Course information contained within the Bulletin is accurate at the time of publication in July 2024 but is subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please refer to the Course Catalog.
PHIL 0824. Landscape of American Thought. 3 Credit Hours.
America once was envisioned by its colonizers as a new world, as a city upon a hill beckoning to humanity. After centuries of conquest, enslavement, immigration, and political struggle, conditions for sustaining this early vision continue to evolve. Explore the emergence of some of the most distinctive and influential American voices to inform our national debate about freedom, the individual, race, democracy, and oppression, as it has unfolded over the past two centuries. Through consideration of selected works of some of the most renowned figures to shape the landscape of American public discourse, we return to face the question of the promise of America, as it plays out today in the thought of some of the leading public intellectuals of our time. NOTE: This course fulfills the U.S. Society (GU) requirement for students under GenEd and American Culture (AC) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed Philosophy 0924.
Course Attributes: GU
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0839. Philosophy of the Human. 3 Credit Hours.
What is it to be human? To have human experiences and values? What is it like to walk in the shoes of others who may not share our experiences and values? In what ways, if any, do we treat others unequally in the social and political spheres, and are these unequal treatments justified? This course examines a range of answers to these questions and more. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: different historical and cultural perspectives on being human; issues related to the human self, justice, morality, and the socio-cultural; and the relationships between the human condition and broader facets of contemporary life. Traditional historical and contemporary philosophical works, as well as influential literary, empirical, and cinematic pieces, will be used to explore, analyze, and propose answers to what it is to be human. Philosophy of the Human is a 3 credit hour Human Behavior General Education course. NOTE: This course fulfills the Human Behavior (GB) requirement for students under GenEd and Individual & Society (IN) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed
PHIL 0939.
Course Attributes: GB
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0847. The Meaning of the Arts. 3 Credit Hours.
As we blend philosophical inquiry into the nature of several of the arts and the roles they play in society with analyses of particular artistic practices, we shall critically examine questions like these: Is the main goal of art to imitate or represent the world? If so, do painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, movies, music, dance, theater, performance art, literature, handicrafts, fashion, bodily ornamentation and the like, provide knowledge about ourselves and the world around us? What is - or should be - the relationship between art and some of the other great domains of human thought, action, and concerns such as religion or the realm of social and political relations, especially matters concerning gender, sexuality, class, race, morality, and community? Do the arts or artistic institutions have specific social functions? For example, is there a connection between museums, imperialism, and nationalism? Are films embedded in networks of commodity production? Are there specifically urban or global dimension to these questions? NOTE: This course fulfills the Arts (GA) requirement for students under GenEd and Arts (AR) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed Philosophy 0947.
Course Attributes: GA
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0863. Religion in the World. 3 Credit Hours.
Learn about the major religious traditions found worldwide today: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and several indigenous traditions. Examine the beliefs, practices, and values of these groups in order to understand the worldviews and ways of life of the people who practice them. Our interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of specific examples of religious experience will help shed light on the overall meaning of religion and human existence. We will carefully consider examples while also focusing on particular thematic issues, like cosmology and ritual. Develop appreciation for the religious vibrancy and diversity that exist in human cultures while you actively engage in the learning process through class presentation, class participation, paper-writing, and a self-selected field trip. NOTE: This course fulfills the World Society (GG) requirement for students under GenEd and International Studies (IS) for students under Core. Duplicate Credit Warning: Students may take only one of the following courses for credit; all other instances will be deducted from their credit totals: Religion 0863, 0963, 1101, C053, Asian Studies 0863, Critical Languages 0863, or Philosophy 0863.
Course Attributes: GG
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0877. Climate Change and Climate Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
The impacts of climate change fall disproportionately on frontline communities, including the Global South, communities of color, the poor, women, and the young, including college students. How should the impacts and burdens of climate change be distributed? How do environmental loss, damage, and danger transform issues of diversity and oppression in the 21st century? What kind of response to climate change would be fair? How much must each of us change in order to make a fair response possible? This course offers an accessible, in depth introduction to ethical problems about climate justice, with attention to environmental racism, indigenous rights, gender, age, and other aspects of diversity, and to the role of individuals and institutions in climate change. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed
PHIL 0977.
Course Attributes: GD, SF
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0878. Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders in the United States: Race, Diversity, and Identity. 3 Credit Hours.
Who are Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the American context? How have AAPIs shaped the making of state and society in the United States in terms of culture, law, economics, and politics? What major crises and historical events have generated racism and racialized stereotyping against AAPI communities? How have AAPI minorities mobilized against exclusion, racism, and marginalization to advance new interests and goals, especially when juxtaposed with other minority groups and social forces? What is the future of AAPIs in America? This course introduces students to the tapestry of AAPI experiences in America. It recovers their importance through lectures and discussions, based upon careful analysis of written texts and creative materials. (This course is equivalent to
POLS 0878 and
POLS 0978.)
Course Attributes: GD
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0939. Honors Philosophy of the Human. 3 Credit Hours.
What is it to be human? To have human experiences and values? What is it like to walk in the shoes of others who may not share our experiences and values? In what ways, if any, do we treat others unequally in the social and political spheres, and are these unequal treatments justified? This course examines a range of answers to these questions and more. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: different historical and cultural perspectives on being human; issues related to the human self, justice, morality, and the socio-cultural; and the relationships between the human condition and broader facets of contemporary life. Traditional historical and contemporary philosophical works, as well as influential literary, empirical, and cinematic pieces, will be used to explore, analyze, and propose answers to what it is to be human. Philosophy of the Human is a 3 credit hour Human Behavior General Education course. NOTE: This course fulfills the Human Behavior (GB) requirement for students under GenEd and Individual & Society (IN) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed
PHIL 0839.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: GB, HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0947. Honors The Meaning of the Arts. 3 Credit Hours.
As we blend philosophical inquiry into the nature of several of the arts and the roles they play in society with analyses of particular artistic practices, we shall critically examine questions like these: Is the main goal of art to imitate or represent the world? If so, do painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, movies, music, dance, theater, performance art, literature, handicrafts, fashion, bodily ornamentation and the like, provide knowledge about ourselves and the world around us? What is - or should be - the relationship between art and some of the other great domains of human thought, action, and concerns such as religion or the realm of social and political relations, especially matters concerning gender, sexuality, class, race, morality, and community? Do the arts or artistic institutions have specific social functions? For example, is there a connection between museums, imperialism, and nationalism? Are films embedded in networks of commodity production? Are there specifically urban or global dimension to these questions? (This is an Honors course.) NOTE: This course fulfills the Arts (GA) requirement for students under GenEd and Arts (AR) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed Philosophy 0847.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: GA, HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 0977. Honors Climate Change and Climate Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
The impacts of climate change fall disproportionately on frontline communities, including the Global South, communities of color, the poor, women, and the young, including college students. How should the impacts and burdens of climate change be distributed? How do environmental loss, damage, and danger transform issues of diversity and oppression in the 21st century? What kind of response to climate change would be fair? How much must each of us change in order to make a fair response possible? This course offers an accessible, in depth introduction to ethical problems about climate justice, with attention to environmental racism, indigenous rights, gender, age, and other aspects of diversity, and to the role of individuals and institutions in climate change. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed
PHIL 0877.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: GD, HO, SF
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1001. Philosophical Challenges to the Individual. 3 Credit Hours.
This course combines historical and contemporary sources to study individuals and their social settings. Thus it introduces the basic issues of ethics, and social and political philosophy. It serves as the entry course not only for further study of these fields, but also for the study of business and professional ethics and philosophy of law. NOTE: (1) Philosophy majors or minors who have taken 1101 (0100), Introduction to Philosophy, should not take this course. (2) This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Individual & Society (IN) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: IN
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1055. Critical Thinking. 3 Credit Hours.
A course in reasoning well: logically and critically. Increase your ability to read something and decide if it should persuade or be rejected. How to back up what you say with evidence and/or good arguments. While the course is not a "prep" for the LSAT's, and other exams that test critical abilities, it focuses directly on the skills necessary to do well in them. NOTE: Philosophy majors or minors who have taken 1066 (C066), Introduction to Logic should not take this course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1061. Art and Society. 3 Credit Hours.
Besides treating the major issues internal to the arts and their criticism (e.g., definitions of art and aesthetic experience, artistic expression, form, representation, critical interpretation and evaluation), the course also deals with wider questions of the social function and value of the arts, several of which relate to current issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Arts (AR) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: AR
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1062. Morality and the Law. 3 Credit Hours.
Recommended for pre-law and pre-social administration students. The course provides a basic grounding in moral and legal philosophy, and addresses issues on which both touch, such as capital punishment, affirmative action, sexual behavior, and the right to welfare. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Individual & Society (IN) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: IN
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1063. American Thinkers. 3 Credit Hours.
The major figures and central problems of American philosophy will be surveyed historically, with a view to examining what is distinctive in American thought and how American philosophy relates to its natural cultural context. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core American Culture (AC) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: AC
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1066. Introduction to Logic. 3 Credit Hours.
The meaning of such logical notions as the validity of arguments, the equivalence of statements, and the inconsistency of sets of statements. Symbolization of the logically relevant features of statements and testing of arguments for validity, sets for inconsistency, etc. Development of logical theory in connection with these notions and techniques. NOTE: (1) Students who have taken Philosophy 1055 (0055), Critical Thinking, should consult with an advisor before taking this course. (2) This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Quantitative Reasoning B (QB) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: QB
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1076. Philosophy East and West. 3 Credit Hours.
Systematic and comparative study of representative philosophies of India, China, Japan, and Western Europe. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core International Studies (IS) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information. In addition to meeting the university Core International Studies requirement, this course meets the Non-Western/Third World IS requirement for Communication Sciences majors.
Course Attributes: IS
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1077. Science in Context. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of scientific method by critical examination of cases of scientific work in their social, political, and psychological context. Attention to the values and ethical concerns in scientific inquiry. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Science & Technology Second Level (SB) requirement.
Course Attributes: SB
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1101. Introduction to Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Philosophical problems in the works of great thinkers from ancient times to present. Selected questions concern the nature of reality, human freedom, the foundations of knowledge, standards of value, and the existence of God. NOTE: Students who have taken 1001 (C050), Challenges to the Individual should consult with an advisor before taking this course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1196. Introduction to Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is an introduction to philosophy that focuses on the reading, thinking, and writing skills needed for the study of philosophy. The course concentrates on close readings of a few texts rather than a broad survey of the philosophical tradition. NOTE: This course fulfills one of the two writing requirements for the major.
Course Attributes: WI
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1861. Art and Society. 3 Credit Hours.
Besides treating the major issues internal to the arts and their criticism (e.g., definitions of art and aesthetic experience, artistic expression, form, representation, critical interpretation and evaluation), the course also deals with wider questions of the social function and value of the arts, several of which relate to current issues of gender, race, and ethnicity.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1955. Honors Critical Thinking. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of 1055 (0055).
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1962. Honors Morality & the Law. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of 1062 (C062). NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Individual & Society (IN) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO, IN
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1966. Honors Introduction to Logic. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of 1066 (C066). NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Quantitative Reasoning B (QB) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO, QB
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 1977. Honors Science in Context. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of scientific method by critical examination of cases of scientific work in their social, political, and psychological context. Attention to the values and ethical concerns in scientific inquiry. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Science & Technology Second Level (SB) requirement.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO, SB
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2100. Special Topics. 3 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester. Please consult with the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 2121. Introduction to Ethical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.
An introduction to major schools of ethical theory such as utilitarian ethics, deontological ethics, virtue ethics, and the ethics of care. Specific problems from metaethics and applied ethics may also be treated.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2125. Philosophy of African-American Experiences. 3 Credit Hours.
An introduction to African-American philosophy and the issues around which it has developed: the meaning of racial identity, concepts of personhood, the nature of racial oppression and its relation to gender and class oppression, strategies for black liberation. We will pay close attention to the ways in which African American philosophy is simultaneously a development of and a radical critique of Anglo-European philosophy. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Studies in Race (RS) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Course Attributes: RS
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2126. Contemporary Social Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
An overview of recent and current thinking about philosophically relevant problems of and in the present-day world. Normally a few key texts will be focused upon, drawn from writing of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Environment, racial tension, globalization, economy, the nature of power, generational conflict, and the persistence of war are some typical topics.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2131. Introduction to Aesthetics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course addresses major issues internal to the arts and their criticism such as definitions of art and aesthetic experience, artistic expression, form, representation, critical interpretation and evaluation. The course may also address more specific issues such as the relationship of art and race, art and freedom of expression, art and morality. NOTE: Students who have taken
PHIL 2931 will not earn additional credits for this course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2141. Philosophy of Biology. 3 Credit Hours.
This course explores a range of philosophical questions about biology, such as: What is the nature of biological explanation? Are there laws of biology? Is the current debate about creationism and intelligent design a scientific debate? Is there a unique taxonomy of biological organisms? Has human nature evolved? What is genetic determinism and is there any evidence for it? This course is geared toward scientifically-minded philosophers, philosophically-minded scientists, and everyone in between. Duplicate credit warning: Students who have taken
PHIL 2941 will not receive credit for taking
PHIL 2141.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2143. Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. 3 Credit Hours.
This class is concerned with the study of knowledge, otherwise known as epistemology. What is knowledge? How do we come to know things? Do we really know anything? What are the limits of human knowledge? In this course we will explore these questions. More specifically, we will examine the traditional theory of knowledge, influential counterexamples to the traditional theory of knowledge, evidentialist theories of justification, nonevidentialist theories of justification, skepticism about our knowledge of the world, and how certain social factors play a role in the acquisition of knowledge.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2144. Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind. 3 Credit Hours.
An introductory overview of the most important issues in contemporary philosophy of mind and cognitive studies. Especially aimed at students of Psychology.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2152. Introduction to Feminist Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
This course covers major themes in feminist philosophy through canonical and recent texts. Themes include the sex/gender distinction; oppression, equality and justice; work and family; feminist care ethics; pornography and prostitution; sex-positivity and sex-negativity; feminist epistemology and feminist critiques of science. Throughout the course, discussions will consider the intersection of gender with race, class, disability, global location, sexuality, and age.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2154. Political Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of such issues as the source of obligation to obey the state, natural rights, the limits of governmental authority, and the justification of various forms of government. Readings drawn from classical and contemporary sources.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2157. Environmental Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of the ethical dimensions of several contemporary environmental controversies. The course examines the major theoretical approaches to environmental ethics, including human-centered (anthropocentric), animal-centered (zoocentric), and nature-centered (biocentric and ecocentric) value systems, as well as the most important critiques of these ethical approaches. The course will also address specific issues such as biodiversity and wilderness preservation; human use of animals as food, entertainment, and research subjects; environmental racism and toxic dumping; sustainable development, population and consumption. NOTE: Students will receive credit only one time for any of the following course numbers:
ENST 2157,
ENST 2957,
PHIL 2157, or
PHIL 2957.
Course Attributes: SF, SS
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2161. History of Philosophy: Greek. 3 Credit Hours.
A survey of ancient Greek philosophy from the Presocratics through the Hellenistic Period. Primary and secondary materials used.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2172. History of Philosophy: Modern. 3 Credit Hours.
A historical and critical study of the thought of selected philosophers from Descartes to Hume emphasizing their treatment of such topics as perception, the mind/body relationship, the structure of knowledge, and personal identity.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2225. Good & Bad, Right & Wrong. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on basic evaluative and normative concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong, which are central to domains such as ethics, aesthetics, economics, and political philosophy. From semester to semester the course will select one or more of these concepts and explore them in depth. Note: This course was previously offered as
PHIL 3225; students who received credit for that course number will not earn additional credits.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2900. Honors Topics in Philosophy. 3 to 4 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester; please consult with the instructor or department for the topic offered.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 2921. Honors Introduction to Ethical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of Philosophy 2121 (0121).
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2925. Honors Philosophy of African-American Experiences. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of 2125 (R125). NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Studies in Race (RS) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO, RS
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2931. Honors Introduction to Aesthetics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course addresses major issues internal to the arts and their criticism such as definitions of art and aesthetic experience, artistic expression, form, representation, critical interpretation and evaluation. The course may also address more specific issues such as the relationship of art and race, art and freedom of expression, art and morality. NOTE: Students who have taken
PHIL 2131 will not earn additional credits for this course.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2941. Honors Philosophy of Biology. 3 Credit Hours.
This course explores a range of philosophical questions about biology, such as: What is the nature of biological explanation? Are there laws of biology? Is the current debate about creationism and intelligent design a scientific debate? Is there a unique taxonomy of biological organisms? Has human nature evolved? What is genetic determinism and is there any evidence for it? This course is geared toward scientifically-minded philosophers, philosophically minded scientists, and everyone in between. Duplicate credit warning: Students who have taken
PHIL 2141 will not receive credit for taking
PHIL 2941.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 2957. Honors Environmental Ethics. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of the ethical dimensions of several contemporary environmental controversies. The course examines the major theoretical approaches to environmental ethics, including human-centered (anthropocentric), animal-centered (zoocentric), and nature-centered (biocentric and ecocentric) value systems, as well as the most important critiques of these ethical approaches. The course will also address specific issues such as biodiversity and wilderness preservation; human use of animals as food, entertainment, and research subjects; environmental racism and toxic dumping; sustainable development, population and consumption.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO, SF, SS
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3002. Philosophy of Religion. 3 Credit Hours.
Issues in philosophy of religion, including the nature of religion, the relation between reason and faith, concepts of God and proofs of the existence of God, religious and mystical experience, the nature of religious language, the problem of evil, the relation of religion to morality, concepts of death and immortality, conflicting truth-claims of different religions, and interreligious dialogue. NOTE: This course is equivalent to
REL 3002; students can receive credits only one time for either course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3075. Pre-Law Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
The course deals with issues related to lawyers and the practice of law such as professional ethics, legal reasoning and the nature of legal education. NOTE: Requires permission of instructor to register. Students must consult with the instructor in the Fall to arrange an internship placement.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3085. Pre-Law Internship. 3 Credit Hours.
Internship with a legal office or law-related office in the Philadelphia area. NOTE: Must consult course instructor in the Fall to arrange placement.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
Pre-requisites: minimum GPA of 3 in: courses numbered 0700 to 4999.
PHIL 3123. The Ethics of War and Peace. 3 Credit Hours.
Wars cause tremendous and unconscionable damage, yet according to just war theory, they can be justified, either as a form of self-defense (and the defense of others), or as a means of securing the conditions for a future peace. In this course, we will undertake a critical examination of just war theory and consider some of the moral complexities surrounding the issues of war and peace. Related issues may be discussed, such as the moral status of terrorism, torture, drone combat, and nonviolent resistance.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3168. Themes in Existentialism. 3 Credit Hours.
The meaning of life and death, freedom and anxiety, joy and suffering, faith and despair -- these and other dimensions of the human condition will be explored. The course covers existential philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre, though it may also focus on existentialism in film, existentialism in theater and literature, or non-Western philosophies of existence.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3210. Special Topics in Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester. Please consult with the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3211. Intermediate Logic. 3 Credit Hours.
An introduction to the meta theory of the elementary logic of predicates and quantifiers (familiarity with which is presupposed). Proofs that a standard derivation system is sound and complete are central.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in (PHIL 1066 or PHIL 1966)
PHIL 3216. Philosophy of Science. 3 Credit Hours.
Basic issues in the current philosophy of science, and particularly various accounts of such key notions of science as hypotheses, confirmation, laws, causation, explanation, and theories.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3217. Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science. 3 Credit Hours.
Human knowledge is influenced by gender ideologies. This course examines the pervasiveness of these influences, and the resultant implications for the possibility of attaining objectivity and truth in inquiry. Scientific knowledge and philosophical theories of the nature of knowledge are special focuses of attention in this course. Scientific knowledge is considered through detailed discussion of cases in empirical science. The complex relations between gender, race, and class are also discussed in relation to these epistemological issues.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3218. Philosophy of Medicine. 3 Credit Hours.
Philosophy of Medicine is a new and growing field in philosophy of science and the medical humanities, which looks at the specific characteristics of theories in medicine and ways of knowing in medicine. It asks questions such as: What is the meaning of illness and of health? Are some diseases (e.g. end stage renal disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, ADHD) partly or wholly socially constructed? What are the differences between conventional and alternative or non-Western approaches to illness and healing? What is "evidence based medicine," and what are its limitations? What is the new technique of "narrative medicine?" What is meant by claiming that medicine is an "art" as well as a science? We will learn about the "biopsychosocial" model of clinical care, causation and genetic disease, the classification of diseases and phenomenological accounts of illness.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3220. Special Topics in Philosophy. 4 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester. Please consult with the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3222. Contemporary Ethical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.
Issues in ethical theory that have come to prominence since the 20th century. Both meta-ethical issues (about the meaning and justification of ethical statements) and normative issues (about obligation, responsibility, and goodness) will be examined.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3223. Feminist Ethics and Political Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of feminism's contribution to ethics, political philosophy, and legal theory. Issues may include: the role of care versus that of justice in determining moral obligations; the nature and causes of women's oppression (including the difference between the sexual oppression experienced by white women and the additional forms of oppression to which women of color/third-world women are subject); pornography and prostitution; equality and difference; essentialism as it pertains to gender and race; feminist jurisprudence; postmodern feminism.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3225. Good & Bad, Right & Wrong. 3 Credit Hours.
This course focuses on basic concepts in ethics. For example, good and bad, right and wrong are among the most basic ethical concepts. Other basic ethical concepts include: freedom, justice, morality, practical reason, happiness, obligation, duty, rights, value, conscience, care, trust, and friendship. From semester to semester the course will select one or more of these concepts and examine them in depth. The standard method of examination in philosophy is conceptual analysis, that is, the analysis of concepts. But depending on the concepts chosen, the examination will be informed or supplemented by the study of language, psychology, or history.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3226. Classics in Moral Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of the major works in the history of moral philosophy selected from among the writings of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Spinoza, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, Moore.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3228. Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. 3 Credit Hours.
This course explores the ethical, social, political, and legal implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), large language models (LLMs), and robotics. The course will cover general topics such as algorithmic bias, superintelligence, and ethics for robots, as well as specific ethical issues that arise from the use of AI in contexts such as transportation, healthcare, warfare, and law enforcement. In addition, students will study the societal impacts of these new technologies on employment, political discourse, artistic creation, and scientific research.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3229. Latin American and Latinx Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
This course surveys central ideas and debates in the Latin American and Latinx philosophical traditions. We will pay special attention to the impact of European colonialism in the production and reception of philosophical ideas in Latin America and Latinx communities in the US. This survey ranges from pre-colonial indigenous philosophy to the present. We will discuss classical and contemporary Andean and Mesoamerican indigenous philosophies and why they are often not treated on par with Western forms of knowledge. We will also cover philosophical debates in colonial and post-colonial Latin America. We will examine how the colonial experience shaped Latin American philosophers' ideas around race, gender, nationhood, education, progress, and authenticity. We will also reflect on aspects of the lived experience of Latinxs in the United States, such as immigration and the controversies around Latinx identity. NOTE: Students may receive credit for only one of the following:
PHIL 3229 or
LAS 3229.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3232. History of Aesthetics. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of major works in the history of aesthetics selected from such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Hegel, Dewey, Bell, Collingwood, Beardsley, Langer, Dickie, Danto, and contemporary figures.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3235. Classics in Moral Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
A study of the major works in the history of moral philosophy. This course will generally focus on figures and schools from classical Greek and Roman moral philosophy.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3240. Special Topics. 3 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester. Please consult with the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3243. Philosophy of Law. 3 Credit Hours.
An introduction to philosophical problems arising in the examination of legal systems, including questions and theories about the nature of law itself, about legal responsibility and legal punishment, and about standards of fairness in settling legal disputes.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3245. Philosophical Psychology. 3 Credit Hours.
Formerly known as Philosophy of Psychology; students may not receive additional credits under the new title. Throughout its history, philosophy has taken an interest in psychology. In the theory of knowledge, philosophers have been concerned with cognition and its particular forms and components: perception, belief, concepts, and reasoning. In ethics, philosophers have been concerned with action and emotion. And in metaphysics, they have been interested in the nature of the mind itself and consciousness. Central to this course are topics and questions at the intersection of philosophy and contemporary empirical psychology. The choice of topics varies from semester to semester.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3249. Ethics in Medicine. 3 Credit Hours.
Exploration of ethical issues generated by the application of scientific and technological advances to the preservation, destruction, and programming of human life. Topics may include: ethics of medical research, abortion, euthanasia, behavior control, allocation of scarce medical resources, and the ethics of patient-physician interaction. NOTE: Students who have taken
PHIL 3949 will not earn additional credits for this course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3253. Philosophy of Economics. 3 Credit Hours.
This course takes a philosophical approach to the historical development of economic thought. It starts with the major thinkers of classical economic thought: Smith, Ricardo, Malthus, and Mill and Marx. It then deals with the marginalist revolution of the late 19th century and the rise of neoclassical model in economics thought (Jevons and Marshall). From there it considers a range of more "philosophical" 20th century economists like Keynes, Friedman, and Sen as well as less orthodox figures like Thorstein Veblen, Karl Polanyi, Joan Robinson, Friedrich Hayek, and Joseph Schumpeter. Throughout, the emphasis will be on contextualizing these economic theorists within the larger development of political, social, legal, and moral philosophy.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3280. Special Topics. 3 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester; please consult with the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3283. Undergraduate Tutorial. 3 Credit Hours.
Independent study for undergraduates with one of the professors in the department. NOTE: Arrangements with that professor must be made before signing up for the course.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3910. Honors Special Topics in Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Arranged each semester. Please consult with the instructor.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 3949. Honors Ethics in Medicine. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is an exploration of ethical issues generated by the application of scientific and technological advances to the preservation, destruction, and programming of human life. Topics may include: ethics of medical research, abortion, euthanasia, behavior control, allocation of scarce medical resources, and the ethics of patient-physician interaction. NOTE: Students who have taken
PHIL 3249 will not earn additional credits for this course.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 3968. Honors Themes in Existentialism. 3 Credit Hours.
Honors version of 3168 (0186).
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4221. Social and Political Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
This course studies the major value questions that are addressed in contemporary theories of the nature of society and the state, including the requirements of justice in the distribution of benefits and burdens within a political society, and the justification of democracy as not only processes of majority rule but as involving participation and deliberation among citizens. The recognition of cultural identities and the role of gender and race are considered, and proposed norms of inclusiveness and diversity are analyzed. The course goes on to take up the challenge posed for philosophical theory by globalization in its economic and ecological impacts, and analyzes the norms of human rights and solidarity across borders that may be relevant in this new context. An emphasis will be placed on alternative philosophical frameworks within contemporary social and political philosophy, such as contractarianism, consequentialism, and care ethics. Readings will include such philosophers as John Rawls, Jurgen Habermas, Thomas Pogge, Iris Marion Young, and Nancy Fraser.
Course Attributes: SI
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in (any PHIL course numbered 2000 to 4999 or POLS 2496)
PHIL 4229. Philosophy in Literature. 3 Credit Hours.
Selected philosophical themes as they appear in classical and modern literature. Frequently the themes concern the "enlightenment project," "modernism," and their critics.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4233. Problems in Aesthetics. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of the philosophical issues concerning the nature and importance of the arts and artistic practice, including questions about the nature of aesthetic experience, the definition of art, representation and expression in art, the ontological status of artworks, truth and reference in art, and the values of art.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4240. Topics in the Philosophy of Psychology. 3 Credit Hours.
Selected topics - varies according to the expertise of the instructor.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 4241. Theory of Knowledge. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of knowledge and belief. The specific subtopics involving them include truth, perception, innate ideas, justification, induction, the a priori, mathematical knowledge and rationalism versus empiricism.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4242. Metaphysics. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of the most general features of the universe. Topics include the character of truth, the existence of abstract entities, the nature of persons, free will, the existence or non-existence of God, ontological commitment, the relation of philosophy to science, causation, modal properties, reality and appearance, and various forms of realism and anti-realism.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4244. Philosophy of Mind. 3 Credit Hours.
An examination of the character of mental and psychological states. Specific issues may include the nature of persons, relations between natural and psychological sciences, action, mental content and its relation to language.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4251. Philosophy of Language. 3 Credit Hours.
The study of theories of meaning and meaningfulness. Selected topics may include reference, vagueness, speech act theory, and metaphor. NOTE: Students who have taken PHIL 4951 will not earn additional credit for this course.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4253. Philosophy of History. 3 Credit Hours.
Problems of historical knowledge, e.g., problems about the historian's claim to explain historical events (causation in history, reasons for actions, challenges to the objectivity of history) and problems about historical interpretation (including global interpretations of the historical process, such as Augustine's, Kant's, and Hegel's).
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4269. Contemporary British and American Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Selected topics in 20th and 21st century English-speaking philosophy, varying according to instructor and semester.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4271. 19th Century Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Selected European philosophers from Hegel to Bradley.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4273. Greek Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Interpretation and critical examination of the dialogues of Plato and the works of Aristotle.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4274. Pragmatism and American Thought. 3 Credit Hours.
American pragmatism and naturalism, with emphasis on Emerson, James, Peirce, Mead, Dewey, and contemporary pragmatists.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4275. British Empiricism. 3 Credit Hours.
Selected topics in 17th and 18th century philosophers such as Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Reid.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4276. Contemporary Continental Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours.
Phenomenology and existentialism, with emphasis on such 20th century philosophers as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Derrida, and other post-structuralists.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4277. Continental Rationalism. 3 Credit Hours.
This course is devoted to selected topics in 17th and 18th century philosophers in the Rationalist tradition such as Descartes, Spinoza, Malebranche and Leibniz.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4278. Philosophy of Culture. 3 Credit Hours.
This course addresses central themes in philosophy of culture such as philosophical problems raised by the notion of cultural conditions of possibility, the relation of mythic knowledge to scientific and philosophical knowledge, the role of signs and symbols in the theories of culture, and the distinction between a philosophical anthropology and anthropological theory.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4279. Kant. 3 Credit Hours.
In depth study of some of the major critical writings of Kant.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4282. Undergraduate Tutorial. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
Independent study for undergraduates with one of the professors in the department. NOTE: Arrangements with that professor must be made before signing up for the course.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
PHIL 4297. Pre-Law Tutorial. 3 Credit Hours.
An alternative capstone course for majors headed toward the legal profession.
Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of study: Philosophy.
Course Attributes: WI
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4298. Senior Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
The normal capstone course for philosophy majors.
Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of study: Philosophy.
Course Attributes: WI
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
PHIL 4999. Honors Senior Thesis. 3 Credit Hours.
The writing of the thesis required for graduation with distinction in philosophy.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.
Course Attributes: HO
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
