Philosophy

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Patrick A. Shade. 1996. Chair. B.A. and M.A., Colorado State University; M.A. and Ph.D., Vanderbilt University. (Ethics; American philosophy; history of philosophy; logic; interdisciplinary humanities.) ASSISTANT PROFESSORS
Leigh M. Johnson. 2007. B.A., University of Memphis; M.A., Villanova University; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University. (Social and political philosophy, continental philosophy; race theory; feminism; interdisciplinary humanities.)
Brendan M. O’Sullivan. 2002. B.A., Davidson College; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley. (Philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, logic, interdisciplinary humanities.)
Andrew J. Terjesen. 2007. B.A., State University of New York at Geneseo; Ph.D., Duke University. (History of ethics, moral psychology, hirstory of philosophy, interdisciplinary humanities.)

STAFF

Karen M. Winterton. Departmental Assistant.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY

A total of forty-four (44) credits as follows:

Philosophy 201, 203, 206, 301, 486.
Philosophy 318 or Philosophy 319.
Five additional four-credit courses in Philosophy.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN PHILOSOPHY

A total of twenty-four (24) credits as follows:

Philosophy 201 or 203 (students are encouraged to take both).
Philosophy 206 and 301.
At least two additional four-credit courses in the 300s or above.
One additional four-credit course in Philosophy.

HONORS IN PHILOSOPHY

Courses required: fulfillment of the requirements for a major in Philosophy.
Honors course: Philosophy 399, 495-496
Examination: an oral examination on the honors essay and related field is required.
Approval of the honors project by the Philosophy Department Honors Committee is required.

COURSE OFFERINGS

101. Introductory Seminar in Philosophy.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F2.
This writing-intensive course, intended for first and second year students, provides an in-depth exploration of philosophical approaches and ideas in the context of a specific topic in philosophy. Possible topics include the philosophy of sex, death, film, media, and the meaning of life.

150. Social and Political Philosophy.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F2, F8.
An examination of significant themes and questions related to the constitution and maintenance of social and political relations, addressed through a survey of major philosophical figures. Topics include justice, identity, the contest between individual and state, war and peace, and various ideologies (liberalism, conservativism, communism/socialism, totalitarianism, cosmopolitism, libertarianism, contractarianism, anarchism).

201. Ancient Philosophy.
Fall. Credits: 4.
An examination of philosophical methods, problems, and ideas from Ancient philosophies, such as those of the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, Epicureans and Stoics. Issues addressed include the human good, the relation of the human to the cosmos, the nature and role of reason, and the relation between reason and pleasure.

202. Medieval Philosophy.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An examination of philosophical methods, problems, and ideas from early through late Medieval philosophies, most notably those of Augustine and Aquinas. Issues addressed include the natures and relations of faith and reason, the human good, arguments for the existence of God, and the relation of the human to the divine. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

203. Early Modern Philosophy.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An examination of major representatives of Early Modern Philosophy, focusing on the works of Descartes, Hume, and Kant. Major themes are their epistemological and ethical theories. Issues to be considered include such things as the nature and role of rationality, the relation of the sensuous and the rational, the exercise of freedom, and the existence of God.

206. Logic.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F6.
An examination of argumentation, with emphasis on identifying, analyzing, and evaluating arguments. Issues to be considered include methods in categorical and truth-functional logic, induction, and fallacies.

240. Philosophy of Religion.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An exploration in depth of a few major problems in contemporary philosophy of religion, such as the arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, the meaningfulness of theological language, and the relationship of faith and reason. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

250. Topics in Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1 (some sections).
A seminar in which topics of current interest are presented and discussed. Topics may involve both classical and contemporary philosophical texts. Typically, topics focus on issues that raise significant moral questions in contemporary society. (Subject to special scheduling.)

270. Philosophy of Education.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F11.
A philosophical examination of education with attention to issues in ethics (what values should guide education?), metaphysics (do we educate the whole or only part of the person?), and epistemology (what is knowledge and is it the goal of education?). (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2009-2010.)

301. Ethics.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An examination of major ethical theories, typically virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism, with special emphasis on their central arguments and applicability to specific ethical issues.

302. Environmental Ethics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4
An examination of the values and norms that govern our relationship with the environment. Major ethical theories will be explored in relation to topics such as obligations to nonhuman organisms, anthropocentrism, government regulation, and international environmental treaties. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

303. Medical Ethics.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An examination of issues arising from the practice of medicine, the application of medical technology, and the business of health care delivery that have significant implications for an understanding of the good life or an understanding of moral duties. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2009-2010.)

315. Nineteenth Century Philosophy.
Spring. Credits: 4.
This course considers the Kantian roots of German Idealism and examines the philosophy of Hegel and that of one or more of his critics (Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche) in the later 19th Century. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2009-2010.)
Prerequisites: Philosophy 203 or special permission of instructor.

318. Metaphysics.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An exploration of some major issue(s) such as materialism vs. theism, the mind-body problem, freedom and determinism. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

319. Theory of Knowledge.
Spring. Credits: 4.
An exploration of some major issues in the theory of knowledge, such as the nature of knowledge and justified belief, the possibility and limitations of human knowledge, and the ethics of belief. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2009-2010.)

328. Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
What is the nature of the human mind? What are its powers and limitations? What is the relationship between the mind and the body (especially the brain)? These and similar questions will be investigated through central works in the history of philosophy (e.g., Descartes’ Meditations) and various contemporary works in philosophy and/or related fields (e.g., biology, psychology). (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2009-2010.)

329. Philosophy of Science.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
A philosophical examination of the meaning and limitations of explanation, primarily in the natural sciences. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

360. Existentialism.
Fall. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F1.
An examination of prominent existentialists from the 19th and 20th Centuries. Issues include the idea that human beings’ deepest desire is for meaning in their lives, and that the primary issue in human life is whether and how we own up to this. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

370. American Philosophy.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Degree Requirements: F11.
An examination of the major representatives of Classical American Philosophy. Emphasis is on issues such as the nature of philosophical method, the biological/social nature of human beings, the instrumentalist view of knowledge and inquiry, and the contextual nature of truth and value. (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

399. Tutorial for Honors Candidates.
Spring. Credits: 1.
Junior Philosophy majors wishing to read for honors are required to enroll in this preparatory tutorial. Although required for honors, enrollment in this course does not guarantee acceptance into the Honors Program.

401. Advanced Topics: History of Philosophy.
Fall or Spring. Credits: 4.
An advanced study of specific topics in the history of philosophy. The course will focus on one of the following topics: a central historical figure (Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Whitehead), a specific period (ancient, medieval, modern, contemporary analytic or continental philosophy), or a major movement (empiricism, process philosophy, phenomenology). (Course offered in alternate years; scheduled for 2008-2009.)

475-476. Problems in Philosophy.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-4.
A tutorial course for senior students only. Each student chooses an individual topic in consultation with the departmental faculty.

486. Senior Seminar.
Spring. Credits: 4.
Senior seminar is designed to be a capstone experience in Philosophy, requiring both oral and written work. The seminar culminates in the senior paper, a sustained, sophisticated discussion of a significant philosophical issue.

495-496. Honors Tutorial.
Fall, Spring. Credits: 4-4.
A course dedicated to the development of an Honors essay.
Prerequisites: Permission of department.