Fall 2008 Course Offerings
PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
Causey, TT 8:30-9:45, MAX:20
Content: Philosophy is quite literally the love (philo) of wisdom (sophia). According to Plato, philosophy begins in wonder—wonder about the world around us and our place in it. This course will introduce the student to the study of philosophy by looking at some classics of the western philosophical tradition. These are texts that treat some of the most pressing questions humans beings have ever wondered about: What does it mean to be human? What is the good life? What can we know? This course assumes that questions about human happiness and well-being are important enough to merit serious reflection. It further assumes that the best philosophical texts have arisen out of a real engagement with the central questions and concerns of human existence. We will thus approach philosophy as a great conversation about these important matters.
Texts:
- Plato, Republic
- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (selections)
- Epictetus, Enchiridion
- Epicurus, various selections (electronic reserve)
- Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
- Spinoza, Ethics
Particulars: Short response papers on each of the readings (1-2 pages each) and one longer theme paper (5-7 pages).
PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
Traut, MWF 11:45-12:35, MAX:20
Content: The American philosopher John Dewey has said, “The man in the street, when asked what he thinks about a certain matter, often replies that he does not think at all; he knows.” The questions raised by this assessment will be the subject of this course. What does it mean to think? What does it mean to know? What sorts of things do we think about? What does the fact that we are the sort of creatures who think and know say about us? How do the things we know effect what we do? How do the things we do effect what we know? The course will focus on the various answers to these questions proposed by thinkers from the 17th Century through the 20th.
Texts:
- Descartes, Philosophical Essays & Correspondence
- Dewey, Later Works of John Dewey
Particulars:
PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
McQuillan, TT 11:30-12:45, MAX:20
Content: Philosophy does not take itself for granted. Philosophers frequently ask what philosophy is, how philosophy is to be done, and how to live a philosophical life. While they often disagree about the answers to these questions, they recognize the importance of asking them, the methodological problems associated with addressing them, and their implications for the practice of philosophy. This course supposes that asking those questions is the best introduction to philosophy. Instead of a broad survey of the history of philosophical thought, this course concerns itself with the close reading, examination, and discussion of a few exemplary philosophical texts. By studying these texts, it hopes to come to an understanding of the problems philosophy has with itself.
Texts:
- Vernant, The Origins of Greek Thought
- Sophocles, Oedipus the King
- Aristophanes, The Clouds
- Plato, Symposium, Republic, Euthyprho, Apology, Crito, Phaedo
- Short supplementary readings from Augustine, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche and Foucault.
Particulars: Grades will be based on two 1500 word essays, a series of short reflection papers, and participation.
PHIL 100S: Introduction to Philosophy
Flynn, TT 10:00-11:15, MAX: 15
For freshmen only
Content: The objective of the course if to introduce the student to the nature of philosophical thinking. We shall pursue this by the careful reading and discussion of philosophical texts both traditional and contemporary. The course will be divided into three parts. Part One will treat the Socratic model of philosophy, the nature of philosophy and its role in a liberal education. Part Two will consider various issues in the philosophy of knowledge, philosophical psychology, and social ethics. Part Three will focus on the philosophical reading of an existentialist novel.
Text:
- Bailey, First Philosophy
- Albert Camus, The Plague
- Photocopied materials on electronic reserve
Particulars: Seminar format. Each student will be expected to defend orally two seminar papers prepared and submitted in advance as well as to answer questions raised by the other seminarists regarding these papers via LearnLink (the campus electronic computer network). There will be no examinations. Grades will depend on the seminar papers and their defense (2 x 20% each), participation in class discussion (20%) and a final essay of moderate length (40%).
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
Risjord, MWF 8:30-9:20, Max: 20
Content: Logic is the study of reasoning. It aims to distinguish good (valid, strong) arguments from bad ones. Studying logic helps make arguments clear, criticisms effective, and questions sharp. This course will emphasize the practice of reasoning. It will introduce tools and techniques that have practical value for understanding and producing arguments.
Reasoning is traditionally divided into “deductive” and “inductive” varieties. This course will study both. For the first part of the semester, we will study arguments indended to prove their conclusions (deductive arguments). These arguments have identifiable structures, and we will learn to use techniques to identify these patterns in the kind of texts we encounter everyday, from newspapers to philosophical tracts. Once the structure of the argument has been identified, the kind of criticism that would be relevant or effective becomes more clear.
Inductive arguments are associated with the sciences. In empirical arguments, we may have strong evidence for a conclusion, yet the conclusion may turn out to be false. Strong arguments in this domain provide very high confidence that the conclusion is true. In the second part of the course, we will learn techniques for evaluating scientific arguments, including those that involve inferences from a sample (e.g. a survey) to a larger population.
Texts:
Particulars: Regular quizzes, two exams (midterm and final), class participation.
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
Rothstein, TT 10:00-11:15, MAX: 20
Content: This course covers the fundamental canons of correct reasoning and argument analysis in both formal and informal logic, with an emphasis on examples and applications in everyday discourse. Students will gain the ability to distinguish and evaluate various types of arguments (deductive, inductive, analogical, etc.) and identify common logical fallacies, while learning the basics of classical syllogistic logic and modern propositional logic. The central aim of this course is to help students hone their critical thinking ability and capacity for rational inference—vital skills that are sure to be of later use.
Texts:
- Copi and Cohen, Introduction to Logic
Particulars:
Grades will be based on homework problem sets, in-class examinations, attendance and participation, and a final exam.
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
McCauley, MWF 10:40-11:30, MAX:5
Content: Logic is concerned with correct reasoning and as such stands at the core of the liberal arts. Critical thinking by way of analyzing and formulating arguments in natural language will constitute the primary focus of this course. In the final third of the semester we will briefly examine classical syllogistic logic and modern propositional logic.
Texts:
- Copi and Cohen, Introduction to Logic
- Moore and Parker, Critical Thinking
Particulars: This course will have six examinations. Students will also write four short papers. Grades will be based on student's performance in four areas: examinations, papers, homework, and class participation (including work with the course website). There are no prerequisites for the course.
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
Cooper, TT 2:30-3:45, MAX:20
Content: How can we distinguish correct from incorrect reasoning? What are the characteristics of a good argument? What those of a bad argument? These fundamental questions will be the central issues of this course. We will look at the different forms arguments can take and the different approaches to evaluating the validity of arguments. Furthermore, we will look at the many different fallacies that can creep into reasoning. The aim of this course will be to hone critical thinking skills and provide some basic skills that will be useful on such exams as the GRE and LSAT.
Texts:
- Copi and Cohen, Introduction to Logic
Particulars: Grades will be based on homework assignments, three exams and one final exam. Class participation will also be taken into account.
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
Traut, MWF 3:00-3:50, MAX: 20
Content: Studying logic involves studying the conventions of correct thinking. Just as language has grammar, thought has logic. There are two general aspects of the study of logic, formal and informal. We will study both of these in this course. However, we will spend more time on the study of formal logic. Formal logic utilizes abstract symbols to focus on the structural features of reasoning. It is based on the consideration of the affects of certain logically significant terms on the truth of propositions composed with them. Although the abstraction of formal logic will allow us to focus our attention, it is often difficult to see how it relates to the reasoning we engage in everyday. The focus on everyday reasoning is the advantage of informal logic. We will begin our study of logic by looking at informal logic. Here we will examine the features of arguments people actually make. This section will help us understand how the formal logic relates to these actual arguments.
Texts:
Particulars:
PHIL 115: Introduction to Ethics
Livingston, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 20
Content: An introduction to ethical theory through an examination of six classical works taken from ancient and modern thinkers. Topics include such issues as the ideal of the good life, the relationship between ethics and religion, and the question of whether moral judgements are entirely relative to a culture or to personal taste.
Texts:
- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
- Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
- Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
- J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism
- Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo
- Lewis, The Abolition of Man
Particulars: Mid-term, final exam, and term paper. :
PHIL 115: Introduction to Ethics
McAndrew, MWF 2:00-2:50, Max: 20
Content: The question of how one ought to live is among the most important and persistent questions faced, not only by philosophers, but by all human beings. Socrates famously turned away from the theoretical concerns of his predecessors in pursuit of ethical questions, and many subsequent philosophers have considered ethics to be the highest philosophical discipline. In this class, we will closely read four philosophical masterpieces within the field of ethics. We will examine how these thinkers have answered the questions: what is the good, what is its relation to happiness, and what constitutes the good life?
Texts:
Particulars: three short essays (5-7 pp)
PHIL 190: (Freshman Seminar) Happiness
Willett, TT 11:30-12:45, MAX: 15
Content: Perhaps no question is more central to philosophy than the meaning of life. The
most popular answer is fairly straightforward: it’s happiness. But perhaps happiness is a superficial goal and a uninspiring symptom of the empty hedonism of our culture. Could meaningful suffering make for a more profound life than one devoted to happiness? If we should pursue happiness, do we even know what it even means? In our seminar, we will read classical philosophy and study new experiments in ethics. We will begin with Aristotle who believed that the profound intelligence of the philosopher renders him naturally melancholic. However, we will also study Aristotle’s ethics, which is all about the pursuit of happiness. We will then turn to contemporary insights on the meaning of life in philosophy, literature, film, and psychology. Finally we will reflect on how it could be that creative writers and artists have suffered from depression and yet written beautifully and movingly on sweet sorrow.
Texts:
- Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics
- Appiah, Experiments in Ethics
- Coetzee, Disgrace
- Coetzee, Lives of Animals
- Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
- Kristeva, Black Sun: Depression and Melanchoia (chapter 1)
- Mill, Basic Writing
- Sophocles, Antigone
- Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
- Film, The Sweet Hereafter (very tentative)
Particulars: Four two page essays, one six page essay, and lots of class participation.
PHIL 205: Intro to Biomedical Ethics
Fotion, MWF 9:35-10:25, MAX:40
Content: Biomedical ethics is one of several so called practical ethics subjects roughly on a par with business, military and environmental ethics. The problems dealt with in this field of ethics include the following:
- When, if ever, do health-care providers cease to support human life?
- Should they ever take steps alone, or with the assistance of patients, to actually end life?
- Is abortion an ending of life and should it be permitted?
- When, if ever, should providers not reveal the truth to their patients (or the subjects of experiments)?
- When, if ever, should health-care providers break rules of confidentiality concerning their patients?
- How should scarce medical resources be allocated? Should the rich have ccess to these resources first since they have the money to pay for medical services? Or should we tax the rich and thus let others have access (and at the same time deny the rich the opportunity to buy medical services?
- Is health care in the US being distributed fairly? Does our system of health care need reform? Is managed care in the US making things worse of better?
Texts:
- Beauchamp and Walters, Contemporary Issues in Bioethics
- Pence, Classic Cases in Medical Ethics, 3rd edition
Particulars: Journal of short essays, two mid-term tests (100 points each), and one semi-cumulative final exam.
PHIL 215: Contemporary Moral Issues
Zupko, TT 2:30-3:45, MAX: 40
Content: In this course we will use rational argument to engage popular moral questions concerning abortion, capital punishment, the environment, euthanasia, freedom of speech, poverty, race, sexuality, and war. We will carefully examine some of the positions that have been defended on them, attempting to reach a conclusion about which is best supported in terms of reasons and evidence. Finally, we will ask ourselves whether rational considerations are even relevant to such debates. Should philosophers be seen in the public square?
Texts:
- Timmons, Disputed Moral Issues: A Reader
Particulars: Two in-class examinations, two short papers, and class participation
PHIL 240: Philosophy of Art
Mitchell, MWF 11:45-12:35, Max: 40
Content:
Philosophy of Sculpture. What does it mean to be a body in space? What can sculpture tell us about embodied existence? What is the status of sculpture in relation to the other arts? In this course we will examine 300 years of philosophical thinking about sculpture in order to address these and similar questions. We will focus on four areas of engagement with sculpture:
1) Touch and Materiality: the tactile (Herder) and the materiality/ideality of form (Hegel).
2) Expression: embodiment (Rilke), intention (Freud), the carving/modeling distinction (Stokes).
3) Interlude in modernist art criticism of sculpture (Greenberg, Fried, Danto).
4) Spatial Existence and Bodily Exposure: Heidegger, Sartre, Levinas, Nancy.
Images of the sculptures under consideration will be supplied through an online course website.
Texts:
-
Herder, Sculpture: Some Observations on Shape and Form from Pygmalion’s Creative Dream
- Hegel, Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics
- Rilke, Rodin and Other Prose Pieces
-
Heidegger, “Remarks on Art – Sculpture – Space.” [Distributed in Class]
-
Course Reader/Reserves Direct with selections from Hegel, Freud, Stokes, Greenberg, Fried, Danto, Heidegger, Sartre, Levinas, Nancy
Particulars: Sculpture Analysis (three 2 page assignments); Mid-termPaper (5-6 pages); Final Paper (10-12 pages).
PHIL 250: History of Western Philosophy I
Marcus, MWF 12:50-1:40, MAX: 65
Content: In Plato’s Republic, Socrates argues that justice “is the good that the happy man loves both for its own sake and for the effects it produces.” In a like manner, ancient and medieval philosophy fascinate in themselves and for their effect upon subsequent philosophy and culture. In this course, we will attempt to enter into ancient and medieval world views as we follow the emergence of philosophical spirit. While reenacting this conceptual evolution, we will attend to its echoes in modernity.
Texts:
- Cohen, Curd and Reeve, Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy
-
Baird and Kaufmann, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
- Selected Blackboard readings
Particulars: TBA
PHIL 250: History of Western Philosophy I
Patterson, TT 10:00-11:15, MAX: 65
Content: The course will survey a broad range of major philosophical ideas and theories, starting with their Mythical (or Amytheopoetic) background in Homer and Hesiod, working through the pre-Socratics, the sophistic movement, Plato, Aristotle, ellenistic philosophy, Augustine, and Aquinas. We will be concerned throughout with the theme of how human beings conceive of themselves and their world, and how philosophical conceptions are related to mythical, religious, and scientific ones.
Texts:
- Cohen, Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy, 2nd edition
Particulars: Two mid-terms and one final exam; one term paper.
PHIL 251: History of Western Philosophy II
Strange, TT 8:30-9:45 MAX: 65
Content: This course will examine the views of some of the major European philosophers of the 17th through 19th centuries concerning the nature of reality and how we can gain knowledge of it.
Texts:
- Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations
- Spinoza, Ethics
- Leibniz, Monadology
- Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, selections
- Berkeley, Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
- Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
- Kant, Prologomena to Any Future Metaphysics
- Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit
- Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
Particulars: Class participation, two essays, in-class quiz and mid-term examination, a final examination.
PHIL 270, History & Philosophy of Mathematics
(Same as MATH 270)
Goldenbaum & Benzi, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 10
Content: Topics in the history of mathematics and their philosophical
background. Genesis and evolution of ideas in analysis, algebra,
geometry, mechanics, foundations. Historical and philosophical
aspects of concepts of infinity, mathematical rigor, probability,
etc. The emergence of mathematical schools.
Texts:
- Grattan-Guinness, Rainbow of Mathematics: History of the Mathematical Sciences
Particulars: In this course we will learn about the emergence of the
Calculus in the 17th and 18th centuries,
with an emphasis on early modern authors. In particular,
we will study
how the basic concepts (functions, continuity, limits,
derivatives, integrals, etc.) were developed, and what
were the motivations of the mathematicians, scientists,
and philosophers who laid the
foundations of the Calculus.
PHIL 300: Medieval Philosophy
Hartle, MWF 10:40-11:30, MAX: 40
Content: Are faith and reason necessarily in conflict? What is the relationship between divine revelation and human reason? We will consider questions such as these in light of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic writings of the Middle Ages.
Texts:
-
St. Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine
- St. Anselm, Proslogion
- Averroes, On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy
- Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed
- St. Thomas Aquinas, On Faith and Reason
- St. Thomas Aquinas, On the Eternity of the World
- St. Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Law
Particulars:
Quizzes, midterm and final essay exams. Participation in class discussion.
PHIL 320: Philosophy of Law
Sullivan, MWF 11:45-12:35, MAX: 40
Content: This course is an introduction to a variety of important issues and problems in the philosophy of law. Specifically we will discuss the following questions: (1) What is law? (2) What are the proper goals of law?, (3) What makes law legitimate?, (4) What is the relationship between morality and law?, (5) Under what conditions should communities enforce community values upon individuals?, (6) What should be the role of individual participation in the development of social and political structures?, and (7) How would the implementation of particular legal theories function to foster or hinder the development of individuals and the American community at large?
In addition to asking these questions, we will investigate the public policy consequences of several contemporary approaches to legal theory, such as liberalism, libertarianism, feminism, pragmatism, critical legal studies, and law and economics. What do these theories recommend to judges who interpret laws, legislators who craft laws, and citizens who must abide by them?
Texts:
- Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously
- Epstein, Forbidden Grounds
- Calabresi, Tragic Choices
- Coleman and Feinberg, Readings in Philosophy of Law
- MacKinnonn, Feminism Unmodified
- Ackerman and Alstott, The Stakeholder Society
- Balkin, What Roe v. Wade Should Have Said
- Solove, Understanding Privacy
Particulars:
Several short essays, a term project and presentation, and a final exam.
Phil 332: Social and Political Philosophy
Livingston, TT 2:30-3:45, Max: 40
Content: What do we mean when we speak of "modern" political philosophy or of a "modern state?" We will answer these questions by first examining pre-modern political forms as a background. We will then explore classical modern thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau as well as the American Founders. Finally, we will explore the argument of some contemporary writers that the modern state is in decline and that a new post-modern political order is emerging.
Texts:
- Cahn, Classics of Modern Political Theory
- Hoppe, Democracy the God That Failed
- Calhoun, Union and Liberty
- Photocopies of early American political documents
Particulars: Take home tests and a term paper.
PHIL 358WR: Philosophy of Religion
(Same as REL 370WR)
Zupko, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 12
Content: This course examines the extent to which reason is applicable to religious questions such as the existence of God, the divine attributes, the problem of evil, the relationship of faith to reason, religion and ethics, and personal immortality. We will pay special attention to religious language, asking ourselves what significance should be attached to the various ways we have of speaking about God. How are we acquainted with divinity? What kind of evidential value should be attached to scriptural authority and religious experience? When should reason and ordinary considerations of evidence be rejected as inappropriate?
Texts:
- Peterson, Hasker, Reichenbach, and Basinger, ed,
Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings , 3rd edition
Particulars: A short paper, a term paper written in two drafts, a final examination, and class participation
PHIL 480R: Seminar on Individual Philosophers: Nietzsche
(Same as GER 470))
Mitchell, W 2:00-4:00, MAX: 16
Content:
A seminar covering the main periods of Nietzsche’s development with continued emphasis on his conception of the will to power. Topics to be considered include: aesthetic self-creation and the work of art, amor fati and freedom, the death of God, the critique of rationality, eternal recurrence and the problem of history, ressentiment and reactivity
Texts:
Particulars:
Seminar Presentation; Seminar Paper (15-20 pages)
PHIL 480RWR: Seminar on Individual Philosophers: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
(Same as IDS 385WR/HIST 385WR/CPLT 389WR)
Goodstein, TT 2:30-3:45, MAX: 4
Content:
Dubbed "the masters of suspicion," Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud each contributed in a unique way to the skeptical culture of modernity. Marx exposed the relation between ideas and their material origins; Nietzsche called the very idea of truth into question; and Freud suggested that human existence itself rests on dark and unexamined foundations. The founders, both consciously and unwittingly, of movements that attempted to use their insights to transform politics and culture, these intellectual revolutionaries changed the landscape of modern life. In this course, we will focus both on understanding their ideas and methods and on learning how to use them ourselves.
As critical thinkers committed to extending the power of self-reflection into new regions, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud were the inheritors and extenders of the enlightenment. But all three were also highly aware of the power of the irrational to shape human existence. The tension between rationality and irrationality is at the heart of the distinctive new ways of thinking associated with their names. This course will closely examine the ideas of each of these "masters" of argument: we will study each on his own terms, engaging in careful and critical readings of major works. We will also practice using the paradigms they developed by reading Heinrich Kleist's "The Earthquake in Chile" from Marxian, Nietzschean, and Freudian perspectives. Throughout the course, we will also be concerned to think about the methods of each thinker in relation to the others.
This course is particularly recommended for IDS majors and others planning senior projects that require a theoretical foundation. It fulfills the post-freshmen writing requirement, so in addition to careful reading, you will also be doing extensive writing, both analytical and interpretive. We will approach writing as a continuous process of revision and experiment, focusing on helping you to understand and manage that process in a way that works best for you as an individual.
Texts:
Particulars: TBA
PHIL 482SWR: Moral Ambiguity in Philosophy, Literature & Film
Willett, TT 2:30-3:45, MAX: 18
Content: Standard moral theories in philosophy propose standards, rules, or types of characters that reflect our belief that we can distinguish good from evil. But what if we can’t? What if much of our experience is in fact morally ambiguous, and thus very far from what these theories propose? We will examine conceptions of evil, goodness, and moral ambiguity through philosophy, literature, and film. Among significant themes: the nature of evil; the meaning of friendship; comic visions of happiness; tragic catharsis; the quest for meaning and the problem of nihilism; and respect for animals.
Texts:
- Appiah, Experiments in Ethics
- Butler, Giving an Account of Oneself
- Coetzee, Disgrace
- Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello
- de Waal, Primates & Philosophers
- Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
- Sophocles, Antigone
- and a couple of films including The Sweet Hereafter
Particulars: several essays and much discussion
PHIL 495A: Honors Directed Reading
TBA
PHIL 495BWR: Honors Directed Reading
TBA
PHIL 497R: Directed Reading
TBA
SPRING 2009
Preliminary Course Listings
PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 110: Introduction to Logic
PHIL 115: Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 115S: Introduction to Ethics (freshman seminar)
PHIL 230: Philosophies of Human Nature
PHIL 235: Military Ethics
PHIL 250: History of Western Philosophy I
PHIL 251: History of Western Philosophy II
PHIL 304 American Philosophy
PHIL 320: Philosophy of Law
PHIL 330: Existentialism and Phenomenology
PHIL 304: American Philosophy
PHIL 332: Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 364: Philosophy of History
PHIL 365: Philosophy of Culture
PHIL 367: Seminar on Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 368: Seminar on Modern Philosophy
PHIL 482: Topics in Philosophy
PHIL 490S: Senior Seminar: Topics Title
PHIL 495A: Directed Reading (Honors)
Phil 495BWR: Directed Reading (Honors)
PHIL 497R: Directed Reading |