Philosophy

(School of Arts and Letters)

PHL 1105 Logic (V)
4 cr.
Designed to improve skills in reasoning, the course addresses validity in deductive arguments, criteria for inductive reasoning and critical thinking skills in general.

PHL 1114 The Philosophical Perspective (IX)
4 cr.
Introduction for thosewith no background in philosophy. Students explore issueswhich have been amatter of continuing inquiry throughout history, including human freedom, immortality, personhood, ethics, truth, existence of God, nature of reality and the good society.

PHL 2205 Philosophy of Person (IX)
4 cr.
Explores a variety of dimensions of being human in seeking to answer the question, "Who am I?" Issues read about and discussed include whether or not there is a specific "human" nature shared by all; the role of gender in reaching an understanding ofwhat it means to be a person; tensions between freedom and community; the human relationship to nature and whether or not there is any spiritual dimension to existence. Study of both traditional and contemporary writers is included.

PHL 2214 Introductory Ethics (IX)
4 cr.
Study ofmajor ethical theories, critical examination of the adequacy of each theory and an attempt at making decisions regarding contemporary issues by using some of the theories. Topics, which vary, include current personal and social issues.

PHL 2220 Philosophy of Religion (IX)
4 cr.
What is religion? This is the question this course seeks to answer from a philosophical perspective. Answering this question demands an examination of topics such as: the existence of God; the nature of God in Western religions; theodicy (the problem of evil); faith and reason; religious experience; religious pluralism; feminism and philosophy of religion; science and religion; modernity and religion;non-Western philosophy of religion; and life without religion.

PHL 2223 Political Philosophy (IX)
4 cr.
What is the good society? What is the relationship between the individual and society? What does it mean to think of humans as political animals? The course explores a variety of answers to these questions in the context of political issues such as civil disobedience, obligation to the law/conscience, liberty and equality, racism, feminism, multiculturalism and the possibility of Utopian communities.

PHL/INS 3301 American Indian Philosophy (I, IX, X)
4 cr.
Philosophy and religious systems, shamanistic and priesthood societies, reversion and amalgamation religions, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, philosophy and social movements.

PHL 3302 History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Roots of Western thought examined as found in the writings of the ancient Greeks, including Plato and Aristotle, and the medieval Christian, Jewish and Arab philosophers and philosopher/theologians including Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Aquinas, Maimonides and Averroes.

PHL 3304 History of Renaissance and Modern Philosophy (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Explores thewritings of themajor figures fromthe 14th to the 19th centuries. Major themes of modern thought are traced through these periods and writings.

PHL 3345 Contemporary Philosophy (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Focuses on philosophers of the 20th and 21st centuries with themajormovements represented including personalism, phenomenology, existentialism, American philosophy, idealism and post-modernism.

PHL 3350 Contemporary Ethical Issues (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Examines ethical issues of contemporary concern. Course includes issues relating to medicine, government, business and interpersonal relationships.

PHL 3354 Management Ethics (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Study of the application of ethical principles to problems encountered in management. Confrontation of the problems is preceded by inquiry into the nature of human interaction in general andmanagement in particular. Other topics include: obligations of the manager to a number of clients or spheres of responsibility, including employees and clients of the organization; rights and obligations of employers and employees; and discrimination, liability and advertising.

PHL 3355 Development of Values in Children (IX,WI)
4 cr.
What are values and where are they obtained? Are some values better than others?What influences affect children's value development? How can children best be assisted to develop values which will best help them to grow into complete, well-functioning persons? Authorities in the fields of philosophy, psychology and education are studied.

PHL 3360 Philosophies of Feminism (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Examines theoretical accounts of the relation between women and men in present society, identification of assumptions within the feminist accounts, and evaluation of proposals for change.

PHL 3369 Metaphysics (IX,WI)
4 cr.
How is what is real known and categorized? Why have people and peoples differed in their accounts? Course looks at the major theories in Western metaphysics and compares and contrasts them with metaphysical views of other cultures.

PHL 3777 Topics in Philosophy
1-4 cr.

PHL/PSC 4420 Philosophy of Science (IX,WI)
4 cr.
Looks at such questions as: What is science and what is it not?What are theories,models, laws and hypotheses? How do scientific theories change? What is the method and domain of science? Does science have a monopoly on "truth" about the world or does it ever achieve it?

PHL 4444 Seminar
1-4 cr.

PHL 4777 Topics in Philosophy
1-4 cr.

PHL 4999 Independent Study
1-4 cr.
A topic of student's own choosing is pursued with guidance of instructor.