Summer Session

PHI 100: Concepts of the Person

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: B SBC: CER; HUM

An introduction to philosophy through readings and discussion on topics such as human identity, human understanding, and human values.

PHI 103: Philosophic Problems

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: B SBC: HUM; SBS

An introduction to philosophy through the analysis of one or more aspects of contemporary life such as technology, war, international relations, families and friendships, or race, class and gender. A variety of texts are used.

PHI 104: Moral Reasoning

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: B SBC: CER; HUM

An 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 moral issues.

PHI 105: Politics and Society

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: G SBC: CER; DIV; HUM

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.

PHI 108: Logical and Critical Reasoning

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: B SBC: ESI; HUM

The principal aim of this course is to help a student acquire the skills of 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. Material is intended for freshmen and sophomores.

PHI 112: Technology and Modern Life

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: H SBC: STAS

Investigates the history as well as the present and potential future impact of technology and artifacts not only on material human life but also on the human experience of the world. It addresses ethical questions concerning the uses and abuses of technology as well as asking such questions as whether technology is neutral and merely instrumental or should be seen as having a more profound impact on human life.

PHI 113: Philosophical Engineering

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: B SBC: HUM; TECH

We all apply specialized knowledge and tools to solve practical problems. Engineers do it in a special way, using a particular kind of technical knowledge, and particular kinds of tools, to solve society's problems. This course, accessible to the non-engineering major, is an introduction to what makes engineering similar to and different from other kinds of problem-solving. Students discuss the social and humanistic contexts of engineering, its implications for human identity and experience, and its political and ethical implications. For their final projects, students work individually or in teams in a simple engineering project.

PHI 116: Philosophy/America's Founding

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: G SBC: HUM; USA

Study of philosophical ideas and authors that influenced and composed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Understanding how the concepts in these documents connect to such thinkers and philosophers as Locke, Montesquieu, Hume and appear again in the writings of Jefferson, Paine, Madison and the Federalist Papers.

PHI 264: Philosophy and the Arts

Undergraduate 3 credits

Advisory Prerequisite: U2 standing or one PHI, ARH, MUS, or THR course

DEC: D SBC: ARTS; HUM

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.

PHI 336: Philosophy of Religion

Undergraduate 3 credits

Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or one course in religious studies; or permission of the depa rtment

DEC: G SBC: CER; HFA+

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.

PHI 353: Philosophy of Mind

Undergraduate 3 credits

Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or one in philosophy and one in psychology; or permission of the department

DEC: G SBC: ESI; HFA+

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.

PHI 370: Philosophical Psychology

Undergraduate 3 credits

Prerequisite: one PHI course and PSY course; or permission of the department Advisory Prerequisite: PHI 100 or 104

DEC: G SBC: HFA+; SBS+

An examination of philosophical issues and some psychological theories concerning the nature of the person and the sources of the self. The course includes such topics as the dimensions of the person, the nature of conscious life, the scope of human cognition, and gender identity.

PHI 375: Philosophy of Law

Undergraduate 3 credits

Prerequisite: PHI 104 or PHI 105 or two courses in philosophy; or permission of the department

DEC: G SBC: CER; HFA+

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 ideas such as freedom, rights, morality, authority, welfare, property, justice, equality, and constitutionalism.