PHI — Philosophy

This course is an introduction to such major philosophical issues as the nature of knowledge, reality, religion and morals. (3 crs.)

This course is an introduction to basic principles and techniques for distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning. (3 crs.)

This course studies the seven world religions, including their origins and doctrines. (3 crs.)

This study of the pre-Socratic philosophers includes Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicureans and the Skeptics. (3 crs.)

From Descartes to Kant, this course studies modern philosophy in the wake of the Scientific Revolution and the Reformation. (3 crs.)

An introduction to the syntax and semantics of truth-functional and first-order languages, this course also covers proof theories for such languages. (3 crs.)

An examination of selected ethical systems and their philosophical foundations, this course places special emphasis on understanding such basic moral concepts as good, right and duty. (3 crs.)

An examination of selected social or political systems and their philosophical foundations, this course places special emphasis on such basic concepts as natural rights, equality, justice, individual freedom and political authority. (3 crs.)

This course examines the philosophical issues that stem from the impact that evolving science and technology have on people’s beliefs, values and behavior. (3 crs.)

This examination of the basic texts of Marx and Engels and the subsequent development of Marxist philosophy attempts a critical evaluation in light of contemporary political philosophy. (3 crs.)

Beginning with neo-Platonism, this course proceeds to study such thinkers as Augustine, Eriugena, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham. (3 crs.)

This course extends the study of ethics – theoretical and applied – to moral dilemmas and decision making in the field of medicine and health-related professions. (3 crs.)

A survey of the development of German idealism after Kant and the voluntaristic reactions to it, this course also considers British Empiricism and French Positivism. (3 crs.)

A continuation of PHI 211 Formal Logic I, with emphasis on the metatheory of truth-functional and first-order languages, this course also considers selected topics in the philosophy of logic and the philosophy of mathematics. Prerequisite: PHI 211. (3 crs.)

An examination of the possibility and nature of ethical knowledge and the meaning of moral discourse, this course gives special consideration to contemporary discussions. (3 crs.)

A study of the methods, concepts and presuppositions of scientific inquiry, this course attempts to understand the historical development of science in the context of various theories of knowledge and reality. (3 crs.)

This course examines the nature and basis of criticism in the fine arts and literature, the nature and function of art, aesthetic standards, the concept of beauty, artistic creativity, and the meaning of truth in literature and the arts. (3 crs.)

This course considers the nature of religion, speculations and arguments about the nature and existence of God, the possibility of religious knowledge, claims to religious experience and revelation, the problem of evil, the belief in immortality, and the meaning of religious language. (3 crs.)

A survey of the debate about the concept of law in the history of philosophy, this course examines the recent revival of the debate in greater detail. Specific topics include the nature of legal reasoning, the legal enforcement of morality, the problem of responsibility and the concept of justice. (3 crs.)

An examination of selected theories of knowledge, this course includes contemporary discussions. (3 crs.)

This course studies general problems and theories concerning the nature of reality. (3 crs.)

An examination of important stages in the philosophical development of the notion of mind, this course discusses such contemporary problems as the relation of mind and body and the nature of consciousness, and analyzes such notions as will, emotion, action and memory. (3 crs.)

A study of the historical background and development of twentieth-century European philosophy, this course places particular emphasis on such philosophers as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty. (3 crs.)

This course explores selected philosophical issues (e.g., knowledge, truth and meaning) utilizing recent work in conceptual and methodological analysis. Though the course is usually problem-oriented, a good deal of the history of recent Anglo-American philosophy is covered. Recommended prerequisites: PHI 206 and a logic course. (3 crs.)

(Variable crs.)

This course is a discussion of some special problem or issue in philosophy. (3 crs.)

This course is a discussion of either one prominent philosopher or a movement in philosophy. (3 crs.)