Description: This course is an investigation of various central
methods in philosophical inquiry. The course covers analytic, continental
European, comparative (non-Western/Western), and historical perspectives.
Attention is paid to developing students’ abilities to interpret
philosophical material, construct and evaluate arguments, and write
philosophical essays. Specific topics will vary by instructor. This course is
required for the philosophy major and minor, and is a prerequisite for all
4000 level courses.
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Ethics considers questions such as "How
should I live?" and "How do I decide the right thing to do and why
should I do it?" This course deals with those questions in the areas of
moral metaphysics, meta-ethics and normative theories of moral conduct which
come from the history of philosophy back to the time of Plato and Aristotle.
Other theorists to be discussed include Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill,
and may include figures such as Thomas Hobbes, David Hume and John Dewey, as
well as contemporary theorists.
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This course will cover intrinsic and
instrumental value approaches to environmental ethics, alternative
environmental ethical approaches, and special environmental ethical issues.
The goal of the course is to familiarize students with all the major approaches
to environmental ethics and with a few particularly philosophically
interesting environmental ethical issues. Students will appreciate and
understand the complexity and intricacy of the arguments involved in adopting
one approach or position over another.
PHH3860: (FC)
Japanese Philosophy – Dr. Sarah Mattice
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3
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Description: This course is an introduction to Japanese
philosophy through key elements of Japanese culture. We will explore
Shinto, the indigenous world-view and practices of Japan; Japanese
Buddhism, including Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren; bushido, or the samurai
spirit; distinctive contributions of Japanese thinkers to neo-Confucianism;
and Japanese aesthetics. As we do so, we will explore the differences
between orientalism and responsible approaches to non-western cultures and
philosophies. We will also discuss Japanese responses to the Buddhist
problem of original enlightenment, think through the role of ritualized
activities in Japanese culture, and learn what the hierarchical nature of
Japanese language can tell us about life in Japan.
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PHI3932: Selected
Topics in Asian Thought and Practice
India: Thought and Culture in South Asia – Dr. Paul Carelli
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3
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Description: This is a special topics course in Asian Thought
and Practice, as such the particular theme and content of the course will
vary. The course will examine an important topic within the broader
category of Asian Thought and Practice. Course topics may include but are
not limited to Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism.
Repeatability: This course may be taken for a total of 12
credits.
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PHI3934: Selected
Topics in Value Theory
Feminist Theory –
Dr. Erinn Gilson
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3
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Description: This is a selected topics course in the field of
Value Theory. Topics will vary by semester, and may include but are not
limited to ethics, ethical theory, applied ethics, social and political
philosophy, and aesthetics.
Repeatability: This course is repeatable for up to 12 credits.
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PHI3935: Ancient
Greek Philosophy: Special Topics
Aristotle – Dr. Paul Carelli
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3
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This course examines diverse topics in
ancient Greek Philosophy, focusing on issues in epistemology, metaphysics,
ethics, psychology, or political philosophy. Each semester the course
typically addresses a theme, a single author, a school, a comparative analysis,
or an assessment of the contemporary relevance of the thought of Greek
philosophy. Works studied include those of the Pre-Socratics, Plato,
Aristotle, Hellenistic, or Neoplatonic philosophers.
PHI3939: Selected
Topics in Knowledge and Reality
Science and Objectivity – Dr. Aaron Creller
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3
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Description: This is a selected topics course in the field of
Knowledge and Reality. Topics will vary by semester, and may include but
are not limited to epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science,
philosophy of mind, philosophy of history and social science, and
philosophy of language.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for up to 12
credits.
PHI4420:
Philosophy of the Social Sciences – Dr. Hans-Herbert Koegler
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3
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Description: This course is an examination of the
nature, foundations, and aims of the social sciences. Attention is
given to differing accounts of human action, the nature of social
explanation, the structure of comparative social analysis, and the
conditions for societal evaluation. Special consideration is given to
the relationship of the social sciences to the humanities and the
natural sciences.
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This course examines the theoretical
foundations of business ethics as well as various ethical issues which arise
on personal, corporate, national and global levels in the business world. The
course will include: an examination of a philosophical context for business
ethics; and exploration of relevant ethical and social-political theories;
consideration and discussion of real-world business ethical issues. Readings
and lectures will be complemented by class discussion and an ongoing focus on
case studies.
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