Undergraduate Course Descriptions Spring 2011

Transcription

1 Undergraduate Course Descriptions Spring (22727) David 2:00-2:50 TR (F) co-requirement God, Faith, and Reason; Can God be proven? Is it rational to believe in miracles? The Mind-Body Problem; Is the mind immaterial? How is it related to the body? Rationalism vs. Empiricism; Is there innate knowledge? Causation and Freedom; Are we free agents? Format: Lecture with separate discussion sections. Texts: Plato, Meno (Hackett 1981); R. Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett 1993); D. Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Hackett 1993); and a Course Reader, available at the DECIO Copy Center. Requirements: Active participation in discussion sections; two very short papers, one longer paper, a short in-class midterm exam, and a short in-class final exam (21610) Van Horn 8:30-9:20 MWF This course is a survey of several of the enduring topics discussed throughout the history of western philosophy: the existence of God; the nature and existence of free will; the relation between mind and body; the possibility of knowledge of the external world; and moral duty. We will be reading both classic and recent work on each of these topics, examining arguments for and against the various positions discussed. Students are expected to be able to reproduce the arguments and critically evaluate them, with the goal of being able to develop and defend their own considered views on each topic. The requirements for the course are two short papers and one longer paper, as well as a midterm and final exam (22100) Van Horn 9:35-10:25 MWF This course is a survey of several of the enduring topics discussed throughout the history of western philosophy: the existence of God; the nature and existence of free will; the relation between mind and body; the possibility of knowledge of the external world; and moral duty. We will be reading both classic and recent work on each of these topics, examining arguments for and against the various positions discussed. Students are expected to be able to reproduce the arguments and critically evaluate them, with the goal of being able to develop and defend their own considered views on each topic. The requirements for the course are two short papers and one longer paper, as well as a midterm and final exam.

2 (20509) Bailey 10:40-11:30 MWF In this course, you will be acquainted with some central questions of Western philosophy. In particular: i) Is there a God? ii) Do we know anything? iii) What are we? iv) Are we free? v) What is morality? A primary goal of the course is to reach a clearer understanding of these questions, their various answers, and the methods with which philosophy approaches them. A secondary goal of the course is to develop skill in critical thinking and writing (20456) Branson 12:50-1:40 MWF An introduction to some basic issues in philosophy through a variety of both classical and contemporary readings. We will begin the class with a viewing of The Matrix and use that film to facilitate a discussion about the distinction between appearance and reality, and the question "Why do Ideas Matter?" We will then discuss why clear definitions and sound reasoning matter in philosophy, leading into a short introduction to contemporary logic. With those tools in hand, we will then go on to more in-depth discussions about the existence of God, free will, the relation between the mind and the body, the objectivity or subjectivity of moral values along with some important moral theories, and finally the nature and extent of human knowledge. Requirements: In addition to occasional pop quizzes over the reading material (10% of your grade), there will be 3 papers (5%, 15%, and 25%), a quiz over logic (5%), a mid-term (15%) and a final (25%) (21254) Branson 1:55-2:45 MWF An introduction to some basic issues in philosophy through a variety of both classical and contemporary readings. We will begin the class with a viewing of The Matrix and use that film to facilitate a discussion about the distinction between appearance and reality, and the question "Why do Ideas Matter?" We will then discuss why clear definitions and sound reasoning matter in philosophy, leading into a short introduction to contemporary logic. With those tools in hand, we will then go on to more in-depth discussions about the existence of God, free will, the relation between the mind and the body, the objectivity or subjectivity of moral values along with some important moral theories, and finally the nature and extent of human knowledge. Requirements: In addition to occasional pop quizzes over the reading material (10% of your grade), there will be 3 papers (5%, 15%, and 25%), a quiz over logic (5%), a mid-term (15%) and a final (25%) (21736) Tepley

3 9:30-10:45 TR This course is an introduction to some of the Big Questions of Western philosophy, including: What can I know for certain? Do I have an immaterial soul? Does God exist? What makes an action morally right/wrong? There are four required texts for this course, all available in Notre Dame s bookstore: René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett, 3rd edition) G. E. Moore, Principia Ethica (Dover) James Rachels, Problems from Philosophy (McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition) Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy (Hackett) Your final grade will be based on one homework assignment (5%), two papers (40%), two exams (35%), pop quizzes (10%), and class participation (10%) (20231) Tepley 12:30-1:45 TR This course is an introduction to some of the Big Questions of Western philosophy, including: What can I know for certain? Do I have an immaterial soul? Does God exist? What makes an action morally right/wrong? There are four required texts for this course, all available in Notre Dame s bookstore: René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett, 3rd edition) G. E. Moore, Principia Ethica (Dover) James Rachels, Problems from Philosophy (McGraw-Hill, 2nd edition) Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy (Hackett) Your final grade will be based on one homework assignment (5%), two papers (40%), two exams (35%), pop quizzes (10%), and class participation (10%) (21446) Barham

4 3:30-4:45 TR Philosophy is an effort to think as carefully as possible about some of the deepest and most difficult questions that human beings are capable of asking about the world and their place in it. As such, philosophy has similarities with both natural science and religion, but is different from either. Philosophy is defined partly by a group of canonical texts and topics. This course is organized around some of these topics: the nature of knowledge; the nature of the human mind and its relationship to the body; whether human beings have free will; what determines whether human acts are right or wrong; whether the existence of God can be reconciled with the existence of catastrophic suffering; and whether, in spite of our inevitable death, human life has any ultimate value, purpose, or meaning. In the course of exploring these topics, we will read some of the canonical texts comprising the Western philosophical tradition. Philosophy is also defined partly by its methodology. The methodology of philosophy is a combination of careful reflection on the way things seem to us, careful attention to nuances in the meaning of words, and conscientiousness about providing reasons to back up the things we say that is, using careful logic. Learning to understand the texts we will be reading in this course involves learning to use this methodology, especially the analysis and evaluation of logical arguments. By the end of the semester, you should be able to: - identify the premises and conclusions of logical arguments in philosophical and other texts, and evaluate arguments for validity and soundness (23517) Lee 3:30-4:45 TR It is common enough to hear a child ask such questions as Who made God? or Could I have been a crocodile? or How many things are there? In adults this is considered abnormal behavior. We call such abnormal adults philosophers. These people find the world to be an extremely puzzling and fascinating place. As a result, they continually ask interesting questions and come up with interesting answers to those questions. In this course, students will meet some of the most puzzled, most curious, most awe-struck individuals in the history of the world: Socrates, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Russell, and others. The course is designed to give students an understanding of some of the more accessible questions that philosophers have addressed and some of the main answers that have been proposed. Students will learn to explain the views of the great philosophers in their own words and to articulate their own questions and answers (24347) Hagaman 5:00-6:15 TR This course explores a number of major themes in the Western philosophical tradition. We will discuss the existence of abstract objects such as numbers, skepticism and the extent of human knowledge, freedom of the will and determinism, the rationality of religious belief and the existence of God, the nature of persons, and finally, the demands of morality. The goals of the course will be to familiarize ourselves with some arguments for and against various positions one can take on these issues as well as to develop the ability to think and write clearly, critically, carefully, concisely and precisely about them.

5 (24783) Barham 5:00-6:15 TR Philosophy is an effort to think as carefully as possible about some of the deepest and most difficult questions that human beings are capable of asking about the world and their place in it. As such, philosophy has similarities with both natural science and religion, but is different from either. Philosophy is defined partly by a group of canonical texts and topics. This course is organized around some of these topics: the nature of knowledge; the nature of the human mind and its relationship to the body; whether human beings have free will; what determines whether human acts are right or wrong; whether the existence of God can be reconciled with the existence of catastrophic suffering; and whether, in spite of our inevitable death, human life has any ultimate value, purpose, or meaning. In the course of exploring these topics, we will read some of the canonical texts comprising the Western philosophical tradition. Philosophy is also defined partly by its methodology. The methodology of philosophy is a combination of careful reflection on the way things seem to us, careful attention to nuances in the meaning of words, and conscientiousness about providing reasons to back up the things we say that is, using careful logic. Learning to understand the texts we will be reading in this course involves learning to use this methodology, especially the analysis and evaluation of logical arguments. By the end of the semester, you should be able to: - identify the premises and conclusions of logical arguments in philosophical and other texts, and evaluate arguments for validity and soundness (24784 ) Kim 11:00-12:15 TR This course will center around three questions: What are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going? The first question centers on issues about the nature of the human person: Are we immaterial souls, material bodies, or both? Do we have free will? Are we capable of knowledge? The second question centers on issues about the existence of God: Does God exist? What are the arguments for God's existence? What are the arguments against God's existence? The third question centers on issues of ethics: What is the best human life? What makes an action right or wrong? By investigating these issues we will accomplish two objectives: (1) Clarify our understanding of important philosophical issues by examining different contending positions, and (2) Develop critical reasoning skills by learning how to articulate and defend arguments in both writing and in speech Philosophy University Seminar: What is a Philosophical Problem? (21753) Stubenberg 3:30-4:45 TR This course is an introduction to philosophy. We ll start off by reading a contemporary introduction to philosophy that focuses on the ideas about knowledge and the self. Then we turn to Descartes s Meditations on First

6 Philosophy the famous book on which our introductory book is modeled. In the remainder of the course we will address two questions: what is the place of consciousness in the material world? And what is it to live a good live. Texts: Stephen Hetherington: Self Knowledge (2007) René Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) Torin Alter & Robert J. Howell: A Dialogue on Consciousness (2009) Harry Frankfurt: The Reasons of Love (2006) Requirements: Five short papers (1500 words each). Participation in classroom discussion. Philosophy University Seminar: The Philosophy of Socrates (22116) Karbowski 12:30-1:45 TR Plato s early Socratic dialogues are some of the most engaging philosophical works ever written. They can be approached on many different levels and in many different ways, but their charismatic nature makes them an attractive tool for introductory philosophy courses. This course aims to introduce students to philosophical questions and puzzles by a close study of the views and methods of Socrates and his interlocutors in the early Socratic dialogues. We will read the Apology, Euthyphro, Crito, Protagoras, Gorgias, Meno, and Phaedo. The issues examined will include the nature of the best human life, the structure of knowledge, the immortality of the soul, the justifiability of civil disobedience, hedonism, among other things. Requirements: There will several writing assignments of various lengths. Please the instructor for more details about the course assignments. Required Texts: Plato: Five Dialogues (Hackett) Protagoras (Hackett) Gorgias (Hackett) Philosophy University Seminar (22285) Kelsey 2:00-3:15 TR Content: This course is (among other things) an introduction to philosophy. There are many ways to make a first approach to philosophy; ours will be by way of reading and discussing some classic texts on the topic of knowledge. Goals: In an ideal world, by the end of this course students would be able to: Identify, restate, illustrate, and explain the central question(s) at issue in a particular text. Explain how such questions bear on things they care about Locate, formulate, and explain the central line(s) of argument being pursued in a particular text Invent, articulate, develop, and evaluate focused objections to philosophical arguments. Talk intelligently about some of the main problems studied in the course. Required Texts: Plato, Theaetetus; Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy; Wittgenstien, On Certainty; Course Reader. Philosophy University Seminar (22286)

7 Watson 3:30-4:45 TR An examination of fundamental questions about the nature of human existence, based on a critical examination of works in the existentialist tradition. Philosophy University Seminar: The Philosophy of Socrates (22287) Kelsey 11:00-12:15 TR Content: This course is (among other things) an introduction to philosophy. There are many ways to make a first approach to philosophy; ours will be by way of reading and discussing some classic texts on the topic of knowledge. Goals: In an ideal world, by the end of this course students would be able to: Identify, restate, illustrate, and explain the central question(s) at issue in a particular text. Explain how such questions bear on things they care about Locate, formulate, and explain the central line(s) of argument being pursued in a particular text Invent, articulate, develop, and evaluate focused objections to philosophical arguments. Talk intelligently about some of the main problems studied in the course. Required Texts: Plato, Theaetetus; Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy; Wittgenstien, On Certainty; Course Reader. Philosophy University Seminar (22288) DePaul 12:30-1:45 TR Two things follow from the fact that this is a University Seminar: (1) Classes will have a discussion rather than a lecture format. (2) The course will be writing intensive, with students required to write and rewrite three short papers (5-7 pages). As an introduction to philosophy, we will use contemporary and historical texts to examine a number of questions that have vexed philosophers from ancient times to the present: Does God exist? Why does God allow evil? Can we know about the world external to our own thoughts and sensations, and if we can, how? What if anything unifies our selves through time? Are there any objective moral truths or are all moral claims relative? What determines whether an action is right or wrong? Is it the consequences of the action, the intentions of the actor, or something else? What is the good life for a human being? Philosophy University Seminar: What is a Philosophical Problem? (22289) Joy 2:00-3:15 TR

8 What is a philosophical problem? How are philosophical problems related to what we study in the social sciences, the natural sciences, and religion? This introduction to Philosophy focuses on classic strategies for conducting philosophical inquiry, including those of Aristotle, Descartes, Mill, and several 21st-century thinkers. Readings will cover the history of philosophy as well as recent writings in ethics and the neurosciences. Requirements: This University Seminar satisfies the 100-level Philosophy requirement. Class participation and regular attendance are very important to success in the course. Classes will consist of both lecture and discussion. Written work includes four papers and one revised paper. Philosophy University Seminar (24363) DePaul 3:30-4:45 TR Two things follow from the fact that this is a University Seminar: (1) Classes will have a discussion rather than a lecture format. (2) The course will be writing intensive, with students required to write and rewrite three short papers (5-7 pages). As an introduction to philosophy, we will use contemporary and historical texts to examine a number of questions that have vexed philosophers from ancient times to the present: Does God exist? Why does God allow evil? Can we know about the world external to our own thoughts and sensations, and if we can, how? What if anything unifies our selves through time? Are there any objective moral truths or are all moral claims relative? What determines whether an action is right or wrong? Is it the consequences of the action, the intentions of the actor, or something else? What is the good life for a human being? Philosophy University Seminar (24447) Stubenberg 5:00-6:15 TR This course is an introduction to philosophy. We ll start off by reading a contemporary introduction to philosophy that focuses on the ideas about knowledge and the self. Then we turn to Descartes s Meditations on First Philosophy the famous book on which our introductory book is modeled. In the remainder of the course we will address two questions: what is the place of consciousness in the material world? And what is it to live a good live. Texts: Stephen Hetherington: Self Knowledge (2007) René Descartes: Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) Torin Alter & Robert J. Howell: A Dialogue on Consciousness (2009) Harry Frankfurt: The Reasons of Love (2006) Requirements: Five short papers (1500 words each). Participation in classroom discussion (20507) Walls 12:50-1:40 MWF This course will introduce students to philosophy (love of wisdom) by focusing on some of the biggest and most fascinating questions that have driven the discipline. These questions are not only fascinating from an intellectual standpoint, but also deeply engaging at the existential level since they concern the very meaning or our lives. Our explorations will include topics from the areas of metaphysics (what is the nature of a person? are we really free?); epistemology (are there good reasons to believe in God? are faith and reason compatible? is it rational to believe in miracles?); and ethics (why should we be moral? what is the meaning of life?) We will also lighten things up a bit and bring philosophy down to earth by reading a number of essays from a new text on philosophy and pop culture.

9 (20001) Walls 1:55-2:45 MWF This course will introduce students to philosophy (love of wisdom) by focusing on some of the biggest and most fascinating questions that have driven the discipline. These questions are not only fascinating from an intellectual standpoint, but also deeply engaging at the existential level since they concern the very meaning or our lives. Our explorations will include topics from the areas of metaphysics (what is the nature of a person? are we really free?); epistemology (are there good reasons to believe in God? are faith and reason compatible? is it rational to believe in miracles?); and ethics (why should we be moral? what is the meaning of life?) We will also lighten things up a bit and bring philosophy down to earth by reading a number of essays from a new text on philosophy and pop culture (21305) Neill 9:30-10:45 TR This course will use primary texts and in-class discussion to introduce students to some of the fundamental ideas in the philosophical tradition. It will teach students how to understand and successfully employ the tools of basic logic. It will also teach students to critique complicated arguments and to participate in sophisticated philosophical discussions. At the end of the semester students will appreciate the contribution of philosophy to the human experience and will have taken initial steps to become persons who reflect effectively on important matters. They will be able to knowledgeably discuss the contributions of Plato and Aristotle to philosophy and will also be familiar with some other major philosophical ideas (20854) Neill 11:00-12:15 TR This course will use primary texts and in-class discussion to introduce students to some of the fundamental ideas in the philosophical tradition. It will teach students how to understand and successfully employ the tools of basic logic. It will also teach students to critique complicated arguments and to participate in sophisticated philosophical discussions. At the end of the semester students will appreciate the contribution of philosophy to the human experience and will have taken initial steps to become persons who reflect effectively on important matters. They will be able to knowledgeably discuss the contributions of Plato and Aristotle to philosophy and will also be familiar with some other major philosophical ideas. Death & Dying (24786) Neiman 12:30-1:45 TR This course will be divided into two parts. First of all, we will discuss moral problems relating to death and dying, such as the death penalty, physician assisted suicide, abortion, cloning, and stem cell research, as well as world hunger. Secondly, we will be treating death in a more existentialist vein, asking and discussing the following sort of questions: What is the value of human life if it must end in death? How should human beings act knowing that they will not live forever? The course will be divided roughly into 2/3 lecture and 1/3 discussion. Texts will include Louis Pojman, ed. Life and Death: A Reader in Moral Problems, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, and various handouts. Death & Dying (25487)

10 Neiman 2:00-3:15 TR This course will be divided into two parts. First of all, we will discuss moral problems relating to death and dying, such as the death penalty, physician assisted suicide, abortion, cloning, and stem cell research, as well as world hunger. Secondly, we will be treating death in a more existentialist vein, asking and discussing the following sort of questions: What is the value of human life if it must end in death? How should human beings act knowing that they will not live forever? The course will be divided roughly into 2/3 lecture and 1/3 discussion. Texts will include Louis Pojman, ed. Life and Death: A Reader in Moral Problems, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, and various handouts. Ethics (22239) Holloway 12:50-1:40 MWF Cross List: HESB The approach to ethics in this course will be theoretical rather than practical. Instead of focusing on particular moral problems, we will be considering whether or not we can rationally justify a supreme ethical principle or set of ethical principles to guide our actions. After looking at three challenges to this theoretical project, ethical relativism, psychological egoism, and ethical egoism, we will turn to a consideration of two classical types of ethical theory - utilitarianism and Kantianism. Finally, we will end with a look at virtue ethics, a theoretical approach to ethics that calls into question the emphasis on principles that tell us what to do, and instead focuses on the kinds of people we ought to be. Requirements: Three exams and two papers on an assigned topic. Ethics (22349) Thames 11:45-12:35 MWF Cross List: HESB As we know, a lot of people hold very divergent views about not just about what is or is not morally right, but about morality itself. Why do people hold the ethical beliefs that they do? Are moral rules and ethical ideals objective facts, personal opinions, expressions of human nature, ways of getting to heaven, ways of keeping society in order, ways of suppressing people we don t like? The increase of encounters with people of different cultures and ideologies, the spread of information, and the rise of technology make these questions all the more urgent for us today. In this course, we will pay special attention to the historical sources of various views about ethics and morality, and in light of them consider our modern culture and the kinds of claims and dilemmas that we encounter today. Specific topics will depend upon class interest, but may include subjects such as abortion, social media, the environment and food, and other such issues. Ethics (24390) Delaney, Jr. 11:45-12:35 MWF This course is an introduction to moral philosophy that weaves together classical and contemporary readings in philosophy with illustrative examples from literature. In addition to our core text on moral philosophy we will be reading Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality. Lectures will be the vehicle for friendly discussion of key concepts and insights developed by our study of the assigned texts.

11 Ethics ( ) Delaney, Jr. 3:00-3:50 MWF This course is an introduction to moral philosophy that weaves together classical and contemporary readings in philosophy with illustrative examples from literature. In addition to our core text on moral philosophy we will be reading Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality. Lectures will be the vehicle for friendly discussion of key concepts and insights developed by our study of the assigned texts. Moral Problems (22266) Rabbitt 8:30-9:20 MWF Cross List: HESB This course is an introduction to moral philosophy through a focus on topics of particular moral controversy. After a brief introduction to major normative ethical theories (e.g. Utilitarianism) we will consider some issues surrounding the beginning and end (or ending) of life: abortion, euthanasia, and killing in war. Next we will focus on the question of whether, and if so how, our moral obligations extend to our treatment of non-human animals and even non-sentient nature. Special attention will paid to questions about the moral acceptability certain methods of raising animals as sources of food, actually eating animals, and of using animals for experimental purposes. We will conclude by focusing on issues that are linked in that they have implications for how we conceive of the value of money and how we should spend it. Issues include the extent of our obligations to aid the poor, the morality of wealth redistribution, and the degree to which we can be obligated to refrain from purchasing various consumer products (e.g. chocolate that might be grown using child slave labor). The course is intended to provide both an opportunity to reflect on a variety of important contemporary issues and to help you develop your skills at analyzing and critically evaluating arguments. Requirements include: two shorter papers (4-5 pages), one longer paper (7-8 pages), a midterm, and a final. Moral Problems (22267) Rabbitt 9:35-10:25 MWF Cross List: HESB This course is an introduction to moral philosophy through a focus on topics of particular moral controversy. After a brief introduction to major normative ethical theories (e.g. Utilitarianism) we will consider some issues surrounding the beginning and end (or ending) of life: abortion, euthanasia, and killing in war. Next we will focus on the question of whether, and if so how, our moral obligations extend to our treatment of non-human animals and even non-sentient nature. Special attention will paid to questions about the moral acceptability certain methods of raising animals as sources of food, actually eating animals, and of using animals for experimental purposes. We will conclude by focusing on issues that are linked in that they have implications for how we conceive of the value of money and how we should spend it. Issues include the extent of our obligations to aid the poor, the morality of wealth redistribution, and the degree to which we can be obligated to refrain from purchasing various consumer products (e.g. chocolate that might be grown using child slave labor). The course is intended to provide both an opportunity to reflect on a variety of important contemporary issues and to help you develop your skills at analyzing and critically evaluating arguments. Requirements include: two shorter papers (4-5 pages), one longer paper (7-8 pages), a midterm, and a final. Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art (28098)

12 Mulherin 8:30-9:20 MWF This course will be a topical introduction to aesthetics and the philosophy of art, with a heavy emphasis on the latter field. After opening with a discussion of the concept of the aesthetic, the course will focus its attention on fundamental questions in the philosophy of art. These will include: (1) ontological questions about the nature of art; (2) questions about art criticism, including the role of intention in interpretation; (3) questions concerning the relationship between art and morality; and (4) the question of whether or not art itself can philosophize. The readings for the course will be a mixture of texts from philosophers, critics, artists, and others, and the coursework will comprise four papers (two 2-3 page papers and two 4-6 page papers), a midterm, and a final. Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art (28099) Mulherin 9:35-10:25 MWF This course will be a topical introduction to aesthetics and the philosophy of art, with a heavy emphasis on the latter field. After opening with a discussion of the concept of the aesthetic, the course will focus its attention on fundamental questions in the philosophy of art. These will include: (1) ontological questions about the nature of art; (2) questions about art criticism, including the role of intention in interpretation; (3) questions concerning the relationship between art and morality; and (4) the question of whether or not art itself can philosophize. The readings for the course will be a mixture of texts from philosophers, critics, artists, and others, and the coursework will comprise four papers (two 2-3 page papers and two 4-6 page papers), a midterm, and a final. Morality and Modernity (22547) Solomon/Thames 10:40-11:30 MW(F) Co-req: Cross List: HESB , PHIL Our society is deeply divided by controversies over a range of moral issues. Underlying the controversies surrounding issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the conduct of war, and the distribution of scarce medical resources are profound disagreements about the nature and purpose of morality. In this course will read Alasdair MacIntyre s groundbreaking account of emergence of modern morality, After Virtue, and compare his interpretation of the morality of modernity with that offered by Charles Taylor in The Ethics of Authenticity. We will also read works by two of the philosophers who have done the most to shape modern moral thought; Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. Having traced the origins of our deepest moral disputes in the history of modern morality we will turn to questions of how, if at all, these disputes could be resolved and which ways of thinking about ethics are best able to meet the challenges of the modern world. Books: Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue (ISBN-10: ). Charles Taylor, The Ethics of Authenticity (ISBN-10: ). Friedrich Nietzsche, On The Genealogy of Morals (ISBN-10: X). Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (ISBN-10: X), Walter Miller Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz (ISBN-10: ). Requirements: 3 short (3-5 page) papers and 1 medium length (5-7 page) paper, a midterm, and a final examination. Agency, Responsibility, and Determinism (24793 )

13 Rasmussen 11:00-12:15 TR We will explore philosophical problems related to free will, determinism, and moral responsibility. In the first half of the course, we focus on human free will in relation to causal determinism (roughly, the idea that past and present events plus the laws of nature causally necessitate all future events). Questions to be considered under this rubric include: What is the proper analysis of free will? In what sense, if any, is free will necessary for moral responsibility? Does free will require having a choice among alternate possibilities? Is free will compatible with determinism? Is free will compatible with indeterminism? And do we actually have free will, or is it just an illusion? In addition to strictly philosophical approaches to these questions, we will also look at what physics and neuroscience have to say. In the second half, we will shift our focus to logical and theological challenges to free will, both human and divine. We will discuss logical fatalism, the view that there are determinate truths about what you will do in the future and that these truths are incompatible with your having the ability to do otherwise. We will also discuss theological challenges to free will connected with divine foreknowledge and foreordination. Agency, Responsibility, and Determinism (25492) Rasmussen 12:30-1:45 TR We will explore philosophical problems related to free will, determinism, and moral responsibility. In the first half of the course, we focus on human free will in relation to causal determinism (roughly, the idea that past and present events plus the laws of nature causally necessitate all future events). Questions to be considered under this rubric include: What is the proper analysis of free will? In what sense, if any, is free will necessary for moral responsibility? Does free will require having a choice among alternate possibilities? Is free will compatible with determinism? Is free will compatible with indeterminism? And do we actually have free will, or is it just an illusion? In addition to strictly philosophical approaches to these questions, we will also look at what physics and neuroscience have to say. In the second half, we will shift our focus to logical and theological challenges to free will, both human and divine. We will discuss logical fatalism, the view that there are determinate truths about what you will do in the future and that these truths are incompatible with your having the ability to do otherwise. We will also discuss theological challenges to free will connected with divine foreknowledge and foreordination. Agency, Responsibility, and Determinism (25494) Boeninger 3:30-4:45 TR This course will carefully explore some philosophical problems involving human free will and moral responsibility. The course will focus primarily on four sets of issues. The first concerns the thesis of determinism. Suppose all of our decisions are the unavoidable consequences of the past plus the laws of nature: could we still have free will? Does freedom require having "open alternatives?" Does determinism rule out such alternatives? Does freedom require indeterminism? The second set of issues assesses whether indeterminism - the denial of determinism - is compatible with the existence of human freedom. Suppose our universe is indeterministic: would that mean that our actions are simply random, just the product of mere chance? How could we control our actions in an indeterministic world? Is it possible that freedom requires determinism after all? The third set of issues we will consider focuses on the nature of moral responsibility, and especially the relationship between moral responsibility and free will. What is it to be morally responsible for a decision? Must we act freely in order to be genuinely blameworthy or praiseworthy for our actions? The fourth set of issues will consider the apparent threat to freedom and responsibility posed by recent neuroscientific experiments. Some studies suggest that brain scans and other neuroscientific evidence reveal that

14 behavior that we ordinarily think of as freely chosen is in fact the result of non-conscious brain activity, and that brain scans can be used to predict one's putatively free choice even before we are aware of our "decision." How should we understand these studies? How threatening are they to our view of ourselves as free and responsible agents? Main Course Texts: Robert Kane, A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will (Oxford, 2005) Robert Kane, ed., Free Will (Blackwell, 2002) Agency, Responsibility, and Determinism (25495) Boeninger 5:00-6:15 TR This course will carefully explore some philosophical problems involving human free will and moral responsibility. The course will focus primarily on four sets of issues. The first concerns the thesis of determinism. Suppose all of our decisions are the unavoidable consequences of the past plus the laws of nature: could we still have free will? Does freedom require having "open alternatives?" Does determinism rule out such alternatives? Does freedom require indeterminism? The second set of issues assesses whether indeterminism - the denial of determinism - is compatible with the existence of human freedom. Suppose our universe is indeterministic: would that mean that our actions are simply random, just the product of mere chance? How could we control our actions in an indeterministic world? Is it possible that freedom requires determinism after all? The third set of issues we will consider focuses on the nature of moral responsibility, and especially the relationship between moral responsibility and free will. What is it to be morally responsible for a decision? Must we act freely in order to be genuinely blameworthy or praiseworthy for our actions? The fourth set of issues will consider the apparent threat to freedom and responsibility posed by recent neuroscientific experiments. Some studies suggest that brain scans and other neuroscientific evidence reveal that behavior that we ordinarily think of as freely chosen is in fact the result of non-conscious brain activity, and that brain scans can be used to predict one's putatively free choice even before we are aware of our "decision." How should we understand these studies? How threatening are they to our view of ourselves as free and responsible agents? Main Course Texts: Robert Kane, A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will (Oxford, 2005) Robert Kane, ed., Free Will (Blackwell, 2002) Contemporary Political Philosophy (24802) Weithman 2:00-3:15 TR Pre-requisite: ALHN This course is intended for first year students in the Honors Program, and is intended to satisfy their second philosophy requirement. The last four decades have been an extraordinarily exciting time in the development of political philosophy. Many of the central questions in the subject have received their most authoritative formulation and treatment since the 19th century. This course will survey developments in the English-speaking philosophical world in that period. A good deal of attention will be devoted to the ground-breaking writings of John Rawls, and to critiques of his work. Topics to be covered include the foundations of constitutional and human rights, the foundations of economic justice in domestic and global settings, and the point and demands of equality. We will consider some other problems briefly,

15 including the conditions of just war in the contemporary world and moral problems connected with torture. Most of the readings will be drawn from books by John Rawls, Gerald Cohen and Amartya Sen, though we will also look at articles by other authors. The course will be run as a seminar. This course presupposes that students have taken. Other than that, it has no prerequisites except a willingness to work hard and take part in class discussions. Students may be asked to do a small amount of reading over winter break as background for the course. Requirements include frequent writing assignments, a class presentation and a comprehensive final examination. Business Ethics-Practice and Norm: Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability, and Global Commerce (28100) Audi 9:30-10:45 TR Cross List: BAET This course is a comprehensive introduction to business ethics with a special focus on issues and representative cases drawn from business in recent years. Central questions concern the responsibilities of corporations, especially in regard to their stakeholders and the environment. These concerns range from questions about hiring, firing, and promotion, to executive compensation, to marketing ethics, to financial representation, and to religion in the workplace. The globalization of business is also a main focus, involving such issues as outsourcing (domestic and international), bribery, child labor, and the treatment of women in and beyond the company s home country. The work will consist in readings from texts and cases, short papers, and likely one or two or at most three short essay exams. The aim is both to advance understanding of business ethics and to help students make better decisions both in business practice in particular and in ethical matters generally. One textbook will be selected and a wide-ranging coursepack will also be available by the time the course begins. Science, Technology, and Society ( ) Crull 12:50-1:40 MW Cross List: STV Philosophy of Science (28123) Toader 1:30-2:45 MW Cross List: STV A detailed consideration of the central methodological, epistemological, and ethical questions bearing on science, such as the following: How can one distinguish between science and pseudo-science? What is the nature of scientific explanation? Does science tell us the truth about reality? Do values and norms have a place in the practice of science? Is the scientist responsible for the outcome of his research? What role should science play in a democratic society? Requirements include homework, two exams, and a final paper. Philosophy of Science (28124) Toader 3:00-4:15 MW Cross List: STV

16 A detailed consideration of the central methodological, epistemological, and ethical questions bearing on science, such as the following: How can one distinguish between science and pseudo-science? What is the nature of scientific explanation? Does science tell us the truth about reality? Do values and norms have a place in the practice of science? Is the scientist responsible for the outcome of his research? What role should science play in a democratic society? Requirements include homework, two exams, and a final paper. Philosophy of Science Fiction (28126), co-req Rea 1:55-2:45 MW (F) Cross List: STV , co-req STV The science fiction genre is rich with stories that explore classic philosophical questions and exploit timeless philosophical puzzles and paradoxes. In this class, we will examine the way in which several core problems of philosophy are raised in contemporary works of science fiction, and then we will look carefully at more systematic discussions of those problems by well-known figures in the history of philosophy. We will discuss, among other things, different perspectives on the purpose and value of philosophical theorizing, the nature of time, paradoxes of time travel, the possibility of free human action, and some widely discussed puzzles about identity and persistence over time. The result will be an introductory survey of some core issues in the areas of philosophy known as metaphysics and epistemology. Course Requirements: Probably two exams and four papers ( words). Texts: All texts will be on e-reserve The Ethics of Emerging Weapons Technologies (29098) Howard 11:00-12:15 TR Cross List: STV This course explores the ethical challenges posed by the ongoing revolution in the technology of war. After learning about some general, philosophical approaches to ethical decision making, we will examine a wide range of new weapons technologies, from "smart" bombs, drones, and robots to em (electromagnetic) weapons, cyberwar, and bio-enhancement, asking the question whether the existing framework of Just War Theory and the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) are adequate for war as it will be fought in the 21st century. Philosophical Reflections on Christian Belief: C.S. Lewis and After (25498) Potter 12:30-1:45 TR There are two main aims of the course. First, we ll do a philosophical survey of some of the important elements of the Christian faith - the topics treated will include arguments for God s existence, the problem of evil, the atonement, hell, as well as more practical elements like prayer, Scripture, and forgiveness. Second, we ll gain a more systematic understanding of C.S. Lewis life and thought. While we won t confine ourselves to material Lewis has written (we ll draw from contemporary philosophical literature on each of these topics), we ll approach all of these topics through his work. Requirements: Two exams and a term paper. Philosophical Reflections on Christian Belief: C.S. Lewis and After (25499)

17 Potter 3:30-4:45 TR There are two main aims of the course. First, we ll do a philosophical survey of some of the important elements of the Christian faith - the topics treated will include arguments for God s existence, the problem of evil, the atonement, hell, as well as more practical elements like prayer, Scripture, and forgiveness. Second, we ll gain a more systematic understanding of C.S. Lewis life and thought. While we won t confine ourselves to material Lewis has written (we ll draw from contemporary philosophical literature on each of these topics), we ll approach all of these topics through his work. Requirements: Two exams and a term paper. Philosophy of Judaism - CANCELLED Philosophical Theology (28128) O Callaghan 11:45-1:00 MW *Unless otherwise indicated, you need to be a philosophy major, philosophy minor, or PHTH major to take or or and you must have taken or be taking or or to register for 3xxxx and 4xxxx level courses in philosophy. To declare a major, sign up to meet with Professor Stubenberg in 100 Malloy Hall. Ancient & Medieval Philosophy (22203) Freddoso 1:30-2:45 MW Cross List: MI (23842) An introductory survey of western philosophy from the 6th-century B.C. Presocratics to the 16th-century Scholastics. The lectures will focus primarily on Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas, using the twin themes of nature and human nature as an occasion for (a) formulating with some precision the main metaphysical and ethical problematics that emerge from the works of Plato and Aristotle, (b) investigating the influence of Plato and Aristotle on the Catholic intellectual tradition, and (c) exploring in some depth the relation between faith and reason as articulated by the medievals. Because the lectures will not try to cover all the important figures (though there will be ample references to them, as well as to key early modern philosophers), the students will be required to read all of the assigned secondary source, viz., James Jordan's Western Philosophy: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages, as well as the primary sources assigned for the lectures. In addition, the requirements include (a) two 6-7 page papers on assigned topics, and (b) two exams. This course is meant primarily to introduce philosophy majors to important figures and issues in the history of philosophy, and so the course will be taught at a higher level of sophistication than ordinary second courses in philosophy. As long as they understand this, however, non-philosophy majors, as well as the undecided, are welcome. History of Modern Philosophy (21095) Jauernig 9:30-10:45 TR This course offers an introduction to modern philosophy and central philosophical problems addressed in the modern period. For lack of time to cover everything, the course will focus on topics in metaphysics and epistemology. These topics include, for instance, the nature of mind and body, the distinction between primary and

18 secondary qualities, the existence of the external world, the scope and limits of knowledge, the existence of God, and the apparent conflict between freedom and determinism. We will be studying selections from the works of philosophers in the so-called rationalist tradition, including Descartes, Spinoza, Malebranche, and Leibniz, from the writings of philosophers in the so-called empiricist tradition, including Galileo, Bacon, Boyle, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, and from the work of Immanuel Kant who can be seen as providing a synthesis of these two traditions in his critical philosophy. Readings: Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Sources, Roger Ariew, Eric Watkins (eds.), Hackett, Requirements: Class participation, two medium length papers (30% each), a mid-term exam (20%), and a final exam (20%). Nineteenth Century Philosophy (28139) Rush 3:30-4:45 TR Survey and analysis of major thinkers in the continental tradition of European philosophy in the nineteenth century. Selections vary, depending on whether the emphasis is placed on writings that stress developments from Kant theory of cognition (e.g., Fichte, Hegel, Kierkegaard) or from his theory of the will (Schiller, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche). Formal Logic (20362) Bays 11:00-12:15 TR DOES NOT SATISFY UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT This course will provide an introduction to first-order formal logic. We'll begin by introducing a nice symbolic language and then learn how to "translate" between this language and ordinary English. Next, we'll study the notions of deduction and entailment as they are defined for this language. Finally, and on a more explicitly philosophical note, we'll discuss the degree to which these formally defined notions manage to capture ordinary language notions like "logical consequence" or "argumentative validity." Philosophical Issues in Physics (24832 ) Brading 11:45-1:00 MW Cross List: PHYS 30389, STV This course concerns developments in our physical theories, focusing on the shifts from Aristotelian cosmology to Newtonian physics, and then from Newtonian physics to special relativity and quantum mechanics. The historical and philosophical backgrounds to these developments are explored, as are the philosophical questions to which the resulting theories give rise. The first part of the course addresses the history of ancient and early modern science, providing necessary background for the quantum and relativistic revolutions discussed in the remainder of the course. The discussion of quantum mechanics will include non-locality and the measurement problem, and how different interpretations of quantum mechanics address these two issues. For special relativity, we will discuss the premises required for deriving the Lorentz transformations, and conventionality of simultaneity, length contraction, time dilation, and the 'twins paradox', among other things. The course will combine lectures with class discussions. We will use J. T. Cushing, Philosophical Concepts in Physics, supplemented by additional readings. Examination will be through assignments, tests and presentations. It is assumed that students taking this course are willing and able to tackle the mathematics necessary for formulating and exploring the philosophical issues at stake. Morality and Modernity (22557), co-req 42314

19 Solomon/Thames 10:40-11:30 MW(F) Cross List: HESB , PHIL Our society is deeply divided by controversies over a range of moral issues. Underlying the controversies surrounding issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the conduct of war, and the distribution of scarce medical resources are profound disagreements about the nature and purpose of morality. In this course will read AlasdairMacIntyre s groundbreaking account of emergence of modern morality, After Virtue, and compare his interpretation of the morality of modernity with that offered by Charles Taylor inthe Ethics of Authenticity. We will also read works by two of the philosophers who have done the most to shape modern moral thought; Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. Having traced the origins of our deepest moral disputes in the history of modern morality we will turn to questions of how, if at all, these disputes could be resolved and which ways of thinking about ethics are best able to meet the challenges of the modern world. Books: Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue (ISBN-10: ). Charles Taylor, The Ethics of Authenticity (ISBN-10: ). Friedrich Nietzsche, On The Genealogy of Morals (ISBN-10: X). Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (ISBN-10: X), Walter Miller Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz (ISBN-10: ). Requirements: 2 medium length (5-7 page) papers and 1 longer (8-10 page) paper, a midterm, and a final examination. Requirements for 40314: two short papers, one longer paper and a final examination. Aristotle On Human Nature (28152) Karbowski 2:00-3:15 TR The aim of this course will be to develop a nuanced understanding of Aristotle's conception of human nature. To this end, we will examine his natural philosophy, metaphysics, and biology as well as his ethical and political thought. In addition, we will read some important secondary literature on the subject. Students will be expected to give regular short presentations and write a few term papers. Anselm (28157) Flint 2:00-3:15 TR Cross List: MI , THEO This seminar will examine the major philosophical and theological writings of St. Anselm. His Monologion, Proslogion, and Cur Deus Homo will be of central concern, but several lesser-known Anselmian texts will also be read. Topics discussed in these writings include arguments for the existence of God, the divine nature, the Trinity, the Incarnation, human and angelic freedom (and their compatibility with divine foreknowledge), and truth. Texts: The main text for the course will be Anselm: Basic Writings, a Hackett paperback; Thomas Williams is the editor and translator. Several chapters from Anselm, by Sandra Visser and Thomas Williams, will also be assigned. A few additional contemporary discussions of Anselm may also be read.

20 Requirements: The course will consist of loosely-structured lectures, with student participation expected and encouraged. Students will be required to write three short (six-to-eight page) papers (one of which will be discussed in class) and a final exam. The opportunity to make class presentations may also be offered. The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas (28195) Cross 3:30-4:45 TR Cross List: MI The aim of this course is to study major topics in the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas by means of a close reading of primary sources in English translation. Areas to be covered will include: metaphysics, the existence and nature of God, human nature, cognition, the freedom of the will, and ethics. Augustine s Confessions (28199) O Callaghan 9:30-10:45 TR Cross List: MI This seminar will read closely Augustine s Confessions from a primarily philosophical perspective. It will consider the themes of Faith and Reason, Human Nature, Memory, Understanding, and Love, Time, and God in Augustine s quest for self understanding and wisdom. Kant s Critique of Pure Reason (28201) Jauernig 12:30-1:45 TR We will be reading (almost all of) Kant s main work, the Critique of Pure Reason. No more, no less. Readings: Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, edited and translated by Paul Guyer and Allen Wood (ed.), Cambridge University Press, Supplementary Texts: Sebastian Gardner, Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason, Routledge, 1999; Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, edited and translated by Gary Hatfield, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Requirements: A mid-term paper (8-10 pages, 50%) and a final paper (8-10 pages, 50%), OR one term paper (16-20 pages, 100%). Proust and the Philosophers (28211) Watson 5:00-6:15 TR Cross List: LIT Marcel Proust s À La Recherche Du Temps Perdue (In Search of Lost Time) has been called the most important novel of the twentieth century. Just previous to its inception, its author was uncertain of its status. Must I make of it a novel, a philosophical study, am I a novelist? (Notebook of 1908, p. 60-1). Even well into the project, in a volume not published until after Proust s death, the narrator of the Recherche declared a certain philosopher to be at the core of his essential personality (The Captive, p. 5). Philosophy thus was very close to this project. Recent research has revealed the extent to which Proust himself was substantially trained in philosophy (eg., the metaphysics of Schopenhauer or the aesthetics of Hegel and Schelling). Perhaps even more significant is the extent of the influence