PHIL - Philosophy
Courses
PHIL 100 Intro to Philosophy-ACP credit: 3 Hours.
Consideration of some main problems of philosophy concerning, for example, knowledge, God, mind and body, and human freedom. Course is identical to PHIL 101 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both PHIL 100 and PHIL 101. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Advanced Composition
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy credit: 3 Hours.
Consideration of some main problems of philosophy concerning, for example, knowledge, God, mind and body, and human freedom. Credit is not given for both PHIL 101 and PHIL 100.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 102 Logic and Reasoning credit: 3 Hours.
Practical study of logical reasoning; techniques for analyzing and criticizing arguments, with emphasis on assessing the logical coherence of what we read and write.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 103 Logic and Reasoning QR II credit: 3 Hours.
Practical study of logical reasoning; techniques for analyzing and criticizing arguments, with emphasis on assessing the logical coherence of what we read and write. Credit is not given for both PHIL 103 and PHIL 102.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Quantitative Reasoning II
PHIL 104 Intro to Ethics-ACP credit: 3 Hours.
Some basic questions of ethics, discussed in the light of influential ethical theories and with reference to specific moral problems, such as: What makes an action morally right? Are moral standards absolute or relative? What is relation between personal morality and social morality, and between social morality and law? Course is identical to PHIL 105 except for the additional writing component. Credit is not given for both PHIL 104 and either PHIL 105 or PHIL 106. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Advanced Composition
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 105 Introduction to Ethics credit: 3 Hours.
Some basic questions of ethics, discussed in the light of influential ethical theories and with reference to specific moral problems, such as: what makes an action morally right? are moral standards absolute or relative? what is the relation between personal morality and social morality, and between social morality and law? Credit is not given for both PHIL 105 and either PHIL 104 or PHIL 106.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 106 Ethics and Social Policy credit: 3 Hours.
Examination of the moral aspects of social problems, and a survey of ethical principles formulated to validate social policy. Credit is not given for both PHIL 106 and either PHIL 104 or PHIL 105.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
PHIL 107 Intro to Political Philosophy credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to core ideas in political and legal philosophy, for example, rights, equality, political obligations, legitimacy of states, nationalism, and oppression.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
PHIL 108 Religion & Society in West I credit: 3 Hours.
Same as ANTH 108, JS 108, and REL 108. See REL 108.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
PHIL 109 Religion & Society in West II credit: 3 Hours.
Same as ANTH 109 and REL 109. See REL 109.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Western
PHIL 110 World Religions credit: 3 Hours.
Same as REL 110. See REL 110.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
Cultural Studies - Non-West
PHIL 199 Undergraduate Open Seminar credit: 1 to 5 Hours.
Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated.
PHIL 201 Philosophy in Literature credit: 3 Hours.
Consideration of the philosophical themes implicit in a variety of important literary works, both classical and modern; may include such authors as Sophocles, Shakespeare, Goethe, Dostoevsky, and Sartre.
PHIL 202 Symbolic Logic credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to the techniques of formal logic, dealing primarily with truth-functional logic and quantification theory.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Quantitative Reasoning I
PHIL 203 Ancient Philosophy credit: 4 Hours.
Introduction to ancient philosophy, concentrating on Plato and Aristotle, dealing with such topics as metaphysics, ethics, and the theory of knowledge. Same as CLCV 203.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 206 Early Modern Philosophy credit: 4 Hours.
The history of philosophy from Descartes to Kant, concentrating on such topics as metaphysics, ethics, and the theory of knowledge.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 210 Ethics credit: 3 Hours.
Problems in ethical theory; the nature of right and wrong, justice, conscience, moral feelings, etc.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 214 Biomedical Ethics credit: 3 Hours.
Philosophical study of selected moral and social problems concerning medicine and biology, such as euthanasia, abortion, allocation of scarce medical resources, health care and rights, and genetic engineering.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 219 Philosophy of Class, Gender, and Race credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to philosophical discussion of class, gender, and race. Conversations will span class consciousness, contemporary unionizing, concepts of gender, orientation, defining race, and experiences of racial ambiguity. The course integrates reflections on intersectionality throughout to explore the congruence and dissimilarity of discourses on class, gender, and race.
PHIL 222 Philosophical Foundations of Computer Science credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to certain ideas and issues at the intersection of computer science and philosophy. Students will focus on foundational questions related to the birth of computer science as a discipline, philosophical issues regarding knowledge and reality that researchers face in the frontiers of contemporary computer science, and current ethical issues related to the uses of machines and computers in society.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 223 Minds & Machines credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to certain ideas and issues at the intersection of computer science and philosophy. Students will focus on the nature of human minds and brains in light of what we know about machine “minds” and “hardware” (and vice versa), as well as on philosophical considerations of the societal effects and implications of the rise of intelligent machines.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 230 Philosophy of Religion Intro credit: 3 Hours.
Introduction to philosophical analysis of religious thought and experience. Same as REL 230.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 231 Religion and Philosophy credit: 3 Hours.
Same as REL 231. See REL 231.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 250 Conceptions of Human Nature credit: 3 Hours.
Comparative examination of important historical and contemporary conceptions of human nature.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 270 Philosophy of Science credit: 3 Hours.
Investigation of the nature of scientific knowledge by examining archetypal examples from physical science (e.g., Ptolemaic and Copernican astronomy); nature of scientific truth, validation of theories, nature of scientific theories, evolution of theories, experimental procedure, role of presuppositions, scientific revolutions, etc.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 316 Ethics and Engineering credit: 3 Hours.
Same as ECE 316. See ECE 316.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Advanced Composition
Humanities - Hist & Phil
PHIL 380 Current Controversies credit: 3 Hours.
Philosophical examination of positions taken on some issue of current concern, for example, human sexuality, death and dying, feminism, race, intelligence, war, sociobiology, and environmental ethics. See Class Schedule for current topics. May be repeated with approval.
PHIL 390 Individual Study credit: 2 to 4 Hours.
Readings in selected philosophical topics. Course may be taken by honors students in partial fulfillment of department honors requirements. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 hours in separate terms. Prerequisite: Open to juniors and seniors with a grade-point average of 3.0 only by prior arrangement with a member of the faculty and with consent of the department director of undergraduate studies or the chair.
PHIL 404 Medieval Philosophy credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
History of philosophy from St. Augustine to William of Ockham. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or PHIL 203.
PHIL 410 Classical Ancient Philosophers credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Intensive study of one ancient philosopher or the intensive study of a major philosophical problem through the consideration of a number of ancient philosophers; chief emphasis on Plato and/or Aristotle. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. May be repeated with approval, if topics vary. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, preferably PHIL 203.
PHIL 411 Nineteenth Century Philosophy credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of the thought of such major figures as Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 412 Classical Modern Philosophers credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Intensive study of one classical modern philosopher or the intensive study of major philosophical problem through the consideration of a number of classical modern philosophers, e.g., Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Hume, Kant, and Hegel. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. May be repeated with approval, if topics vary. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, preferably PHIL 206.
PHIL 414 Major Recent Philosophers credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Intensive study of one or two important philosophers of the present century, e.g., Wittgenstein, Dewey, Heidegger, or Quine. Topics vary; see Class Schedule. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. May be repeated with approval, if topics vary. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 419 Space, Time, and Matter-ACP credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Same as PHYS 419. See PHYS 419.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Advanced Composition
PHIL 421 Ethical Theories credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Systematic study of selected classics in moral philosophy by such philosophers as Aristotle, Hume, Mill, Kant, and Nietzsche. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 422 Recent Developments in Ethics credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Intensive treatment of issues in contemporary ethical theory. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. May be repeated one time with approval. Prerequisite: One course in ethics.
PHIL 424 Philosophy of Religion credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Considers central issues in the philosophy of religion, e.g., the justification of religious belief, the nature of God, religious experience, etc. Same as REL 424. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 425 Philosophy of Mind credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Philosophical problems arising in connection with mental phenomena; the relation of mind and body; free will and determinism; our knowledge of other minds; and the self and personal identity. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 426 Metaphysics credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Investigation of various metaphysical issues concerning, for example, existence, particulars and universals, causation, laws of nature, time, personal identity, material objects, and modality. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 429 Value Theory credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Study of the nature and status of values, and of variable topics in value theory, e.g., different types of values, and problems of truth, justifiability, objectivity and relativism with respect to them. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. May be repeated as topics vary to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours, or 8 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
PHIL 430 Theory of Knowledge credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Investigation of issues concerning, for example, the nature and possibility of knowledge; its forms and limits; its relation to belief, truth, and justification; and the nature of truth. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 435 Social Philosophy credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Selected topics from the nature of social organization, nature and convention, utility, justice, equality, liberty, rights, and duties. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 436 Phil of Law and of the State credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of issues in the philosophy of law, such as the nature of law, law and morality, justice, liberty and authority, punishment, and legal responsibility. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 438 Philosophy of Language credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Historical or comparative study of the philosophy of language. Same as LING 438. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 439 Philosophy of Mathematics credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Introduction to some of the main philosophical problems and contemporary viewpoints concerning mathematical concepts, mathematical methods, and the nature of mathematical truth. Same as MATH 439. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 440 Ethics of Artificial Intelligence credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Discussion of ethical, societal, and political issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Topics include responsible uses of AI, the effect of AI on automation and the future of human work, ethical questions about AI (such as whether AI has moral standing, should be given rights, or should have moral or legal duties), and implications of AI for truth, trust, democracy, surveillance, privacy, safety and security, and the future of humanity. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Either one philosophy course or at least Junior standing.
PHIL 441 Existential Philosophy credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Study of a selection of the major writings of the more important existential philosophers, e.g., Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 442 The AI Revolution credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
We are in the midst of what many have called an “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution.” This revolution is comparable in scope and impact to other major transformations in human history, such as the industrial revolution. The purpose of this course is to help students understand how and why recent developments in AI have begun to challenge traditional ways of thinking, while presenting novel and pressing ethical, social, interpretive, conceptual, technological, and existential questions. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: At least one philosophy course.
PHIL 443 Phenomenology credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Study of the development of phenomenology from Husserl to the present. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 453 Formal Logic and Philosophy credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Techniques and results of symbolic logic, with special attention to topics of philosophical importance. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: PHIL 202 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 454 Advanced Symbolic Logic credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Completeness, compactness, and Lowenheim-Skolem theorems for first-order logic; incompleteness and undecidability of formal systems; and additional material on proof theory, model theory, or axiomatic set theory as time permits. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: PHIL 202 or consent of instructor.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Quantitative Reasoning II
PHIL 460 Philosophy of Statistics credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Introduction to philosophical issues related to statistics. Topics include the interpretation of probability, the difference between description and inference, the notion of evidential support, the relationship between statistics and inductive logic, the use and abuse of mathematical models, the nature of randomness and chance, the role of values in statistical modeling and decision, and the ethical practice of statistics. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: At least one course in philosophy, and at least one course in statistics. Restricted to Junior, Senior or Graduate standing.
PHIL 471 Contemporary Phil of Science credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examines important developments and controversies in recent philosophy of science. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy.
PHIL 477 Philosophy of Psychology credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Psychology, broadly construed, is a cluster of disciplines devoted to the study of mind and behavior, including cognitive and developmental psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. Investigates the relationships that these disciplines bear to one another and of their overall potential to resolve age-old philosophical questions about the mind. Same as PSYC 477. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Two courses in philosophy or two courses in psychology or consent of instructor.
PHIL 492 Thesis credit: 2 to 4 Hours.
Special training in philosophical investigation. Course may be taken by students pursuing graduation with distinction in partial fulfillment of those requirements. 2 to 4 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 undergraduate hours. Prerequisite: Open to seniors with a grade-point average of 3.5 in all philosophy courses only by prior arrangement with a member of the faculty and with consent of the department director of undergraduate studies or the chair.
PHIL 499 Capstone Seminar credit: 3 Hours.
Capstone course required for all philosophy majors. Students will explore in depth a specific topic either in the history of philosophy or in contemporary practical or theoretical philosophy and will write a substantial original essay appropriate for a senior thesis. Topics will differ by section and semester. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: PHIL 202, PHIL 203, PHIL 206, PHIL 222, PHIL 223. Restricted to Philosophy and CS + Philosophy majors with Senior Standing. Philosophy majors (and CS + Philosophy majors matriculated before Fall 2020) are required to have PHIL 202 (or equivalent), PHIL 203, and PHIL 206. CS + Philosophy majors (matriculated after Fall 2020) are required to have PHIL 202 (or equivalent), PHIL 222, and PHIL 223.
PHIL 501 Seminar on the History of Philosophy credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Study of selected major philosophers, movements, problems, or topics in the history of philosophy. 2 or 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 511 Seminar Ethical Theory credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Intensive study of problems in ethical theory. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 512 Seminar Social Philosophy credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Seminar designed to study special problems in social philosophy. See Schedule for current topics. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 513 Seminar Philosophy of Logic credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Selected topics in contemporary logical theory. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 514 Seminar in Cognitive Science credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Same as PSYC 514, ANTH 514, CS 549, EPSY 551, and LING 570. See PSYC 514.
PHIL 517 Seminar Philosophy of Science credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Various problems arising from specific studies in philosophy pertaining to science and vice versa. To be offered with varying topics. Course Information :Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 521 Seminar Contemporary Problems credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Intensive study of selected problems or topics in contemporary philosophy. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 523 Seminar Theory of Knowledge credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Selected topics and writings of major importance in the contemporary philosophy of knowledge. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Letter grading applies when offered for 4 hours of credit. For Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students this course is approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours of credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 525 Seminar Philosophy of Mind credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Selected topics from major writings in the philosophy of mind. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in the same or separate terms. Approved for letter grading when offered for 4 hours; approved for S/U grading when offered for 2 hours - only available for Stage 3 Philosophy PhD students. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor for non-philosophy graduate students.
PHIL 530 Dissertation Seminar credit: 3 Hours.
Ongoing dissertation seminar required for all students who have passed the prelim requirement. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 24 hours. Prerequisite: Restricted to students satisfying requirements for the Ph.D. degree.
PHIL 583 Individual Topics credit: 2 or 4 Hours.
Individual study and oral and written reports on topics not covered in other courses. Topics and plan of study must be approved by the candidate's adviser and by the staff member who directs the work. May be repeated. (Summer session, 2 to 8 hours).
PHIL 590 Directed Research credit: 0 to 12 Hours.
Restricted to students satisfying requirements for the master's degree by writing a substantial essay. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated. Normally taken for 8 hours credit but may be taken for 12 hours credit with consent of department chair.
PHIL 599 Thesis Research credit: 0 to 16 Hours.
Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated.