See p. 77, Course Credit and Prerequisites,
and to 78, Undergraduate Numbering System of the Undergraduate Bulletin.
The letter tag on some course numbers indicates which D.E.C. category the
course satisfies. A course without a letter tag, does not satisfy any D.E.C.
category.
For details of staffing, specific
content, and reading lists, the student should consult schedules posted
by the Philosophy Department before registration each semester.
Lower-Division Courses
These courses offer the student
various ways to become acquainted with the nature and variety of philosophical
inquiries.
100 Level Courses
PHI 100-B Concepts of the Person(II)
An historical introduction to
philosophy through readings and discussion on topics such as human identity,
human understanding, and human values.
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 103-B Philosophic Problems
(III)
An introduction to philosophy
through the analysis of one or more
aspects of contemporary life such
as technology, war, international relations, or families and friendships.
A variety of texts is used. May not be taken for credit in addition to
PHI 150.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 104-B Moral Reasoning (II)
An historical introduction to
philosophy through inquiry into the formation, justification, and evaluation
of moral judgments. Students are introduced to the major theories and problems
of ethics, such as utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative, ethical
relativism, egoism, and classical conceptions of the good and virtue. Against
this background students engage in discussions of contemporary and moral
issues.
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 105-G Politics and Society
(III)
an historical introduction to
philosophy through an analysis of political theories, theories of action,
and styles of political life. Main themes include the relation of the individual
to the state, the scope of social responsibility, and the nature of human
freedom.
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 108-B Logical and Critical
Reasoning (II)
The principal aim of this course
is to help a student acquire the skill os thinking, reading, and writing
critically. The student develops a sensitivity to language and argumentation
that is applicable to a wide range of situations and subject matters.
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 109-B Literature and Human
Life (III)
A survey in translation of major
authors and works of Western or non-Western cultures focused around such
problems as the self and moral values.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 110-B Arts and Ideas (III)
An introduction to the historical
and comparative study of the various arts in relation to the philosophical
ideas that prevailed at the same time. At least four significantly different
historical periods of intense creative activity-such as ancient Greece,
the Renaissance, the l8th or l9th century in the West, ancient China, T'ang
or sung dynasty china, Heian or Muromachi period Japan, and the contemporary
age - are studied in terms of the interconnections between philosophical
theorizing and artistic practice.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 111-B Introduction to Eastern
Philosophy (I)
A study of different systems of
Eastern philosophy and of the main classical texts drawn from Buddhism,
Taoism, Confucianism, and Neo-Confucianism. Efforts are made to recover
the different modes of knowledge, language, identification, and liberation
dealt with in these texts.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 150-G Honors Introduction
to Philosophy (I,II, III)
An introduction to philosophy
through one of the following approach: (1) the study of a basic philosophical
problem, e.g., the mind-body problem or the limits of human knowledge;
(2) the application of philosophical analysis to some phenomenon of contemporary
life, e.g., technology; or (3) the study of philosophy's relation to another
discipline, e.g., science or history. May not be taken for credit
in addition to PHI 103.
Prerequisites: Permission of department;
priority given to Honors college and Honors Program students, Presidential
Scholars, and Freshman Scholars
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
200 Level Courses
PHI 200-G Introduction to Ancient
Philosophy (I)
Readings and discussion of the
major Greek and Roman thinkers, e.g., the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle,
the Stoics, and Poltinus.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 204-G Introduction to Medieval
Philosophy (I)
Readings and discussion of the
major thinkers of the medieval period, e.g., Augustine, Boethius, Anselm,
Aberlard, Maimonides, Aquinas, and Nicholas of Cusa.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits.
PHI 206-G Introduction to Modern
Philosophy (l7th-and-18th Century) (I)
Readings and discussion of the
major thinkers of the l7th and l8th centuries, e.g., Descartes, Leibniz,
Spinoza, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 208-G Introduction to l9th
Century Philosophy (I)
Readings and discussion of the
major thinkers of the l9th century Europe, e.g., Kant, Hegel, Comte, Marx,
Mill, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 220-C Introduction to Symbolic
Logic (II)
This first course in logic emphasizes
the development of systematic techniques for assessing the validity of
arguments: truth tables and truth values analysis, Venn diagrams, elementary
quantification theory, and deduction in both the propositional calculus
and quantification theory.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy; satisfaction of entry skill in mathematics
requirements
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 230-H-The Nature and Practice
of Science(III)
an examination of the scientific
experience. a particular scientific discovery, such a nuclear fission and
its exploitation, is followed from its origins in order to explore the
influences of historical, social, technological, and philosophical forces
on science. The nature of discovery; the interplay between experiment and
theory; technology and the environment; paradigm shifts; science and gender;
the difference between fraud and error; and self-discovery are considered.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy; on D.E.C. category E course.
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 247-G Existentialism (I)
Readings in existential philosophy
and literature with special emphasis on such themes as alienation, anxiety,
nihilism, absurdity, the self, value, death, and immediacy. Existentialist
categories are used to interpret contemporary lifestyles and culture.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing;
one course in philosophy; PHI 100 recommended
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 249-G Marxism (I)
A study of Marxism as a philosophical
system. Topics include the development of Marxism out of German idealism;
the contributions of Marxism to political and social philosophy; and the
influence of Marx on subsequent thinkers, e.g., Althusser, Habermas, Foucault,
and Derrida.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing;
one course in philosophy; PHI 105 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 264-D Philosophy and the
Arts (III)
A study of the arts focusing on
the nature of the creative process, methods of interpretation, essential
differences among the various arts, and the relation of performance to
text.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one PHI or ARH or MUS or THR course
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 277-G Political Philosophy
(III)
an inquiry into the function of
philosophical principles in political thought and action, with readings
drawn from such authors as Plato Aristotle Machiavelli, Spinoza, Hobbes,
Locke, Kant, Hegel,Mill, and Dewey.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy; PHI 105
recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 284-G Introduction to Feminist
Theory (III)
The social construction of gender
and how this construction affects philosophical thought and practice. The
course provides an introductory survey of current feminist issues and analyses.
It also examines the meaning of feminism for philosophy--the effect of
introducing a political analysis of gender into a discipline hat is supposedly
universal and neutral. Crosslisted with WNH 284.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy or women's studies
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 285-G The Uses of Philosophy
(III)
Introductory study of the bearing
of philosophic considerations on the special arts and sciences,. May be
repeated as the topic varies.
Prerequisites: sophomore standing
or one course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
Upper-Division
Courses
300 level courses
PHI 300-I Ancient Philosophy (I)
Advanced studies in selected Greek
thinkers from Thales to Aristotle.
Prerequisities: Three courses
in philosophy; PHI 200, 204, 206, or 208 recommended
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 304-I Medieval Philosophy
(I)
Study of the writings of major
thinkers from Augustine to William of Ocham.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; PHI 200 or 204 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits (not
offered in 1996-97)
PHI 306-I Modern Philosophy
(I)
Advanced studies in selected thinkers
such a Descartes, Vico, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Prerequisites: Three courses in
philosophy; PHI 200,204,206,208,247, or 300 recommended
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 308-I l9th Century Philosophy
(I)
Study of major figure in 19th
century thought, such as Hegel, Schopenhauer, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard,
Spencer and Comte.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; PHI 200,204,206,208,300, or 306 recommended
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 310-K American Philosophy
(I)
A study of selected major figures
in the American tradition, e.g., Jefferson, Emerson, Edwards, James, Peirce,
Dewey, Whitehead, and Santayana.
Prerequisites: Two courses i philosophy;
PHI 200, 204, 206, 208, 247, 300, 306, or 308 recommended; completion of
D.E.C. categories I and J strongly recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 312-I Topics in Contemporary
European Thought (I)
Topics in major developments in
contemporary European philosophy. Consult departmental brochure as topic
changes. May be repeated for credit as the topic varies.
Prerequisites: Two courses i philosophy;
PHI 206, 208, 300, 304, 306, or 310 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 320-G Metaphysics (II)
An inquiry into the first principals
of all science, art, and action as these are treated by representative
classical and modern authors.
Prerequisites: Two courses i philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 323-G Philosophy of Perception
(II)
An inquiry into the philosophical
and methodological problems pertaining to sensing, perceiving, and observing
the world. Major theories of classical and modern authors are considered.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; PSY 103 or 104 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 325-G Contemporary Philosophies
of Languages (II)
A discussion of current topic
in the philosophy of language, semiotic, and literary theory.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 330-C Advanced Symbolic
Logic (II)
A study of such topics as a natural
deduction system of quantification theory including consistency and completeness,
and decidability, elementary modal logic; and introductory set theory.
prerequisite: PHI 220
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 332-G Theories of Knowledge
(II)
A study of a variety of conceptions
of the structure and content of knowledge as found in classical and contemporary
epistemologies. Fundamental methods and principles of philosophical inquiry
are applied to questions about the ways in which concepts and theories
are generated in the physical and social sciences and to questions about
knowledge of what is of value, knowledge in philosophy, and knowledge in
the arts.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy, PSY 103 or 104 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 335-G Philosophy of Time
(II)
an inquiry into the nature of
time as it is treated by philosophers of classical and modern times.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
one course in physics
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 336-G Philosophy of Religion
(III)
A philosophical analysis of basic
concepts, principles, and problems of religious thought. Topics may include
faith and knowledge, religion and morality, divine attributes, arguments
for and against the existence of God, and the problem of evil.
Prerequisites: Two courses
in philosophy; one course in religious
studies
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 342-J History of Chinese
Philosophy (I)
Readings in translation of the
major texts of Chinese philosophy, including classical confusianism and
Taoism; Han dynasty developments of confucianism and Taoism; the skepticism
of Wang Ch'ung; the schools of Chinese Buddhism; Sung and Ming dynasty
Neo-Confucianism.
Prerequisites: PHI 111 or RLS
240 or 246 or 260; one other course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 344-Japanese Thought and
Philosophy (I)
An examination of major texts
in Japan's religious, poetic-artistic, and philosophical traditions down
to modern times. Topics may include Tendai, Shignon, Pure Land, and Zen
Buddhism; the cultural forms of Shinto religiosity, aesthetic concepts
such as miyabi; Tokugawa Neo-Confucianism and its impact on modern Japan;
philosophical aspects of the modern Japanese novel; the Kyoto school of
Buddhism.
Prerequisites: PHI 111 or RLS
240 or 246 or 260; one other course in philosophy
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 347-G Hermeneutics and
Deconstruction (III)
An exploration of the major assumptions,
commitments, methods, and strategies of hermeneutics and deconstruction.
The course examines how these two recent schools of thought have developed
out of the contemporary philosophical scene and how they have had such
a significant impact on literary theory, art criticism, text theory, social
theory, and the history of philosophy. Readings include selections from
the writing of Heidegger, Gadamer, Jauss, Ricoeur, Derrida, Kristeva, Lyotard,
Kofman, Irigaray, and others.
Prerequisites: Two course in philosophy
Spring, 3 credits
PHI 355-G Philosophy of Mind
(II)
Analysis of the major problems
in the philosophy of mind, e.g., the mind-body problem, the problem of
identity through time, the relation between thoughts and sensations, the
problem of the knowledge of other minds.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy
Spring, 3 credits
PHI 360-G Philosophy of Education
(III)
An inquiry into the function of
philosophic principles in educational theories and institutions. The inquiry
centers on the purposes of knowledge and education, the relations among
the sciences and their organization into curricula, and the ways knowledge
is acquired and transmitted.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; or one course in philosophy and one course related to education
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 363-G Philosophy of the
Social Sciences (III)
A study of the philosophical foundations
of the social sciences, applying principles and methods of philosophical
analysis to questions concerning the structures of social reality, the
methodological and epistemelogical status of the social sciences, and the
criteria for evidence and theory formation in the social sciences.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
two D.E.C. category F courses
Fall or Spring 3 credits (not
offered in l996-97)
PHI 354-H Philosophy of Technology
(III)
A systematic study of the interrelations
of human beings and their social institutions with the surrounding world
of nature and of technological artifacts. The impact of technological culture
on human beliefs and perceptions of the world is explored. This course
is interdisciplinary in scope, with readings from philosophy, anthropology,
literature, history, environmental studies, and other areas where technology
is of concern:
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
two D.E.C. category E courses
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI-366-G Philosophy and the
Environment (III)
Philosophical aspects of how human
beings relate to the natural world. Close consideration is given to the
meaning and scope of basic terms such as "nature," "the earth," "the atmosphere."
"wilderness." Also to be examined are philosophical issues in ecology,
e.g., those raised by the contemporary movements of deep ecology (which
investigates non-anthropocentric values inherent in nature) and ecological
feminism (which explores parallels between misogyny and the exploitation
of natural resources).
prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; or one course in philosophy and two D.E.C. category E courses
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 368-H Philosophy of Science
(III)
A course in the philosophy of
science using both historical and contemporary materials. Methodological
issues discussed include scientific explanation and prediction, the structure
of theories, the nature of scientific revolutions, and the role of laws
in science. Philosophic problems in understanding specific sciences and
their relation to each other are also considered, as are their relations
to other areas of philosophic concern, such as metaphysics.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
two D.E.C. category E courses
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 369 Philospohy of Mathematics
(III)
An investigation of philosophical
issues that arise in mathematics. Topics include foundational issues within
mathematics (logicism, formalism, institutionalism, and Platonism, as well
as recent theories of mathematical naturalism); the nature and existence
of mathematical objects; the nature of mathematical truth; the concept
of set; reinterpretations of the history of mathematics.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
one D.E.C. category C course
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 370-G Philosophical Psychology
(III)
An examination of traditional
philosophic theories concerning the nature of a person and their connection
to such theories in psychology as psychoanalysis, medical models of mental
illness and theories of behavior
modification.
Prerequisites: Two philosophy
courses; PSY 103 or 104 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 372-G Ethical Inquiry (II)
An intensive study of the methodological
principles governing the formation of ethical theories and ethical judgments
through an investigation of selected ethical problems.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; PHI 104 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 374-G Philosophy in Relation
to Other Disciplines (III)
The study of philosophy as it
affects and is affected by other disciplines such as anthropology, science,
sociology,the history of idea, theology, and psychology.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy
Schedule to be announced, 3 credits
PHI 375-G Philosophy of Law
(III)
An examination of the concept
of law and the nature of legal reasoning. The course explores the relationship
of law to other central philosophical and social idea such as freedom,
rights, morality, authority, welfare, property, justice, equality, and
consitutionalism.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy, or one course in philosophy and one course acceptable for socio-legal
studies minor
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 376-G Philosophy and Medicine
(III)
An investigation of the role that
philosophical concepts play in medical thinking and practice.
The course focusses on the philosophical
foundations of concepts of health and disease; concepts of right, responsibility,
and justice relevant to medical practice; promise-keeping and truth-telling
in the doctor-patient relationship, and specific moral problems that arise
in medical practice.
Prerequisites: One course in philosphy;
HIS 237 or 238 or SOC/HMC 200 or HMC 331 also recommended
Fall or Spring, 3credits
PHI 377-contemporary Political
Philosophy (III)
A critical examination of selected
issues in contemporary political philosopy, for example, the nature and
justification of basic rights, the legitimation of political authority,
and the various relations between ideals of social justice and democratic
rule. Readings represent contemporary views such as libertarianism, liberalism,
socialism, communitarianism, and feminism, and include selections by authors
such as Raws., Nozick, Dworkin, Walzer, Habermas, and Pateman. Crosslisted
with POL 377.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; PHI 105, 277, or 375 recommended; a 300 level political science
course is also recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 380-G Literature and Philosophy
(III)
An intensive study of the methods
and principles of the philosophical analysis of literature and the relations
between literature and philosophy. Primary texts are selected to demonstrate
the precise nature of the relationship. Topics vary from term to term.
Prerequisites: One philosophy
course; one literature course; PHI 109 or 110 recommended
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 381-G Aesthetics (II)
An intensive study of methods
and principles specific to the philosophical analysis of art through selected
classical texts in aesthetics (e.g., Plato's Phaedrus, Aristotle's Poetics,
Kant's Critique of Judgment, and Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy.) Discussions
focus on such problems as the ontology of the work of art, its epistemological
significance, the relation between fact and fiction, criteria of interpretation,
or the political import of art. Readings in the classical texts may be
supplemented by selections from contemporary authors.
Prerequisites: Two courses in
philosophy; one D.E.C. category D course
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
PHI 384-G Advanced Topics in
Feminist
Philosophy (III)
An intensive philosophical study
of selected topics of feminist concern. Topics are selected to further
the understanding of what effect feminism has upon the traditional tenets
of philosophy, such as universality and truth, as well as providing a detailed
understanding of particular feminist theories. Crosslisted with WNH 384.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy;
one course in women's studies; PHI/WNH 284 and one other course in women's
studies recommended
Schedule to be announced, 3 credits
PHI 391-G, 392-G Individual
Systems of the Great Philosophers (I)
A detailed study of the works
of a single great philosopher May be repeated s the topic varies.
Prerequisites: PHI 300 or 304
or 306 or 308 or 310 or 312
Schedule to be announced, 3 credits
each semester
PHI 393-G Analysis of Philosophic
Texts (I)
Detailed analysis of a major philosophic
text.
May be repeated as the topic varies.
Prerequisites: PHI 300 or 304
or 306 or 308 or 310 or 312
Fall or Spring, 3 credits
400 Level Courses
PHI 420 Advanced Topics in Philosophy
(I, II, III)
An advanced course treating a
specialized issue or topic in philosophy or in philosophy and another discipline.
The content of the course is announced before the start of the term. May
be repeated as the topic varies.
Prerequisites: Senior major standing
or five courses in philosophy
Schedule to be announced, 3 credits
PHI 435-Senior Seminar
An intensive study of an issue,
topic, figure, or historical period in philosophy intended to provide both
a culminating experience and final integration for senior philosophy majors.
This seminar emphasizes careful reading rigorous discussion, and extensive
writing at an advanced level. The content of the seminar is announced before
the start of the term, and students are consulted on the content as it
proceeds. Prerequisites: Senior major standing; six courses in philosophy;
satisfaction of upper-division writing requirement
Fall an Spring, 3 credits
PHI 475 Undergraduate Teaching
Practicum
Each student works with a faculty
member as an assistant in one of the faculty member's regularly scheduled
courses. The student attends all the classes and receives regularly scheduled
supervision from the faculty member. Responsibilities may include conducting
periodic recitations to supplement a lecture course, preparation of materials
used for class discussion, and helping students with study problems and
research papers Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only.
Prerequisites: Prior preparation
in subject field; permission of instructor and director of undergraduate
studies
Fall and Spring, 3 credits
PHI 489 Readings and Research
in the History of Philosophy (I)
Advanced-level inquiry with individualized
instruction in the great philosophies of the past. Consult undergraduate
advisor for specific details May be repeated.
Prerequisites: Senior major standing;
permission of department
Fall and Spring, 1 to 6 credits
PHI 490 Readings and Research
in the Uses of Philosophy (III)
Advanced-level inquiry with individualized
instruction in the application of philosophical tools to one of the special
disciplines. Consult undergraduate advisor or specific details.
May be repeated.
Prerequisites: Senior major standing;
permission of department
Fall and Spring, 1 to 6 credits