Burke Townsend, Chair

Philosophy is the search for an understanding of how the world as a whole hangs together and of how we are to assume our place in the world. Philosophy pursues its goal first of all historically. It is the trustee of the heritage of great philosophical texts, and it engages those texts in a conversation with contemporary problems. Second, philosophy turns to the contemporary world directly and tries to illuminate and advance its concerns with ethics and art, with science and technology, with ecology and feminism, with law and medicine. Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees are offered.

Special Degree Requirements back to top

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.
The following requirements must be completed for the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in philosophy: a minimum of 33 credits including PHIL 210, 251H, 252H, 410; at least 20 credits in courses numbered 300 and above; at least one of the following three courses: 453, 461, 463; at least one of the following two courses: 465, 467; at least one of the following two courses: 411, 469; and PHIL 480. Normally students are expected to complete PHIL 251H and 252H by the end of their sophomore year.
The Upper-division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing an upper-division writing course from the approved list in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog. See index.
All philosophy majors must complete at least three semesters of one of the following languages: French, German, Latin, or Greek. Substitution of another language may be allowed by petition to the department.

Suggested Course of Study back to top

Requirements for a Minor back to top

To earn a minor in philosophy the student must complete: PHIL 210, 251H, 252H; at least two additional courses numbered above 300, at least one of which must be from the following group: PHIL 340L, 422E, 477.

Courses

U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.

U 100 Introduction to Philosophy 3 cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Great philosophers, problems of philosophy, or topics of general contemporary concern.

U 105 Introduction to Existentialism 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Introduction to basic ideas of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus which form the foundation for what is known as Existentialism; literary works as well as philosophic essays. Intended for nonmajors as well as majors.

U 119H Philosophical Perspectives on Women in the Western Hemisphere 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as LS and WS 119H. Introduction to the discipline and scope of Western philosophy focusing on women as the subject rather than men. A chronological study following the ideological development in the West of social attitudes and scientific theses.

U 190 Supervised Internship 1 6 cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department chair.

U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 198 Cooperative Education Experience 1 6 cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Center for Work-Based Learning.

U 200E Ethics: The Great Traditions 3 cr. Offered every term. An examination of the Western vision of morality through the careful study of selected writings from Aristotle, Kant and Mill. Additional works in ethics may supplement primary readings.

U 201E Political Ethics 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. An examination of the issues of political ethics through the careful study of selected writings from the three great Western political traditions: classical natural law theory, modern individualism, and contemporary distributive justice.

U 210 Introduction to Logic: Deduction 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Understanding general principles of reasoning and the habits of clear and correct thinking. Emphasis on the analysis of the logical structure of claims in natural language and the skills of elementary deductive inference.

U 211 Introduction to Logic: Inductive and Scientific Reasoning 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHIL 210. Elementary principles of induction and scientific reasoning. Emphasis on effective evaluation of information and argument in public discourse.

U 251H History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy 3 cr. Offered autumn. The origin of philosophy in ancient Greece; its development in the Roman Empire; its encounter with the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.

U 252H History of Modern Philosophy 3 cr. Offered spring. A survey of the history of philosophy from Descartes to Hegel, which includes other Continental Rationalists, the British Empiricists, and Kant.

U 290 Supervised Internship Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department chair.

U 295 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 296 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.

U 298 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Center for Work-Based Learning.. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.

U 323E Business and Ethics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. An analysis of ethical conflicts that may arise in business.

U 325E Morality and the Law 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. Analysis of moral reasoning in Anglo American law, emphasizing certain ethical and legal concepts and the role of the Supreme Court.

U 340L Aesthetics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. The
nature of aesthetic experience, of the standards of art criticism, and of the kinds of knowledge communicated by art. Readings from philosophers, artists, and art critics.

U 375 Agriculture, Society and Ecology 1 cr. Offered every spring. Same as EVST and SOC 375. Lecture series that accompanies cooperative education credit for students participating in the Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS).

U 390 Supervised Internship 1 12 cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department chair.

U 391 Agriculture in the Humanities and Fine Arts 1 cr. Offered autumn. Same as LS 391. Lecture series that accompanies cooperative education credit for students in Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS).

U 393 Omnibus Variable cr. ( R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent work under the University omnibus option. See index.

U 394 Seminar Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses or one time offerings of current topics.

U 396 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermitently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 397 Research Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 398 Cooperative Education Experience 1 12 cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Center for Work-Based Learning. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.

UG 410 Formal Logic: Scope and Limits 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHIL 210 or equiv. A systematic study of first order logic, including development of standard metatheory and the significance of modern formal methods.

UG 411 Philosophy of Science 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. A consideration of philosophical issues relating to the nature of modern physical science: method, explanation, theory, progress, space/time, causality, relation of science to philosophy.

UG 412 Philosophy of the Social Sciences 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Philosophical issues relating to the nature of social science: human behavior, relation of social science to philosophy and physical science.

UG 421E Medical Ethics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing and lower division course in Perspective 5, or consent of instr. An examination of ethical problems raised by the practice of medicine and by recent developments in medically related biological sciences.

UG 422E Contemporary Moral and Political Theory 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHIL 200E or 210E. Recent theories in ethics and their implications; recent work in political theory, emphasizing contemporary liberalism and its critics..

UG 427E Environmental Ethics 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., lower division course in Perspective 5 or consent of instr. Same as EVST 427E. Critical exploration of selected philosophical and literary texts pertinent to the ethics of human relationships with the natural environment.

UG 429E Feminist Ethics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower division perspective 5 course or consent of instr., PHIL 200 strongly recommended. Examination of the implications for philosophic ethics of the claim that Western men and women have different moral perspectives.

UG 441E Philosophy in Literature 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing or consent of instr. Philosophical thought in selected works of literature.

UG 443E Ethics and Public Affairs 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., lower division perspective 5 course or consent of instr. Examination of morally relevant issues in government, journalism, education and other social institutions. Issues considered include deception, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, privacy, paternalism, responsibilities in conflict with other institutions and responsibilities across national boundaries, among others.

UG 444 Topics in the Philosophy of the Arts 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Examination of philosophical problems related to the particular arts and discussion of the nature of the arts. Topics include music, visual arts, literature, and film.

UG 450 Classical Modern Philosophy 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn even-numbered years. Prereq., PHIL 252H or consent of instr. Intensive reading of one major philosopher from the rationalist tradition (Descartes, Spinoza or Leibniz) and one from the empiricist tradition (Locke, Berkeley or Hume).

UG 453 Kant 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., PHIL 252H or PHIL 450 or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

UG 455 Politics and Culture 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Study of the ways political processes and cultural issues shape and modify one another in contemporary western societies.

UG 461 Plato 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., PHIL 251H. General introduction to the philosophy of Plato emphasizing dialogues of the Early and Middle periods.

UG 463 Aristotle 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., PHIL 251H. General introduction to Aristotle. Early biological writings, Categories, De Interpretatione, Nicomachean Ethics, selections from Physics, De Anima and Metaphysics.

UG 465 Major Philosophers of the 19th Century 3 cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., PHIL 252H. Selection to be announced in the class schedule.

UG 467 20th Century Continental Philosophy 3 cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Intensive study of the work of one philosopher (Heidegger, Husserl, Sartre, Merleau Ponty, Ricoeur, Derrida, etc.) or several texts representing a major movement in 20th century continental thought (Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Post structuralism, etc.)

UG 469 20th Century Anglo American Philosophy 3 cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Readings in analytic philosophy, contemporary empiricism, and contemporary pragmatism.

UG 471 Philosophy of Language 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Same as LING 482. Structure and functions of natural and ideal languages; the relation of language to thought and reality.

UG 475H Oriental Thought 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. Philosophical themes in some Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist literature.

UG 477 Philosophy of Society and Culture 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper division standing. A philosophical examination of cultural forces shaping modern society, forces such as science, technology, or domesticity.

UG 480 Senior Seminar 3 cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., senior standing. Research in problems in philosophy.

U 490 Supervised Internship Variable cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department chair.

U 493 Omnibus Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Independent work under the University omnibus option. See index.

UG 494 Seminar Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

U 496 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 497 Research Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

G 501 Topics in Epistemology, Philosophy of Technology and Philosophy of Science 3 cr. (R 6) Offered every year.

G 502 Topics in Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy 3 cr. (R 6) Offered every year.

G 503 Topics in the Philosophy of Art and Religion 3 cr. (R 6) Offered every year.

G 504 Colloquium in the Philosophy of Ecology 3 cr. (R 6) Offered autumn and spring. Same as EVST 504. Critical study/discussion of current (as well as benchmark) texts and issues in environmental ethics, environmental politics, and the philosophy of ecology. Interdisciplinary; open to concerned students from all disciplines.

G 506 Nature, Language and Politics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as ENLT 524 and EVST 506. Investigation of environmental, social and political thought from the perspective of contemporary language theory.

G 510 Philosophy Forum Colloquium 1 cr. (R 3) Offered intermittently. Prereq., graduate standing. Discussion and further exploration of issues presented at the weekly Philosophy Forum.

G 520 Seminar in Foundations of Ethics 4 cr. Offered summer. Major traditions in Western moral philosophy along with feminist and non-Western critiques.

G 521 Teaching Ethics Pro-Seminar, Part I 2 cr. Offered autumn. Exploration of significant issues in the teaching and application of practical ethics.

G 522 Teaching Ethics Pro-Seminar, Part II 2 cr. Offered spring. Exploration of significant issues in the teaching and application of practical ethics.

G 523 Practicum in Teaching Ethics 4 cr. Prereq., M.A. teaching ethics emphasis candidates. Field experience in a post-secondary classroom or off campus learning environment. Field work includes lession planning, teaching, and evaluation.

G 590 Supervised Internship 1 12 cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and department chair.

G 593 Professional Paper Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently.

G 594 Seminar Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently.

G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

G 596 Independent Study Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

G 597 Research Variable cr. (R 9) Offered intermittently. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

G 598 Cooperative Education Experience 1 12 cr. (R 12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Center for Work-Based Learning. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.

G 599 Thesis Variable cr. (R 6) Offered intermittently.

Faculty back to top

Professors

Thomas H. Birch, Jr., Ph.D., University of Texas, 1969 (Emeritus)
Albert Borgmann, Ph.D., University of Munich, 1963
Deni Elliott, Ed.D., Harvard University, 1984
Phillip R. Fandozzi, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 1974
Thomas P. Huff, Ph.D., Rice University, 1968
Ray Lanfear, Ph.D., Rice University, 1968 (Emeritus)
John F. Lawry, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1960 (Emeritus)
Fred McGlynn, M.A., Northwestern University, 1965 (Emeritus)
Ron Perrin, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 1971 (Emeritus)
Burke A. Townsend, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 1976 (Chair)
Maxine Van de Wetering, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1970 (Emeritus)
Richard E. Walton, B.A., The University of Montana, 1964, 1966

Associate Professor

Deborah Slicer, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1989

Assistant Professors

Irene Appelbaum, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1995
David Sherman, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1999

Adjunct Assistant Professors

David Clark, Ph.D., Purdue University, 1979
Mark Hanson, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1993
Sean O'Brien, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1989