Philosophy Department

Course Descriptions

Philosophy

• PHL 101Y - Introduction to Philosophy

  Credits: 3. (R-12) Offered yearly. An introduction to philosophy through examination of the thought of selected great philosophers or of traditional positions on classical philosophical problems.

  Course Attributes:

  • American and European

• PHL 102Y - Topical Intro to Philosophy

  Credits: 1 TO 4. (R-9) Offered yearly. An introduction to philosophy through examination of a selected topic (such as existentialism, philosophy of film, technology and the good life, science and society, philosophy of religion).

  Course Attributes:

  • American and European

• PHL 110E - Introduction to Ethics

  Credits: 3. 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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Ethical & Human Values Course

• PHL 112E - Intro Ethics and Environment

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  An introductory-level ethics course with a special interest in the natural environment.  The course will (a) introduce students to the three classical traditions in ethics - virtue, Kantianism, and utilitarianism, (b) ground these theories in questions about the moral status of non-humans and our moral duties to non-humans, (c) include an applied section of the course that will cover animal welfare, biotechnology, and other current topics.

  Course Attributes:

  • Ethical & Human Values Course

• PHL 114E - Intro to Political Ethics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. 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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Ethical & Human Values Course

• PHL 191 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• PHL 198 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• PHL 210E - Moral Philosophy

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., philosophy major or minor, or consent of instr.  An examination of leading approaches to moral philosophy through a careful reading of classical texts in the Western tradition.  A more thorough treatment of the material offered in PHL 110E.  Intended primarily for philosophy majors and minors.

  Course Attributes:

  • Ethical & Human Values Course
  • Writing Course-Intermediate

• PHL 233 - Intro to Logic: Deduction

  Credits: 3. 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.

• PHL 235 - Intro to Logic: Induction

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., PHL 233 or equivalent, or consent of instr.  A study of the formal principles of reasoning from evidence. 

• PHL 241N - Hist & Philosophy of Science

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. 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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Historical & Cultural Course
  • Natural Science Course

• PHL 261Y - History of Ancient Philosophy

  Credits: 3. Offered autumn. Introduction to the central works of Plato and Aristotle, with an overview of Presocratic and Hellenistic philosophy.

  Course Attributes:

  • American and European

• PHL 262Y - History of Modern Philosophy

  Credits: 3. Offered spring. A survey of the history of philosophy from Descartes to Kant, which includes other continental rationalists and the British Empiricists.

  Course Attributes:

  • American and European

• PHL 291 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• PHL 292 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

• PHL 298 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• PHL 301 - Knowledge and Reality

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Selected topics in one or more of the following areas: epistemology (the study of knowledge), philosophy of science, metaphysics. Intended primarily for non-majors.

• PHL 311 - The Good, Right, Beautiful

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Selected topics in one or more of the following areas: ethics, philosophy of mind/action, aesthetics. Intended primarily for non-majors.

• PHL 316 - Historical Figures in Phil

  Credits: 3. (R-9)Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Study of one or more historically significant philosophers. Intended primarily for non-majors.

• PHL 321E - Philosophy & Biomedical Ethics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr.  An examination of ethical problems raised by the practice of medicine and by recent developments in medically-related biological sciences.

  Course Attributes:

  • Ethical & Human Values Course

• PHL 323 - Ethics of Climate Change

  Credits: 3. This course will examine some of the fundamental issues raised by global climate change and consider how environmental ethics might help to address these issues. Students will become acquainted with the essential elements of climate change science and be provided with an introduction to contemporary approaches to environmental ethics that have developed out of the primary ethical traditions of western thought: deontological (Kantian) ethics, utilitarian ethics, and virtue ethics. In addition, the course will examine alternative understandings of the appropriate relationship between humans and the natural world including: “Deep Ecology” and Native American perspectives.

• PHL 351 - Philosophy and Feminism

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr. Study of what distinguishes feminist from traditional approaches to ethics. May also examine other relevant areas of philosophy, including epistemology, political theory, philosophy of science and environment.

• PHL 363 - Ancient Greek and Roman Phil

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. 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. Cannot receive credit for both PHL 363 and MCLG 362H.

• PHL 370 - Philosophy of Religion

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently.  Prereq., upper-division standing or consent of instr.  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.

• PHL 390 - Research

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

  Course Attributes:

  • Research & Creative Schlrshp

• PHL 391 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

• PHL 392 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

• PHL 394 - Seminar

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary.

• PHL 398 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• PHL 405 - 20th Century Analytic Phil

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered intermittently.  Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, PHL 233, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr.  Intensive study of the work of one or more philosophers (such as Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein) or historical introduction to the major issues and figures of 20th century philosophy in the analytic tradition (with readings from Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine and others).

• PHL 406 - Contemp Issues Analytic Phil

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, PHL 233, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr.  Examination of contemporary issues in analytic philosophy focusing on one or more of the following topics:  philosophy of language, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind.

• PHL 412 - Ethics and Public Affairs

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Examination of morally relevant issues in government, journalism, education and other social institutions. Issues considered may include just war theory, deception, confidentiality, conflict of interest, privacy, paternalism responsibilities in conflict with other institutions, and responsibilities across national boundaries, among others.

• PHL 422 - Environmental Philosophy

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Critical exploration of selected philosophical and literary texts pertinent to the ethics of human relationships with the natural environment.

• PHL 427 - Topics in Philosophy of Art

  Credits: 1 TO 4. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Examination of philosophical problems related to particular arts and discussion of the nature of the arts. Topics considered may include music, visual arts, literature, and film.

• PHL 429 - Philosophy in Literature

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Philosophical thought in selected works of literature.

• PHL 445 - Central Issues Phil of Science

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. 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.

• PHL 449 - Hist Moral and Political Phil

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in the history of moral philosophy and/or political philosophy.

• PHL 450 - Contemp Moral/Political Theory

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Recent theories in ethics and their implications; recent work in political theory, emphasizing contemporary liberalism and its critics.

• PHL 455 - Phil of Society and Culture

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. A philosophical examination of cultural forces shaping modern society, forces such as science, technology, or domesticity.

• PHL 462 - Early Modern Philosophy

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more of the major philosophers from the early modern period (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume).

• PHL 464 - Kant

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

• PHL 465 - Plato

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 261Y, or consent of instr.  Reading and interpretation of selected works.

• PHL 466 - Aristotle

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 261Y, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected works.

• PHL 467 - 19th Century Continental Phil

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more 19th century continental philosophers (such as Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche).

• PHL 468 - 20th Century Continental Phil

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., upper-division standing, PHL 210E, and PHL 262Y, or consent of instr. Intensive study of the work of one or more 20th century continental philosophers (such as Heidegger, Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Ricoeur, Derrida) or several texts representing a major movement in 20th century continental thought (such as Phenomenology, Existentialism, Hermeneutics, Post-structuralism).

• PHL 490 - Research

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

  Course Attributes:

  • Research & Creative Schlrshp

• PHL 491 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (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.

• PHL 492 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student.

• PHL 494 - Seminar

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary.

• PHL 498 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (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.

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• PHL 499 - Senior Seminar

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered spring. Prereq., senior standing and philosophy major or philosophy minor, or consent of instr. Research in problems in philosophy.

  Course Attributes:

  • Writing Course-Advanced

• PHL 501 - Philosophy of Technology

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered once every two years. Reading and interpretation of selected writings that address central issues in the philosophy of technology. Level: Graduate

• PHL 502 - Topics in Value Theory

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered yearly. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in value theory. Level: Graduate

• PHL 504 - Topics in Environ Philosophy

  Credits: 3. (R-9) Offered yearly. Same as ENST 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 interested students from all disciplines. Level: Graduate

• PHL 505 - Issues in the Anthropocene

  Credits: 3. (R-6) Offered once every two years. Reading and interpretation of selected writings in contemporary environmental philosophy. Level: Graduate

• PHL 507 - Philosophical Foundations of Ecology

  Credits: 3. In this seminar we will look at some of the key papers in philosophy of ecology (and perhaps, more broadly, environmental philosophy). Some of the topics covered will be: whether nature can be thought to be in balance, the complexity-stability debate, the role and nature of models in ecology, whether there are laws of ecology, whether communities and ecosystems are "super-organisms" or simple aggregates, what biodiversity is and why we should care about it.

• PHL 510 - Phil Forum Colloquium

  Credits: 1. (R-3) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Discussion and further exploration of issues presented at the weekly Philosophy Forum. Level: Graduate

• PHL 521 - Theory & Skills for Ethics

  Credits: 3. Offered intermittently. Exploration and critical reflection of concepts and significant issues in the teaching of practical ethics in classroom and corporate settings. Level: Graduate

• PHL 581 - Thesis Proposal Prep

  Credits: 1 TO 2. (R-2) Offered every semester. Preparation of a thesis or manuscript based on research for presentation and/or publication. Level: Graduate

• PHL 590 - Research

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Research & Creative Schlrshp

• PHL 591 - Special Topics

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics. Level: Graduate

• PHL 592 - Independent Study

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

• PHL 593 - Professional Paper

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Faculty-Led Study Abroad

• PHL 594 - Seminar

  Credits: 1 TO 9. (R-9) Offered intermittently. A review and discussion of current research. Topics vary. Level: Graduate

• PHL 598 - Internship

  Credits: 1 TO 12. (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. Level: Graduate

  Course Attributes:

  • Internships/Practicums

• PHL 599 - Thesis

  Credits: 1 TO 6. (R-9) Offered every semester. Prereq., approval of a thesis proposal by the student's thesis committee. Level: Graduate