Philosophy (PHI)

In this course, students will be introduced to the nature of philosophy, philosophical thinking, major intellectual movements in the history of philosophy, including topics from the western philosophical tradition, and various problems in philosophy. Students will strengthen their intellectual skills, become more effective learners, and develop broad foundational knowledge.

An introduction to moral philosophy as applied to contemporary issues. Assigned readings include foundational texts in ethics and morality by philosophers such as J.S. Mill, Kant, Hobbes, and Aristotle. This course includes selections from the Western canon.

Historical and comparative introduction to the various key philosophical orientations, thinkers, and topics which have evolved during the history of humankind (from a philosophical perspective).

Using films and readings, the course explores a number of core problems in philosophy such as: personal identity, the existence of other minds, free-will and determinism, reality vs. appearances, human suffering the existence of God, and the role of technology.

This is a course in practical reasoning designed to sharpen abilities at analyzing, evaluating, and constructing arguments. The course is grounded in foundational philosophical texts and includes an appraisal of the evaluation of evidence and practice in the detection of logical fallacies. Included in these strategies will be examining, questioning and evaluating assumptions, perspectives and real life situations. This course includes selections from the Western canon.

This course explores ethical questions about humanity's relationship to and responsibilities for the natural world. The class will explore these questions by engaging with theoretical writings that aim to refine contemporary understanding of duties to the natural world, the entities that are the object of these duties (e.g., organisms, species or ecosystems), the meaning of environmental justice, and the relationship between human flourishing and the flourishing of life on earth. This course includes selections from the Western canon.

Introduction to categorical and propositional logic, argumentative fallacies, and the structure of arguments.

This course explores the ethical and political principles that allow human beings to flourish together in social and political communities. Students explore these principles through a careful study of traditional texts in the history of social and political philosophy as well as contemporary philosophical writings that either carry forward and/ or complicate these traditions.

The philosophical foundations of thinking, speaking, and writing: the nature and structure of human knowing; the mediation of inter- subjective relations through spoken language; and the fixing of human experience in texts.

This course introduces students to important theories and debates in the history of epistemology. Through an examination of classical and contemporary writings in the field of epistemology, students will explore questions about the nature of knowledge, ignorance, justification, and truth and will consider the practical importance of these questions for problems confronting the human species in the twenty-first century.

THE FOCUS OF THIS COURSE WILL INCLUDE EXAMINING THE LIVED-EXPERIENCE OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS, EVALUATING ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE CLINIC, AND APPRAISING DIFFERENT MODELS AND METHODS OF HEALTH CARE.

The course will cover major ethical ideas and theories from a philosophical perspective with a special focus on applying those ideas to concrete issues and problems.

This course explores important philosophical questions raised by the rapid development of technology and datafication. These include philosophical questions about knowledge, reasoning, consciousness, justice, and ethics that become more significant than ever in an era of rapid technological development.

Study philosophy of religion, focusing on the question of the relationship and possible conflict between religious faith and philosophical reason.

Internship working in a career field that allows for the practical implementation of philosophical training. Students may elect to take up to 3 hours of internship for credit.

Individualized study under the direction of a faculty member.

Seminar in which majors engage the history of philosophy and demonstrate advanced performance of academic philosophy via examination on core texts and the production of a senior thesis.