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Graduate Courses

SUMMER A 2009 UPPER DIVISION

PHI 6936 ETHICS AND LITERATURE

CRN: 51234

MW 1240-1610

Instructor: M. HANEY

Morality is a complex phenomenon at the junction of our understandings of good and evil, our personal identity and how they combine with the happenstance of life. In light of such moral “messiness,” some have argued that literature is a better medium for understanding moral life than moral philosophy. In addition, others have argued that due to the richness of literary description, literature is a medium best or better suited to moral education and sensitivity than are moral theories. This course will explore these questions and other possible relationships between morality, moral development, moral theory and literature through works in philosophy, moral psychology, as well as novels, plays, and short stories.

FALL 2009

MA in Practical Philosophy & Applied Ethics

PHI 5606 ETHICS

CRN: 80889

W 1800-2045

INSTRUCTOR: D. CALLCUT

This seminar provides an advanced level survey of contemporary ethical theory. The course will aim 1) to consolidate and expand each student’s knowledge of important recent work in moral philosophy, 2) to pay special attention to the relationship between ethical theory and moral practice, and 3) to provide the necessary foundation in ethical theory for other graduate level offerings.  A section of PHI 5605 is required of all students in the M.A. program in Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics.

PHI 5628 BUSINESSS ETHICS

CRN: 82583

MW 1630-1745 

Instructor: M.HANEY

Students will probe various moral questions arising within business's concerns with property, risk-benefit relationships, use of information, and competition. Students will be prepared for this endeavor through focused study of several models of ethical decision-making which should impact market institutions, organizational structures, as well as individuals that comprise the essential elements of the world of business.

PHI 5808 AESTHETICS

CRN: 82587

R 1800-2045

INSTRUCTOR: M. SKEES

Traditionally, “aesthetics” has referred to, and still refers to, the philosophy of art and of beauty.  A better definition is this: aesthetics is the philosophical exploration of the sensuous aspects of experiences and relevant contextual aspects of those experiences.  We will analyze as well as evaluate many different theories of art: ritual theory, formalist theory, imitation theory, expression theory, cognitive theory, postmodern theory.  Many modern artworks challenge us to figure out why, on any theory, they would count as art.  Our purpose will be to highlight the rich diversity of art in order to convey the difficulty of coming up with suitable theories.  Specific attention will be given to what lies ahead for art in the twenty-first century – in the expanding mediascape of our burgeoning digital culture.

PHI 5934 BIOETHICS

CRN: 82582

MW 1330-1445

INSTRUCTOR: A. SWOTA

Arising out of the changing landscape in medicine are a number of ethical issues. In this course we will analyze and examine some of these issues that have evolved out of recent and anticipated developments in medicine.  Issues to be discussed include the physician-patient relationship, informed consent, advance directives, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, issues in reproductive ethics, experimentation on human subjects, and access to health care.  Throughout this course we will examine assumptions about rights, persons, and ethical principles at play in the medical arena. Readings will include discussions of ethical principles in medical contexts and legal decisions.  In addition, case studies will be utilized to provide students with the opportunity to sharpen their analytic skills and develop a deeper understanding of some of the major bioethical issues currently being debated.

PHI 5934 LIES & SELF DECEPTION

CRN: 82589

R 1505-1620

INSTRUCTOR: R. VITZ

Self-deception is a common phenomenon. In fact, nearly everyone seems to have a friend or family member who they think is self-deceived—e.g., about the faithfulness of his or her lover, about his or her beliefs for (or against) a particular religion or political party, and so forth. This apparent ability to lie to oneself in the face of the evidence seems to be a rather contemptuous vice. However, recent psychological studies seem to suggest that at least some forms of self-deception are life enhancing. Thus, it might seem that self-deception can be a virtue. In this course, we examine the curious nature of self-deception, evaluate its ambiguous ethical status, and reflect on how these insights should affect the way that we live. Prerequisite:  one course in philosophy or consent by instructor.

PHI 6405 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

CRN: 82592

TR 1050-1205

Instructor: D. KLINE

This course will introduce students to key issues in the philosophy of science.  The course is divided into two basic parts.   First, we will try to clarify what science is and how it works.  To do this, we will examine several theories regarding the methods of scientific exploration and theory construction, and focus on historical examples of actual scientific advances where appropriate and possible.   Second, we will explore the aims and goals of science, examining among other things, the concept of scientific law, the nature of explanation and whether or not explaining nature means giving a true picture of the world, or merely one which is instrumentally reliable.  Throughout our discussions, we will be concerned with questions surrounding the objectivity of science, and, time permitting, will consider specific challenges to claims that science is objective.

PHI 6936 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

CRN: 82595

M 1800-2045 

INSTRUCTOR: H. KOEGLER

The Linguistic Turn defines much of the profile of 20th Century philosophy and remains one of the most powerful inspirations in current debates. “Philosophy of Language” will reconstruct the importance of language for several central philosophical issues, including the relationship between consciousness and language, the social construction of experience through language, the concepts of meaning, truth and reference, and the normative nature of communicative interaction. A critical discussion of behaviorism and Chomsky's universal grammar will set the stage, before exploring the four most productive paradigms in linguistic philosophy. Those include (1) philosophical hermeneutics, (2) structuralism and poststructuralism, (3) analytic philosophy of language, and (4) speech act theory. Philosophers and language theorists discussed will include Humboldt, Gadamer, de Saussure, Foucault, Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Searle, and Habermas. The course is unique in its breadth regarding the diverse approaches in philosophy of language; it systematically relates their views vis-á-vis consciousness, society, truth, and normativity to form a powerful vision of language’s role for experience.  Prerequisite:  one course in philosophy.

 

PHI 6937 PROSEMINAR I: PRACT PHILOSOPHY

CRN: 80862

T 1800-2045

Instructor: A. BUCHWALTER

This course is an advanced-level introduction to central themes in social and political philosophy, with emphasis on their application to trends in current social life.  The course is divided into three main parts.  Part I reviews main trends in ancient and modern political theory, focusing especially on the distinction between liberalism and republicanism.  Part II explores efforts by contemporary political and social theorists to conceptualize matters like justice, liberty, and democracy.  Part III extends analyses conducted earlier in the course to normative issues related to the phenomenon of globalization, focusing on global justice, transnational democracy, and universal human rights.  Readings draw on writers from diverse traditions and orientations.  The course seeks to enhance advance level philosophical writing skills. A section of PHI 6937 is required of all students in the M.A. program in Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics.

PHM 5935 PHILOSOPHY OF DEMOCRACY

CRN: 82597

TR 1340-1455

INSTRUCTOR: A. BUCHWALTER

Today nearly all political orders legitimize themselves by claiming to be democracies. Little agreement exists, however, as to what precisely democracy is. This course examines classical, modern, and contemporary readings to clarify and assess the nature and meaning of democracy. Our deliberations will focus on many of the polarities that characterize discourse on democracy: libertarian versus egalitarian, liberal versus republican, popular versus elite, institutional versus plebiscitary, direct versus representative, electoral versus participatory, majoritarian versus constitutional, market-based versus deliberative. We also examine themes in democratic theory with reference to matters of contemporary social concern, including campaign financing, group representation, voter redistricting, worker management, multiculturalism, feminism, corporate multinationalism, the role of the media in public life, the place of democracy in a global setting, and the meaning of democracy in non-Western contexts. A central concern of the course is to determine what meaning popular self-rule—as democracy was originally defined by the Greeks 2,500 years ago—can have in our increasingly complex, bureaucratically regulated, electronically mediated, globally interconnected, and culturally differentiated societies.