PHIL 141 Introduction to Philosophy *
An introduction to the philosophical enterprise through discussion and analysis of representative readings from the history of philosophy. Issues considered include the nature of reality, the relation of mind and body, the possibility of proving that God exists, the nature and origin of morality and beauty, and the relation of knowledge to experience. (4-0)
PHIL 151 Film and Philosophy
An examination of the ways in which philosophy is manifested in the making and content of film. This course will include the viewing of several films that portray philosophical themes on the nature of humor, drama, and the fear in contemporary film and attempt to answer questions regarding the nature of voyeuristic emotional catharsis in the making of the human being. Finally, the course hopes to address issues of cultural diversity by looking at the way various Western and non Western cultures address these issues. The course will also include philosophical readings on film and the nature of philosophical problems. (4-0)
PHIL 161 Philosophy and Literature
This course will explore philosophical themes as they are presented in literature. Students will read poetry, plays and novels from antiquity to the 20th century, and examine the questions they raise about philosophical issues such as moral responsibility, the nature of the universe, and truth. (4-0)
PHIL 172 World Religions
A study of the nature and history of the major contemporary religions of the world. This course is the same as RS 172; credit will be given for only one of these courses. (4-0)
PHIL 244 Chinese Philosophy
A study of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, with consideration of some dissenting views of these dominant schools of Chinese thought, such as Maoism and Legalism. We will investigate the theories of human nature, knowledge, and reality embraced by these philosophies, as well as their conceptions of ethics and politics. This course is the same as RS 244; credit will be given for
only one of these courses. (3-0)
PHIL 251 Moral Philosophy *
A broad review of the history of attempts since classical Greece to identify morality and to establish standards for making and assessing moral judgments. (4-0)
PHIL 252 Environmental Ethics *
This course explores what responsibilities humans may have to and for animals, plants, and other elements of the natural environment. Students will explore a variety of conceptual frameworks for examining issues in environmental ethics, such as anthropocentric ethics, biocentric ethics, land ethics, deep ecology, and ecological feminism. (4-0)
PHIL 264 Social & Political Philosophy
This course offers an introductory, selective review of major theories and empirical studies, from classical to contemporary, of social relations and human interactions while exploring the political contexts in which social philosophies emerge. It also provides an overview of how organization of governments has been conceptualized and practiced, how law and policy originate and evolve, and how social and political ideals are formulated, transformed, and institutionalized. (4-0)
PHIL 271 Logic
A broad treatment of different methods of assessing the validity of deductive and inductive arguments. The course covers syllogistic logic, elementary truth-functional logic, quantification and brief discussions of informal logic and inductive logic. (4-0)
PHIL 274 Ancient/Medieval Philosophy
An examination of the history and philosophy from the origins of scientific thought in Asia Minor through the synthesis of Christianity and Greek philosophy in the thought of St. Augustine and the
medieval scholastics. A major emphasis of the course will be the systems of Plato and Aristotle, which provide many of the roots of modern thought. This course is a suitable beginning course in
philosophy. (4-0)
PHIL 281 Theory of Knowledge
This course explores philosophical controversies concerning knowledge and skepticism: What is truth? What is it for a belief to be justified? Do we know anything? Does knowledge represent objective reality or merely a culturally constructed conception of reality? Traditional and current answers to these and related questions are scrutinized. (4-0)
PHIL 299 Individual Study
Individual research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Topic and format must be approved by the Department Chairperson and Dean. 50 contact hours are the equivalent of one credit hour. (1-6)
PHIL 320 Indigenous Worldviews
A survey of selected regional belief systems outside the major religious traditions treated in Phil 321. Emphasis is on philosophical foundations of religious cultures native to the Americas, Africa,
Asia, Australia, and Old Europe. Special attention is given to the mythic and other symbolic expressions of “archaic” consciousness in contemporary societies. This course is the same as RS 320; credit will be given for only one of these courses. (4-0)
PHIL 328 Philosophy of Science
An examination of the scope, structure, methodology, and spirit of science with special attention to such topics as the relation between the presuppositions and the conclusions of science, the nature of scientific revolutions and the social responsibilities of the scientist. (4-0)
PHIL 360 Philosophy of Religion
This course explores the problems raised by religion: Does God exist? Is it rational to believe in God? If God knows the future, is it possible for humans to act freely? Does the existence of evil disprove the existence of God? Can all religions be equally true? This course is the same as RS 360; credit will be given for only one of these courses. (4-0)
PHIL 361 Philosophy of Art
An examination of nature and purposes of art through the study of several traditional and contemporary philosophies of art such as those of Plato, Aristotle, Marx, Tolstoy, Collingwood, and Merleau Ponty. Topics include nature of the art object, the distinction between art and craft, the role of imitation, representation, expression and creativity, the social function and responsibility of the artist, and the nature of aesthetic experience. (4-0)
PHIL 365 Philosophies of Feminism
An examination of gender bias in its various guises, such as androcentrism, gender polarization, and biological essentialism. Explanations of the source and maintenance of sexism are explored
through feminist theories: liberal, radical, Marxist, existential, psychoanalytic, and postmodern. Feminist theory itself is critically evaluated. (4-0)
PHIL 379 Modern Phil:17 & 18 Centuries
An examination of the roots of the Enlightenment, including studies of rationalism, the origins of scientific thought, ethical modes of thought grounded in reason and empiricism, and social and individual notions of self-identity. This course examines the origins of enlightenment as a rebirth of the Renaissance and as the beginnings of contemporary Western notions of metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Thinkers to be discussed will include Descartes, Spinoza, Hume, Locke, Berkeley, Kant, Rousseau, and others of the period. (4-0)
PHIL 381 Metaphysics
This course is an exploration of historical and contemporary attempts to answer questions about the ultimate nature of reality, such as: Why is there something rather than nothing? Do humans have free will? Is freedom compatible with determinism? What makes me the same person I was as a child? What makes the future different from the past? (4-0)
PHIL 382 Philosophies of the Southwest
An examination of the various philosophical underpinnings of multicultural Southwest. The course will also examine the kinds of misunderstandings which can emerge from the interactions of these cultures when cultural philosophical assumptions go unexamined. (3-0)
PHIL 384 Philosophy of Mind & Language
This course explores puzzles raised by the existence of minds, making special use of contemporary theories of meaning in order to address them. What is a mind? How are minds related to bodies? What is it to have thoughts? Is language necessary for thinking? How does language represent reality? How do we know what others mean by their words? (4-0)
PHIL 389 19th & 20th Century Philosophy
In this course students will examine major movements in the 19th and 20th century European and American philosophy. The course will include a study of Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard from the 19th century. From the twentieth century, students will focus on developments in the analytic and continental traditions. (4-0)
PHIL 451 Studies in Great Philosophers
An examination in depth of the writings of a major philosopher such as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Heidegger, or Sartre. This course may be repeated as long as the topics are different. (4-0)
PHIL 496 Senior Seminar
Advanced study and research in selected topics. (4-0)
PHIL 499 Independent Study
Individual research is conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. Topic and format must be approved by the Department Chairperson and Dean. 50 contact hours are the equivalent of one credit hour. (1-6)
