements in political theory from the 20th century to today. Classical texts will include major works from authors such as Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Marx, and Mill. Contemporary theories will include movements such as liberalism, conservatism, neo- conservatism, socialism, anarchism, feminism, religious fundamentalism, and critical race theory. V7

PHIL 305 (3)
Special Topics in Philosophy
Topics will vary by semester. Topic for Spring 2010: "Reason and Revelation." This course will explore the relationship between a philosophical commitment to rationality and a religious commitment to faith. Emphasis will be placed on thinkers who formulate this relationship as an outright tension as well as those who formulate it as a fruitful harmony. Readings will include works by Plato, Maimonides, Averroes, Aquinas, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard. V5

PHIL 361 (1)
Special Study
Special topics such as philosophy of history or American philosophy, or an in-depth study of an individual philosopher; pursued by students individually or in small groups, under supervision.

PHIL 365 (3)
Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of science is the study of the underlying theoretical foundations and assumptions of the institutions and practices of science. In this course we will span a thematic and historical overview of various philosophies of science with an eye to better understand and discriminate about the science in our daily lives. Topcs include questions regarding: scientific method, objectivity, truth, knowledge, substance, observation and perception and reality. Offered alternate years. V8a

PHIL 377 (1)
Internship

PHIL 411 (3)
Advanced Ethics Seminar
Students will construct the course content by choosing several contemporary ethical issues for discussion and evaluation. Students shuld expect to present and defend position papers to the seminar, both orally and in writing. Offered alternate years; may be repeated for credit. IIIO, V

PHIL 425 (3)
The Roots of Western Thought
Study of the philosophical developments from the Greeks to the British Empiricists. Special attention will be devoted to Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Hume. Offered alternate years. V1

PHIL 436 (3)
Modernism to Postmodernism
An examination of key assumptions of modernism from the 17th to the 19th centuries will be followed by historical and contemporary critiques of the basic assumptions of the Enlightenment. Critics of modernism will include 19th century thinkers such as Nietzsche, as well as contemporary postmodernists such as Derrida, Lyotard and Foucault. V1

PHIL 452 (3)
Senior Seminar
Special topics at an advanced level pursued independently or in small groups. IIIO, III

PHIL 461 (1)
Independent Study

PHIL 472 (3)
Senior Honors Thesis