Course Descriptions

Fall Term 2003

101. Introduction to Philosophy--An introduction to fundamental topics and concepts in the history of philosophy, e.g., rationality, wisdom, knowledge, the good life, the just society, and the nature of language. This course is especially appropriate for first year students or students beginning the college-level study of philosophy. Students contemplating majoring in philosophy are strongly urged to make this their first philosophy course— Lee

101-02. Introduction to Philosophy--An introduction to fundamental topics and concepts in the history of philosophy, e.g., rationality, wisdom, knowledge, the good life, the just society, and the nature of language. This course is especially appropriate for first year students or students beginning the college-level study of philosophy. Students contemplating majoring in philosophy are strongly urged to make this their first philosophy course—Goldstein

[103. Introduction to Ethics]--An introductory study of values, virtues, and right action. Major concepts of ethical theory (goodness, responsibility, freedom, respect for persons and morals will be examined through a study of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. The course is not primarily a historical survey, but rather attempts to clarify in systematic fashion both moral concepts and moral action. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

105. Critical Thinking--An intensive study of effective reasoning in academic and practical contexts. The course covers analytical techniques for understanding and improving concepts and arguments, and creative techniques for solving problems. Required work for the course includes a wide variety of writing, much of it designed to help you improve your reasoning in other courses, and a few hours a week of community service, designed to enhance your ability to understand and work with other people--Stevenson

[202. Aristotle’s Ethics]--The principal work in this course will be a slow, careful, and complete reading of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics. We will also try to understand, for the sake of historical accuracy, the relation of Aristotle’s work to other aspects of Greek cultural and political life. In addition, we will, for the sake of our understanding of human life, try to determine how much of what he said is plainly and simply true.

205. Symbolic Logic--An introduction to the use of symbols in reasoning. The propositional calculus and quantification theory will be studied. This background knowledge will prepare the student to look at the relation of logic to linguistics, computer science, mathematics and philosophy--Ryan

[211. Jewish Philosophy]--Study of principal figures and issues in Jewish philosophy from the Enlightenment to the present. Topics to be considered include the nature (and possibility) of Jewish philosophy, the concepts of God and revelation, the relationship between God and the world, the status of religious law and practice, the concept of election in relation to the people and land of Israel. Thinkers discussed include Mendelssohn, Maimon, S.R. Hirsch, Hermann Cohen, Rosenzweig, Ahad Ha’am, Buber, and Levinas. (May be counted toward Jewish Studies.)

[213. Philosophy of Sport]--This is an introductory course designed to exhibit the Socratic thesis that the material for philosophic reflection is present in our everyday experiences, even in activities which we may consider nonintellectual. Accordingly, we shall take up the related themes of sport, athletics, and play, in order to show that an adequate understanding of them requires, and is indeed inseparable from, philosophic understanding. Topics will include the social significance of sport, ethical issues in sport, sport and race, mind and body in sport, sport and aesthetics, and the connection of sport and philosophy. The connection of sport and gender will be a guiding theme throughout. (Students enrolling in Philosophy 213-01 must enroll in Philosophy 213-20, 21 or 22.)

[213-20L. Philosophy of Sport (Laboratory)]--This is a 1/4-credit, mandatory laboratory offered with Philosophy 213. We shall look at some of the scientific information relevant to such issues as drugs and sport, gender and sport, peak experiences, and athletic injuries. Because these laboratories are designed at the introductory level, preference for admission will be given to non-science majors.

[215. Medical Ethics]--This course will take up ethical, political and legal issues relevant to the medical profession and patient population. Topics will include: death with dignity, treatment with dignity, abortion, mercy-killing, patient consent, the nature of physical versus mental illness, medical experimentation, and the socially conscious distribution of medical resources. Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in Philosophy 215-20. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

[215-20L. Medical Ethics] (Laboratory)--This laboratory is designed to acquaint students with some of the scientific and technological developments that have given rise to moral concerns in modern medicine. Topics will be chosen from such areas as genetics, risk estimation, reproductive technology, and epidemiology. The laboratory will also be the occasion for student-led simulations of ethical decision making in medicine. Note: Philosophy 215-20 is a laboratory course associated with Philosophy 215-01. Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in Philosophy 215-01. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

[216. Philosophy of Law]--This course will consider perennial topics in philosophy of law, primarily from the standpoint of the most important recent writings in the field. We will discuss such topics as the concept of law, positivism and naturalism, the nature of judicial and legislative decision-making, the justification of legal constraint, the nature of rights, the relation of morality and law, utilitarianism and law, and criminal responsibility.

[220. Introduction to Cognitive Science]--A survey of the new sciences of the mind. We will discuss the nature of representation, perception and cognition, and the prospects for an empirical science of the human mind. Disciplines illuminating these issues include philosophy, cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and neuroscience. (Students enrolling in Philosophy 220 must also enroll in Philosophy 371-20L with permission of the instructor).

222. Extentialism--A study of the philosophical background of existentialism and of a number of principal existentialistic texts by such writers as Kierkegard, Heidegger, Camus and Sarte.--Vogt

[226. Existentialism]--A study of the philosophical background of existentialism and of a number of principal existentialistic texts by such writers as Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Camus and Sartre.

[227. Environmental Philosophy]--How we treat nature is, in some measure, a function of how we conceive it. Should we be concerned with protection of the natural environment because we are dependent upon it for the quality of our lives? Or, does nature merit respect and protection for its own inherent value quite apart from its utility to human beings? Are human beings, in some relevant sense, the rightful rulers of nature and thereby entitled to use it in any manner that serves their ends? Or, is the natural environment more appropriately viewed as the property of all creatures that live within it, as something that human beings have an obligation to share with their nonhuman counterparts? Is life limited to the individuals that constitute the organic world, the world of plants and animals? Or, can we sensibly regard ecosystems, including the entire planet, as living entities in their own right (as in the so-called Gaia hypothesis)? Efforts to answer these and a wide range of related questions form the subject matter of this course. Wade

[229. Concepts of Madness]--Within the human community are many who inspire reflection on what it is to be human. A philosopher is one of this type; a madman or madwoman is another. This course examines the historical and contemporary mix of philosophy and insanity, tracing the evolving image of the insane self from its mythic and religious past through to its scientific sanitization as “mental illness.” Readings include Euripides, Plato, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Gilman, Freud, and others. Through this course, students may also volunteer for two hours per week at a local psychiatric hospital, where the theories of mental illness can be compared to its realities. Enrollment limited.

[231. The Holocaust]—Beginning with the historical causes and development of the “Final Solution,” the systematic destruction of European Jewry between 1933 & 1945, this course considers such issues as the nature of genocide, the concept (and history) of evil, corporate and individual moral responsibility, and the implementation of justice in the aftermath of radical evil. These issues are examined both in the context of the Holocaust and as general moral and religious problems. They are also viewed through “imaginative” literary representations, which introduces the question of what difference a subject makes to the form of its representation, and thus, more specifically, what can or cannot (and should or should not) be said about the Holocaust. (Same as College Course 231).

[232. Fate, Freedom, and Necessity]--This course will examine ancient accounts of the individual in the context of both the city and the cosmos. We shall consider the writings of Hesiod, Aeschylus, and Plato insofar as they take up the themes of fate, freedom and necessity, especially as they affect political relations between the gods and mortals, men and women, parents and children. (May be counted toward Classics and Political Science.).

[ 235. Human Rights: Philosophical Foundations, Issues, and Debates]--This course will survey and critically assess arguments in favor of the existence of human rights, arguments about the legitimate scope of such rights (who has human rights and against whom such rights can legitimately be claimed), and arguments about which rights ought to be included in any complete account of human rights. Specific topics will include (but not necessarily be limited to) the philosophical history of human rights discourse, cultural relativist attacks on the universality of human rights, debates concerning the rights of cultural minorities to self-determination, and controversies concerning whether human rights should include economic and social rights.

241. Race, Racism and Philosophy--An intensive examination of some philosophical discussions of race and racism. Topics include the origins of European racism, the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic, racism, the conceptual connections between racist thinking and certain canonized philosophical positions (e.g. Locke's nominalism), the relationship between racism and our notions of personal identity, the use of traditional philosophical thought (e.g., the history of philosophy) to characterize and explain differences between European and black Africian cultures, the possible connections between racism and Pan-Africanism, the nature of anit-semitism, and recent attempts to ceptualize race and racism as social constructions. (Enrollment limited)--Wade

242. From Neo-Marxism to Post-Marxism-- This course will provide a survey of 20^th century neo-Marxist and post-Marxist theories that have constituted a break with central aspects of “classical” Marxism (of the 2^nd and 3^rd International), while attempting to remain faithful to the Marxist project in other aspects. We will examine the neo-Marxist and post-Marxist critiques of Marxist reductionism (economic determinism and class reductionism); their critiques of the Marxist concept of totality, as well a their critiques of the Marxist concept of revolution. We will also trace the neo-Marxist and post-Marxist displacement from economy to politics, from “society” to the concepts of the “political” and the “cultural). (Enrollment limit)-- Vogt

[246. Philosophy of Love and Sexuality]--Questions to be considered will include: Is there any specific kind of knowledge about the world that love can give us? Is erotic love by its very nature irrational and should it therefore be excluded from, or at least minimized within, the life of reason? Do we have different ethical obligations toward the ones we love? Is there an ethics of right and wrong peculiar to sexuality? Does the concept of sexual perversion have any objective validity? Readings from Plato, St. Augustine, the Marquis de Sade, Kierkegaard, Sarte, Alan Bloom, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, Martha Nussbaum, and others. Enrollment limited.

[281. Ancient Philosophy]--This course looks at the origins of western philosophy in the Presocratics, Plato, and Aristotle. Students will see how philosophy arose as a comprehensive search for wisdom, then developed into the “areas” of philosophy such as metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy.

[282. Medieval Philosophy]--study of representative thinkers of the medieval period. Discussion will focus on such major issues as the existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature of universals, the relation between philosophical reason and religious faith. Attention will also be paid to the cultural, historical and religious climates that helped influence the unique scholastic doctrines under discussion.

283 Early Modern Philosophy The history of Western philosophy, with emphasis on Hume, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegard, Marx, Nietzsche--Ryan

[305. 20th-Century Analytic Philosophy]--Philosophy, said Wittgenstein, is the “bewitchment of the intelligence by means of language,” and in his later work he sought to counter the thraldom of language by investigating its many uses. So have other writers from Russell, Ayer and Ryle to the American philosophers Quine and Goodman. Their approach to philosophy, influenced by spectacular developments in logic and science, was largely “analytic,” but their aims were traditional: to limn the prospect of human knowledge and release human intelligence from confusion and superstition. We will study their writings to understand their approach and to assess what it is to do philosophy in the 20th century. Enrollment limited.

[309. John Stuart Mill]--A careful reading of Mill’s major works, or selections there from, including A System of Logic; On Liberty; Considerations on Representative Government; Utilitarianism; The Subjection of Women; and Autobiography.

[312. Descartes]--A study of the main philosophical writings of Rene Descartes, and of some of the recent critical work of Descartes. Special attention will be paid to those aspects of Cartesianism that are still alive and well (representationalism, dualism, direct access to mental contents).

[315. Ultimate Reality: Spinoza and Wittgenstein]--This course will consist of a very close reading of Spinoza's ETHICS and Wittgenstein's TRACTATUS LOGICO-PHILOSOPHICUS, perhaps the two most idiosyncratic masterpieces in all of Western philosophy. Though Spinoza was the ultimate metaphysician, who made all the claims for reason that it is possible to make, and Wittgenstein argued that all metaphysics is, quite literally, meaningless, there are similarities, both stylistic and deeper, that unite these two highly unusual works. Both employ a highly formal style that aspires to strict deductiveness, and both purport to offer the very last word on all matters philosophical. How do these philosophers go about making and supporting what would seem to be such impossibly audacious philosophical claims.

318. Kant Into Kant’s work flowed most of the ideas o 17^th –and early 18^th-century European thought. Out of it, as from a crucible, came a new alloy of philosophical conceptions that were the source of virtually all later developments; idealism; positivism; phenomenology, and analytic philosophy. Our reading of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason will enable us to see modern philosophical heritage in the making. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. (Enrollment Limited) Ryan

[320. Hegel]--Hegel’s most famous work, The Phenomenology of Spirit, will be studied in depth. Attention will be paid to the significance of the work on our subsequent tradition, both philosophical and cultural. Enrollment limited.

[322. Sartre]--Jean Paul Sartre is one of the major intellectual figures of the 20^th century. In this course we will look at Sartre's early philosophical writings, focusing on his phenomenological account of consciousness that culminates in the existentialist conception of the human being presented in Being and Nothingness. Texts to be discussed will include Transcendence of the Ego, Imagination, The Emotions and Being and Nothingness.

[325. Nietzsche]--Nietzsche is one of those thinkers whose influence on our culture has been far wider than the number of people who have actually read him. Through a careful study of this 19th century thinker’s major works we shall examine his own claim to be thinking the most challenging thoughts of the next century. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

[328. Freud]--This seminar will concentrate on the works of Sigmund Freud. We will begin with Freud’s psychological writings, then move on to his more anthropological writings. Our aim will be to see how Freud’s psychological theories inform is arguments about religion and culture. Enrollment limited.

[331. Philosophical Thinking]--Some philosophers believe that philosophical thinking starts when ordinary thinking gets seriously stuck. Others believe that it starts when naive philosophers get stuck, and ask “What is Philosophy?” Still others believe that philosophical thinking is just a cover-up for the fact that humans cannot bring themselves to stop talking even when they have nothing constructive to say. We will take a look at the question of philosophical thinking by reading, very carefully, a number of interesting and perhaps even important pieces of writing from Descartes, Nietzsche, William James, and a few more recent philosophers.

[332. Subjectivity/Objectivity]--The distinction between subjective truths, which are only true relative to a particular point of view, and objective truths, which are true independent of any particular viewpoint, is a contentious vein running through all branches of philosophy: epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, of science, of mathematics, of logic, of literature. We will explore this distinction and the many questions it raises, including that of its own validity, in all these various branches. Readings from Thomas Kuhn, W.V. Quine, Hilary Putnam, Bernard Williams, Richard Rorty, Iris Murdoch, Thomas Nagel, and others. Enrollment limited.

[335. Heidegger]--Martin Heidegger is arguably the most important philosopher of the 20th century. Yet because of the myopia of the Anglo-American philosophic tradition, he has only recently begun to receive the attention he deserves in the English-speaking world. This seminar will make a careful study of Heidegger’s magnum opus, Being and Time. In addition to our reflection on the intrinsic meaning and merit of this book, we shall consider some of its important roots in the tradition and some of the ways in which it prepares the way both for Heidegger’s own radically transformed later thought and for the most recent trends in contemporary continental philosophy. Enrollment limited.

346. Philosophy of Love and Sexuality Questions to be considered will include: Is there any specific kind of knowledge about the world that love can give us? Is erotic love by its very nature irrational and should it therefore be excluded from, or at least minimized within, the life of reason? Do we have different ethical obligations toward the ones we love? Is there an ethics of right and wrong peculiar to sexuality? Does the concept of sexual perversion have any objective validity? Readings from Plato, St. Augustine, the Marquis de Sade, Kierkegaard, Sarte, Alan Bloom, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, Martha Nussbaum, and others. Enrollment limited. Goldstein

354. Ethics and International Community It is generally agreed that a nation and its citizens have moral rights and obligations with respect to one another. But do these rights and obligations extend beyond national boundaries? Does a wealthy nation have an obligation to provide aid to starving citizens of other nations? Do wealthy individuals have an obligation to alleviate the suffering of persons with whom they do not share nationality? This course seeks to assist students in formulating and evaluating answers to these and other questions concerning international relations. (Enrollment limit.)--Wade

[355. Moral Theory and Public Policy]--The purpose of this course is to assist students in acquiring the skill in ethical reasoning and analysis needed for mature participation in society/s continuing debates over moral issues of public concern. The course will begin by examining some types of ethical theories and will proceed to consider a number of controversial social issues. Abortion, euthanasia, racial and sexual discrimination, world hunger, treatment of animals and capital punishment are among the topics to be considered. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. (May be counted toward Public Policy).

356. Philosophy Foundations of Environmental Law and Policy Environmental law and policy regulate and constrain our interactions with and use of the natural environment. These regulations and constraints presuppose, at least implicitly, notions of the value of the natural environment and its components and what that value means for our obligations to our fellow humans, to non-humans, and to inanimate features of nature. The course will examine the ethical underpinnings of current environmental law and policy in light of these presuppositions and involve students in an effort to develop an adequate and systematic ethical basis for environmental law and policy--Wade

[357. Issues in Cognitive Science]--This seminar, the culmination of the Cognitive Science minor, will examine selected issues in cognitive science in depth, with a different issue selected for each offering of the course. Possible topics may include: Vision and consciousness; The origins of language; The philosophy and psychology of knowledge; Animal mentation.

[358. Philosophy of Language]--We use words to refer to objects and we invest these words with things called “meanings.” How do meaning and reference work? How does language do its job? This course considers the historical development of problems in the philosophy of language and contemporary answers to these questions. We will look at authors such as Aristotle, St. Augustine, Locke, Mill, Hume, and a number of prominent figures in 20th century philosophy. Enrollment limited.

[361. Metaphysics]--In this course we shall consider what philosophers mean by metaphysics and examine some central metaphysical puzzles in contemporary western philosophy, such as the existence of universals and the nature of both causation and personal identity.

362. Moral Philosophy--A study of the foundation of ethics including such topics as the justification of moral beliefs, moral relativism, the nature of moral language (cognitivism, emotivism, naturalism), the relation of interests to ideals, theories of moral judgment and exemplarism. Students will be given the opportunity to work through a number of personal and social issues in an attempt to test theories in the context of practical decision-making.--Lee

[369. Concepts of Body]-- Physical body seems immediately given in ordinary experience. Yet it has been explained in a remarkable number of ways, for example as mathematical (insofar as it consists of dimension, length, breadth and depth, and can be measured) or as material and so unavailable to mathematical analysis; it can be explained as an intellectual -- or as a merely psychological -- construct produced when we experience sensible change. In this course, we shall consider several important concepts of body in themselves and as they relate to other problems, particularly the problem of mind.

[378. Philosophy of Mind]--In this course we will investigate classical and contemporary theories of mind, such as dualism, logical behaviorism, materialism, and functionalism. Among the issues we will consider are what is the nature of the mental? Is the mind identical with or distinct from the body? What is the nature of consciousness? Is the mind a genuine cause? What, if anything, do contemporary investigations in cognitive science and artificial intelligence have to teach us about the nature of the mind? Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

380. Political Philosophy This course examines such concepts as those of liberty, equality, autonomy, rights, welfare and happiness. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. (Enrollment Limited) Lang

[385. Phenomenology]--A systematic study of one of the most important and influential philosophical movements of the 20th century. Phenomenology concerns itself with the objects of experience and the structures of experience as they are lived, and this perspective and methodology has played an essential role in the developments of existentialism, hermeneutics and even psychotherapy. Much attention will be given to Edmund Husserl’s work; other figures considered could include Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited.

386. Philosophy and Film Both American and European philosophers have recently turned their attention to the medium of film. This course will document this development. We will examine general philosophical considerations regarding an “aesthetics of film” or an “ontology of film”; and we will explore philosophical studies of film that locate the role of film within the framework of a social, political and psychoanalytic theory of mass culture. In addition, we will study philosophical readings of particular films and film genres from the perspective of different contemporary philosophical schools of thought (such as Critical Theory, Derridian deconstruction, Lacanian Psychoanalysis, and post-analytic Neo-pragmatism). (Enrollment Limited)--Vogt

399. Independent Study--Independent, intensive study in a field of special interest requiring a wide range of reading and resulting in an extended paper. Normally there will be only a few meetings with the supervisor during the course of the semester. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1/2-1 course credit)--Staff

460. Tutorial--An in-depth study of a topic of mutual special interest to the student and teacher. Frequent periodic meetings (usually weekly) will provide an opportunity for extensive and detailed discussions on a one-to-one basis. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1/2-1 course credit)--Staff

466. Teaching Assistantship--Work conducted in close consultation with the instructor of a single course and participation in teaching that course. Duties for a teaching assistant may include, for example, holding review sessions, reading papers, or assisting in class work. In addition, a paper may be required from the teaching assistant. This course may count as one of the eleven total required for the major, but will not count as one of the six required “upper level” (300 and above) courses. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1/2-1 course credit)--Staff

498. Senior Thesis Part I--A two-credit course culminating in an extended paper to be read by two or more members of the Department. It may be organized like a tutorial or independent study. This is a required course for all students who wish to graduate with honors in philosophy. To be eligible for this course a student must have an A- average in the major or must successfully petition the Department for an exemption. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this yearlong thesis. (2 course credits are considered pending in the first semester; 2 course credits will be awarded for completion in the second semester.)--Staff

601. IDP Study Unit--Independent study guide available only to students in the Individualized Degree Program. Permission of the instructor and a signed permission slip are required for registration. See the IDP Catalogue for a full listing.

602. IDP Project--Limited to students in the Individualized Degree Program. Requires submission of a special proposal form that is available in the IDP Office. (1-5 course credits)

SPRING 2004

[103. Introduction to Ethics]--An introductory study of values, virtues, and right action. Major concepts of ethical theory (goodness, responsibility, freedom, respect for persons and morals will be examined through a study of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. The course is not primarily a historical survey, but rather attempts to clarify in systematic fashion both moral concepts and moral action. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

203. Ethics An introductory study of values, virtues, and right action. Major concepts of ethical theory (goodness, responsibility, freedom, respect for persons and moral will) will be examined through a study of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. The course is not primarily a historical survey but rather attempts to clarify in systematic fashion both moral concepts and moral action.--Lee

[209. Persons and Sexes]-- Each human being amounts to one person, say most philosophers. Persons come in at least two sexes, say most people, including philosophers. Or is this a mistake? Do human beings have a sex, and persons none? Which description is more important for morality and for our understanding of ourselves--sexed human being or person whose sex is morally irrelevant? We will try in this course to gain some degree of clarity about persons, sex, human beings, the moral good, and the image we have of ourselves.

[210. American Philosophy]--A study of some of the major themes of American intellectual history from colonial times to the early 20th century. the course will culminate in study of American pragmatism as exemplified primarily in the writings of James and Dewey. Enrollment limited.

[212. Philosophy of Religion]--A discussion of some of the philosophical problems that arise out of reflection on religion; the nature of religion and its relation to science, art, and morality; the nature of religious and theological language, the concept of God; the problem of evil; the justification of religious belief.

213. Philosophy of Sport This is an introductory course designed to exhibit the Socratic thesis that the material for philosophic reflection is present in our everyday experiences, even in activities which we may consider nonintellectual. Accordingly, we shall take up the related themes of sport, athletics, and play, in order to show that an adequate understanding of them requires, and is indeed inseparable from, philosophic understanding. Topics will include the social significance of sport, ethical issues in sport, sport and race, mind and body in sport, sport and aesthetics, and the connection of sport and philosophy. The connection of sport and gender will be a guiding theme throughout. (Enrollment Limited)--Hyland

[214. Philosophy of Art]--“Art,” one writer has said, “is not a copy of the real world. One of the damn things is enough.” But then, what is art, and what is its relation to the world, to our experience, to the symbolic systems with which we create it? By consulting selected aesthetic texts of important philosophers, these and other questions will be posed to help us understand some of the traditional philosophical perplexities about art. This course includes an optional laboratory (Philosophy 214-20L), taught in conjunction with Chemistry 150: Science In Art. Separate permission is required both for Philosophy 214 and for the laboratory, Philosophy 214-20L. Students are encouraged, but not required, to take both Philosophy of Art and Science in Art in conjunction with the laboratory. Enrollment limited.

[214-20L. Philosophy of Art (Laboratory)]--This is a 1/4 credit, optional laboratory offered in conjunction with Philosophy 214 and Chemistry 150. We shall investigate the scientific basis of many of the crucial elements of the arts, including clay, bronze, paint and pigment, and sound. Because the laboratories are designed at the introductory level, preference for admission will be given to non-science majors.

[216. Philosophy of Law]--This course will consider perennial topics in philosophy of law, primarily from the standpoint of the most important recent writings in the field. We will discuss such topics as the concepts of law, positivism and naturalism, the nature of judicial and legislative decision-making, the justification of legal constraint, the nature of rights, the relation of morality and law, utilitarianism and law, and criminal responsibility.

217. Philosophy in Literature--We shall study a number of philosophic works with literary significance and a number of literary works with philosophic content in order to raise the question of what the difference is between the two—Goldstein

219. Writing Philosophical Fiction-- Fiction has long been used as a medium for expression of philosophical ideas, particularly in the Continental tradition. Today, fiction is increasingly being accepted and deployed in the Anglo-American tradition as a means of articulating philosophical ideas. This workshop provides students with the opportunity to gain training and expertise in creating their own philosophical fiction. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Philosophy 217--Goldstein

[220. Introduction to Cognitive Science]--A survey of the new sciences of the mind. We will discuss the nature of representation, perception, and cognition, and the prospects for an empirical science of the human mind. Disciplines illuminating these issues include philosophy, cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and neuroscience. (Students enrolling in Philosophy 220 must also enroll in Philosophy 371-20L with permission of the instructor.).

221. Science, Reality, and Rationality--Philosophical questions abound in science. Some arise in relation to specific scientific theories. Examples are: Does the theory of evolution conflict with religion? Does Einstein's theory of relativity imply that time does not "flow?" Does quantum mechanics require a change in the basic laws of logic? In addition, there are philosophical problems that apply, more broadly, to the scientific enterprise as a whole. Examples are: What distinguishes scientific truth from religious truth, or any other kind of truth, for that matter? What, if anything, makes scientific knowledge special? Are the notions of scientific objectivity, rationality, and progress mere myths? In the last few years, the so-called "Science Wars" have been taking place, pitting the defenders of scientific objectivity against its skeptics. As a result, these kinds of questions have become among the most topical and hotly debated of our time, receiving wide attention well beyond the borders of academia--Goldstein

[223. African Philosophy]--What is African philosophy? Currently, among the scholars addressing this question, no single answer prevails. Some hold that philosophy, by its nature, transcends race, ethnicity, and region and hence that terms such as “African philosophy,” “European philosophy,” “Asian philosophy,” are all rooted in misunderstanding what philosophy fundamentally is. Some argue that prior to the very recent work of African scholars trained in formal (often European) departments of philosophy, African philosophy did not (and could not) exist. Others argue that while (many of) the peoples of Africa have little or no tradition of formal (written) philosophizing, the differing worldviews embodied in the myths, religions, rituals, and other cultural practices of ethnic Africans constitute genuine African philosophy. Yet others find African philosophy in the critical musings of indigenous African (so-called) wise men or sages. In this course we will critically examine the variety of possibilities, forms, and practices in Africa and elsewhere that might be referred to appropriately as “African philosophy” and attempt to understand why the notion of “African philosophy” is so especially contentious. (May be counted toward African Studies.).

224. Theory of Knowledge--"Everyone by nature desires to know," said Aristotle. But before and since, many thinkers have wondered whether this desire can be satisfied. We shall examine a number of important questions, such as "What are the conditions of Knowledge?" "What are the roles of memory, perception, evidence and belief?" Enrollment limited.--Lee

[230. Theories of Human Nature]--Explanations of human nature take several forms. Some philosophers ask, what is the nature of man, implying that there is a single human nature--e.g., man is a rational animal--shared by all men (and women). Others ask what is the nature of man and of woman, taking gender as essential to human nature (or natures). Men and women may differ genetically, hormonally, or socially. Most recently, questions of human nature focus on intelligence as the supreme mark of humanity; here gender, race and class are all relevant issues. We may be rational animals, but some of us are more rational than others. In this course, we shall explore a variety of issues. Can there be a model of human nature that is neutral to gender? Do men and women have different natures; if so, what is the evidence for their difference(s)? Is intelligence the highest mark of humanity and, if so, can it be measured without cultural bias? This course will include readings such as: Plato, Republic; Aristotle, Politics; Locke, Essay On Human Understanding; Rousseau, Emilie; J.S. Mill, On the Subjection of Women; Marx, The German Ideology; S. de Beauvoir, The Second Sex; A. Fausto-Sterling, Myths of Gender; and S.J. Gould, The Mismeasure of Man. (May be counted toward Women’s Studies.).

231. Holocaust Beginning with the historical causes and development of the “Final Solution,” the systematic destruction of European Jewry between 1933 & 1945, this course considers such issues as the nature of genocide, the concept (and history) of evil, corporate and individual moral responsibility, and the implementation of justice in the aftermath of radical evil. These issues are examined both in the context of the Holocaust and as general moral and religious problems. They are also viewed through “imaginative” literary representations, which introduces the question of what difference a subject makes to the form of its representation, and thus, more specifically, what can or cannot (and should or should not) be said about the Holocaust. (Same as College Course 231.--B. Lang

[233. Chinese Philosophy]--In the course of some twenty-five centuries, great Chinese thinkers have touched well-nigh all the major subjects that have engaged the attention of philosophers in the West in the process of a search for the identification between the individual and the universe. This course will focus on the mainstream of the development of Chinese philosophy, that is, Taoism and Confucianism. We shall trace Taoism and Confucianism from the origin and the classical forms of both in the ancient period, via the development of both in the medieval period, until the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the modern period.

[234. Philosophy and Evolution]--An inquiry into the diverse ways that the theory of evolution has influenced philosophy. The course will begin with a brief history of the idea of evolution. Subsequent topics will include a comparison of chimpanzee and human behavior, evolutionary ethics, the notion of a self-organizing, self-reproducing system, the concepts of evolutionary game theory and programming, the transformation of our understanding of language, disease, war, sexuality, altruism, and other concepts when given evolutionary explanation.

[283. Early Modern Philosophy]--The history of Western philosophy with major attention given to Dascartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hobbes, Locke and Berkeley.

[284. Late Modern Philosophy]-- A history of western philosophy, with emphasis on Hume, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche.

[306. 20th-Century Continental Philosophy]-- What are poets for in a destitute time?” asks Heidegger‘s favorite poet, Holderlin. We add, “and what are philosophers for?” The tradition of 20th-century continental philosophy has responded, “certainly not just to analyze language!” We shall follow some of the leading figures and themes of this rich tradition from its roots in Nietzsche through the transformations of phenomenology, to existentialism and beyond. Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, and Derrida will be studied among others.

307. Plato--A study of one or more important dialogues of Plato. Careful attention will be paid to the dramatic form which Plato employs and its connection to the philosophic ideas that develop. Enrollment limted.--Hyland

[314. Dewey and His Legacy]-- John Dewey’s pragmatism powerfully influenced the intellectual life of the first half of the 20th century, waned dramatically, and then enjoyed a resurgence in the form of the “neo-pragmatism” of Rorty and others. In this seminar, we will consider Dewey’s thought on the foundations of philosophy, as expressed in his Experience and Nature and other essays. We will also consider contemporary responses to Dewey and attempt to assess Dewey’s potential contribution to the next century of Philosophy. This seminar is required of senior philosophy majors.

[317. Hume]--The primary focus of this course will be the philosophy of David Hume. Much misunderstanding of Hume's views derives from failure to consider them in the context of the philosophical concerns of his age. To void this error, we will devote some attention to the views of some of Hume's contemporaries, among them Francis Hutcheson, Thomas Reid and Adam Smith. Enrollment limited.

[318. Kant]-- Into Kant’s work flowed most of the ideas of 17th- and early 18th-century European thought. Out of it, as from a crucible, came a new alloy of philosophical conceptions that were the source of virtually all later developments; idealism; positivism; phenomenology, and analytic philosophy. Our reading of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason will enable us to see our modern philosophical heritage in the making. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

328. Freud This seminar will concentrate on the works of Sigmund Freud. We will begin with Freud’s psychological writings, then move on to his more anthropological writings. Our aim will be to see how Freud’s psychological theories inform is arguments about religion and culture. Enrollment limited.--Vogt

[336. Foucault]--Michel Foucault was one of the most influential European thinkers of the 20th century. Using a selection of this writings, we shall examine some of his main contributions, seeking to understand both the philosophical and cultural influences that led Foucault to his positions, as well as the wide-spread influence he has had on subsequent philosophy and political, historical and cultural theory.

[340. Metaphysics: Plato and Aristotle]—We shall study carefully selected works of the genuine founder of metaphysics as a discipline, Aristotle, and his great predecessor, Plato, for whom metaphysics did not yet exist. In so doing, we shall get a clearer sense of what metaphysics is and, in addition, study a number of important metaphysical problems both in their metaphysical and pre-metaphysical formulations. These will include the problem of first principles, the nature of being and non-being, the good and its relation to being, form and the problem of causality

347. Classical American Philosophy-- A survey of American Philosophy of the classic period: Peirce, James, Royce, Santayana, Dewey, and Mead. Selections from their works and interpretive essays.--Lee

[355. Moral Theory and Public Policy]--The purpose of this course is to assist students in acquiring the skill in ethical reasoning and analysis needed for mature participation in society's continuing debates over moral issues of public concern. The course will begin by examining some types of ethical theories and will proceed to consider a number of controversial social issues. Abortion, euthanasia, racial and sexual discrimination, world hunger, treatment of animals and capital punishment are among the topics to be considered. Enrollment limited. (Same as Public Policy 402 and 836.)

357. Issues in Cognitive Science--This seminar, the culmination of the Cognitive Science minor, will examine selected issues in cognitive science in depth, with a different issue selected for each offering of the course. Possible topics may include: Vision and consciousness: The origins of language; The philosophy and psychology of knowledge; animal mentation.--Stevenson

[362. Moral Philosophy]—A study of the foundation of ethics, including such topics as the justification of moral beliefs, moral relativism, the nature of moral language (cognitivism, emotivism, naturalism), the relation of interests to ideals, theories of moral judgment and exemplarism. Students will be given the opportunity to work through a number of personal and social issues in an attempt to test theories in the context of practical decision making.

371-20L. Minds and Brains/Cognitive Science (Laboratory)-- The mind is a computer: this is the guiding idea of much recent cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and cognitive neuroscience. Through a series of laboratory exercises, we will explore what this idea means, and whether it might be true. The exploration begins with the classical Turing machine, the basis for modern digital computation, and moves toward an increasingly detailed consideration of the inner workings of our brains as we perceive, think, and feel. Most of the exercises will be based on computer simulations, which students can modify in order to develop models of mind and conduct simulation experiments. (No previous experience with computer programming is required.) This is the laboratory component of Philosophy/Psychology 220, Introduction to Cognitive Science and, Philosophy 374, Minds and Brains. (Students enrolling in Philosophy 220 or 374 must also enroll in this mandatory laboratory.) Enrollment limited--Stevenson

[373. Philosophical Concepts of Space and Time]-- Space and time are two of the most intimate elements of our sensible experience. They have been variously described as absolute and relative, mathematical and phenomenological, real and ideal. In this course we will examine several technical definitions of space and time both in themselves, as related to science, and as interpretations of everyday experience. We will consider thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Newton, Leibniz, Kant, and Einstein. This seminar is required of senior philosophy majors. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

[373-20L. Philosophical Concepts of Space and Time (Laboratory)]--This laboratory is required for all students concurrently enrolled in Philosophy 373-01, and mandatory for senior majors. In it we shall work with problems presented by different concepts of space and time, focusing particularly on the issue of what constitutes evidence and how that evidence shapes definitions of space and time. Students will work together in pairs or small groups to solve problems in physics/astronomy using concepts learned in class. This seminar/laboratory is required of senior philosophy majors. (1Ú4 course credit.) Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

374. Minds and Brains-- The neurosciences have made striking progress in recent years toward understanding the brains of animals and human beings. Through readings in philosophy and science we will consider what contribution this explosion of neuroscientific data can make to our understanding of the mind. (Students enrolling in Philosophy 374-01 must also enroll in Philosophy 371-20L with permission of the instructor.) Enrollment limited--Stevenson

[377. The Problem of Skepticism]-- In this course we will examine skeptical challenges to our claims to knowledge, with special emphasis on systematic skepticism. Traditionally, the skeptic maintains either that no knowledge is possible, or that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether knowledge is possible, and that therefore one ought to suspend judgment concerning all questions of knowledge. In the course of our examination we will consider such questions as: What is knowledge? Is it possible to find a criterion of knowledge? What, if any, presuppositions do skeptical arguments require? Enrollment limited.

[379. Prostitution and Pornography: Rights, Responsibilities and the Sex Industry (formerly Philosophy 204-01)]--This course examines the philosophical issues underpinning debates about prostitution and pornography, exploring the adequacy of liberalism for addressing possible harms caused by the two institutions. In examining the range of arguments for and against prohibitions on prostitution and pornography, we are faced with a set of fundamental philosophical questions: What is a person? What are the boundaries of a person? Does a person have the right/obligation to control/police those boundaries her or his self? Are there some kinds of violations of these boundaries that are/should be disallowed? As we try to address these questions, however, we keep returning to the question of whether or not sex is some sort of special case. And if it is, is the sale of sex involved in prostitution different from the sale of sex involved in pornography? Judging by our legal practices, we seem to think it is. But why might this be so? In order to answer this tough question, we’ll listen to what people involved in the two industries have to say about what they do, and how this differs from what gets said in various political and academic debates about the subject. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. (May also be counted toward the Women’s Studies major).

[380. Political Philosophy]-- This course examines such concepts as those of liberty, equality, autonomy, rights, welfare, and happiness. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

390. Advanced Logic-- An investigation of various methods of logic. Certain related topics in epistemology and the philosophy of mathematics will be considered.--Ryan

399. Independent Study-- Independent, intensive study in a field of special interest requiring a wide range of reading and resulting in an extended paper. Normally there will be only a few meetings with the supervisor during the course of the semester. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1-2 course credits)--Staff

466. Teaching Assistantship-- Work conducted in close consultation with the instructor of a single course and participation in teaching that course. Duties for a teaching assistant may include, for example, holding review sessions, reading papers, or assisting in class work. In addition, a paper may be required from the teaching assistant. This course may count as one of the eleven total required for the major, but will not count as one of the six required “upper level” (300 and above) courses. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for enrollment. (1/2-1 course credit)--Staff

499. Senior Thesis Part II-- A two-credit course culminating in an extended paper to be read by two or more members of the Department. It may be organized like a tutorial or independent study. This is a required course for all students who wish to graduate with honors in philosophy. ln order to be eligible for this course a student must have an A- average in the major or must successfully petition the Department for an exemption. Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chairperson are required for each semester of this yearlong thesis. (2 course credits are considered pending in the first semester; 2 course credits will be awarded for completion in the second semester)--Staff

601. IDP Study Unit-- Independent study guide available only to students in the Individualized Degree Program. Permission of the instructor and a signed permission slip are required for registration. See the IDP Catalogue for a full listing.

602. IDP Project-- Limited to students in the Individualized Degree Program. Requires submission of a special proposal form which is available in the IDP Office. (1-5 course credits).

The following course offered in the Spring term 2003 also counts toward the Philosophy major:

Religion 307. Jewish Philosophy