Philosophy
Course Offerings -
Fall 2005
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Phil 1000-01 |
Introduction to Philosophy - C1, CH
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Goodin
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MWF 1:10 – 2:00 |
An introduction to critical thinking
through a study of elementary logic and scientific method and an introduction
to philosophical problems of ethics, religion, epistemology, and metaphysics. |
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Phil 1000-02 |
Introduction to Philosophy - C1, CH
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Sherline
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MWF 11:00 – 11:50 |
An introduction to critical thinking
through a study of elementary logic and scientific method and an introduction
to philosophical problems of ethics, religion, epistemology, and metaphysics. |
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Phil 1000-03 |
Introduction to Philosophy - C1, CH
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Stevens
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MWF 10:00 – 10:50 |
An introduction to critical thinking
through a study of elementary logic and scientific method and an introduction
to philosophical problems of ethics, religion, epistemology, and metaphysics. |
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Phil 1030-01 |
Intellectual Community in Cinema Etc.
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Griesmaier
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TR 2:45 – 4:00 (Tues night film Screen 7-10:00) |
Introduces students to a range of issues within the
humanities through the analysis of film, television, and theater. Taught
respectively by Modern and Classical Languages, English, and Philosophy. |
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Phil 2300-01
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Ethics:
Social Issues – C1, CH
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Stevens
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MWF 2:10 – 3:00 |
Examines ethical issues
that are particularly relevant to our culture and time period. Possible
topics include abortion, environmental ethics, euthanasia, war and
terrorism, capital punishment, the impact of advertising in our
culture, our treatment of animals, and same-sex marriage. |
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Phil 2420-01
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Critical
Thinking – C1, CH
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Stevens
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MWF 11:00 – 11:50 |
First course in the logic sequence. Shows that
argument is a skill of fundamental importance to any field of endeavor.
Explains methods used in evaluating an argument. Introduces such topics as:
patterns of reasoning; counterexamples; fallacies; inductive and deductive
logic. |
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Phil 3000-01
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Seminar: Philosophy of Biology
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Moffett
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TR 1:20 – 2:35 |
This course will examine some central problems in
the philosophy of biology: Why is (or is not) creationism a scientific alternative?
What exactly is evolution by natural selection? Is it possible to give a
naturalistic account of the "functions" of organs or organisms?
What are the units of selection? What is "fitness": is it a
tautological concept? What are species? Is the attempt in
"sociobiology" and “evolutionary psychology” to extend biological
explanations to psychological and social facts about human beings
theoretically well-founded? |
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Phil 3000-02
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Seminar: Political Philosophy
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Sherline
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TR 11:00 – 12:15 |
In this course we'll be reading a number of the
great political philosophers of the western tradition, including Plato,
Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Hume and Thoreau.
We’ll also study at least one major contemporary philosopher on the
topic. The theme that will unify these
different voices will be the nature and extent of political authority. That is, why should I obey the law, even
when I regard the law as immoral or stupid?
When, if ever, is civil disobedience justified? A second and related theme will be whether
democratic accounts can give adequate answers to these hard questions. |
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Phil 3100-01
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History of Modern Philosophy:
Descartes to Kant – C1
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Goodin
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MWF 11:00 – 11:50 |
Part two of the history of philosophy sequence. The
second great age of philosophy absorbed the influence of the new science
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. People to be studied
include: Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.
Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy or consent of instructor. |
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Phil 4140-01 |
Topics: Confirmation
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Griesmaier
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W 3:10 – 5:40 |
When pursuing and
developing empirical theories, we want to end up accepting those that are the
best in light of the available evidence. This much is uncontroversial. What’s
not entirely uncontroversial is what “being the best in light of the
available evidence” exactly amounts to. For starters, there is the question
as to what counts as evidence for or against a theory. Is it just data-sets?
Or should we include other features, such as a theory’s compatibility with other
theories, or its explanatory power? Second, what exactly is the relation
between theory and evidence? Is it a logical, maybe even deductive, relation?
Or is it a probabilistic relation? Third, how should we assign probability to
a theory in light of the evidence? Bayesians give one sort of answer, while
real scientists may give another answer. And then there is the general
question as to how we should understand the notion of probability. These are
some of the issues we’ll explore in this seminar. |
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Phil 4420-01 |
Logic III, Advanced Logic
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Moffett
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R 2:45 – 5:30 |
Studies advanced topics
in mathematical logic. Takes up such topics as: uninterpreted calculi and the
distinctive contributions of syntax and semantics: metatheory, including
completeness and consistency proofs: modal logic and semantics; logic as a
philosophical tool. |
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Phil 5020-01 |
Plato
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Forrester
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W 7:00 – 9:30 pm |
A detailed look at how Plato’s metaphysics and
epistemology developed in such late dialogues as the Theaetetus, Timaeus , Parmenides, and Sophist. Along with these
and other dialogues, we’ll be working through the manuscript of a book
I’ve written on Plato’s later metaphysics. |
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