Philosophy (PHIL)

This introductory course examines a broad range of contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues in various contexts including bio-medical (ethics), sociological, philosophical (ontology, metaphysics, epistemology), political (political philosophy), racial and sexual (feminist philosophy).

This introductory course examines a broad range of contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues in various contexts including bio-medical (ethics), sociological, philosophical (ontology, metaphysics, epistemology), political (political philosophy), racial and sexual (feminist philosophy).

The course compares and integrates insights from three interrelated disciplines – philosophy, psychology, and religion that correspond to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human existence. Students learn the four basic foundations of knowledge: reason, authority, the senses, and experience that are used by each of the three disciplines in their search for truth. Following this framework, the course surveys a wide variety of theories and beliefs and offers a critical analysis comparing their similarities and differences. Students explore, discuss, and evaluate the basic positions of most of the world's great philosophers, psychologists, and theologians - from Socrates and Descartes to Sartre, from Freud and Skinner to Maslow, and from Buddha and Jesus to Buber.

This course addresses ancient western philosophy with emphasis on the development of Greek philosophy from the Pre-Socratics through Aristotle and may also include Stoic, Hellenistic, Roman, medieval or non-western thinkers. An emphasis will be placed on reading ancient primary texts critically.

This course surveys 16th through 18th century European philosophical perspectives with an emphasis on the metaphysical, and epistemological developments of the period. Emphasis will also be placed on critically reading the primary texts from this period.

A general introduction to some of the fundamental questions, texts, and methods of philosophy. Topics may include the nature of reality, the existence of God, free will, morality, race and gender, personal identity, social justice, knowledge and skepticism.

A general introduction to some of the fundamental questions, texts, and methods of philosophy. Topics may include the nature of reality, the existence of God, free will, morality, race and gender, personal identity, social justice, knowledge and skepticism.

This course examines moral theories and the application of moral theories, arguments, and principles to contemporary moral issues. Topics covered include: Can moral claims be objectively true? How do major moral theories attempt to provide an objective basis for morality? How should we resolve contemporary moral issues such as (but not limited to) abortion, animal rights, censorship, economic justice, global warming, immigration, mass incarceration, racism, and terrorism?

This course examines moral theories and the application of moral theories, arguments, and principles to contemporary moral issues. Topics covered include: Can moral claims be objectively true? How do major moral theories attempt to provide an objective basis for morality? How should we resolve contemporary moral issues such as (but not limited to) abortion, animal rights, censorship, economic justice, global warming, immigration, mass incarceration, racism, and terrorism?

This course provides a broad introduction to some of the main philosophical traditions from around the world, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, Shinto, and American Indian Philosophy. The major themes to be examined include the metaphysical nature of reality, humanity and divinity; the meaning of life; the role of the individual and society; and the effects of history, geography, religion and culture on belief systems.

This course will examine the philosophical thought of existentialist writers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Husserl, Tillich, Heidegger, Camus, and Dostoevsky. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of recurring themes such as freedom, individuality, meaning and value, and the existence of God.

This course will examine feminist thought on philosophical issues in the history of feminist philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, feminist philosophy of language and science, intersectionality, and ethics, politics, and aesthetics.

This course will examine feminist thought on philosophical issues in the history of feminist philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, feminist philosophy of language and science, intersectionality, and ethics, politics, and aesthetics.

This class focuses on the improvement of practical reasoning skills. Students will learn to detect and avoid common argument fallacies. Students will develop the knowledge and habits needed to make decisions between conflicting ideas and beliefs. Applications are made to both contemporary and perennial issues, such as current political events, marketing and advertising, and the news media. Students will also learn the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning, and will learn some basic deductive argument forms.

Introduction to logic introduces some principles of valid reasoning with an emphasis on deductive logic. Ordinary language will be translated into sentential logic, and syntax versus semantics will be discussed. Methods of determining validity will be explored including truth tables and the proof method in sentential logic.

This course examines the philosophical themes within the world''s religions. Central questions include: Does God exist? How can God be known? What is the nature of God/Ultimate Reality? Why is there evil? Can conflicting religions still be true? The course will focus on understanding and critically analyzing the claims of the world's religions.

This course examines some of the main issues within political philosophy. Topics include the justification of political authority, property and the state, the individual and the state, as well as special topics. This course examines various perspectives including those of marginalized groups and special populations.

This course will examine ethical issues in business. Topics will include environmental concerns, the distribution of wealth, informational ethics, privacy and autonomy, and affirmative action. These will be discussed in the context of moral theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and care ethics. This course is not open for credit to students who have completed Management 16.

This course is an introduction to the formal techniques of evaluating arguments. These formal techniques include propositional logic, truth trees, natural deduction, and quantificational logic.