PHIL 121-01 10611 |
Introduction to Ethics |
Days: M W F
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Time: 02:20 pm-03:20 pm
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Room: OLRI 300
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Instructor: Samuel Asarnow
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|
Details
What matters in life? Is pleasure the only thing that matters? If so, whose pleasure should I pursue-just my own, my family's, or everyone's? Does suffering matter, too? What about the suffering of non-human animals? Is it okay for me to make animals suffer in order for me to enjoy the pleasure of eating their flesh? Or how about the suffering of people who are really far away from me-say, on another continent? Is it okay for me to spend money on cool stuff for myself when instead I could donate it to help people who are suffering very badly far away? If things in life other than pleasure matter too, what are they? People who oppose torture think that it's wrong to hurt one person really badly even in order to prevent a large number of people from being hurt. Are they right? Is it always wrong to treat someone as merely a means to an end? Is it in general wrong to do things to people without their consent? Why? When do people deserve to be praised or blamed for their actions? What kind of person should I be? Should I try to be happy? Or should I try to be virtuous? Is virtue its own reward? Or are we all inevitably faced with a choice between being virtuous and being happy? If we are faced with that choice, which one should we pick? In Ethics, we will talk about these questions, and others.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 121-F1 10610 |
Introduction to Ethics |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 01:10 pm-02:10 pm
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Room: OLRI 270
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Instructor: Samuel Asarnow
|
|
*First-Year course only*
Details
What matters in life? Is pleasure the only thing that matters? If so, whose pleasure should I pursue-just my own, my family's, or everyone's? Does suffering matter, too? What about the suffering of non-human animals? Is it okay for me to make animals suffer in order for me to enjoy the pleasure of eating their flesh? Or how about the suffering of people who are really far away from me-say, on another continent? Is it okay for me to spend money on cool stuff for myself when instead I could donate it to help people who are suffering very badly far away? If things in life other than pleasure matter too, what are they? People who oppose torture think that it's wrong to hurt one person really badly even in order to prevent a large number of people from being hurt. Are they right? Is it always wrong to treat someone as merely a means to an end? Is it in general wrong to do things to people without their consent? Why? When do people deserve to be praised or blamed for their actions? What kind of person should I be? Should I try to be happy? Or should I try to be virtuous? Is virtue its own reward? Or are we all inevitably faced with a choice between being virtuous and being happy? If we are faced with that choice, which one should we pick? In Ethics, we will talk about these questions, and others.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
HIST 137-01 10463 |
From Confederation to Confederacy: US History from Independence to Civil War |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 10:50 am-11:50 am
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Room: HUM 110
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Instructor: Linda Sturtz
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|
Details
In the Plan of Union prepared during the 1754 "Albany Convention," Anglo-American colonists met to consider uniting as a loose confederation for their common defense and to ally with the Iroquois confederacy. That plan failed, but a later experiment in unity succeeded when the united colonies declared independence. Nevertheless, social, cultural, and ideological differences persisted, and the union formed in 1776 was tried and tested before finally fracturing with the secession of South Carolina, precipitating the Civil War. In the intervening years, Americans grappled with how they should govern themselves, who should be included in the polity, and how society should be organized. Reformers considered the controversial issues of women's rights, the role of Native Americans within the US, and the place of slavery in a nation founded on the precept that "All men are created equal." This course covers the periods of the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the early national and antebellum periods, before concluding with the Civil War. It also considers the global causes and consequences of the war and the rise of the new United States. We will also analyze the construction of the myth and historical memory of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father who has captured the imagination of people in the modern U.S. Through a study of the recent biography of Hamilton along with the music and stage production of Hamilton, we will consider both the biographical and mythical Alexander Hamilton in order to understand his era and our own. Can count towards "Colonization and Empire," or "Race and Indigeneity," or "Law and Social Justice," or "North America" fields.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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HIST 137-02 10975 |
From Confederation to Confederacy: US History from Independence to Civil War |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 01:10 pm-02:10 pm
|
Room: MAIN 111
|
Instructor: Linda Sturtz
|
|
*Appropriate for first-year students*
Details
In the Plan of Union prepared during the 1754 "Albany Convention," Anglo-American colonists met to consider uniting as a loose confederation for their common defense and to ally with the Iroquois confederacy. That plan failed, but a later experiment in unity succeeded when the united colonies declared independence. Nevertheless, social, cultural, and ideological differences persisted, and the union formed in 1776 was tried and tested before finally fracturing with the secession of South Carolina, precipitating the Civil War. In the intervening years, Americans grappled with how they should govern themselves, who should be included in the polity, and how society should be organized. Reformers considered the controversial issues of women's rights, the role of Native Americans within the US, and the place of slavery in a nation founded on the precept that "All men are created equal." This course covers the periods of the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the early national and antebellum periods, before concluding with the Civil War. It also considers the global causes and consequences of the war and the rise of the new United States. We will also analyze the construction of the myth and historical memory of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father who has captured the imagination of people in the modern U.S. Through a study of the recent biography of Hamilton along with the music and stage production of Hamilton, we will consider both the biographical and mythical Alexander Hamilton in order to understand his era and our own. Can count towards "Colonization and Empire," or "Race and Indigeneity," or "Law and Social Justice," or "North America" fields.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
ENGL 202-01 10910 |
Great Detectives and Plots of Detection |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 09:40 am-10:40 am
|
Room: HUM 402
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Instructor: Andrea Kaston Tange
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|
*First day attendance required*
Details
A great detective story is arguably one of the most interactive of genres, as it urges a reader to step into the world of the mystery and solve it alongside the investigators who people the pages. This course traces evolutions in the genre, from 19th-century icons like Sherlock Holmes through early-20th-century hardboiled detectives and into very contemporary fiction. We'll consider professional and amateur detectives in short fiction and novels, watch several films, and read one story in serial installments. We will explore how detective stories are rooted in the cultural moments of their creation and read short pieces about the genre by some of its greatest writers. The course emphasizes the pleasures of reading (Cliffhangers! Clues! Misdirection!) and what we can learn from thinking hard about what is so satisfying about a great mystery, adeptly solved. Texts vary from one semester to the next; authors may include Dorothy Sayers, Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Tana French, Wilkie Collins, Gladys Mitchell, Dashiell Hammett, Rudolph Fisher, Anthony Horowitz. Coursework will be wide-ranging and playful, and will include creative as well as critical assignments.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
ENGL 202-01 10910 |
Great Detectives and Plots of Detection |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 09:40 am-10:40 am
|
Room: HUM 402
|
Instructor: Andrea Kaston Tange
|
|
*First day attendance required*
Details
A great detective story is arguably one of the most interactive of genres, as it urges a reader to step into the world of the mystery and solve it alongside the investigators who people the pages. This course traces evolutions in the genre, from 19th-century icons like Sherlock Holmes through early-20th-century hardboiled detectives and into very contemporary fiction. We'll consider professional and amateur detectives in short fiction and novels, watch several films, and read one story in serial installments. We will explore how detective stories are rooted in the cultural moments of their creation and read short pieces about the genre by some of its greatest writers. The course emphasizes the pleasures of reading (Cliffhangers! Clues! Misdirection!) and what we can learn from thinking hard about what is so satisfying about a great mystery, adeptly solved. Texts vary from one semester to the next; authors may include Dorothy Sayers, Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Tana French, Wilkie Collins, Gladys Mitchell, Dashiell Hammett, Rudolph Fisher, Anthony Horowitz. Coursework will be wide-ranging and playful, and will include creative as well as critical assignments.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
POLI 207-F1 10647 |
US Civil Rights and Civil Liberties |
Days: M W F
|
Time: 10:50 am-11:50 am
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Room: CARN 204
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Instructor: Patrick Schmidt
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|
*First-Year course only*
Details
This course examines the struggle for justice, equality, and liberty in the United States, taking as its starting point the many issues and disputes that arrive before the U.S. Supreme Court. But those are only the starting points for many questions that interest political science, including the contributions of social movements and political institutions, and the limits of courts within public policymaking. In addition to reading decisions of the Supreme Court, the course emphasizes the wider historical movements and cycles of constitutional politics. Major topics include speech, religion, privacy, the many types of discrimination (including racial, gender, sexual orientation), aspects of the criminal justice system, and the regulation of guns. Interest in law is helpful but no background is not required. Students able to bring perspectives from other national traditions are warmly welcomed. Class time offers a mix of lecture, dialogue, and small group discussion. Short assignments include observing state and federal appellate courts in Minnesota. A longer assignment will involve writing a decision in the style of a judicial opinion in a case currently before the courts. Students will join in “moot court” activities involving oral arguments in the manner of American appellate courts, ending with an intramural tournament supported by the college’s moot court team. Political Science 207 also counts toward the Legal Studies concentration.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Social science
Course Materials
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AMST 209-01 10474 |
Civil Rights in the United States |
Days: W
|
Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
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Room: MAIN 010
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Instructor: Walter Greason
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|
*Cross-listed with HIST 209-01*
Details
The course examines the post-World War II Civil Rights Movement led by African Americans in the United States. In the class, students will analyze key people, issues, events, and debates within movement history, including, but not limited to, gender and leadership; struggles for civil rights in the south, west, and urban north; the impact of the Cold War on race relations; student activism; movement strategies; and the emergence of Black Power. Throughout the semester, students will read a wide variety of primary and secondary texts to illuminate the activities and life stories of individual participants as well as the broad historical forces that characterized this long era of insurgency.
General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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HIST 209-01 10473 |
Civil Rights in the United States |
Days: W
|
Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
|
Room: MAIN 010
|
Instructor: Walter Greason
|
|
*Cross-listed with AMST 209-01*
Details
The course examines the post-World War II Civil Rights Movement led by African Americans in the United States. In the class, students will analyze key people, issues, events, and debates within movement history, including, but not limited to, gender and leadership; struggles for civil rights in the south, west, and urban north; the impact of the Cold War on race relations; student activism; movement strategies; and the emergence of Black Power. Throughout the semester, students will read a wide variety of primary and secondary texts to illuminate the activities and life stories of individual participants as well as the broad historical forces that characterized this long era of insurgency. Can count towards "Gender," or "Race and Indigeneity," or "Law and Social Justice," or "North America" fields.
General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
POLI 268-01 10615 |
Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy |
Days: T R
|
Time: 01:20 pm-02:50 pm
|
Room: HUM 215
|
Instructor: Sumeet Patwardhan
|
|
*Cross-listed with PHIL 321-01*
Details
This course will focus on some central topics in contemporary Anglo-American (or "analytic") social and political philosophy. Likely topics would include an examination of John Rawls's theory of justice and the work of critics of that theory, the value of equality, and issues about global justice. Prerequisite(s): A 100- or 200- level Philosophy course.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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AMST 271-01 10481 |
Uses and Abuses: Drugs, Addiction and Recovery |
Days: M
|
Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
|
Room: THEATR 204
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Instructor: Amy Sullivan
|
|
*Cross-listed with HIST 271-01*
Details
After a brief but essential global history of drugs, this course will focus primarily on the 20th century to the present. We will examine histories of substance use and abuse, temperance and prohibition, the "War on Drugs," the shifting concept of addiction as a moral failing to addiction as a treatable disease, as well as study the history of the recovery movement and harm reduction. This course is not intended to be an exhaustive, comprehensive history of the subject-but it will provide you with a solid base from which to explore other aspects of this fascinating and contentious aspect of human history.
General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
|
HIST 271-01 10480 |
Uses and Abuses: Drugs, Addiction and Recovery |
Days: M
|
Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
|
Room: THEATR 204
|
Instructor: Amy Sullivan
|
|
*Cross-listed with AMST 271-01*
Details
After a brief but essential global history of drugs, this course will focus primarily on the 20th century to the present. We will examine histories of substance use and abuse, temperance and prohibition, the "War on Drugs," the shifting concept of addiction as a moral failing to addiction as a treatable disease, as well as study the history of the recovery movement and harm reduction. This course is not intended to be an exhaustive, comprehensive history of the subject-but it will provide you with a solid base from which to explore other aspects of this fascinating and contentious aspect of human history. Meets the post-1800 requirement, and can count towards "Gender," or "Race and Indigeneity," or "Law and Social Justice," or "North America" fields.
General Education Requirements:
U.S. Identities and Differences
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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POLI 294-05 10658 |
When Justice Goes Blind: The Problem of Wrongful Convictions |
Days: W
|
Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
|
Room: CARN 06A
|
Instructor: David Schultz
|
|
Details
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Social science
Course Materials
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PHIL 321-01 10614 |
Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy |
Days: T R
|
Time: 01:20 pm-02:50 pm
|
Room: HUM 215
|
Instructor: Sumeet Patwardhan
|
|
*Cross-listed with POLI 268-01*
Details
This course will focus on some central topics in contemporary Anglo-American (or "analytic") social and political philosophy. Likely topics would include an examination of John Rawls's theory of justice and the work of critics of that theory, the value of equality, and issues about global justice. Prerequisite(s): A 100- or 200- level Philosophy course.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PSYC 377-01 10698 |
Moral Psychology |
Days: T R
|
Time: 09:40 am-11:10 am
|
Room: OLRI 370
|
Instructor: Steve Guglielmo
|
|
Details
This course explores how and why we make moral judgments about people and their behavior. How are our moral judgments shaped by intuition, emotion, and reasoning? What are the moral implications of climate change? Do we ever put the interests of our broader group or community above our own self-interest? How do we balance punishment motives of retribution and deterrence, and how do these relate to policy decisions about capital punishment? Could a robot have moral rights and responsibilities? We will examine these questions by considering theories and findings from social, developmental, evolutionary, and political psychology, as well as from related fields like philosophy and artificial intelligence. Prerequisite(s): PSYC 201 and one intermediate psychology course, or permission of instructor.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Social science
Course Materials
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