Philosophy Schedule Of Classes & Course Descriptions

Fall 2006   

PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy (GE’89:C3, GE2000:LAPS:E) 3 credit hours.  Section 001 MW 2-3:15, B. Morton; Section 002 TR 11-12:15, J. Barad; Section 003 MWF 1-1:50, Staff; Phil 101H Honors section—open only to Honors students.  Section 001 TR 9:30-10:45, J. Barad. This General Education course will consist of reading and discussion of selections from original works in philosophy on such topics as ethics, theory of knowledge, and philosophy of religion.  The aim of the course is twofold: (1) to provide the student with a sampling of the issues and philosophers typically studied in philosophy, (2) to foster independent thought and encourage the student to perceive issues in a reflective way.  Student will be encouraged to relate the readings to their own lives and our society.

PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic (GE’89:A3; GE2000:SMS:E) 3 credit hours. Section 001: MWF 10-10:50; Section 002: MWF 12-12:50, J. Grcic; Section 003: TR 12:30-1:45, R. Gennaro. This course is an introduction to the skill of critical reasoning.  You will become acquainted with the nature and structure of arguments, different types of arguments (e.g. inductive, deductive), how to evaluate evidence objectively, numerous fallacies of reason, and causal reasoning.  With the aid of class discussions, we will focus on improving one’s ability to critically reason about philosophical and nonphilosophical issues alike.

PHIL 201 Ethics & the Good Life (GE’89:B3, GE2000:SBS:F,E) 3 credit hours.  Section 001 MWF 11-11:50, Staff. This is an introduction to major ethical, social, and legal problems, e.g. euthanasia, abortion, animal experimentation, capital punishment, economic justice, and world hunger.  There will also be some discussion of traditional historical ethical perspectives, such as utilitarianism and Kantianism.  We want to investigate what human beings ought to do in various difficult ethical situations, and also how the law and society might reflect those conclusions.

PHIL 321 Literature & Public Life (GE2000: LAPS:LL) 3 credit hours. Section 001: TR 2-3:15, J. Barad.  A philosophical approach to literature.  Literature will make philosophical issues more alive and personal and they will come alive to challenge and intrigue you.  We will study the concept of self, the problem of evil, free will and determinism, ethical ideals, and the nature of reality by juxtaposing philosophical and literary readings.  These readings will provide you with the vision and understanding you need in order to understand yourself better.  During this course, you should foster patterns of thought which reflect and incorporate an appreciation of how philosophical interpretations of literature advance your worldview.

PHIL 336 Modern Philosophy II 3 credit hours.  Section 001: TR 3:30-4:45, B. Morton. We'll study the philosophy of the Late 18th and 19th centuries, especially in Europe.  We will focus on the thought of Kant and of Hegel, with some attention also to more political figures and Anglo-American developments such as Comte, Mill, and Pragmatism.  Major themes will include the relation of reason and experience, the limits of knowledge, the nature of culture and history, the meaning of political and economic change, the ethics of modernity, and the limits of theism in secular philosophy.

PHIL 401/501 Ethical Theory 3 credit hours. Section 001: MWF 2-2:50, J. Grcic.  Concentrated studies in selected ethical theories.  Problems may include the possibility and nature of ethical knowledge, the meaning of “right “ and “good,” and the logic of ethical discourse.  Theories to be discussed include:  Virtue Theory, Natural Law Theory, Kantianism, Utilitarianism, Existentialism, Moral Relativism, Emotivism, Intuitionism, among others.  Philosophers to be read include Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Mill, Marx, Sartre, Nietzsche, Moore, Kohlberg, Gilligan, MacIntrye, and Rawls.

PHIL 420 Theory of Knowledge 3 credit hours. Section 001:  MW 3-4:15, R. Gennaro. What do you know?  What types of knowledge are there?  What can we know about the external world?  Can knowledge be defined as justified true belief?  What justifies our knowledge?  What distinguishes scientific knowledge from pseudo-science?  This course will examine proposed answers to these and other questions through the writings of both classical and contemporary philosophers, such as Descartes, Locke, Russell, Hume, Gettier, Lehrer, Goldman, Quine, Chisholm, Audi, BonJour, Ayer, Popper, and others.  Thus, we will critically examine such topics as skepticism, perceptual knowledge, the Gettier problem, theories of justification (e.g. foundationalism vs. coherentism), the problem of induction, a priori knowledge, and scientific knowledge.

REL 250 World Religions (GE’89:D1,E2; GE2000:MCS:IC) 3 credit hours.  Section 001: TR 12:30-1:45, B. Morton.  We will study the thoughts, writings, institutions and practices of the most popular religions in the world today, with some emphasis on how they are interacting, changing, and facing the 21st century.  We will focus on Christianity, Islam, Lack of Religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Chinese religious complex, the indigenous religions of the world, and Judaism.  Our goal is to understand the culture and ideas behind many religious viewpoints relevant to the modern globe.

SUMMER I         5-WEEK           June 5 – July 7     2006

PHIL 105 Introduction to Logic (GE’89:A3; GE2000:SMS:E) 3 credit hours; MTWRF 9:30 –11:20, S. Kim.  The purpose of this Gen Ed course:  To enable students 1) to understand and evaluate arguments that they encounter in textbooks, lectures, essays, and conversations; and 2) to express their critical reasoning clearly both orally and in writing.