Undergraduate Program
Fall Term Schedule
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Fall 2020
| Number | Title | Instructor | Time |
|---|
|
PHIL 101
Paul Audi
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
The course introduces the student to some main topics and methods of philosophy. We will take up a few central philosophical issues and critically investigate several philosophical perspectives on each of them. The emphasis will be on gaining a clear understanding of the philosophy and how it is evaluated.
|
|
PHIL 102
Earl Conee
TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM
|
|
Leading theories of right and wrong, good and evil, and related matters such as the functions of ethical language and the reality or unreality of moral knowledge.
|
|
PHIL 103
Zachary Barber
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
Reasoned analysis of controversies concerning such matters as the death penalty, abortion, individual rights, sexual harassment and discrimination, global justice, terrorism and civil liberties, animal rights and the environment.
|
|
PHIL 105
Zeynep Soysal
MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
|
|
Methods of identifying, interpreting, reconstructing, and evaluating reasoning found in speeches, essays, editorials, magazine articles, and scientific reports. Analytical methods mastered in this course do not include those of formal symbolic logic.
|
|
PHIL 106
Kathryn Phillips
TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
|
|
Formal theory of rational decisions and its philosophical foundations: General Introduction to Decision Theory, Decisions under Ignorance, Probability, Utility, Game Theory, and Social Choice Theory. No math beyond high school required.
|
|
PHIL 110
–
MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
Symbolic logic through first-order quantification theory. Skill in deductive inference is strengthened through construction of proofs and other methods of a rigorously defined artificial language.
|
|
PHIL 111
–
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
Historical and recent readings are used to analyze issues such as: existence of God, divine attributes, the relation of God to the world, and faith and reason.
|
|
PHIL 112
Richard Feldman
TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
|
|
The University recently adopted a Vision and Values statement, identifying as its values Meliora, Equity, Leadership, Integrity, Openness, Respect, and Accountability. Over the years we have also expressed commitment to values such as freedom, fairness, and responsibility. In this course, we will read important essays examining the meaning and significance of these concepts and then examine their implications for a contemporary university setting. We’ll use examples of incidents that have occurred on campuses around the country to examine the challenges that arise in an effort to live up to these values.
|
|
PHIL 120
Randall Curren
TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
This course is an introduction to the ethics of emerging technologies and the value judgments that are integral to the engineering design process. The technologies addressed will include information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), biomedical engineering (BME), and environmental and agricultural technology. The course will examine ideals of professionalism and the influence of institutional settings on professional decision-making. The pedagogy, written work, and evaluation in this course will be strongly oriented to case-based analysis and value-driven science-based decision-making.
|
|
PHIL 201
–
TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
|
|
Survey of the origins of Western philosophy, from the Presocratics through Hellenistic philosophy six centuries later. The great philosophers of the Classical period, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, are studied in detail.
|
|
PHIL 215
Zeynep Soysal
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
This course is an introduction to metalogic. Topics covered include basic elements of set theory, and the model-theoretic treatment of sentential and first-order logic (completeness, compactness, and Lwenheim-Skolem theorems).
|
|
PHIL 223
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
The nature of freedom and equality in democratic societies, and the relationship and conflict between the two concepts. These topics will be covered using the lenses of both ideal and non-ideal theory, with a special focus on structural injustice.
|
|
PHIL 223W
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
The nature of freedom and equality in democratic societies, and the relationship and conflict between the two concepts. These topics will be covered using the lenses of both ideal and non-ideal theory, with a special focus on structural injustice.
|
|
PHIL 228
Richard Dees
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
Examines the values of health, social needs, and freedom through a systematic examination of situations in which these conflicts arise. Public health ethics lie at the intersection of medicine, political philosophy, and public policy.
|
|
PHIL 228W
Richard Dees
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
Examines the values of health, social needs, and freedom through a systematic examination of situations in which these conflicts arise. Public health ethics lie at the intersection of medicine, political philosophy, and public policy. Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
PHIL 229
Randall Curren
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
Theories and controversies about the nature and aims of education; boundaries of educational authority; educational adequacy, equality, and justice; learning, inquiry, knowledge, and critical thinking; the measurement of learning; moral and civic education; patriotism, evolution, and sex in the curriculum.
|
|
PHIL 229W
Randall Curren
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
Theories and controversies about the nature and aims of education; boundaries of educational authority; educational adequacy, equality, and justice; learning, inquiry, knowledge, and critical thinking; the measurement of learning; moral and civic education; patriotism, evolution, and sex in the curriculum. Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
PHIL 231
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
The nature of race and gender, and the role that they should play in both just and unjust societies. Includes applications to areas in ethics and social and political philosophy, such as: affirmative action, mass incarceration, misogyny, solidarity, and intersection with other forms of oppression.
|
|
PHIL 241
Robert Doran
TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM
|
|
Studies the history of “aesthetic” thought—namely the philosophical reflection on the concepts of beauty, taste, and sublimity, on our affective response to art and nature, and on the role of art and the artist in society—from Plato to the present, with particular emphasis on how it relates to questions of epistemology, anthropology, ethics, ontology, and politics. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Longinus, Dubos, Burke, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Wagner, Nietzsche, Lyotard, Derrida, Rancière.
|
|
PHIL 247
Jens Kipper
MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
|
|
General nature of language and specific puzzles about language: the nature of truth and meaning, speech acts, reference, propositional attitudes, metaphor, understanding, interpretation, indeterminacy, etc.
|
|
PHIL 247W
Jens Kipper
MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
|
|
General nature of language and specific puzzles about language: the nature of truth and meaning, speech acts, reference, propositional attitudes, metaphor, understanding, interpretation, indeterminacy, etc.Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
PHIL 252
–
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
Survey of primarily metaphysical questions about science: Must the entities posited by a scientific theory exist for it to be successful? Do laws of nature govern the world or simply articulate patterns? How are lower and higher level scientific theories related to one another? Is scientific explanation primarily concerned with laws, with causes, or with something else?
|
|
PHIL 252W
–
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
Survey of primarily metaphysical questions about science: Must the entities posited by a scientific theory exist for it to be successful? Do laws of nature govern the world or simply articulate patterns? How are lower and higher level scientific theories related to one another? Is scientific explanation primarily concerned with laws, with causes, or with something else? Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
PHIL 257
Jens Kipper
MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM
|
|
Many people believe that very soon, artificial intelligence is going to be everywhere. Artificial systems will steer cars, ships, and planes, care for the sick, fight fires and fight wars for us, organize our schedules, order our food, etc. But what exactly is an artificial intelligence? And can there be artificial systems that truly think, or feel? In this course, we will address questions like these from a philosophical perspective. In doing so, we will encounter some of the most fundamental issues in the philosophy of mind‹for example, what are thoughts and feelings, and how might they relate to physical states of our brains, or to computational states? We will then examine how artificial systems, such as artificial neural networks, function, and discuss what they might teach us about the mind in general and about human minds in particular. Finally, we will consider the consequences that the development and application of artificial intelligence might have for humanity.
|
|
PHIL 257W
Jens Kipper
MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM
|
|
Many people believe that very soon, artificial intelligence is going to be everywhere. Artificial systems will steer cars, ships, and planes, care for the sick, fight fires and fight wars for us, organize our schedules, order our food, etc. But what exactly is an artificial intelligence? And can there be artificial systems that truly think, or feel? In this course, we will address questions like these from a philosophical perspective. In doing so, we will encounter some of the most fundamental issues in the philosophy of mind‹for example, what are thoughts and feelings, and how might they relate to physical states of our brains, or to computational states? We will then examine how artificial systems, such as artificial neural networks, function, and discuss what they might teach us about the mind in general and about human minds in particular. Finally, we will consider the consequences that the development and application of artificial intelligence might have for humanity.
|
|
PHIL 391
–
–
|
|
The reading of philosophical literature under guidance, for seniors majoring in philosophy.
|
|
PHIL 391W
–
–
|
|
The reading of philosophical literature under guidance, for seniors majoring in philosophy.Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
PHIL 392
–
–
|
|
In consultation with the thesis adviser, the student will assemble a list of relevant texts in the area of thesis research and read through the materials, meeting regularly with the adviser throughout the semester to discuss the texts and to hone the thesis topic and plan.
|
|
PHIL 392
Paul Audi
–
|
|
In consultation with the thesis adviser, the student will assemble a list of relevant texts in the area of thesis research and read through the materials, meeting regularly with the adviser throughout the semester to discuss the texts and to hone the thesis topic and plan.
|
|
PHIL 392
Alison Peterman
–
|
|
In consultation with the thesis adviser, the student will assemble a list of relevant texts in the area of thesis research and read through the materials, meeting regularly with the adviser throughout the semester to discuss the texts and to hone the thesis topic and plan.
|
|
PHIL 394
–
–
|
|
Blank Description
|
|
PHIL 395
–
–
|
|
Students with philosophy concentration or minor pursue 1:1 guided research proj. under direction of a full-time Phil Dept. faculty sponsor. With a paper written for another course, student seeks sponsor w/relevant expertise. Student will develop the paper through research, analysis, and refinement of thesis and argument, to present to Phil. Council or Department. Submission for publication in an undergraduate philosophy journal and conference presentation is encouraged.
|
|
PHIL 396
–
–
|
|
In consultation with the thesis adviser, the student will assemble a list of relevant texts in the area of thesis research and read through the materials, meeting regularly with the adviser throughout the semester to discuss the texts and to hone the thesis topic and plan.
|
Fall 2020
| Number | Title | Instructor | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday and Wednesday | |
|
PHIL 252
–
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
|
Survey of primarily metaphysical questions about science: Must the entities posited by a scientific theory exist for it to be successful? Do laws of nature govern the world or simply articulate patterns? How are lower and higher level scientific theories related to one another? Is scientific explanation primarily concerned with laws, with causes, or with something else?
|
|
|
PHIL 215
Zeynep Soysal
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
|
This course is an introduction to metalogic. Topics covered include basic elements of set theory, and the model-theoretic treatment of sentential and first-order logic (completeness, compactness, and Lwenheim-Skolem theorems).
|
|
|
PHIL 252W
–
MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM
|
|
|
Survey of primarily metaphysical questions about science: Must the entities posited by a scientific theory exist for it to be successful? Do laws of nature govern the world or simply articulate patterns? How are lower and higher level scientific theories related to one another? Is scientific explanation primarily concerned with laws, with causes, or with something else? Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
|
PHIL 247
Jens Kipper
MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
|
|
|
General nature of language and specific puzzles about language: the nature of truth and meaning, speech acts, reference, propositional attitudes, metaphor, understanding, interpretation, indeterminacy, etc.
|
|
|
PHIL 247W
Jens Kipper
MW 11:50AM - 1:05PM
|
|
|
General nature of language and specific puzzles about language: the nature of truth and meaning, speech acts, reference, propositional attitudes, metaphor, understanding, interpretation, indeterminacy, etc.Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
|
PHIL 111
–
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
|
Historical and recent readings are used to analyze issues such as: existence of God, divine attributes, the relation of God to the world, and faith and reason.
|
|
|
PHIL 223
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
|
The nature of freedom and equality in democratic societies, and the relationship and conflict between the two concepts. These topics will be covered using the lenses of both ideal and non-ideal theory, with a special focus on structural injustice.
|
|
|
PHIL 223W
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM
|
|
|
The nature of freedom and equality in democratic societies, and the relationship and conflict between the two concepts. These topics will be covered using the lenses of both ideal and non-ideal theory, with a special focus on structural injustice.
|
|
|
PHIL 105
Zeynep Soysal
MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM
|
|
|
Methods of identifying, interpreting, reconstructing, and evaluating reasoning found in speeches, essays, editorials, magazine articles, and scientific reports. Analytical methods mastered in this course do not include those of formal symbolic logic.
|
|
|
PHIL 110
–
MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
|
Symbolic logic through first-order quantification theory. Skill in deductive inference is strengthened through construction of proofs and other methods of a rigorously defined artificial language.
|
|
|
PHIL 231
Rosa Terlazzo
MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
|
The nature of race and gender, and the role that they should play in both just and unjust societies. Includes applications to areas in ethics and social and political philosophy, such as: affirmative action, mass incarceration, misogyny, solidarity, and intersection with other forms of oppression.
|
|
|
PHIL 257W
Jens Kipper
MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM
|
|
|
Many people believe that very soon, artificial intelligence is going to be everywhere. Artificial systems will steer cars, ships, and planes, care for the sick, fight fires and fight wars for us, organize our schedules, order our food, etc. But what exactly is an artificial intelligence? And can there be artificial systems that truly think, or feel? In this course, we will address questions like these from a philosophical perspective. In doing so, we will encounter some of the most fundamental issues in the philosophy of mind‹for example, what are thoughts and feelings, and how might they relate to physical states of our brains, or to computational states? We will then examine how artificial systems, such as artificial neural networks, function, and discuss what they might teach us about the mind in general and about human minds in particular. Finally, we will consider the consequences that the development and application of artificial intelligence might have for humanity.
|
|
|
PHIL 257
Jens Kipper
MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM
|
|
|
Many people believe that very soon, artificial intelligence is going to be everywhere. Artificial systems will steer cars, ships, and planes, care for the sick, fight fires and fight wars for us, organize our schedules, order our food, etc. But what exactly is an artificial intelligence? And can there be artificial systems that truly think, or feel? In this course, we will address questions like these from a philosophical perspective. In doing so, we will encounter some of the most fundamental issues in the philosophy of mind‹for example, what are thoughts and feelings, and how might they relate to physical states of our brains, or to computational states? We will then examine how artificial systems, such as artificial neural networks, function, and discuss what they might teach us about the mind in general and about human minds in particular. Finally, we will consider the consequences that the development and application of artificial intelligence might have for humanity.
|
|
| Tuesday | |
| Tuesday and Thursday | |
|
PHIL 101
Paul Audi
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
The course introduces the student to some main topics and methods of philosophy. We will take up a few central philosophical issues and critically investigate several philosophical perspectives on each of them. The emphasis will be on gaining a clear understanding of the philosophy and how it is evaluated.
|
|
|
PHIL 103
Zachary Barber
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
Reasoned analysis of controversies concerning such matters as the death penalty, abortion, individual rights, sexual harassment and discrimination, global justice, terrorism and civil liberties, animal rights and the environment.
|
|
|
PHIL 228
Richard Dees
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
Examines the values of health, social needs, and freedom through a systematic examination of situations in which these conflicts arise. Public health ethics lie at the intersection of medicine, political philosophy, and public policy.
|
|
|
PHIL 228W
Richard Dees
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
Examines the values of health, social needs, and freedom through a systematic examination of situations in which these conflicts arise. Public health ethics lie at the intersection of medicine, political philosophy, and public policy. Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
|
PHIL 229
Randall Curren
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
Theories and controversies about the nature and aims of education; boundaries of educational authority; educational adequacy, equality, and justice; learning, inquiry, knowledge, and critical thinking; the measurement of learning; moral and civic education; patriotism, evolution, and sex in the curriculum.
|
|
|
PHIL 229W
Randall Curren
TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM
|
|
|
Theories and controversies about the nature and aims of education; boundaries of educational authority; educational adequacy, equality, and justice; learning, inquiry, knowledge, and critical thinking; the measurement of learning; moral and civic education; patriotism, evolution, and sex in the curriculum. Fulfills upper level writing requirement for the major.
|
|
|
PHIL 106
Kathryn Phillips
TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
|
|
|
Formal theory of rational decisions and its philosophical foundations: General Introduction to Decision Theory, Decisions under Ignorance, Probability, Utility, Game Theory, and Social Choice Theory. No math beyond high school required.
|
|
|
PHIL 112
Richard Feldman
TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM
|
|
|
The University recently adopted a Vision and Values statement, identifying as its values Meliora, Equity, Leadership, Integrity, Openness, Respect, and Accountability. Over the years we have also expressed commitment to values such as freedom, fairness, and responsibility. In this course, we will read important essays examining the meaning and significance of these concepts and then examine their implications for a contemporary university setting. We’ll use examples of incidents that have occurred on campuses around the country to examine the challenges that arise in an effort to live up to these values.
|
|
|
PHIL 201
–
TR 2:00PM - 3:15PM
|
|
|
Survey of the origins of Western philosophy, from the Presocratics through Hellenistic philosophy six centuries later. The great philosophers of the Classical period, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, are studied in detail.
|
|
|
PHIL 120
Randall Curren
TR 3:25PM - 4:40PM
|
|
|
This course is an introduction to the ethics of emerging technologies and the value judgments that are integral to the engineering design process. The technologies addressed will include information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), biomedical engineering (BME), and environmental and agricultural technology. The course will examine ideals of professionalism and the influence of institutional settings on professional decision-making. The pedagogy, written work, and evaluation in this course will be strongly oriented to case-based analysis and value-driven science-based decision-making.
|
|
|
PHIL 102
Earl Conee
TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM
|
|
|
Leading theories of right and wrong, good and evil, and related matters such as the functions of ethical language and the reality or unreality of moral knowledge.
|
|
|
PHIL 241
Robert Doran
TR 4:50PM - 6:05PM
|
|
|
Studies the history of “aesthetic” thought—namely the philosophical reflection on the concepts of beauty, taste, and sublimity, on our affective response to art and nature, and on the role of art and the artist in society—from Plato to the present, with particular emphasis on how it relates to questions of epistemology, anthropology, ethics, ontology, and politics. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Longinus, Dubos, Burke, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Wagner, Nietzsche, Lyotard, Derrida, Rancière.
|
|
| Wednesday | |