FALL 2008 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Phil. 140: Introduction to Philosophy (Instructor: Peter Montecuollo, 8:00-9:15 TR, 505 Summerfield and 9:30-10:45 TR, 505 Summerfield)
This course is an introduction to some of the Big Ideas in the so-called “Western” philosophical tradition. The course will not attempt to be a complete survey (which is impossible). Instead, we will focus on a selection of topics. Some of these topics will highlight an important historical period associated with such philosophers as Descartes, Locke, and Hume; other topics will focus on more contemporary issues such as just war theory; all of the topics have resurfaced at various points in the history of philosophy and, in one form or another, continue to hold the interest of philosophers today.
Students will be expected to read primary philosophical texts and to make a substantial effort to engage with the material.
Phil. 148: Reason and Argument (Clark Sexton, 10:00-10:50 MWF, 11:00-11:50 MWF, 1007 Wescoe)
This course provides an introduction to the principles and methods of critical thinking and logic. Critical thinking involves becoming aware of and evaluating the background information and presuppositions that permeate our thinking both in our practical decision making and our theoretical understanding of the world. Logic is the study of the rules and criteria for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The goals of the course include developing the ability to think critically and to apply the principles of logic in both their academic careers and their everyday lives. This will encourage students to critically scrutinize the claims, arguments, and efforts at persuasion of others as well as their own. A sincere attempt is made to foster a sense of intellectual integrity and a respect for one's intellectual obligations and to encourage an appropriate humility about one's own particular grasp of the truth and a willingness to honestly, openly, and transparently engage in a cooperative pursuit of truth with others.
Phil. 148: Reason and Argument (Meredith Trexler, 8:00-8:50 MWF, 9:00-9:50 MWF, 505 Summerfield)
An introduction to the theory and practice of logical analysis, the primary aim of the course being to develop skills in applying basic principles of sound reasoning. Special emphasis will be placed on the logical appraisal of everyday arguments. Studying logic improves our ability to think and communicate with precision and to connect ideas in a consistent way. These critical thinking skills provide us with the consequent freedom to choose our beliefs on rational grounds.
PHIL 160: Intro Ethics (Prof. Ryan Nichols, 12:00-12:50 MW, 3139 Wescoe)
We will study answers to the fundamental questions of moral philosophy,
including: What is morality? Are moral statements, like 'Lying is wrong', true across cultures? What is and what should be the relationship between ethics and religion? How are we to think about moral obligation? In an attempt to address that question, we will study central theories including Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Social Contract theories and Virtue Ethics.
Each segment of this course will include three types of reading: an expository piece about the selected theory or topic; a piece drawn from history of philosophy on that theory or topic; and readings drawn from literature. For example, when we address the question "What is morality?" we will read from our introductory textbook (Rachels), a selection from Thomas Hobbes (an 17th century English philosopher), and a substantive passage from William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
Required readings for this course will be drawn from: (1) Rachels, J.
Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill Humanities: 2006; (2) Pojman, L.
and L. Vaugh. The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature. Oxford UP: 2006; and (3) articles placed on Blackboard. Requirements for completion of the course include (1) mid-term and final exams; (2) quizzes; (3) participation; and (4) one research paper.
The penultimate goals of the course include: providing and enhancing students' critical thinking skills; educating students about the central theories, concepts and arguments of Western moral philosophy; and having fun by learning together. The ultimate goal is to provide students the tools to answer the fundamental questions of moral philosophy for themselves.
Phil. 161: Introduction to Ethics Honors (Prof. John Bricke, 9:30-10:45 TR, 102 Nunemaker)
We shall investigate two central philosophical problems. The first is that of the nature of morality. Is morality an objective matter? Is it simply a matter of individual, social, or cultural preference? Has it – does it hinge on – religious foundations? Is it a matter of rationality? What is the basis of moral significance or standing? The second concerns the structure and content of fundamental moral principles. Is there a single fundamental principle? Are there irreducibly many fundamental principles? What is the content of the fundamental principle(s)? If there are many such principles, how deal with conflict of principle?
In pursuing these questions, we shall read widely in classical (ancient and early modern) and contemporary philosophical writings (Plato and Aristotle; Hobbes, Hume, Kant, and Mill; Rawls and other contemporary authors.)
Particular moral issues will, of course, come up at just about every point along the way. Towards the end of the semester, however, we shall focus on a number of concrete (and controversial) moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, the obligations of the affluent, and the treatment of animals.
We shall stick to a format of discussion based on close, careful reading of the authors in question. Students will take turns making presentations to initiate discussion. Grades will be based on those presentations, on discussion, and on a set of three (perhaps four) written assignments.
The paperback text for the course is Steven Cahn and Peter Mackie (eds.), Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. 3rd edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006)
Phil. 180: Intro to Social and Political Philosophy (Prof. Ann Cudd, 10:00-10:50 TR, 3140 Wescoe)
Course Description: This course is an introductory study of some of the central issues of social and political philosophy. We begin with a study of the major forms of justification of governmental authority, and the conditions under which revolution, secession, and/or civil disobedience are justified. Then we will consider in turn the concepts of democracy, rights, freedom, equality, oppression, and privilege. The course will primarily focus on the philosophical and political heritage of Anglo-American liberal democracy, but as a basis for comparison and contrast, and because of their growing global importance, we will also be spending a significant portion of our time on the political philosophy and history of China, and on issues of special concern in Africa and the Middle East. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Objectives: The primary objective of the course is to introduce the student to the major topics, ideas, and thinkers of political philosophy, particularly the ones that form the foundation of the contemporary American political system. Students will improve their ability to identify and construct political arguments and critically engage with social and political ideas orally and in writing, while learning about the requirements of, and exercising, civility and public reason. Additional objectives are to introduce the student to the social and political philosophies of China and to contemporary issues in Africa.
Text: There is a custom anthology for this course available at the Bookstore, entitled Readings in Social and Political Philosophy. There are additional readings available through the on-line eReserve system and some will be made available in class and on the website. I recommend that you print them out and put them together in a binder to have convenient access to them and to bring them to class.
Phil. 310: Introduction to Symbolic Logic (Prof. Zamir Bavel, 1:00-2:15 TR, 4033 Wescoe)
The principal goal is to provide the student with an account of the modern logical concept of entailment. special emphasis is placed on the acquisition of practical facility wiúth rules of inference by thoroughly mastering a complete set of natural deduction inference rules for first order logic. In addition, an extended example will be presented of the construction of completely rigorous proofs by deducing a few of the rudimentary properties of sets from the axioms and definitions of elementary axiomatic set theory. No prerequisite. Text: Skidmore, Another Introduction to Logic. [course packet].
PHIL 365: Professional Ethics (Prof. Ryan Nichols, 10:00-10:50 MWF, 111 Fraser)
This class falls into three parts. The first is an abbreviated introduction to moral philosophy in which we will read about and discuss the nature of morality and the leading Western theories of moral obligation. The second part is an examination of purported differences between occupational and ordinary morality, in which we will read essays by Thomas Nagel, Richard Wasserstrom and others. In this part we will address questions such as: Do our ethical obligations change when we step from private life into professional roles? How are the competing ends of the businessperson, for example (to have integrity and to make a profit) best prioritized? The third and largest part of the course will deal directly with applied ethical issues, including: deception and paternalism; informed consent and autonomy; privacy and confidentiality; collective moral responsibility; whistle-blowing; social responsibility; and relationships between the state, the corporation and the individual. We will read and analyze the formal codes of ethics of leading professional associations of medicine, nursing, law, social work, psychology and engineering.
Required readings for this course will be drawn from: Rachels, J. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. McGraw-Hill Humanities: 2006; Callahan, Joan C. Ethical Issues in Professional Life. Oxford UP: 1998; and articles placed on Blackboard. Requirements for completion of the course include mid-term and final exams; quizzes; participation; a group project; and one research paper.
The penultimate goals of the course include: providing and enhancing students' critical thinking skills; educating students about the central theories, concepts and arguments of Western moral philosophy; and having fun by learning together. The ultimate goal is to provide future professionals to enter their chosen careers well-prepared to think about and manage the ethical challenges they will encounter.
Phil. 386: Modern Philosophy (Prof. John Bricke, 2:30-3:45 TR, 4033 Wescoe)
An examination of some central texts in early modern philosophy (i.e., European philosophy of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries). We shall emphasize issues in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. We shall focus on Descartes’s Meditations, Spinoza’s Ethics (Parts I and II), Hume’s Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, and Kant’s Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics. And we shall squeeze in briefer discussions of Leibniz, Locke, and Berkeley.
There will be three exams in all. Two in-class exams will cover, respectively, the Rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz) and the Empiricists (Locke, Berkeley, Hume). The final exam (on the date scheduled for final examination) will have two parts, one on Kant, one comprehensive. All exams will require short answers to questions posed (with room for choice amongst the questions posed).
Phil. 388: Analytic Philosophy: Frege to Quine (Prof. Anthony C. Genova, 11:00-12:15
TR, 1007 Wescoe)
This course is required of all philosophy majors, preferably to be taken after some coursework in ancient and/or modern philosophy, and with a prerequisite of symbolic logic (310 or 610) which can be taken concurrently with 388. (Certain students who just have Introductory Logic (148) may also be admitted.)
The course is designed as a rigorous study of the foundational ideas of 20th century, Anglo-American, analytic philosophy beginning with Frege and ending with Quine and Kripke. As we shall see, all of these ideas are connected to philosophy of language. The course will consist exclusively of primary source materials that require a very focused and careful examination. Among other topics, the course will deal with (1) the basic features of the general reorientation in philosophy commonly known as the ‘linguistic turn’; (2) the basic ideas behind the tradition of logical atomism and logical positivism; (3) the basic ideas behind the development of ‘ordinary language’ philosophy; and (4) the attempt to bridge the gap between (2) and (3) via the work of Alfred Tarski, W. V. O. Quine and Saul Kripke. Accordingly, the course is divided into three basic parts: I. The Foundations of 20th Century Analytic Philosophy in the work of Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, and Ludwig Wittgenstein; II. The Development of Analytic Philosophy up to 1950 - the debate between formalist and informalist conceptions of language and meaning; and III. The Mid-Century Synthesis as instanced in the work of Alfred Tarski and W. V. O. Quine. The course will conclude with an examination of some of the seminal ideas of Saul Kripke which have influenced the course of analytic philosophy from the late seventies to the present. It is imperative that students be prepared for discussion of the assigned readings at each class session; the instructor will also lecture with a view to filling in important gaps in the history of the analytic movement in philosophy. Students are expected to be prepared, present, and attentive at all class sessions. If you are not willing or cannot meet these expectations, do not take this class. Cell phones must be turned off during class - students who do not conform to this requirement will be administratively withdrawn.
REQUIRED TEXT
The course will use a single text consisting of primary sources:
James Bailie, ed., Contemporary Analytic Philosophy, latest edition Prentice Hall (paperback).
The assignments are relatively short readings from the major analytic philosophers of the 20th century. Although short, these readings require careful study with a view to focusing on the philosophical problem at hand and the arguments employed for its resolution. A few of the readings will be free class pass-outs; all the others are in the required text. A word to the wise:
There are approximately 220 pages of readings for this course-only 22 pages per week on the average - read them at least twice.
TWO ESPECIALLY USEFUL INTRODUCTORY TEXTS:
Philosophical Perspectives on Language by Robert Stainton,(Broadview Press Ltd., 1997, paperback)and Philosophy of Language by Alexander Miller, (McGill-Queen's UP, 1998, paperback).
Phil. 582: Existentialism (Prof. Scott Jenkins, 9:30-10:45 TR, 1007 Wescoe)
This course will examine some central topics in modern European philosophy, including subjectivity, freedom, self-deception, authenticity, anxiety, and death. We will approach these topics through a close study of Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time, supplemented by excerpts from Husserl, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and Sartre. We will also consider existentialist themes in literature and film, with the aim of understanding the role that the arts can play in our understanding of human experience.
Course Materials: Martin Heidegger, Being and Time, trans. Macquarrie and Robinson, Harper and Row, 1962. Additional materials will include a course reader.
Phil. 650: Metaphysics (Prof. Teresa Robertson, 11:00-12:15 TR, 4011 Wescoe)
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the most basic and general features of reality. This course will take up some prominent questions in metaphysics, such as the following. What is it for something to exist? What is it for x to be identical to y? How are we to understand the notions of possibility and necessity? Do individuals have essential properties?
Phil. 668: Political Philosophy/Pol. Sci. 501: Contemporary Political Thought (Instructors: Paul Schumaker (Political Science), Rex Martin (Philosophy), 11:00-11:50 TR, 114 Blake)
This course will be offered on a team-taught basis by the two instructors named above and can be taken under either of the two course numbers listed there. The joint class will meet twice a week, TuTh at 11-11:50 a.m. (in 114 Blake), for lectures. Besides the lecture class, there will also be three 50-minute discussion sections available for students to choose from (one in 4011 Wescoe at 1-1:50 pm on Tu; and two sections in Blake, one at 2:30-3:20 pm on Tu and the other at 2:30-3:20 pm on Th). Philosophy students should plan to enroll in the discussion session in Wescoe (taught by RM), if that is convenient; if not, they should plan to enroll in one of the two sections in Blake (taught by PS).
There will be two one-hour examinations during the course. There will also be a paper, due at the end of the term (on the last day of class).
The catalogue description for Philosophy 668 reads as follows: "(3) H. A systematic analysis of the concepts of politics, with reference to representative political theories. Prerequisite: A course in philosophy and a course in political science." (Note: if there is any problem in this matter of prerequisites, please see the instructor.)
COURSE THEMES in Fall 2008: This course will focus on a variety of developments in political theory since the end of World War II. The defining moment in contemporary political theory, in this period, was the publication in 1971 of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice. We will read a considerable portion of Rawls’s masterpiece, using the revised version which he published in 1999. Then we will consider libertarian, communitarian, Marxist, and other criticisms of (and alternatives to) A Theory of Justice, and Rawls’s response to these critics. And we will look at some other recent perspectives as well (e.g., feminism and multiculturalism).
In the last part of the course we will turn to one of the more important developments in political theory since the end of World War Two: the emergence of what is often called a ‘culture of human rights.’ This culture has provided an important dimension to both constitutional development within individual countries and to international law and politics.
Phil. 820: Topics in the History of Philosophy: Schopenhauer and Nietzsche (Prof. Scott Jenkins, 2:30-4:20 M, 4011 Wescoe)
Friedrich Nietzsche turned from philology to philosophy as a result of reading Arthur Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Representation, and Schopenhauer’s views exerted a strong influence on Nietzsche’s work throughout his life. This course will examine Nietzsche’s engagement with Schopenhauer and his reinterpretation of central Schopenhauerian doctrines. We will begin by examining Schopenhauer’s views on agency and aesthetic experience and their relation to his pessimistic ethics. We will then read Nietzsche’s most Schopenhauerian work, The Birth of Tragedy, as well as excerpts from later writings in which Nietzsche engages with issues found in Schopenhauer. Our aim will be to determine whether Nietzsche’s work provides a satisfying alternative to Schopenhauer’s pessimistic account of human existence.
Course Materials: Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation (2 vols.), trans. Payne, Dover, 1969. Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy and Other Writings, ed. Geuss and Speirs, Cambridge University Press, 1999. Additional materials will include a course reader.
Phil. 870: Topics in Metaphysics (Prof. Teresa Robertson, 2:30-4:20 T, 4011 Wescoe)
This seminar will be devoted to a close study of two important recent books in metaphysics: Ted Sider's Four Dimensionalism: An Ontology of Persistence and Time and Penelope Mackie's How Things Might Have Been. Though the books take up different subject matters from one another, they are alike in that each book defends an unorthodox view in some well-trodden territory.
They are also alike in that each is the product of its author's putting together into a coherent whole a defense of a view that he or she has been developing over the course of many articles. Sider's book has been heavily praised--both by friends and foes of his view--for being both compelling and readable. In a nutshell, Sider argues for a novel view about how ordinary things persist through time. (Consider an ordinary object like a car. We typically think of it as existing for some period of time--maybe twenty years or so. According to one standard view--the view that we seem to fall into naturally--the car is wholly present during each moment of those twenty years. According to another view--the "worm view"--the car is extended through time, so that only a part of it--a "temporal slice"--is present at each moment of its existence. Sider rejects both of these views, though it's probably fair to say that his view is closer to the latter than the former.) Like Sider's book, Mackie's has been praised for being clear and accessible.
She takes up the topic of essential properties, which has been very prominent in recent work in metaphysics. Mackie argues for a view she calls "minimal essentialism", according to which ordinary individuals have relatively few essential properties.
Phil. 880: Topics in Ethics (Prof. Dale Dorsey, 11:00-12:50 F, 4011 Wescoe)
Some people characterize the domain of normative ethics as divided between two realms, "the good" and "the right". In this course, we will ignore the right and concentrate on the good. In particular, we will discuss two important and overlapping topics in value theory. The first is well-being, or the personal good. What makes a life good for the person who lives it? How would we go about rank-ordering the quality of, say, the lives of Mother Teresa and Gene Simmons? Is such a rank-ordering even possible? In this section of the course we will discuss the standard accounts of well-being, including hedonism, desire-satisfaction, and perfectionism, in their various permutations.
The second topic this course will discuss moves from the personal good to the, as it were, impersonal good. It is a matter of some controversy how we should rank-order two states of affairs given the facts about well-being in those states of affairs. For instance, a utilitarian axiology will claim that welfare is to be aggregated and summed: the total welfare in a given state determines that state’s quality. Other axiologies—egalitarianism and prioritarianism, for instance—will provide different answers. We will discuss all of these theories with special emphasis on Larry Temkin’s important book Inequality.
Phil. 884: Topics in Social and Political Philosophy: Rights, Freedom, and Equality (Prof. Derrick Darby and Prof. Rex Martin, 2:30-4:20 R, 4011 Wesecoe)
Thomas Hill Green (1836-1882) was one of the most important and influential English philosophers of the late nineteenth century. Perhaps his greatest philosophical impact was on the development of liberal political thought into what we might now describe as welfare liberalism. Our primary objectives will be to examine major themes in Green’s ethical and political philosophy paying special attention to his conceptions of rights and freedom, and his views concerning the role that a liberal society should play in promoting human development and the common good. We will then consider two contemporary problems in political philosophy—namely, the question of whether all rights should be viewed as products of some form of social recognition, and question of whether a liberal state should redress social inequality and promote human development by securing positive in addition to negative freedom. We aim to appreciate the ways in which Green’s philosophical thought has inspired contemporary treatment of these problems.
Required textbooks will include:
1. T. H. Green, Prolegomena to Ethics, edited by David Brink (Oxford 2004)
2. T. H. Green, Lectures on the Principles of Political Obligation and Other Writings,
edited by Paul Harris and John Morrow (Cambridge 1986)
3. Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (Anchor Books 1999)
4. Other material (including works by our distinguished visitors) will be placed on reserve
or made available electronically.
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