Courses
Courses
Fall 2006
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- Login to Blackboard. Instructional materials are available on a course-by-course basis.
- 023. Utilitarianism
- Matthew Stuart T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25
- What if there was a theory that could tell you which actions were morally right and which morally wrong? Utilitarianism aspires to be such a theory. We will consider arguments for and against several varieties of utilitarianism and look at applications of the theory to questions about abortion, animal rights, famine relief, and environmentalism. Readings from classic 19th century utilitarians Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, as well as contemporary utilitarians Peter Singer and Brad Hooker.
- 026. The Soul
- Douglas Young T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55
- A philosophical investigation into the nature of the soul. The focus is on determining what the soul is (if anything), what it can do, whether it's immaterial and whether it's immortal. The debate about the relation between the mind and brain is also investigated and its relevance assessed. Readings are drawn from classical and contemporary sources.
- 111. Ancient Philosophy
- Douglas Young T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
- The sources and prototypes of Western thought. Emphasis on the pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato and Aristotle.
- 142. Philosophy of Religion
- Scott Sehon T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
- Does God exist? Can the existence of God be proven? Can it be disproven? Is it rational to believe in God? What does it mean to say that God exists (or does not exist)? What distinguishes religious beliefs from non-religious beliefs? What is the relation between religion and science? We approach these and related questions through a variety of historical and contemporary sources, including philosophers, scientists, and theologians.
- 223. Logic
- Scott Sehon M 11:30 - 12:25, W 11:30 - 12:25, F 11:30 - 12:25
- The central problem of logic is to determine which arguments are good and which are bad. To this end, we introduce a symbolic language and rigorous, formal methods for seeing whether one statement logically implies another. We apply these tools to a variety of arguments, philosophical and otherwise. We also demonstrate certain theorems about the formal system we construct.
- 229. Philosophy in the Twentieth Century
- Matthew Stuart M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25
- This course surveys some of the “Greatest Hits” of philosophy in the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to theories about the nature of physical reality and our perceptual knowledge of it, and to theorizing about the nature of philosophy itself. Topics include G.E. Moore’s philosophy of common sense, Bertrand Russell’s logical atomism, logical positivism, Quine’s radical empiricism, Wittgenstein, the ordinary language movement, Kripke’s theory of reference, and the re-emergence of metaphysics.
- 392. Advanced Topics in Environmental Philosophy
- Lawrence Simon M 2:30 - 3:55, W 2:30 - 3:55
- Examines philosophical, moral, political, and policy questions regarding various environmental issues. Possible topics include the ethics of climate change policy, our obligations to future generations, and the relationship between justice and sustainability.