Course Catalog
Undergraduate Courses
101 Introduction to Philosophy.
I, II, SS; 4 cr. (Z-E). P: Open to Fr. so. who have had no previous philosophy courses other than 210, 211, 253 or 254. Not open to Jrs.
102 Introduction to social Philosophy
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-E). Opposing philosophical views about people and their political and social life. P: so. st. or Philos 101. Open to Fr. Brighouse
103 Belief, Knowledge, and Truth
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-E). Grounds of rational belief and knowledge and the methods used for obtaining them, with emphasis on problems of evidence and truth. P: Phil 101 or so. st. Not open to Jrs. and Srs. Open to Fr. Sidelle.
104 Special Topics in Philosophy for Freshmen
I or II; 3 cr. (Z-E). Examination of selected topics. P: Open to Fr. with no prev college level coursework in philosophy.
181 First. Course for Honors
I or II; 3 cr. (Z-E). P: Honors candidacy or consent of instructor. Open to Fr.
201 Introduction to Philosophy for Juniors and Seniors
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). P: Open only to Jrs. and Srs. who have had no previous philosophy courses other than 210, 211, 253 or 254.
210 Reason in Communication
I or II; 4 cr. (Z-I). Argument in familiar contexts; emphasis upon developing critical skills in comprehending, evaluating, and engaging in contemporary forms of reasoning, with special attention to the uses of argument in mass communication media. P: so. st. Eells, Forster.
211 Elementary Logic
I, II, SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). The formal characteristics of logical truth and inference. P: so. st. Eells, Forster, Rauti, Vranas.
212 Theory of Choice
I or II; 4 cr. (Z-I). Introduction to the logical, mathematical, statistical, and philosophical topics and issues in modern theory of choice, such as individual decision making, inductive logic, game theory, and social choice theory. P: so. st. Eells, Hausman, Forster.
220 Philosophy and the Sciences
Irr; 4 cr. (Z-I). Is science value-free? What distinguishes it from pseudo-science, religion, and technology? Philosophical problems of explanation, rationality, knowledge, paradigms, moral issues of research and philosophical consequences of scientific theories. P: so. st.
241 Introductory Ethics
I, II, SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). Nature of moral problems and of ethical theory, varieties of moral skepticism, practical ethics and the evaluation of social institutions. P: so. st. Anderson, Card, Gottlieb, Hunt, Shafer-Landau, Sartorio.
243 Ethics in Business
I or II; 4 cr. (Z-I). Case studies of moral issues in business; types or reasons appealed to for settlement. P: so. st. Hunt.
253 Philosophy of the Arts
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (H-I). Introduction to the problems of aesthetics, such as the nature of art; aesthetic experience; the description, interpretation, and evaluation of works of art. P: so. st. Anderson.
254 social Problems of Contemporary Art
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). Critical consideration of problems raised by the activities and productions of contemporary artists, such as freedom, censorship, uses of art, function of artists in society, social benefits of art. P: so. st. or consent of instructor.
258 Humanity, Religion, and society
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). Study and critique of the views of theistic and secular writers concerning religion and its relationship to individual and social problems. P: so. st; 3 credit in philosophy or consent of instructor.
261 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). Doctrines and arguments of Western and Eastern religious and philosophical traditions: deity, human nature, immortality, resurrection, religious experience, faith, reason, good, evil, etc. P: So. st. or consent of instructor. Yandell.
264 Classic Texts in Philosophy
I or II; 3 cr. (H). P: Philos. 101. Open to Fr. Examination of seminal philosophical texts. The emphasis will be on close, critical reading of one or two texts. Extensive writing and tutorials will be required.
282 Logic for Honors
3 cr. (Z-I). P: So. st. and honors candidacy.
341 Contemporary Moral Issues
I, II, SS; 4 cr. (Z-I). A philosophical study of some of the major moral issue in contemporary society, such as those concerning abortion, euthanasia, punishment, property, politics, sex, nuclear disarmament, and world hunger. P: So. st. or consent of instructor. Card, Hausman, Hunt, Brighouse.
430 History of Ancient Philosophy
I or SS; 4 cr. (Z-A). Various philosophers from the presocratics to the Stoics and Epicureans; particular emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. P: Jr. st.; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Gottlieb.
431 Medieval Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Critical and historical examination of writings of Erigena, Anselm, Abelard, Grosseteste, Bacon, Aquinas, Scotus, Ockham. P: Phil 430; Jr. st. or consent of instructor. Nadler.
432 History of Modern Philosophy
II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-A). From Descartes through Kant. P: Jr st; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Gibson, Nadler, Stampe, Yandell.
433 19th Century Philosophers
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-A). P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophyor consent of instructor. Soll.
434 Survey of Contemporary Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Comparison of the problems and solutions dealt with by currently active movements and philosophers, such as Carnap, Croce, Dewey, Heidegger, Husserl, Moore, Russell, Sartre, and Wittgenstein. P: 3 cr. in philosophy; Jr. st.
435 Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century
II, Alt. Yrs. 3 cr. (H). P: 3 cr. Philosophy. A survey of major philosophers and philosophical currents within Judaism from antiquity through the seventeenth century. Nadler
436 Contemporary British Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Critical examination of British philosophy since 1900; readings include selections from Moore, Russell, Ayer, Wittgenstein. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
439 American Philosophy
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). Major traditions in American thought-- Puritanism, The Enlightenment, Transcendentalism, Idealism, and Pragmatism--in relation to American culture. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
440 French Philosophy-Existentialism
I or II or SS; 4 cr. (Z-A). P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophyor consent of instructor. Nadler, Soll.
441 Environmental Ethics
(Crosslisted with Envir St 441.) I or II or SS; 4 cr (Z-A). Adequacy of ethical theories in handling such wrongs as harm to the land, to posterity, to endangered species, and to the ecosystem itself. Exploration of the view that not all moral wrongs involve harm to humans. Inquiry into the notion of the quality of life and the ethics of the "lifeboat" situation. P: 3 cr. philosophyenvir studies, or Grad st. in IES. Anderson, Card, Hunt.
453 Aesthetics of the Natural Environment
(Crosslisted with Envir St 453.) Irr; 3 cr. (H-D). Philosophical theories of beauty, the sublime, and the picturesque, and their relevance to our appreciation of the natural environment. P: Jr. st. and 3 cr. in philos, or cons inst. Anderson.
454 Classical Philosophers
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). One or more classical philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
455 Recent Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). One or more recent philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
463 Introduction to Indian Philosophy
(Crosslisted with S Asian 463. See S Asian 463 for course information.)
464 Classical Philosophers
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H-A). One or more classical philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
465 Recent Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H-A). One or more recent philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
481 Junior Honors Seminar
I, II; 3 cr. (Z-A). One or more philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr. st. ; certif as hon cand, 6 cr. in philos, 3.0 GPA in philosophy and cons inst. 482 Junior Honors Seminar. I, II; 3 cr. (Z-A). Same as 481. P: Jr. st. ; 6 cr. in philosophy; 3.0 GPA in Philos-4.0 basis.
501 Philosophy of Religion
I or II; 3 cr. (Z-A). Analysis of religious experience and activity, and examination of principal religious ideas in light of modern psychology, philosophy, science, and anthropology. P: Jr. st. or consent of instructor. Yandell.
502 Special Topics in Philosophy of Religion
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). One or more topics selected from among the following: religious discourse, God, evil, survival, great philosophers of religion, etc. Variable content. P: Jr. st. or consent of instructor. Yandell
503 Theory of Knowledge
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). A survey of problems concerning the nature, sources, and limits of human knowledge, including such topics as scepticism, the concept of knowledge, sensory perception, evidence, justified belief, induction. P: Philos 101, 103, 201, or consent of instructor; ; Jr. st. Comesaña, Sidelle.
504 Special Topics in the Theory of Knowledge
Irr; 3 cr. (H-A). One or more special topics in the Theory of Knowledge or one or more major theories of knowledge. Variable content. P: Jr. st. and 3 cr. philos. Comesaña.
511 Symbolic Logic
I or II; 3 cr. (Z-A). Propositional and predicate logic, with emphasis on metatheory; independence of rules and completeness theorems; discussion of technical and philosophical limitations of classical logic. P: Jr. st, Philos 211 is recommended or consent of instructor. Eells, Vranas.
512 Methods of Logic
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Selected topics in philosophical logic and in the various applications of logic to philosophical problems. Variable content. P: Philos 211 or consent of instructor. Vranas.
516 Language and Meaning
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). The nature and function of language, theories of meaning, semantic and syntactic paradoxes, proper names, private languages, rules, and linguistic relativity. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Margolis, Rauti, Sidelle, Stampe.
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). One or more topics selected from: meaning, understanding, nonsense, ambiguity, speech acts, reference and predication, analyticity, etc. Variable content. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Margolis, Gibson, Rauti.
518 Philosophy of History
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). Various epistemological and methodological issues relevant to problems of historical knowledge. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
519 Philosophy of Mathematics
I or II; 3 cr. (Z-A). The nature of mathematical knowledge and the existence of mathematical entities; with some emphasis on the Logicist, Intuitionist, and Formalist positions. P: Cons inst. or Jr. st. and 3 cr. in philosophy. Sober, Vranas.
520 Philosophy of the Natural Sciences
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H). Nature and functions of science; the logic of scientific method: clarification of such concepts as cause, law, theory, probability, determinism, teleology. P: Jr. st. & 3 crs in Philos or consent of instructorr. Eells, Forster, Sober
521 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (S-A). Problems in applying methods and concepts of science to the study of social behavior. P: 3 cr. in philosophy; Jr. st. or consent of instructor. Hausman.
522 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Science
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). Selected from logic of theory construction, theoretical entities, models, applied mathematics, nature of laws, conventionalism, probability, etc. Variable content. P: Prereqs vary according to topic.
523 Philosophical Problems of the Biological Sciences
(Crosslisted with Envir St 523.) I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Problems raised by genetics, evolutionary theory, and taxonomy: patterns of explanatory force and dispensability of teleology; objectivity of taxonomy. P: 3 cr. of philosophy3 cr. in a biological science. Shapiro, Sober.
524 Philosophy and Economics
(Crosslisted with Econ 524. See Econ 524 for course information.) Hausman.
526 Philosophy and Literature
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H). Analysis of philosophic ideas as embodied in literary works and the relation of these ideas to other aspects of the works such as plot, structure, characterization and language. Discussion of related questions about literature, literary themes, and thematic criticism. Card, Hunt, Soll.
530 Freedom Fate and Choice
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Readings in Mill, James, Russell, Sartre and others to study the origin of the problem, clarify the issues, and attain a reasonable solution. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Stampe.
540 Modern Philosophies of Education
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 540.) I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Critical comparison of present-day schools of thought on the nature, objectives, and functions of American education. P: Jr. st.
541 Modern Ethical Theories
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-A). Ethical theories and problems as discussed in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Card, Hausman, Hunt, Shafer-Landau, Sartorio, Streiffer.
543 Special Topics in Ethics
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Intensive study of ethical theory, or of one or more ethical theories or moral philosophers of the present or modern period. Variable content. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
545 Philosophical Conceptions of Teaching and Learning
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 545.) I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Examination and analysis of conceptions of teaching and learning in classical philosophical works and in contemporary literature in the philosophy of education. P: Jr. st. or consent of instructor.
547 The Child in the Moral Order
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 547.) Irr; 3 cr. (S-I). Various ethical issues concerning the status of children and adolescents in the community. P: Jr. st, consent of instructor. or 3 cr in Philos.
549 Great Moral Philosophers
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Major themes of moral philosophy, from Plato and Aristotle to Bentham and Mill, with critical study of outstanding works. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr in philos. Card, Gottlieb, Hunt.
550 Philosophy of Moral Education
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 550). I or II or SS; 3 cr. (S). Critical examination of classical and contemporary conceptions of moral education. P: Jr. st.
551 Philosophy of Mind
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (Z-A). Nature of mind (mental states such as thinking and feeling) and its relation to physical states, with emphasis on recent advances in philosophy and psychology. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Margolis, Stampe, Shapiro.
552 Aesthetic Theories
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H-A). Examination of one or more aesthetic theories; consideration of works by such authors as Aristotle, Longinus, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Croce, Santayana, Dewey. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Anderson, Soll.
553 Aesthetics
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H-A). Analysis of current philosophies of art and of criticism. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Anderson, Soll.
555 Political Philosophy
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (S-A). Philosophical doctrines involved in justification of political decisions; analysis of some fundamental concepts, e.g. the common good, authority, justice, natural law, natural rights. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Brighouse.
556 Topics in Feminism and Philosophy
Irr; 3 cr. (Z-D). Topics from historical and contemporary feminist. thought; attention to one or more feminist philosophers, historical movements, philosophical frameworks, or sets of philosophically related issues. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Card.
557 Issues in social Philosophy. I or II or SS; 3 cr (S-A)
Specific topics in social and political philosophy such as war and peace, property and industry, individualism and collectivism, freedom and justice. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor.
558 Ethical Problems Raised by Biomedical Technology
(Crosslisted with Hist. Med 558.) II; 3 cr. (B-I). Ethical issues apparently created by new biomedical technologies, such as genetic screening, prenatal diagnosis, prolongation of life, treatment of severe birth defects, in vitro fertilization, behavior modification, psychosurgery, and transplantation. P: Jr. st. or consent of instructor. Charo, Fost, Streiffer, Weisbard.
559 Philosophy of Law
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (S-A). Nature and function of law, relations between law and morality, logic of legal reasoning, analysis of fundamental concepts and institutions. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philos. Hunt
560 Metaphysics
I or II or SS; 3 cr. (H). Major problems in metaphysics, such as: existence, universals and particulars, space and time, individuals, categories, substance and attribute, necessity. P: Jr. st. & 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Sartorio, Sidelle, Stampe, Yandell.
562 Special Topics in Metaphysics
Irr; 3 cr. (H-A). An intensive study of one or more topics such as: existence, universals and particulars, space and time, individuals, individuation, categories, substance and attribute, necessity, events and processes. P: Jr. st. ; 3 cr. in philosophy or consent of instructor. Sartorio
571 Mathematical Logic
(Crosslisted with Math 571. See Math 571 for course information.)
581 Senior Honors Seminar. 3 cr. (Z-A)
P: Certif as honors cand, Sr st. 12 cr. in philos, ; 3.2 GPA in philosophy.
582 Senior Honors Seminar. 3 cr. (Z-A)
P: Sr st, 12 cr. in philos, ; 3.2 GPA in philos.
598 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr. (A)
Cr/N. P: Jr. or Sr st. Graded on a Cr/N basis; requires written consent of instructor. and approval of dept chairman.
599 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr. (A)
P: Jr. or Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires written consent of instructor. ; approval of department chairman.
670 Philosophical Issues in Educational Research and Evaluation
(Crosslisted with Ed. Pol 670). Irr.; 3 cr. (S) An examination of philosophical issues raised by educational research and evaluation. P: at least. 1 course in philosophyor philosophyof education; or cons. instr.
690 Senior Seminar in Philosophy
I or II. 3 cr. (HS). Writing intensive course for senior philosophy majors. The course will require substantial reading and participation in seminar discussions. P: Sr. St., Philosophy major, cons. instr.
681 Senior Honors Thesis
3 cr. (A). P: Honors cand, consult dept honors adviser.
682 Senior Honors Thesis
3 cr. (A). P: Honors cand, consult dept honors adviser.
691 Senior Thesis
3 cr. (A). P: Consult adviser.
692 Senior Thesis
3 cr. (A) Continuation of 691. P: Cons of adviser.
699 Directed Study.
2-3 cr. (A). P: Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires written consent of instructor, approval of dept chairman needed.
Graduate Courses
799 Directed Study
1-3 cr. P: Grad st, written consent of instructor. and dept chairperson.
800 Educational Philosophy of Experimentalism
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 800.) 3 cr. Educational writings of John Dewey and other experimentalist. educators. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
830 Advanced History of Philosophy
(Crosslisted with Classics 830.) I, II; 3 cr. P: Grad st ; consent of instructor.
831 Advanced History of Philosophy: Medieval Philosophy
I or II; 3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
835 Advanced History of Philosophy
I, II; 3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
836 Advanced History of Philosophy
I or II; 3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
838 Advanced History of Philosophy-Kant
I or II; 3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
903 Seminar: Epistemology
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
911 Seminar-Logic
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
916 Seminar-Philosophy of Language
3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
920 Seminar-Philosophy of Science:Causation, Explanation ; Probability
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
930 Seminar-History of Philosophy
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
935 Seminar in Philosophical Analysis
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
939 Seminar in American Philosophy
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
941 Seminar-Ethics
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
949 Seminar in Continental Philosophy
3 cr. P: Grad st. & consent of instructor.
950 Seminar in Philosophy of Education
(Crosslisted with Ed Pol 950. See Ed Pol 950 for course information.)
951 Seminar-Philosophy of Mind
3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
953 Aesthetics Seminar
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
955 Seminar social and Political Philosophy
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
959 Seminar-Legal Philosophy
3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
960 Metaphysics Seminar
3 cr. P: Grad st. and consent of instructor.
961 Seminar-Philosophy of Religion
3 cr. P: Grad st. ; consent of instructor.
989 Research in Philosophy of Law
I or II or SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
990 Research and Thesis
I or II or SS; 2-9 cr.
991 Research in Logic
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
992 Research-Philosophy of Science
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
993 Research in Epistemology
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
994 Research in Ethics
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
995 Research-social and Political Philosophy
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
996 Research in Metaphysics
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
997 Research-Aesthetics
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
998 Research-History of Philosophy
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Consult major professor.
999 Independent Work
I, II, SS; 2-9 cr. P: Cons inst-consult adviser.
SYMBOLS:
- Z = Either Humanities or social Science Credits
- S = social Studies
- H = Humanities
- E = Elementary
- I = Intermediate
- A = Advanced
- D = Intermediate or Advanced