Philosophy

This course is an introductory-level exploration of the major sub-divisions of the field of philosophy. Topics include such areas as logic, responsibility, ethics, virtue, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, personhood, and “the nature of philosophy.”

This course is intended for those who are beginning the study of logic. Distinctions are drawn between deductive and inductive procedures; informal and formal fallacies are studied; formal argument structures are noted; and methods of distinguishing between valid and invalid argument forms are introduced (including Venn Diagrams, Rule Sets, Truth Tables, and Rules of Inference).

Amajorgoalofthis course is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire basic knowledge ofthe fundamental principles andbeliefs upon which individuals and groups have built or thought they built a system ofmorals or “ethics.” A variety of ethical stances are studied, with attention given to when they arose, the basis of their apparent appeal, and the consequences of acting in accord with those stances.

Major emphasis in this study is given to trying to understand the basic claims that mystics make, assessing the kinds of certainty, truth, and insight claimed, and exploring the place of “the mystical” inhuman experience. Students examine what is involved in the experience and claims of several mystical groups or representatives from ancient to contemporary times.

The focus ofthis course is “appliedphilosophy.” Typical of such endeavors, Phase One is considered an “informed” background through a sweeping survey of the major strengths and weaknesses of the most popular and most tenable “ethical” stances. Then Phase Two is undertaken, involving a critical exploration of several ethical issues in the context of “morality and social policy,” e.g. euthanasia, the death penalty, hate speech, sexism, racism, oppression, economic justice, and welfare.

Emphasis is placed on the dialogue-like journey of ideas through the minds of men and women through history and the consequences of changed interpretations of persons and institutions through different historical eras. In this study process students discover and evaluate common Twentieth Century assumptions. Through tracing development and change of Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratic through the Modem eras, study focuses upon such topics as Metaphysics, Epistemology and Methods/Models, Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Philosophy of Religions.

This course involves a study of works of certain predecessors of existentialism, the influences of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, and themes and issues portrayed in selected works of Sartre, Camus, and others that may be taken as typical of that amorphous movement in the history of philosophy known as Existentialism.

The focus of this course is on selected works of several Continental and Anglo-American thinkers who have stimulated the “intellectuals” of the 20th century. Some have achieved a status equivalent to the “canonical” in philosophy; others have not as yet, but may be on their way.

This course is a study of the major ideas conceived by western thinkers in attempting to comprehend and describe the natural world. (This course may be taken for credit as GENS 353).

The major aspects of religion are examined from a philosophical perspective. Topics studied are the religious experience, the meaning and significance of faith, belief and criteria, knowledge, proof, evidence, and certainty, the concept of deity, and the impact of religion on human life. (This course may be taken for credit as RELS 355.)

This study is an examination of the nature of aesthetic experience, its relation to other kinds of experience, and its place in art production, appreciation, and creativity; the notion of a work of art; language used in description, interpretation, and evaluation of art; and differing interpretations of aesthetics. Opportunities are provided for giving special attention to particular art areas as well as to “the Arts.”

This course provides an introduction to ancient and medieval political thought. Fundamental questions examined include: What is the relationship between ethics and politics?; What is a good regime?; What is a good citizen?; What is the relationship between law and ethics?; What is the relationship between theology and political thought? Students are guided in a close reading of important political works, including Plato’s Apology and Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Politics, and Augustine’s City of God. (This course can be taken as POLS 361.)

This course is a study of one or more modem ethical theorists and their challenges to (or defenses or reformulations of) classical ethical thinking. The course may be taught in a variety of ways, including focusing on a single theoretical issue and its practical ramifications or a single practical problem and its theoretical responses, a single philosopher or even single work. A major research project and presentation are required components.