Philosophy (PHL)

PHL 101L - Introduction to Philosophy. 3 Credits.

An introduction to philosophy through examination of the thought of selected great philosophers or traditional positions on classical philosophical problems.

Gen Ed Attributes: Lit & Artistic Studies (L)

PHL 102L - Introduction to Existentialism. 3 Credits.

An introduction to the philosophical writings of the major existentialists. Topics include the nature of the self, freedom, personal responsibility, authenticity, and moral value.

Gen Ed Attributes: Lit & Artistic Studies (L)

PHL 110E - Introduction to Ethics. 3 Credits.

An examination of the Western vision of morality through the careful study of selected writings from Aristotle, Kant and Mill. Additional works in ethics may supplement primary readings.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course

PHL 112E - Introduction to Ethics and Environment. 3 Credits.

An introductory-level ethics course with a special interest in the natural environment. The course will (a) introduce students to the three classical traditions in ethics - virtue, Kantianism, and utilitarianism, (b) ground these theories in questions about the moral status of non-humans and our moral duties to non-humans, (c) include an applied section that covers animal welfare, biotechnology, and other current topics.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course

PHL 114E - Intro to Political Ethics. 3 Credits.

An examination of the issues of political ethics through the careful study of selected writings from the three great Western political traditions: classical natural law theory, modern individualism, and contemporary distributive justice.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course, Democracy and Citizenship (Y)

PHL 191 - Special Topics. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

PHL 198 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services Office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

PHL 210E - Moral Philosophy. 3 Credits.

Prereq., philosophy major or minor, WRIT 101 (or higher) or equivalent or consent of instr. An examination of leading approaches to moral philosophy through a careful reading of classical texts in the Western tradition. A more thorough treatment of the material offered in PHL 110E. Intended primarily for philosophy majors and minors.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course, Writing Course-Intermediate

PHL 233 - Intro to Logic: Deduction. 3 Credits.

Understanding general principles of reasoning and the habits of clear and correct thinking. Emphasis on the analysis of the logical structure of claims in natural language and the skills of elementary deductive inference.

PHL 235 - Intro to Logic: Induction. 3 Credits.

Prereq., PHL 233 or equivalent, or consent of instr. A study of the formal principles of reasoning from evidence.

PHL 241N - History & Philosophy of Science. 3 Credits.

The epistemological and metaphysical developments of natural philosophy or science. The origins of science in ancient Greece, and its subsequent developments during the scientific revolution. Developments in biology, especially Darwinism and genetics, and developments in physics.

Gen Ed Attributes: Historical Studies, Natural Science Course (N)

PHL 261Y - History of Ancient Philosophy. 3 Credits.

Introduction to the central works of Plato and Aristotle, with an overview of Presocratic philosophy.

Gen Ed Attributes: Democracy and Citizenship (Y)

PHL 262Y - History of Modern Philosophy. 3 Credits.

A survey of the history of philosophy from Descartes to Kant, which includes other continental rationalists and the British Empiricists.

Gen Ed Attributes: Democracy and Citizenship (Y)

PHL 291 - Special Topics. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

PHL 292 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

PHL 298 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

PHL 301 - Knowledge and Reality. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Selected topics in one or more of the following areas: epistemology (the study of knowledge), philosophy of science, metaphysics. Intended primarily for non-majors.

PHL 309E - The Art of Living. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing. This course examines the ancient Greek conception of philosophy as a way of life and explores some of the following ethical questions: What is happiness? What is a good life? How should I live? Should I fear death? What role should reason play in my life? What role should the emotions play? What is friendship? What is love? What is marriage? Course materials will be drawn from a mixture of traditional philosophical works (including works by Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Seneca) together with some philosophically challenging works of literature, film, and music. Students will be expected not only to examine these materials closely but also to reflect upon their own convictions about these matters and to try to adhere to the Delphic injunction to know thyself.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course

PHL 311 - The Good, Right, Beautiful. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Selected topics in one or more of the following areas: ethics, philosophy of mind/action, aesthetics. Intended primarily for non-majors.

PHL 316 - Historical Figures in Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Study of one or more historically significant philosophers. Intended primarily for non-majors.

PHL 317E - Law and Morality. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. An examination of moral issues that arise in legal contexts, such as: justifications of state power to punish wrong doing, justifications for rights to private property or privacy, the nature of human rights.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course, Democracy and Citizenship (Y)

PHL 318 - Applied Logic. 3 Credits.

Analytical thinking skills involve the ability to assess reasons, arguments, and evidence provided in support of a claim. The course focuses on basic elements of both deductive and inductive logic. Students will develop their analytical thinking skills in logically assessing various forms of reasoning in various contexts: logic games, short arguments, and more developed reading excerpts -- independently of subject matter.

PHL 319E - Law and Discrimination. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. An examination of the philosophical analyses of discrimination and how these analyses apply to discriminatory practices in the US legal system, including an investigation of which of these discriminatory practices are morally and legally wrong and why. The course may focus on one or more of the following: racism, sexism, ableism, and speciesism.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical Human Values Course, Democracy and Citizenship (Y), Cultural Intl Diversity (X)

PHL 321E - Philosophy & Biomedical Ethics. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. An examination of ethical problems raised by the practice of medicine and by recent developments in medically-related biological sciences.

Gen Ed Attributes: Ethical & Human Values Course

PHL 323 - Ethics of Climate Change. 3 Credits.

This course examines some of the fundamental issues raised by global climate change and considers how environmental ethics might help to address these issues. Students will become acquainted with the essential elements of climate change science and be provided with an introduction to contemporary approaches to environmental ethics that have developed out of the primary ethical traditions of western thought: deontological (Kantian) ethics, utilitarian ethics, and virtue ethics. In addition, the course examines alternative understandings of the appropriate relationship between humans and the natural world including: ?Deep Ecology? and Native American perspectives.

PHL 327L - Aesthetics and the Arts. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. This course provides a broad overview of aesthetics, otherwise known as the philosophy of art. It is appropriate for students with no prior background in philosophy. Artists and students who study art are encouraged to enroll. The primary goal will be to give students the conceptual tools to reflect more deeply on art and their relationship with it in a way that will make an impact on their daily lives going forward.

PHL 351 - Philosophy and Feminism. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Study of what distinguishes feminist from traditional approaches to ethics. May also examine other relevant areas of philosophy, including epistemology, political theory, philosophy of science and environment.

PHL 363 - Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. 3 Credits.

Examination of the thought of the philosophers of Greece and Rome as expressed in original works read in English translation. Ancient philosophy studied within its historical, linguistic and cultural setting.

PHL 370 - Philosophy of Religion. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. An examination of one or more of the classic problems of Western philosophy of religion, such as the traditional arguments for and against the existence of God, the relationship of faith and reason, the status of religious experience, the problem of evil, and the problem of reconciling divine omniscience with human freedom.

PHL 390 - Research. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

PHL 391 - Special Topics. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

PHL 392 - Independent Study. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

PHL 394 - Seminar. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary.

PHL 398 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

PHL 400 - Advanced Writing in Philosophy. 1 Credit.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., WRIT 101 or equivalent, PHL 210, and senior standing or consent of instr. Coreq., any 400-level philosophy course (except PHL 498). Capstone writing course intended for senior philosophy majors.

Gen Ed Attributes: Writing Course-Advanced

PHL 403 - Early Wittgenstein. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 233, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected early works of Wittgenstein.

PHL 404 - Later Wittgenstein. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 233, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected later works of Wittgenstein.

PHL 407 - Epistemology. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E and PHL 233, or consent of instr. Examination of philosophical issues involving knowledge and justified belief.

PHL 408 - Philosophy of Mind. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E and PHL 233, or consent of instr. Examination of philosophical issues concerning the relation between mind and body.

PHL 412 - Ethics and Public Affairs. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 110E or PHL 112E or PHL 114E or PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Examination of morally relevant issues in government, journalism, education and other social institutions. Issues considered may include just war theory, deception, confidentiality, conflict of interest, privacy, paternalism responsibilities in conflict with other institutions, and responsibilities across national boundaries, among others.

PHL 422 - Environmental Philosophy. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 110E or PHL 112E or PHL 114E or PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Critical exploration of selected philosophical and literary texts pertinent to the ethics of human relationships with the natural environment.

PHL 423 - Science and the Environment. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. This course aims to equip environmentalists, or those with environmentalist leanings with some useful knowledge about how science works, its relation to values, modeling in science, and then foundational issues in ecology and climate science. Reading and interpretation of selected works. This course co-convenes with PHL 523. Level: Undergraduate

PHL 427 - Topics in Philosophy of Art. 3-4 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division or consent of instr. Examination of philosophical problems related to particular arts and discussion of the nature of the arts. Topics considered may include music, visual arts, literature, and film.

PHL 429 - Philosophy and Literature. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 110E or PHL 112E or PHL 114E or PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Philosophical thought in selected works of literature.

PHL 445 - Central Issues in Philosophy of Science. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 233, or consent of instr. A consideration of philosophical issues relating to the nature of modern physical science: method, explanation, theory, progress, space/time, causality, relation of science to philosophy.

PHL 449 - History of Moral and Political Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in the history of moral philosophy and/or political philosophy.

PHL 450 - Contemporary Moral/Political Theory. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Recent theories in ethics and their implications; recent work in political theory, emphasizing contemporary liberalism and its critics.

PHL 455 - Philosophy of Society and Culture. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 110E or PHL 112E or PHL 114E or PHL 210E, or consent of instr. A philosophical examination of cultural forces shaping modern society, forces such as science, technology, or domesticity.

PHL 462 - Early Modern Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more of the major philosophers from the early modern period (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume).

PHL 464 - Kant. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

PHL 465 - Plato. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 261Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

PHL 466 - Aristotle. 3 Credits.

Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 261Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

PHL 467 - 19th Century Continental Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more 19th century continental philosophers (such as Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche).

PHL 468 - 20th Century Continental Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more 20th century continental philosophers (such as Heidegger, Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Ricoeur, Derrida) or several texts representing a major movement in 20th century continental thought (such as Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Post-structuralism).

PHL 469 - Rousseau. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

PHL 470 - Hegel. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

PHL 472 - Thoreau. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works. This course co-convenes with PHL 572. Level: Undergraduate

PHL 490 - Research. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

PHL 491 - Special Topics. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

PHL 492 - Independent Study. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

PHL 494 - Seminar. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., consent of instr. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary.

PHL 498 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

PHL 499 - Senior Seminar. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Prereq., WRIT 101 or equivalent, one intermediate writing course, senior standing and philosophy major or philosophy minor, or consent of instr. Research in problems in philosophy.

Gen Ed Attributes: Writing Course-Advanced

PHL 501 - Philosophy of Technology. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Offered once every two years. Reading and interpretation of selected writings that address central issues in the philosophy of technology. Level: Graduate

PHL 502 - Topics in Value Theory. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Offered once every two years. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in value theory. Level: Graduate

PHL 504 - Topics in Environmental Philosophy. 3 Credits.

(R-9) Offered once every two years. Same as ENST 504. Critical study/discussion of current (as well as benchmark) texts and issues in environmental ethics, environmental politics, and the philosophy of ecology. Interdisciplinary; open to interested students from all disciplines. Level: Graduate

PHL 505 - Issues in the Anthropocene. 3 Credits.

(R-6) Offered once every two years. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in contemporary environmental philosophy. Level: Graduate

PHL 506 - Philosophy of Law. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in philosophy of law. Level: Graduate

PHL 507 - Philosophical Foundations of Ecology. 3 Credits.

Offered once every two years. In this seminar we will look at some of the key papers in philosophy of ecology (and perhaps, more broadly, environmental philosophy). Some of the topics covered will be: whether nature can be thought to be in balance, the complexity-stability debate, the role and nature of models in ecology, whether there are laws of ecology, whether communities and ecosystems are "super-organisms" or simple aggregates, what biodiversity is and why we should care about it. Level: Graduate

PHL 510 - Philosophy Colloquium. 1 Credit.

(R-2) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Discussion of issues related to environmental philosophy and the profession. Level: Graduate

PHL 523 - Science and the Environment. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. This course aims to equip environmentalists, or those with environmentalist leanings, with some useful knowledge about how science works, its relation to values, modeling in science, and then foundational issues in ecology and climate science. Reading and interpretation of selected works. This course co-convenes with PHL 423. Graduate students taking PHL 523 will complete additional requirements and their work will be of a more advanced nature. Level: Graduate.

PHL 572 - Thoreau. 3 Credits.

Offered intermittently. Reading and interpretation of selected works. This course co-convenes with PHL 472. Graduate students taking PHL 572 will complete additional requirements and their work will be of a more advanced nature. Level: Graduate

PHL 590 - Research. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

PHL 591 - Special Topics. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics. Level: Graduate

PHL 592 - Independent Study. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

PHL 593 - Professional Paper. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

PHL 594 - Seminar. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary. Level: Graduate

PHL 598 - Internship. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Level: Graduate

PHL 599 - Thesis. 1-6 Credits.

(R-9) Offered every semester. Prereq., approval of a thesis proposal by the student's thesis committee. Level: Graduate