Philosophy

PHIL 1000 (3) Introduction to Philosophy

Discusses fundamental questions concerning human existence and the nature of reality. Questions may include: Does God exist? Am I the same person I was when I was born? Will I survive the death of my body? Do I have free will? How do I know whether the world around me really exists? What is knowledge? What is truth? What is morality, and how do I know what¿s right to do?

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1010 (3) Introduction to Western Philosophy: Ancient

Introduces major philosophical ideas originating in ancient Greece, including the concepts of eudaimonia (happiness), sophia (knowledge), philosophia, psychê (soul), aretê (virtue), erôs (love), and democracy, placing these in historical context and relating them to subsequent philosophical developments. Topics may include the nature of happiness; why philosophy and democracy flourished in ancient Greece; the ancient Greek origins of science; whether being a virtuous person makes you happier; and ancient Greek thinking about life, love, and death.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: CLAS 1030
Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1020 (3) Introduction to Western Philosophy: Modern

Introduces philosophy through core ideas of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, examining Enlightenment-era controversies such as: What are the foundations of scientific thinking? How does sense perception contribute to knowledge? How do we explain the movement of bodies in the natural world? What, if anything, is God¿s role in nature? How do societies form, and how should they be governed? Are human beings free? If so, how is human freedom compatible with political authority?

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1030 (3) Introduction to Global Philosophy

Examines and compares different approaches to philosophy from across the globe, including Indian, Chinese, African, Islamic, Judaic, and European traditions. Topics may include: the nature of the self and reality, the foundations and limits of human knowledge, the role of the individual in the political community, the basic principles of ethics, and the meaning of life as a whole.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1040 (3) Introduction to African Philosophy

Introduces the philosophical ideas of several African ethnic groups and contemporary African philosophers, also exploring cross-cultural comparisons between African philosophy and the Western tradition, with special attention to historical context and the post-colonial condition. Topics may include both methodological differences between African and Western philosophy and fundamental philosophical questions concerning human existence, such as the nature and value of persons, knowledge, custom and morality, human rights, and meaning.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1100 (3) Ethics

Introduces students to moral philosophy by having them study and evaluate prominent moral theories and their application to a selection of real-world moral problems. Theories studied may include utilitarianism, rights theory, virtue ethics, social contract theory, divine command theory, cultural relativism, and natural law theory. Social problems covered may include abortion, world poverty, animal rights, reparations for slavery, gun rights, or similar such controversies.

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1160 (3) Introduction to Medical Ethics

Introduces students to moral dilemmas in medical practice, biomedical research, and health policy, placing them in the context of comprehensive ethical theories and core principles of bioethics. Topics may include: euthanasia; abortion; organ procurement; moral status; research on nonhuman animals; navigating cultural differences between patients and health professionals; and the fair distribution of healthcare resources; as well as the bioethical issues arising from technological advances in medicine, including genetic engineering, cloning, and assistive reproductive technologies.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1200 (3) Contemporary Social Problems

Examines competing positions in debates over a wide variety of controversial moral, social and political issues. Topics may include: abortion, world poverty, animal rights, immigration, physician-assisted suicide, freedom of religion, hate speech, cloning, income inequality, pornography, gun rights, racial profiling, capital punishment, overpopulation, prostitution, drug legalization, torture. Formerly titled 'Philosophy and Society.'

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Core Curr: United States Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
MAPS Course: Social Science

PHIL 1250 (3) Poverty, Power, and Patriotism: Issues of Global Justice

Explores justice (and injustice) in global and local contexts, introducing students to major traditions in political philosophy and core concepts like equality, liberty, reciprocity, and distributive justice. Specific topics may include: racism; sexism; reparations; colonialism; famine; immigration; patriotism; exploitation; labor justice; climate change; terrorism; and war. Relates political topics in U.S. society to their global context, challenging students to consider marginalization along axes of race, gender, and class across cultural boundaries.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-Global Perspective

PHIL 1350 (3) Knowledge, Mind, and Reality

Introduces philosophy by exploring fundamental questions concerning the nature of reality and our knowledge. Possible questions include: Does God exist? Are you the same person you were when you were born? Does the past exist? Are we free to choose our actions? Is the mind something distinct from the body? Can a computer think? How can we know anything at all?

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1400 (3) Philosophy and the Sciences

Considers philosophical topics and concepts related to the natural sciences, such as the following: science and pseudo-science; scientific method; the nature of explanation, theory, confirmation, and falsification; the effect of science on basic concepts like mind, freedom, time, and causality; ethics of experimentation; and the relation of science to society.

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Natural Science Non-Sequence
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

PHIL 1440 (3) Critical Thinking

Develops students' skills in evaluating arguments and other aspects of critical thinking, focusing on the ways people reason and attempt to justify their beliefs. Activities may include modeling arguments, detecting common fallacies, examining the use (and misuse) of scientific evidence, and learning the basics of symbolic logic. Formerly titled "Introductory Logic.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1500 (3) Reading, Writing and Reasoning

Teaches students how to write argumentative papers. Each seminar will focus narrowly on some controversial topic. For example, one seminar might focus on the existence of God, whereas another might question whether we have free will. In all cases, a significant portion of the course will be devoted to learning how to write cogent argumentative papers about controversial topics.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Written Communication
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Written Communication-Lower

PHIL 1600 (3) Philosophy and Religion

Philosophical introduction to some of the central concepts and beliefs of religious traditions, focusing particularly on the question of the existence of God and on the relation between religious beliefs and moral beliefs.

Additional Information: GT Pathways: GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking
Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Departmental Category: Asia Content

PHIL 1700 (3) Philosophy and the Arts

Explores controversial questions in aesthetics (philosophy of art), such as: What counts as art? What makes art, music, or even the natural world beautiful? What¿s the proper way to appreciate beauty? Do some people have better taste in music or art than others? If so, what does ¿good taste¿ mean? Is pop music bad? What about cultural appropriation? Is it wrong when, e.g., white people perform music traditionally associated with black culture?

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1750 (3) Philosophy through Literature

Introduces philosophy through literature. Selected novels, plays, and short stories that exemplify traditional problems in philosophy are read and discussed.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 1800 (3) Open Topics/Philosophy

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 12.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2140 (3) Environmental Justice

Studies the intersection of environmental health and social justice, examining how political and economic institutions affect our planet and considering environmental problems in light of social problems that produce them. Topics may include sustainable development, climate justice, responsibility to future generations, global poverty, environmental racism, and the relation between economic systems (e.g., capitalism) and environmental concerns. Part philosophy, part policy, this class weaves together moral and factual issues, addressing fairness, rights, equality, and responsibility.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2150 (3) Ethics and Sex

Explores a variety of moral questions relating to sex and procreation. Topics may include arguments for and against the wrongness of masturbation, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, voyeurism, pornography, sadomasochism, prostitution, abortion, commercial surrogacy and cloning, as well as arguments addressing such additional subjects as what constitutes rape and whether procreation is morally obligatory, optional, or forbidden.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2160 (3) Ethics and Information Technology

Examines contemporary ethical issues concerning the use, misuse, and development of information technologies, with particular focus on the consequences such changes may have on the lives of individuals and on the shape of societies. Topics may include hacking and cyber crime; artificial intelligence; robotics and automation technologies, such as drones and self-driving cars; mass surveillance; use of personal information by corporate, law enforcement, and media interests; as well as gaming and virtual reality.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Social Sciences

PHIL 2170 (3) Ethics and Economics

Examines a variety of perspectives on problems at the intersection of ethics and economics, using both empirical data and moral reasoning to evaluate arguments concerning topics such as: government regulation of private industry, protectionist economic policies, fair work compensation, retirement benefits, and access to health care.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2200 (3) Major Social and Political Theories

Explores fundamental questions concerning the nature and legitimacy of major social and political institutions. Topics may include the nature of freedom; the meaning and value of democracy; competing conceptions of justice; the basis of political authority; civil disobedience; human dignity and individual rights; social conflict, tyranny, and war; just and unjust distributions of wealth; the relation between ethics and politics; the nature of political belief; and arguments for and against socialism, communism, libertarianism, and anarchism.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2220 (3) Philosophy and Law

Considers controversies about the law in general and the U.S. system in particular. Questions may include: What is law? What should the law prohibit (e.g., abortion, drug use, prostitution, cloning)? Is there a moral obligation to obey the law? Can civil disobedience be justified? How do we justify punishing those who break the law? Is capital punishment morally justifiable?

Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: United States Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2240 (3) Philosophy and Sports

Introduces students to philosophical issues surrounding sport. Topics may include: paying college athletes, sex testing in sports, the use of performance enhancing drugs, sports and gambling, the nature and value of sports and sportsmanship, gender equity and sports, the ethics of strategic fouling, sports fandom, the coach-athlete relationship, athletes as role models, and the risk of extreme bodily harm.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Social Sciences

PHIL 2250 (3) Philosophy and Video Games

Introduces philosophical issues raised in and by video games. Students will discuss ethical, aesthetic, and/or metaphysical questions such as: Is it okay to engage in otherwise immoral behavior (like violence or murder) in video games? What do in-game choices say about you? What is the relationship between you and your avatar? Is gaming culture misogynistic? Are video games art? Is virtual reality ¿real¿? Is social media a kind of video game?

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2260 (3) Philosophy and Food

Introduces students to topics and issues connected to the nature of food. Helps students investigate questions about our food choices, production and distribution, as well as connection food bears to culture and identity. No previous experience in philosophy required or presupposed.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2270 (3) Philosophy and Race

Explores the historical relationship between western philosophy and race and investigates the ways in which philosophy can be used to address contemporary racial issues.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Human Diversity
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-Global Perspective
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-U.S. Perspective

PHIL 2290 (3) Philosophy and Gender

Analyzes critically the concepts of sex, gender, and their intersection with other aspects of identity, exploring how these impact the extent to which people face injustice because of their gender.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: WGST 2290
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Human Diversity
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-Global Perspective
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-U.S. Perspective

PHIL 2380 (3) Philosophy and Psychiatry

Introduces problems at the intersection of psychiatry and philosophy, combining philosophy¿s critical thinking tools with psychiatry¿s empirical grounding. Considers theoretical problems (What is mental disorder? Is there a boundary between normality and psychopathology at all? Is autism, e.g., a disorder?), as well as ethical problems (Is it permissible to administer psychiatric treatment against a patient¿s will? Is it permissible to amputate the limb of a patient with Body Integrity Dysphoria who strongly desires the amputation?).

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2390 (3) Philosophy and Psychology

Interdisciplinary course on issues where philosophy and psychology meet. For example, topics such as selfhood, motivation, psychotherapy, freedom, and human behavior are examined. Selected readings in philosophy and psychology are required.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2440 (3) Symbolic Logic

Introduces students to sentential logic, the logic of quantification and some of the basic concepts and results of metalogic (interpretations, validity and soundness).

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2490 (3) The Power of Words

Discusses philosophical problems about language and how our using it shapes the world. Topics may include: what language is, what we can do with words, how social norms affect meaning and communication, the relationship of language to features of the social world like race, gender, and ideology, the nature of speech acts, hate speech, propaganda, pejoratives, slurs, freedom of speech, humor, deception, translation, how language conveys thoughts, and how language shapes thought.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2710 (3) Philosophy and Film

Introduces students to issues in philosophy through film, including consideration of film itself as an artistic medium. Students will watch films and wrestle with the philosophical problems they present. Topics will vary according to film selection and may include: the distinction (if any) between high and low art; aspects of film production that support or create aesthetic value; and how (if at all) film can and should be used to foment socio-political change.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2750 (3) Philosophy and Science Fiction

Explores philosophical issues in science fiction literature and film. Topics may include time travel, artificial intelligence, free will, personal identity, and how scientific advances will change human life and society. Students may read science fiction stories and philosophical articles, and watch several movies.

Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2800 (3) Open Topics/Philosophy

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 12.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 2840 (1-3) Independent Study

Department-enforced prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy course work (minimum grade D-).

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 8.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to Philosophy (PHIL) majors or minors with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors) only.

PHIL 3000 (3) History of Ancient Philosophy

Surveys developments in metaphysics, ethics, logic, and philosophy of mind from the Pre-Socratics through Hellenistic philosophy, focusing primarily on the arguments of the philosophers. Topics may include: Zeno¿s paradoxes of time and motion; Democritean atomism; Plato on knowledge, reality, ethics, and politics; Aristotle on logic and natural philosophy; Epicurus on pleasure and friendship; Epicurean atomism; the Stoics on materialism, determinism, and vagueness; and the coherence and practicality of global skepticism.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3010 (3) History of Modern Philosophy

Introduces modern philosophy, focusing on the period from Descartes through Kant. In addition to careful analysis of philosophical arguments, attention is paid to the ways in which philosophers responded to and participated in major developments in the 17th and 18th century, such as the scientific revolution.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3030 (3) Asian Philosophies

Explores various topics in Asian philosophy. Students will be exposed to and critically engage with a range of ethical, metaphysical, epistemological, and other philosophical issues in Chinese, Indian, and other Asian traditions, including discussion of how major Asian traditions relate to other approaches to philosophy. Specific topics and themes vary from term to term.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3040 (3) African Philosophy: Personhood and Morality

Examines conceptions of personhood, humanity, and morality among several African ethnic groups (including the Akan and Nso), employing a comparative approach that challenges traditional Western philosophical presuppositions and builds sensitivity to unfamiliar conceptions of morality and politics. Gives special attention to the effects of history, geography, and the environment on different societies¿ ways of conceptualizing ethical questions. Topics include human rights; free will and responsibility; custom and morality; and methodological questions concerning cross-cultural comparisons.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of Philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-Global Perspective

PHIL 3050 (3) Continental Philosophy

Considers texts, figures, and/or movements in Continental philosophy from the nineteenth century onwards. While diverse, Continental thought tends to involve radical reflection on the methodology of philosophy, challenging traditional conceptions of subjectivity and objectivity while contextualizing knowledge and rationality within the structures of human existence, history, and culture. Topics may be drawn from German idealism, phenomenology, psychoanalysis, existentialism, hermeneutics, poststructuralism, postmodernism, critical theory, Continental feminism, gender theory, queer theory, new materialism, and contemporary Marxist thought.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 9.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.

PHIL 3100 (3) Ethical Theory

Examines important doctrines and arguments in various areas of theoretical ethics, such as the normative ethics of behavior, axiology, virtue theory, and metaethics.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3110 (3) Feminist Practical Ethics

Examines issues of public policy and personal ethics in light of the feminist commitment to gender justice. Readings for the course will present competing feminist points of view on topics such as: the environment, sex trafficking, immigration, abortion rights, the fashion and beauty industries, cosmetic surgery, food, and militarism. Contributes to an understanding of gender diversity from a U.S. perspective, fostering further insight into social, political, economic, and cross-cultural relations in America.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: WGST 3110
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite PHIL 2290 or WGST 2000 or WGST 2290.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-U.S. Perspective

PHIL 3140 (3) Environmental Ethics

Examines major traditions in moral philosophy to see what light they shed on value issues in environmental policy and the value presuppositions of the economic, ecological, and juridical approaches to the environment.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: ENVS 3140
Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite PHIL 1100 or PHIL 1200 or PHIL 2200 or PHIL 3100 or PHIL 3200.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3160 (3) Bioethics

Analysis of ethical problems involved in such issues as abortion, euthanasia, organ transplants, eugenics, treatment of the patient as a person and the institutional nature of the health care delivery system.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3170 (3) Philosophy and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Examines the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), exploring existing machine learning algorithms, autonomous AI systems of the near future (e.g., self-driving cars, autonomous weapons), and advanced AI of the distant future (e.g., superintelligence, robot rights), with applications to medicine, criminal justice, social media, and warfare. Questions may include: Are machine learning systems biased? Who deserves blame when autonomous systems make mistakes? Will AI systems ever be conscious or deserve rights?

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3180 (3) Critical Thinking: Contemporary Topics

Looks at a selected topic such as nuclear disarmament, racial and sexual discrimination, animal rights, or abortion and euthanasia by examining issues through the lens of critical philosophical analysis. Reviews the reasoning behind espoused positions and the logical connections and argument forms they contain.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 12.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3190 (3) War and Morality

Focuses on moral issues raised by war. When, if ever, can war be morally justified? Are rules of war globally applicable, or are they affected by local religious and cultural frameworks? Are colonized nations bound by the same rules of war as their colonizer states? Are states ever obligated to intervene to stop massacres or genocides in other states?

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of PHIL coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3200 (3) Social and Political Philosophy

Introduces students to an in-depth examination and analysis of central operational ideas in social and political philosophy, such as power, freedom, equality, democracy, justice, rights, community, individuality, civil disobedience, and law. A thorough treatment of any of these ideas may call for some cross-cultural and/or comparative political and social analysis.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3260 (3) Philosophy and the International Order

Considers philosophical topics concerning the international economic, political and legal systems. Topics that may be considered include the nature of international law, war and peace, humanitarian intervention, international justice, world hunger and human rights.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Diversity-Global Perspective

PHIL 3290 (3) War and Morality and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom

Explores normative theories of just war, political obligation, and collective self-determination, and select empirical studies of the causes and effects of violent revolutions. Designed primarily for PHIL, PSCI, IAFS, and PACS students, this interdisciplinary course involves an intensive two-week abroad study in Budapest, Hungary, where students will visit diverse historical sites that bear out normative and empirical lessons learned in the classroom about collective armed conflict and the enduring struggle for freedom.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite Three hours of PHIL coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3310 (3) Cognitive Science

Introduces cognitive science, drawing from psychology, philosophy, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and linguistics. Studies the linguistic relativity hypothesis, consciousness, categorization, linguistic rules, the mind-body problem, nature versus nurture, conceptual structure and metaphor, logic/problem solving and judgment. Emphasizes the nature, implications and limitations of the computational model of mind.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: LING 3005 and CSCI 3702 and PSYC 3005 and SLHS 3003 and CSPB 3702
Recommended: Prerequisites two of the following CSCI 1300 or LING 2000 or PHIL 2440 or PSYC 2145.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Social Sciences

PHIL 3410 (3) History of Science: Ancients to Newton

Surveys the history of science up to Newton, tracing the emergence of scientific thinking from religious and philosophical roots in the Near East and Greece to its development in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, culminating with Newton and the seventeenth-century Scientific Revolution. Additional topics may include early discoveries concerning mathematics; technological advancement and its relation to the evolution of scientific theory; and cross-cultural comparisons of scientific and technological traditions (e.g., Chinese traditions).

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Core Curr: Natural Science Non-Sequence
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

PHIL 3430 (3) History of Science: Newton to Einstein

Surveys the development of modern scientific thought, with an emphasis on the natural sciences, beginning with Newton and ending with the radical and controversial implications of relativity theory and quantum mechanics. Topics may include the rise of modern chemistry, Darwin¿s earth-shattering achievements in biology, the beginnings of the social sciences (and their relationship with the natural sciences), the rise of ecology and holistic science, and the philosophical interpretation of scientific method and explanation.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Historical Context
Arts Sci Core Curr: Natural Science Non-Sequence
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

PHIL 3480 (3) Critical Thinking/Writing in Philosophy

Focuses upon the fundamental skills, methods, concepts and distinctions that are essential for the study of philosophy. Basic skills covered include the writing of philosophy papers, the reading of articles and the extraction and evaluation of arguments.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) Philosophy (PHIL) majors only (excluding minors).
Recommended: Prerequisites 6 hours of philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Written Communication
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Written Communication-Upper

PHIL 3600 (3) Philosophy of Religion

Explores fundamental questions concerning major world religions, especially the Abrahamic religions. Possible topics include: the divine attributes (Is perfect goodness compatible with the existence of hell? Can God be truly omnipotent?), the problem of evil, divine hiddenness and evidence of the existence of God, religious experience, the legitimacy of faith, the dilemma of freedom and divine foreknowledge, God and morality, tensions between religion and science, conceptions of the self in Abrahamic religions and in Buddhism.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Core Curr: Ideals and Values
Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3700 (3) Aesthetic Theory

Introduces major theories of aesthetics and contemporary discussions of problems, such as the nature of art and the problem of evaluations in art.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3800 (3) Open Topics in Philosophy

See current departmental announcements for specific content. Department enforced prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy course work.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 27-180 credits (Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors) only.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 3840 (1-3) Independent Study

Department enforced prerequisite: Minimum of 6 completed hours of philosophy course work (minimum grade D-).

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 8.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Philosophy (PHIL) majors only.

PHIL 3930 (1-6) Internship in Applied Philosophy

Provides an academically supervised opportunity for junior and senior Philosophy students to work in public or private organizations to gain practical knowledge and experience, allowing students to apply philosophical theory to real-world problems while enriching their understanding of philosophy itself through its application. Requires the student to pursue an academic research project and compose an original research paper. Department consent required, as well as a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 9 hours philosophy course work.

PHIL 4010 (3) Single Philosopher

Discusses the work of a single historical figure in philosophy with the aim of reaching a broad and deep understanding of the philosopher's thought.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5010
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 12.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4020 (3) Topics in the History of Philosophy

Examines a specific philosophical problem over an extended historical period.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5020
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 9.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisites 12 hours of philosophy course work including PHIL 3000 and PHIL 3010.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4030 (3) Medieval Philosophy

Introduces philosophy from the late Roman era to the 14th century. Philosophers studied may include Augustine, Boethius, Aquinas, and Ockham. Topics range over religion, ethics, mind, and metaphysics.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4040 (3) Studies in 20th Century Philosophy

Studies two or three major philosophies prominent during the last century.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4070 (3) Existentialist Philosophy

Examines central figures and texts in the existential tradition, from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to Heidegger and Sartre.

Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4110 (3) Contemporary Moral Theory

Provides an in-depth look at some recent work in moral theory, usually organized around a single topic. Topics vary from year to year. Previous topics include: consequentialism and its critics, virtue theory, deontological ethics, moral psychology, well-being, and metaethics.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5110
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 9.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Requires prerequisite or corequisite of PHIL 3100 (minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors). Restricted to PHIL majors or PHIL minors.
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours of PHIL coursework (all minimum grade D-).
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4120 (3) Philosophy and Animals

Examines the moral status of nonhuman animals, and its implications for the common use of animals as food and experimental subjects for humans.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5120
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisites PHIL 1100 or PHIL 1200 or PHIL 3100.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4150 (3) Topics in Applied Ethics

Discusses advanced work in applied normative philosophy. Topics vary from semester to semester and may focus on one or two specific areas (e.g., race, procreative ethics, military ethics, sports ethics) or take a broader approach that includes issues from across a wider range of subjects.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5150
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 9.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours of PHIL coursework.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4200 (3) Contemporary Political Philosophy

Provides a survey of recent approaches to political philosophy: liberalism (Rawls, Dworkin); libertarianism (Nozick); communitarianism (Sandel, Macintyre); feminism (Jaggar). Topics and readings vary with the instructor.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5200
Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses of PHIL 2200 or PHIL 3200 (all minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours of philosophy course work.
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PHIL 4210 (3) Classical Greek Political Thought

Studies main representatives of political philosophy in antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, Cicero) and of the most important concepts and values of ancient political thought. No Greek or Latin required.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: CLAS 4041 and CLAS 5041 and HIST 4041
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4250 (3) Marxism

Examines the economic, political, and philosophical thought of Karl Marx, placing it in the context of his predecessors in the classical German tradition and his successors (and critics) in the twentieth century. Themes may include the development of historical materialism; Marx¿s analysis of estranged labor; the critique of utopian socialism; the categories of Marxist economic analysis; the relation between politics, philosophy, and economics; theories of labor, surplus value, and exploitation; and the fate of communism.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: GRMN 4251
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours of GRMN or PHIL course work or instructor consent.
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Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Social Sciences

PHIL 4260 (3) Philosophy of Law

Considers philosophical topics concerning law and the U.S. legal system. Topics that may be considered include the nature of law, relations between law and morality, justifications of punishment, the moral duty to obey the law, and law and liberty.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5260
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4300 (3) Philosophy of Mind

Discusses topics in the philosophy of mind, including the mind-body problem, consciousness, intentionality, rationality, mental causation and the nature of mental states.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5300
Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses PHIL 2440 and PHIL 3010 and PHIL 3480 and PHIL 4340 (all minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4340 (3) Epistemology

Studies some of the main topics of theory of knowledge, such as evidence, justification, prediction, explanation, skepticism, and concept acquisition.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: 5340
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 15.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Philosophy (PHIL) majors only.
Recommended: Prerequisites PHIL 3480 and 12 credit hours of philosophy including PHIL 2440 and PHIL 3010.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4360 (3) Metaphysics

Examines philosophical questions and debates about the general nature of reality. Specific topics may include: existence; identity; change; particulars and universals; parts and wholes; space and time; possibility and necessity; freedom and determinism; laws of nature; causation; and the posits of mathematical and physical theories.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5360
Requisites: Requires prerequisite courses PHIL 2440 and PHIL 3010 and PHIL 3480 (all minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4370 (3) Free Will and Determinism

Explores the full range of questions relating to the problem of free will and determinism. Topics may include; the scientific evidence for determinism, hard versus soft determinism, arguments for and against the compatibility of free will and determinism, moral responsibility and the principle of alternate possibilities, hierarchical motivation, the deep self, reactive attitudes, the intelligibility question for libertarianism, divine foreknowledge.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5370
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4400 (3) Philosophy of Science

Advances students' knowledge of topics in philosophy of science and develops students' ability to think and write clearly about science. Topics may include scientific methodology; distinguishing science from pseudoscience; characterizing experimental and historical sciences; interpretations of special and general relativity; interpretations of quantum mechanics; the nature of biological species; approaches to defining life; criteria for identifying alien life; artificial intelligence; neuroscience and consciousness; fundamental physical properties and laws of nature; chance and probability; and causation.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5400
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work including PHIL 2440.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4440 (3) Topics in Logic

Provides for offering courses in a variety of topics in logic, including, but not limited to, mathematical logic, philosophical issues in logic, probability theory, decision theory, and inductive logic.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5440
Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours PHIL coursework, including PHIL 2440.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4450 (3) History and Philosophy of Physics

Discusses the epistemic question of what characterizes good physics research as well as the metaphysical question of what our best physics research tells us about the world. Topics may include case studies of physics experiments, theory choice, and scientific methodology in physics, as well as foundational metaphysical questions in statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, special and general relativity, chance and probability, and the laws of nature.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5450 and PHYS 4450 and PHYS 5450
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course PHYS 1020 or PHYS 1120 or PHYS 2020 or PHIL 1400 or PHIL 2440 or PHIL 3410 or PHIL 3430 or PHIL 4400 (all minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
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Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Natural Sciences

PHIL 4460 (3) Modal Logic

Introduces the most philosophically relevant kind of logic that builds on PHIL 2440. Modal logic is the logic of the concepts of necessity, possibility and contingency. A variety of systems of sentential modal logic will be covered, along with the standard system of first-order modal logic.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5460
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite PHIL 2440.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4470 (3) Probability and Rational Choice

Examines issues in four related areas: probability theory (e.g. the interpretation of probability, the raven paradox, and the principle of indifference), decision theory (e.g., the Newcomb problem, the toxin puzzle, and Pascal's wager), game theory (e.g., Prisoner's dilemma, tragedy of the commons, and Schelling points), and social choice theory (e.g., Arrow's theorem). Familiarity with symbolic logic is strongly recommended.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5470
Recommended: Prerequisite PHIL 2440 and 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4480 (3) Formal Methods in Philosophy

Introduces formal methods used in contemporary philosophy beyond classical first-order logic. Specific topics may vary. Examples: extensions of and alternatives to first-order logic (including propositional and quantified modal logic and higher-order and plural logic), alternatives to classical logic (including many-valued and intuitionistic systems), generalized and substitutional quantifiers, the lambda calculus, indicative and subjunctive conditionals, probability theory, inductive logic, and decision theory.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5480
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course of PHIL 2440 (minimum grade B). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4490 (3) Philosophy of Language

Examines the nature of language through topics such as truth, reference, meaning, and use, as well as the general relationships between language and action, cognition, logic, and reality.

Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted: PHIL 5490
Requisites: Requires prerequisite course PHIL 2440 (minimum grade D-). Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4800 (3) Open Topics in Philosophy

See current departmental announcements for specific content.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 12.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4830 (3) Senior Seminar in Philosophy

Critical in-depth examination of a selected philosophical topic.

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Junior or Senior) Philosophy (PHIL) majors only.
Recommended: Prerequisite 15 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sci Gen Ed: Distribution-Arts Humanities

PHIL 4840 (1-3) Independent Study

Department enforced prerequisite: Minimum of 6 completed hours of philosophy course work (minimum grade D-).

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 8.00 total credit hours. Allows multiple enrollment in term.
Requisites: Restricted to Philosophy (PHIL) majors or minors with 87-180 credits (Seniors, Fifth Year Senior) only.

PHIL 4950 (3) Honors Thesis

Repeatable: Repeatable for up to 6.00 total credit hours.
Requisites: Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors).
Recommended: Prerequisite 12 hours philosophy course work.
Additional Information: Arts Sciences Honors Course