Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Catalog - 2016-2017
PHIL 007 - VISITING RESEARCH
Long Title: VISITING RESEARCH
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 0
Description: Research conducted by visiting student scholars. Department Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 100 - PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An introduction to philosophy through such fundamental problems as the basis of morality, the foundation of state authority, determinism and freedom, and the possibility of knowledge.
PHIL 101 - CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES
Long Title: CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Examination of moral issues surrounding such topics as abortion, euthanasia, war, capital punishment, justice, and equality.
PHIL 103 - PHIL ASPECT COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Long Title: PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of current research in cognitive science and its philosophical implications. Topics include whether the mind is a computational system, how the mind is organized, what relations minds bear to brains.
PHIL 104 - INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course examines core features of scientific method and philosophical accounts of scientific knowledge. Topics include: discovery, explanation, evidence, theories and models.
PHIL 105 - HIST INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Study and discussion of central issues of Western philosophy as developed by its original thinkers from the ancient Greeks to the twentieth century.
PHIL 106 - LOGIC
Long Title: LOGIC
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group III
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Introduction to the formal theory of reasoning, which will be used to assess the validity of arguments in natural languages. Study of general properties of logical implication and logical truth.
PHIL 109 - PHILOSOPHY OF ART
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF ART
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An introduction to central issues in contemporary philosophy of art through the lens of artistic works and practice. Students investigate what constitutes a work of art, artistic representation, the nature of aesthetic qualities, and the relevance of artists' intentions to the evaluation of works art, with close attention to visual, performance, literary, and experimental art forms.
PHIL 111 - INTRO TO FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Feminist philosophy both uses philosophical methods to investigate feminism, and critiques philosophy from a feminist perspective. This course introduces the student to feminist philosophy from historical and contemporary perspectives, investigating topics of both feminist and philosophical interest such as gender, sexuality, family, class, race, equality, justice, politics, science, and knowledge. Cross-list: SWGS 111.
PHIL 116 - INTRO TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The course will discuss the nature of law in general as well as discrete topics in legal philosophy. How is a legal rule different from an order backed by a terrorist threat? Is retroactive legislation legal? What are legal rights? Is there a general moral duty to obey the law?
PHIL 201 - HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I
Long Title: HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Survey of the major philosophers and philosophical systems of ancient Greece, from Parmenides to the Stoics. Cross-list: CLAS 201, MDEM 201.
PHIL 202 - HIST OF PHILOSOPHY II
Long Title: HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A survey of the history of philosophy from the 17th- to the 20th century. Leading philosophers discussed include Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche and Quine.
PHIL 301 - ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics in the history of philosophy from the 4th century B.C. through the 14th century. Graduate students require permission of instructor. Cross-list: CLAS 301, MDEM 301, Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 501. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 301 if student has credit for MDEM 481. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 302 - MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Examination of themes or authors in 17th- and 18th- century philosophy. Topics vary from year to year. Normally offered every year. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 502. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Majors should take PHIL 202 before PHIL 302. For non-majors one previous course in philosophy is recommended. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 302 if student has credit for PHIL 502. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 303 - THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
Long Title: THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course examines the question: What is knowledge, and how is it possible that we have it? Topics include: analysis of knowledge, justification and evidence, skeptical challenges, and relativism.
PHIL 304 - METAPHYSICS
Long Title: METAPHYSICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Examination of metaphysical theories in the works of historical and contemporary thinkers. Topics may include: free will, the identity of persons over time, causation, possibility and necessity, design and chance, the nature of existence, the nature of time. Recommended prerequisite(s): A previous course in philosophy.
PHIL 305 - MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
Long Title: MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group III
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: We study formal languages and methods for assessing correctness of arguments, including a brief look at modal and many-valued logics. We also consider their relations to natural languages and reflect on the techniques required to prove theorems about languages. A previous logic course is helpful, though the course is self-contained. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 505. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 305 if student has credit for PHIL 505.
PHIL 306 - ETHICS
Long Title: ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course deals with fundamental questions of value and morality-questions such as: What sort of life is best? What kind of person is it best to be? What does morality require of us? It also deals with important second-order questions about these fundamental questions- for example: Can morality be justified? How can we know what's right or good? Is there moral truth? What is the relation between morality and self-interest? Readings are drawn from both classical and contemporary sources.
PHIL 307 - SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course examines some philosophical problems raised by society and the state. Topics to be discussed include the sources of political authority, the justification of punishment, the significance of national boundaries, and the distribution of wealth.
PHIL 308 - CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of philosophical movements in 20th-century European philosophy-including phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, critical theory, deconstruction, and postmodernism. Repeatable for credit with consent of instructor. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 508. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 309 - AESTHETICS
Long Title: AESTHETICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An approach to the philosophy of art drawing upon traditional and contemporary philosophical theories, artist's manifestos, and reflection upon exemplary art works. Topics include: What is a work of art? What is artistic genius? What makes an artwork good? What is the place of art within morality and society?
PHIL 310 - PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The course examines philosophical issues that emerge in biological science, with emphasis on evolutionary theory, genetics and development, and systems biology. Recommended Prerequisite(s): BIOS 201 and BIOS 202.
PHIL 311 - PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Examination of God's existence, the problem of evil, the relation between faith and reason, the meaning of death, the relation between religion and morality, and tolerance/respect for differing religions.
PHIL 312 - PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Inquiry into the nature of mind. Questions include: how should we conceive of the relationship of mind and body? What is consciousness, and how might it be explained? How can mental states be causes? Can one’s mind and its contents die outside one’s brain? Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 313 - PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course treats topics of central importance to general philosophy of science. We ask what makes something a scientific explanation, what is required for observations to support (confirm) scientific theories, the nature of evidence, and how experiments relate to theories and models of the world. Topics covered include logical empiricism, the problem of induction, theory-laden observation, relativism, and the role of social values in science. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 314 - THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE
Long Title: THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The biomedical sciences, the practice of medicine, and health care policy employ concepts of health, disease, disability, and defect in explanatory accounts, intermixing factual claims with moral and other evaluations. This course explores the interplay of evaluation and explanation in medicine's models of disease and health.
PHIL 315 - ETHICS, MEDICINE & PUB POLICY
Long Title: ETHICS, MEDICINE, AND PUBLIC POLICY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The relationship between theories of justice and accounts of the proper allocation of health care is explored. The first half examines Rawls' "Theory of Justice", Nozick's "Anarchy, State, and Utopia", and other accounts of justice and health care. The second addresses specific problems in the allocation of health care resources.
PHIL 316 - PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Examination of fundamental philosophical problems in criminal law, property law, contract law and the law of torts.
PHIL 317 - ETHICS AND EXISTENCE
Long Title: ETHICS AND EXISTENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of the concept of ethical obligation from an existential point of view. Readings from Kierkegaard, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Derrida, Levinas, and Apel.
PHIL 319 - FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Feminism investigates every kind of boundary and identity, including sex, race, and class, finding and questioning them. . We will explore how feminists have reshaped traditional philosophical debates about knowledge, ethics, science, politics, and technology. Class will tend away from traditional lectures and exams, and toward active independent thinking. Cross-list: SWGS 319. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Either one previous philosophy course, or enrollment in the CSWG&S minor, or instructor approval.
PHIL 321 - KANT & 19TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: KANT AND 19TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of Kant's philosophical revolution in his "Critique of Pure Reason," and of the development and criticism of conceptions of self-consciousness, autonomy, sociality, and history in the later post-Kantian philosophical tradition, which may include works by Hegel, Schopenhauer, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, or others. Recommended prerequisite(s): One previous course in philosophy.
PHIL 326 - HISTORY OF ETHICS
Long Title: HISTORY OF ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An introduction to the major issues of ethical theory through the reading and discussion of such classical figures as Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Epicureans, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, Maimonides, Bishop Butler, David Hume, Adam Smith, J.S. Mill, and I. Kant. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 526. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One previous course in Philosophy. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 326 if student has credit for PHIL 526.
PHIL 327 - HIST SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOS
Long Title: HISTORY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A survey of classic texts in the history of social and political philosophy, from Plato to Machiavelli to Mill.
PHIL 331 - MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
Long Title: MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of the role of intellect, emotion, and character as they contribute to the moral (and immoral) life, and as they pertain to rationality and moral responsibility.
PHIL 334 - ACHIEVEMENT & MEANING OF LIFE
Long Title: ACHIEVEMENT AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course looks at the value of achievements in a rigorous philosophical manner. We examine approaches to the meaning of life and the value of achievement in the works of great philosophers, current philosophy, and draw from literature, history, current events, and psychology.
PHIL 335 - ADV TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY
Long Title: ADVANCED TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in ethics or social and political philosophy. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 535. Recommended prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or permission of the instructor. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 335 if student has credit for PHIL 535.
PHIL 336 - TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS
Long Title: TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: A philosophical examination of some of the fundamental issues in clinical ethics, including informed consent, competency, confidentiality, end of life decision making, the definition of death, allocating scarce medical resources, and the role of economic analysis in clinical decision making. Readings drawn from the clinical and philosophical literature. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 536. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 336 if student has credit for PHIL 536.
PHIL 337 - RESEARCH ETHICS
Long Title: RESEARCH ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A philosophical and ethical examination of some of the major issues related to research on human and animal subjects. A general framework will be introduced and it will be applied to research on new technologies, research on special populations, and research in an international setting.
PHIL 338 - METAETHICS
Long Title: METAETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Metaethics studies higher-order questions about morality. Its questions include: What reasons do we have to do the right thing? What do claims about rightness and goodness mean? Can those claims be true or false? Are there objective moral truths, and if so, how can we know them?
PHIL 339 - DEATH AND DYING
Long Title: DEATH AND DYING: METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: How are we to respond to the fact of death? This course examines the moral, metaphysical and personal issues surrounding the death of persons. Readings from analytic philosophy and the bioethics literature.
PHIL 341 - TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Long Title: TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A focused examination of a selected topic in the philosophy of mind. Topics vary each semester and might include the nature of consciousness, mental representation, rationality, and/or the various interconnections between perception, emotion, thought and action. For details in a specific year, consult with the instructor and/or department. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 352 - PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course covers a selection of central issues in the philosophy of psychology. Questions include: Can the mind be studied scientifically? What role, if any, does introspection play in gathering data? Are there any psychological laws? How does psychological evidence bear on philosophical issues - Such as the existence of free will and moral responsibility? Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 353 - PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group I
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Philosophical investigation of relations among language, thought, and reality with emphasis on what makes a string of symbols and sounds meaningful. Recommended prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 355 - PHIL TOPICS IN ADVANCED LOGIC
Long Title: PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS IN ADVANCED LOGIC
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 305 OR PHIL 505
Description: Various systems of formalization for modalities, tenses and other intentional concepts are studied syntactically and semantically. Students use and compare these systems and evaluate their strengths and limits. These provide examples for discussion of questions such as: What is a logical constant? What is the scope of logic?
Course URL: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~phil355
PHIL 357 - INCOMPL, UNDECIDED&COMPUTBLTY
Long Title: INCOMPLETENESS, UNDECIDABILITY, AND COMPUTABILITY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Distribution Group: Distribution Group III
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Proofs of Godel's Incompleteness Theorems for number theory in several forms and by various methods, as well as development of several definitions of computability for number-theoretic functions, which are then shown to be equivalent. Includes proof of the unsolvability of the Halting Problem and analysis of Church's thesis, as well as exploration of the extension of the concept of computability to real-valued functions. Frequent misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the theorems are analyzed.
PHIL 358 - PHILOSOPHY OF NEUROSCIENCE
Long Title: PHILOSOPHY OF NEUROSCIENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course explores various philosophical questions raised by neuroscience. How do we investigate and explain the brain? Do psychological explanations ultimately ‘reduce’ to neuroscience? Are mental states nothing more than electro-chemical states of the brain? Does the brain literally perform computations on internal representations? Could neuroscience ever explain consciousness? Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 359 - ANIMAL MINDS
Long Title: ANIMAL MINDS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: This course will examine various philosophical questions raised by the science of animal cognition: What is it to have a mind? How can we learn about animal minds? Are animals conscious? Do they have beliefs or concepts? What does this tell us about the nature and value of animal minds? Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 390 - TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics may vary. Please consult with department for additional information. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 401 - INDEPENDENT READING I
Long Title: INDEPENDENT READING I
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Course for undergraduate students to pursue independent research projects under direction of a philosophy department faculty member. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 402 - INDEPENDENT READING II
Long Title: INDEPENDENT READING II
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: See PHIL 401. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 407 - UG RESEARCH SEMINAR
Long Title: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Emphasis is on the skills of critical reading, careful discussion, writing clear and well-argued essays, and making lucid and engaging oral presentations. The course is organized around a family of topics: students also, in consultation with the instructor, select issues for independent research, and produce a final essay and presentation. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 411 - SENIOR THESIS
Long Title: SENIOR THESIS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Independent research course for undergraduate philosophy majors who wish to write a senior thesis and become eligible for honors in the major. Students may enroll in PHIL 411 only with consent of a faculty advisor and the department, and only if they intend to enroll in PHIL 412 as well. Senior Thesis is a year-long research course. Instructor Permission Required.
PHIL 412 - SENIOR THESIS
Long Title: SENIOR THESIS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Independent research course for undergraduate philosophy majors who wish to write a senior thesis and become eligible for honors in the major. Students may enroll in PHIL 412 only with consent of a faculty advisor and the department, and only if they intend to enroll in PHIL 411 as well. Senior Thesis is a year-long research course. Instructor Permission Required.
PHIL 501 - ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics in the history of philosophy from the 4th century B.C. through the 14th century. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 301. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 502 - SEMINAR IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: SEMINAR IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Graduate level examination of topics and figures of 17th and 18th century history of philosophy. Topics vary from year to year. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 302. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 502 if student has credit for PHIL 302. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 503 - SEMINAR IN EPISTEMOLOGY
Long Title: SEMINAR IN EPISTEMOLOGY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 504 - SEMINAR IN METAPHYSICS
Long Title: SEMINAR IN METAPHYSICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 505 - MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
Long Title: MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: A version of PHIL 305 for philosophy graduate students which includes further reading of material on philosophy of logic. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 305. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 505 if student has credit for PHIL 305.
PHIL 506 - SEMINAR IN ETHICS
Long Title: SEMINAR IN ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 507 - SEM SOCIAL &POLITICAL PHILO
Long Title: SEMINAR IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 508 - SEM CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: SEMINAR IN CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The study of selected topics and figures in 20th and 21st century European philosophy. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 308. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 509 - SEMINAR IN AESTHETICS
Long Title: SEMINAR IN AESTHETICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A focused seminar on one aspect of aesthetics, either topical or historical; to include, e.g., the 18th century theories of taste, beauty and the sublime, environmental aesthetics, or the nature of artistic expression. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 512 - SEMINAR PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Long Title: SEMINAR PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 513 - SEM PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Long Title: SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Focused consideration of either core issues in general philosophy of science (e.g. explanation, experiment, confirmation, realism vs. anti-realism, values in science) or special topics of current interest in the field.
PHIL 516 - SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Long Title: SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The seminar will concentrate on one or more of such central topics in the philosophy of law as the normative foundations of contracts, criminal responsibility, theories of corrective justice, and the right to property ownership.
PHIL 522 - TOPICS IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: TOPICS IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics in early modern philosophy: a focused, more advanced seminar on select problems or figures in the 17th and 18th centuries. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 523 - SEMINAR IN KANT
Long Title: SEMINAR IN KANT
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 524 - SEMINAR IN HEGEL
Long Title: SEMINAR IN HEGEL
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 526 - HISTORY OF ETHICS
Long Title: HISTORY OF ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Graduate version of PHIL 326. Special graduate student requirements include additional readings and the writing of a term research paper. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 326. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 526 if student has credit for PHIL 326.
PHIL 530 - SEM HIST ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: SEMINAR IN HISTORY OF ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
Course URL: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~phil530
PHIL 531 - MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
Long Title: SEMINAR IN MORAL PSYCHOLOGY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: A study of the philosophical issues raised by moral agency. Topics to be discussed may include reason and its relation to motivation and desire, character, responsibility, weakness of will, self-deception, and the nature of the self.
PHIL 534 - LIBERALISM
Long Title: LIBERALISM
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of the philosophical foundations of liberalism, with emphasis on the thesis that government should be neutral toward competing conceptions of the good life.
PHIL 535 - ADV TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY
Long Title: ADVANCED TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in ethics or social and political philosophy. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 335. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 535 if student has credit for PHIL 335.
PHIL 536 - TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS
Long Title: TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of the theoretical foundations of bioethics emphasizing principalism, utilitarianism, Kantianism, contractarianism, medicalism, post-modernism, and casuistry. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 336. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 536 if student has credit for PHIL 336.
PHIL 537 - SEMINAR IN RESEARCH ETHICS
Long Title: SEMINAR IN RESEARCH ETHICS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An examination of the major issues of research ethics, including informed consent and IRB review, involvement and protection of special groups of subjects, fetal tissue and stem cell research, and genetic research.
PHIL 540 - RATIONAL PRACTICES
Long Title: SEMINAR ON RATIONAL PRACTICES
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: The course will examine what it is for a practice to be rational, from a broadly naturalistic perspective. Special focus on scientific inquiry and other epistemic practices.
PHIL 542 - TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Long Title: TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: An in-depth look at different topics in contemporary philosophy of mind. Some sample topics: consciousness, mental representation, innateness, modularity, and the role of language in thought. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 553 - SEM PHILOSOPHY LANGUAGE
Long Title: SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description:
PHIL 590 - TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY
Long Title: TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Lecture
Credit Hours: 3
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Description: Topics may vary: Please consult with the department for additional information. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 598 - ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING
Long Title: ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study
Credit Hours: 1 TO 6
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Directed reading and research. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 599 - ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING
Long Title: ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Standard Letter
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Independent Study
Credit Hours: 1 TO 6
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Directed reading and research. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 651 - MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH
Long Title: MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 1 TO 15
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Research course for graduate students preparing a masters thesis. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 652 - MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH
Long Title: MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 1 TO 15
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Research course for graduate students preparing a Masters thesis. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 701 - RESEARCH QUALIFYING & THESIS
Long Title: READING AND RESEARCH FOR QUALIFYING EXAMINATION AND THESIS PROPOSAL
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 1 TO 15
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Reading course in preparation for the comprehensive examination and thesis proposal defense. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 702 - RESEARCH QUALIFYING & THESIS
Long Title: READING AND RESEARCH FOR QUALIFYING EXAMINATION AND THESIS PROPOSAL
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 1 TO 15
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Reading course in preparation for the comprehensive examination and thesis proposal defense. Repeatable for Credit.
PHIL 800 - RESEARCH AND THESIS
Long Title: RESEARCH AND THESIS
Department: Philosophy
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Research
Credit Hours: 1 TO 15
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Graduate
Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s):
Philosophy
Description: Repeatable for Credit.