• A-Z Index
• Telephone Directory
• Calendar
• Home

• Davidson Honors College
• College of Arts and Sciences
  • African American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Applied Science
  • Asian Studies
  • Division of Biological Sciences
    • Biochemistry
    • Biological Station
    • Biology
    • Medical Technology
    • Microbiology
    • Pre Medical Sciences
  • Central and Southwest Asian Studies
  • Chemistry
  • Communication Studies
  • Comparative Literature
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • English/Film
  • Environmental Studies
  • Geography
  • Geosciences
  • History
  • Human and Family Development
  • International Development Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Liberal Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Military Science
  • Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
  • Native American Studies
  • Nonprofit Administration
  • Philosophy
  • Physics and Astronomy
  • Political Science
  • Pre Engineering
  • Pre Law
  • Pre Nursing
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian Studies
  • Science
  • Sociology
  • Women’s and Gender Studies
• College of Forestry and Conservation
  • Forestry
  • Wild Land Restoration
  • Recreation Management
  • Resource Conservation
  • Wilderness Studies
  • Wildlife Biology
• College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences
  • Skaggs School of Pharmacy
  • School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
  • School of Social Work
  • Health Sciences
  • Public Health
• College of Technology
  • Applied Arts and Sciences
  • Applied Computing and Electronics Technology
  • Business Technology
  • Health Professions
  • Industrial Technology
• Graduate School
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Intercultural Youth and Family Development
• Mansfield Center
• Mansfield Library
• School of Business Administration
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Information Systems and Technology
  • Management and Marketing
• School of Education
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Counseling
  • Communicative Science and Disorders
  • Educational Leadership
  • Health and Human Performance
• School of Fine Arts
  • Art
  • Drama/Dance
  • Media Arts
  • Music
• School of Journalism
  • Journalism and Radio-Television
• School of Law
• Continuing Education and Summer Programs
• Undergraduate Advising Center

Department of Philosophy

David Sherman, 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 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. More information is available online: www.cas.umt.edu/phil/.

Special Degree Requirements

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, 215, 251H and 252H; at least 21 credits in courses numbered 300 and above, including PHIL 300E, 480 and one course from each of the following groups: History (PHIL 452, 453, 461, 463); Value Theory (PHIL 325E, 340L, 421E, 422E, 427E, 429E, 441E, 444, 477); Continental (PHIL 465, 467); Logic and Analytic Philosophy (PHIL 410, 411, 469, 471). A PHIL 395 or 495 Special Topics course may be used to count as a course from any of the above four groups as its topic makes appropriate (consult the Department advisor). Majors are expected to complete lower-division requirements before beginning upper-division work. No credit toward the major will be awarded for any course (including required language courses) in which the student receives a grade less than a C-.

The Upper-division Writing Expectation must be met by successfully completing PHIL 300E and 480. All philosophy majors must complete at least three semesters of a foreign language (though four semesters are recommended) or certify equivalent competency. Recommended languages for philosophy are Greek, Latin, French, and German.

Suggested Course of Study

Students should not neglect mathematics and the physical and biological sciences in choosing elective courses. Philosophy majors are encouraged to pursue a minor in another discipline.

Requirements for a Minor

To earn a minor in philosophy the student must complete: PHIL 210, 215, 251H, 252H, 300E, and an additional course numbered above 300.

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. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.

Philosophy (PHIL)

U 100 Introduction to Philosophy 3 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. An introduction to philosophy through examination of the thought of selected great philosophers or of traditional positions on classical philosophical problems.

U 105 Topical Introduction to Philosophy 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An introduction to philosophy through examination of selected themes. Themes will vary; existentialism, technology and the good life, philosophy or religion, philosophy of film, and science and society are examples.

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 Internship 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 Internship Services office. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

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 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: Applied Logic 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHIL 210 or equivalent, or consent of instr. Elementary principles of reasoning from evidence. Emphasis on effective evaluation of information and argument in public discourse.

U 215 Philosophical Reasoning 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., philosophy major or minor or consent of instr. Focus on basic skills essential to success in philosophy; careful reading, critical analysis, and well-structured writing. Emphasis on repeated practice in recognizing, reading, analyzing, and writing philosophical arguments. Intended primarily for philosophy majors and minors.

U 223E Business and Ethics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An analysis of ethical conflicts that may arise in business.

U 240H History and Philosophy of Science 3cr. Offered intermittently. Same as HIST 240H. The epistemological and metaphysical developments of natural philosophy or science. The origins of science in ancient Greece, and its subsequent developments during the scientific revolution. Developments in biology, especially Darwinism and genetics, and developments in physics.

U 251H History of Ancient Philosophy 3 cr. Offered autumn. The origin of philosophy in ancient Greece and its development in the Roman Empire.

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 Internship Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office.. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

U 300E Moral Philosophy 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHIL 215. Development of the fundamental principles grounding moral reasoning in the Western tradition. A more thorough treatment of the material offered in PHIL 200E intended for the philosophy majors or prepared students who are interested in a rigorous introduction to the foundations of ethics.

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.

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

U 362H Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as MCLG 362H and LS 362H. Examination of the thought of the philosophers of Greece and Rome as expressed in original works read in English translation. Ancient philosophy studied within its historical, linguistic and cultural setting.

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

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 intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

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

U 398 Internship 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

UG 410 Formal Logic: Scope and Limits 3 cr. Offered intermittently. 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 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 201E. Recent theories in ethics and their implications; recent work in political theory, emphasizing contemporary liberalism and its critics.

UG 427E Ethics and the Environment 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHIL 202E or PHIL300E. 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 430 Topics in the Philosophy of Religion 3 cr. Offered intermittently. An examination of one or more of the classic problems of Western philosophy of religion, such as the traditional arguments for and against the existence of God, the relationship of faith and reason, the status of religious experience, the problem of evil, and the problem of reconciling divine omniscience with human freedom.

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 may include deception, confidentiality, conflict 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 considered may include music, visual arts, literature, and film.

UG 452 Early 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 spring even numbered years. Prereq., PHIL 252H or PHIL 452 or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

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

UG 463 Aristotle 3 cr. Offered every other spring. 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 or consent of instr. 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 20 Century Analytic Philosophy th 3 cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Readings in analytic philosophy, contemporary empiricism, and contemporary pragmatism.

UG 471 Topics in the Philosophy of Language 3 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing. Same as LING 482. Discussion of one or more of the following topics: theories of meaning, theories of reference, pragmatics, the origin of language, psycholinguistics, and foundations of linguistic theory.

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 spring. 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.

U 498 Internship 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

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

G 502 Topics in Value Theory 3 cr. (R-6) Offered every year.

G 503 Topics in the History of Philosophy 3 cr. (R-6) Offered every year.

G 504 Topics in Environmental Philosophy 3 cr. (R-9) 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 505 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy 3 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.

G 506 Nature, Language and Politics 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Same as ENLT 524. 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 Theory and Skills for Teaching Ethics 3 cr. Offered every summer. Exploration and critical reflection of concepts and significant issues in the teaching of practical ethics in classroom and corporate settings.

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

G 530 Research Ethics Online 1 cr. Offered every term. Online asynchronous instruction in ethical issues in research; interpersonal, institutional, and professional responsibility; research with animals and human participants. Interactive case studies in biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences.

G 581 Thesis Proposal Preparation Variable cr. (R-2) Offered intermittently.

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. For students in the M.A. in Teaching Ethics and AGS options.

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 Internship 1-12 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of faculty supervisor and the Internship Services office. Extended classroom experience which provides practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus.

G 599 Thesis Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., approval of a thesis proposal by the student’s thesis committee.

Faculty

Professors

• Albert Borgmann, Ph.D., University of Munich, 1963
• Deborah Slicer, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1989

Associate Professor

• David Sherman, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1999 (Chair)

Assistant Professors

• Bridget Clarke, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2003
• Armond Duwell, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2004
• Stephen Grimm, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 2005
• Paul Muench, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2006
• Christopher Preston, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1999

Adjunct Associate Professor

• Mark Hanson, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1993

Adjunct Assistant Professors

• Sean O’Brien, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1989

Emeritus Professors

• Thomas Birch, Ph.D., University of Texas, 1969
• Thomas P. Huff, Ph.D., Rice University, 1968
• Ray Lanfear, Ph.D., Rice University, 1968.
• Fred McGlynn, M.A., Northwestern University, 1965
• Burke A. Townsend, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 1976
• Richard E. Walton, M.A., Claremont Graduate School, 1970