Philosophy

Course Offerings - Summer 2005

Phil 1000-01	Introduction to Philosophy - C1, CH	Bengson
5/16 - 6/12 MTWR 8:40-11:30 (Add mtg 6/10, 8:40-11:30)	We will be exploring a few basic philosophical questions: What can I know? Who am I? What must I do? What should I strive for? We will be looking at a wide range of philosophical texts and traditions in order to pose possible responses to these questions.
Phil 3000-01	Seminar: Phil of Hunting & Fishing - C1	Moffett
5/16 - 6/12 MTWR 8:40-11:30 (Add mtg 6/10, 8:40-11:30)	Hunting and fishing have three characteristics which make them particularly prone to abuse, they are brutal, they are solitary, and they are hard. The brutality of hunting/fishing makes an uncompromising ethical standard an absolute necessity; the difficulty and isolation make transgressions of that standard all too enticing. In this course we will explore the philosophical dimensions of hunting and fishing. In particular, we will use hunting/fishing as a way of shedding light on such major philosophical questions “How ought I to live?” The course will be broken down into three sections: (1) Bloodties: the hunter’s relationship to animals, (2) Earthties: the hunter’s relationship to the land, and (3) The Sacred Game: the nature of the hunt and the meaning of life.
Phil 3000-02	Seminar: Philosophy of Film - C1	Bengson
5/16 - 6/12 MTWR 1:20 – 4:10 (Add mtg 6/10, 1:20-4:10)	With popcorn in hand, we’ll watch 5 or so films and discuss the following 5 or so questions: Why do people like movies so much? Are the stories portrayed in film “real”? Are the characters “real”? What role does film play in our culture and in politics? What role does film play in the way that we think about ourselves and our society? In short, our goal is to get philosophical about movies.
Phil 3000-03	Seminar: Think About Weird Things - C1	Whiting
6/13 – 7/10 MTWR 8:40-11:30 (Add mtg 7/8, 8:40-11:30)	According to a Gallup poll conducted in 1990, about 49 percent of Americans believe in ESP; 21 percent believe in reincarnation; and 10 percent believe they have either talked to or have been talked to by the devil. The impact of these beliefs (and others like them) on popular culture can hardly be overlooked. We will explore some of the more traditional forms of beliefs in the supernatural, such as astrology, ghosts, and clairvoyance, and discuss the recent debate between creationism and evolutionary theory. We will also explore the nature of the alleged evidence for those opinions and discuss the notion of evidence itself and its relation to the concept of reasonableness and rationality.
Phil 3220-01	Existentialism & Phenomenology Existentialism Lite: A Course for All and None - C1	Devlin
6/13 – 7/10 MTWR 6:00-8:50 pm (Add mtg 7/8, 6:00-8:40)	‘Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?’ This course covers centrally the quest for meaning in a human’s life. We will consider how we understand ourselves, the world, and our relationship with the world. These considerations will include notions of self-identity, the role and limits of reason/rationality, the role of emotions and passions, the role of faith and religion, human freedom, views of the world, self-estrangement, anxiety and fear, death, and the relation of the self to other human beings. We will grapple with these questions as we focus on the ‘fathers’ of Existentialism – Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – in their views of life and death and the meaning that lies in between.
Phil 3320-01	Eastern Thought - C1	Devlin
5/16 - 6/12 MTWR 6:00-8:50 pm (Add mtg 6/10, 6:00-8:40)	Take a journey to the East and explore the central philosophies and religions of Asia, as we examine four particular religions – Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, Taoism, and Mahayana Buddhism – and focus on the philosophical significance of these religions. Class discussions will stress analysis of readings and important philosophical concepts that arise from our Eastern exploration and how they apply to our lives at home in the West.

Major and Minor information can be found on the Philosophy web site at:

http://uwyo.edu/philosophy

or by contacting the Philosophy Department at 766-3204, Hoyt Hall, Rm 325