Department of Philosophy

Undergraduate Courses

SUMMER A 2009 UPPER DIVISION

PHI 3643 ETHICS AND LITERATURE
CRN: 51233
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.

SUMMER B 2009 UPPER DIVISION

PHI 3930 BIBLE AND MORAL DISCOURSE
CRN: 50677
MW 1810-2140
Instructor: T. SIMPSON
This class is an examination of the manner in which the Christian Bible has been and is employed in moral, political, and cultural discourse.  After considering the structure of both testaments of the Bible and the circumstances surrounding their emergence, the course examines historical and contemporary ways in which the Bible has been used in public debates, focusing on such topics as slavery, modern capitalism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, homosexuality, immigration, abortion, and end of life issues.  A central aim of the course is to teach students skills needed to reach the Bible and Biblical passages with regard to matters of current and historical moral controversy.  The course also seeks to assess what value the Bible may hold in clarifying contemporary moral controversies and in contributing to contemporary public discourse.

FALL 2009 UPPER DIVISION

PHH 3100 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
CRN: 80861
TR 1630-1745
Instructor: P. CARELLI
In this course we study the origins of the largest philosophical questions in ancient Greece. We will begin with the Presocratics, then go on to examine in some depth the work of Plato and Aristotle and finally end with a survey of Hellenistic philosophy. We will ask about the kind of life human beings ought to lead, the nature of justice and morality, the basic constituents of the world, and the nature and limits of human knowledge. Once we understand the views of the Greek philosophers, and their arguments for these views, we will need to decide whether or not to accept them ourselves as guides to leading our own lives.  PHH 3100 is a course required of all philosophy majors.
PHI 3601 ETHICS
CRN: 80316
MW 1500-1615
INSTRUCTOR: D. CALLCUT
What is morality? What is its basis? What norms or principles should guide our actions? This course offers a detailed investigation of these fundamental questions. We will examine theories about the source of morality (topics from the area known as metaethics) and theories concerning how we ought to structure our moral thought and action (topics from the area known as normative theory). We will be concerned throughout to see how metaethical and normative questions interrelate: what are the arguments, for example, for thinking that moral norms derive from different cultural ways of life, and what effect should agreement with such arguments have on one’s moral outlook? The fact that this is primarily a course in abstract theory does not mean that we will not devote time to the discussion of real life moral problems and dilemmas. Indeed, one major goal of the course will be the exploration of the relationship between ethical theory and everyday life. PHI 3601 is a course required of all philosophy majors.
PHI 3633 BIOETHICS
CRN: 82581
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 3641 BUSINESS ETHICS
CRN: 80500
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 3930 AESTHETICS
CRN: 82586
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 3930 LIES & SELF DECEPTION
CRN: 82588
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 4220 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
CRN: 82590
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 4400 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
CRN: 82591
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 4935 SEM: ON HAPPINESS
CRN: 82593
MW 1200-1315
INSTRUCTOR: M. HANEY

The nature, value, and sources of happiness have been issues central to ethics from the Ancient Greeks to today. This seminar aims to probe these topics both from a survey of the history of philosophy as well as contemporary sources in philosophy and psychology. The guiding themes of this seminar is whether or not we can know the nature of happiness and its sources, and whether or not happiness really is central to living well.
PHM 3361 PHILOSOPHY OF DEMOCRACY
CRN: 82596
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.