PHIL 100-01 10606 |
Introduction to Philosophy |
Days: T R
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Time: 01:20 pm-02:50 pm
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Room: HUM 213
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Instructor: Rotem Herrmann
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Details
An introduction to philosophy through topics found in classical and contemporary philosophical writings, such as the nature of truth and knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, right and wrong, and the existence of God. Course content varies from instructor to instructor. Specific course descriptions will be available in the department prior to registration.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 100-02 10607 |
Introduction to Philosophy |
Days: T R
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Time: 03:00 pm-04:30 pm
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Room: HUM 213
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Instructor: Rotem Herrmann
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Details
An introduction to philosophy through topics found in classical and contemporary philosophical writings, such as the nature of truth and knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, right and wrong, and the existence of God. Course content varies from instructor to instructor. Specific course descriptions will be available in the department prior to registration.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 100-F1 10605 |
Introduction to Philosophy: Love and Friendship |
Days: T R
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Time: 01:20 pm-02:50 pm
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Room: MAIN 002
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Instructor: Geoffrey Gorham
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*First-Year course only*
Details
The Philosopher Aristotle said "without friends no one would choose to live, though they had all other goods". (Nicomachean Ethics, 1055a 5-7). It is not clear exactly what Aristotle means by this, but the high value he gives to friendship and love is shared by many other ancient Greek and Chinese Philosophers, such as Plato, Epicurus, and Confucius. This class will begin with an overview of central themes in ancient and contemporary philosophy -- epistemology, metaphysics and ethics -- and then undertake a detailed investigation of friendship and love: Why are friendship and love valuable? How do we become friends, and when should we break off friendships? With whom can we be friends: family members? pets? on-line friends? AI? Is 'romantic' love real or merely a social construction? Should we love only one other, or many, or everyone? Could it be good for us to have no friends, or should we have as many friends as possible? What role, if any, does gender play in friendship and love? What, if anything, do we owe to our friends and lovers? We will consider texts by Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Sappho, Confucius, Montaigne, Kant, Emerson, de Beauvoir, Sartre, as well as several contemporary philosophical perspectives on friendship and love. We will also read works of literature, such as Shakespeare's Sonnets, and love poems of Emily Dickinson, and view together several films, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Your grade will be based on three short papers, two 'take-home' examinations, reading responses ('convos'), and attendance/participation.
General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 111-01 10608 |
Introduction to Symbolic Logic |
Days: M W F
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Time: 09:40 am-10:40 am
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Room: MAIN 010
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Instructor: Max Dresow
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Details
An introduction to formal methods for evaluating deductive arguments. Topics include formal fallacies, decision procedures, translation of arguments to argument forms, and natural deduction proofs in propositional and predicate logic.
General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1
Distribution Requirements:
Course Materials
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PHIL 111-02 10609 |
Introduction to Symbolic Logic |
Days: M W F
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Time: 10:50 am-11:50 am
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Room: MAIN 010
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Instructor: Max Dresow
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Details
An introduction to formal methods for evaluating deductive arguments. Topics include formal fallacies, decision procedures, translation of arguments to argument forms, and natural deduction proofs in propositional and predicate logic.
General Education Requirements:
Quantitative Thinking Q1
Distribution Requirements:
Course Materials
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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
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Time: 01:10 pm-02:10 pm
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Room: OLRI 270
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Instructor: Samuel Asarnow
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*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
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PHIL 213-01 10612 |
Philosophy of Mind |
Days: M W F
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Time: 09:40 am-10:40 am
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Room: OLRI 300
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Instructor: Rotem Herrmann
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Details
Materialism, rather than solving the problem of mind, consciousness and intentionality, has spawned numerous philosophical perplexities. This course will examine a variety of philosophical problems associated with contemporary models of the mind (mind/body dualism; mind/brain identity theories; behaviorism; functionalism and artificial intelligence; eliminative naturalism and folk psychology; biological naturalism). The course will also look at contemporary philosophical accounts of personhood and personal identity, particularly narrative accounts of the self. Readings will typically include David Chalmers, Daniel Dennett, Owen Flanagan, Derek Parfit, Marya Schechtman, John Searle, Galen Strawson, and Kathleen Wilkes.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 310-01 10613 |
Philosophy of Science |
Days: M
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Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
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Room: MAIN 002
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Instructor: Max Dresow
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Details
Are quarks "real"? Does science lead to objective knowledge? Is there really a scientific method? How do we distinguish between creation "science" from evolution; or astrology from astronomy? These questions are asked in philosophy of science, which studies the fundamental processes, principles, and presuppositions of the natural sciences. The social and historical contexts of the sciences are also considered. Topics include: science vs. pseudoscience, scientific explanation, scientific revolutions, the philosophy of space and time, the theory of evolution, theories of confirmation, objectivity in science, and realism vs. relativism. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 111, PHIL 100, or permission of the instructor.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 321-01 10614 |
Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy |
Days: T R
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Time: 01:20 pm-02:50 pm
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Room: HUM 215
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Instructor: Sumeet Patwardhan
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*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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PHIL 489-01 10616 |
Senior Seminar |
Days: W
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Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
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Room: MAIN 002
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Instructor: Geoffrey Gorham
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Details
A capstone experience in philosophy for senior majors. Each participant in the seminar will be expected to write an essay reflective of scholarly standards within the discipline on a question of their own choosing, within a collaborative and supportive environment. Participants in the seminar will help one another develop their capstone papers and prepare to present them publicly at the end of the semester. Readings may be assigned as appropriate with regard to student-identified topics. Prerequisite(s): Philosophy major and senior status, or permission of instructor.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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PHIL 489-02 10617 |
Senior Seminar |
Days: W
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Time: 07:00 pm-10:00 pm
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Room: MAIN 003
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Instructor: Sumeet Patwardhan
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Details
A capstone experience in philosophy for senior majors. Each participant in the seminar will be expected to write an essay reflective of scholarly standards within the discipline on a question of their own choosing, within a collaborative and supportive environment. Participants in the seminar will help one another develop their capstone papers and prepare to present them publicly at the end of the semester. Readings may be assigned as appropriate with regard to student-identified topics. Prerequisite(s): Philosophy major and senior status, or permission of instructor.
General Education Requirements:
Distribution Requirements:
Humanities
Course Materials
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