Courses

PHILOSOPHY COURSES - FALL 1996 (96F)

On the following pages you will find brief statements about the various Philosophy courses and sections available for the Fall semester. In a multi-section course, the sections sometimes have different instructors, topics, readings, and requirements. If you have a question about a particular section, the best way to get an answer is to ask the person who will teach it. (For your convenience, the phone numbers of the instructors are listed below.) If that person is unavailable, feel free to ask any Philosophy faculty member, or stop by the Department Office at 24 Kent Way.

Phone numbers:

Boorse 831-2350 Brod 831-8208 Dilley 831-2350 Durbin 831-8202 Flint 831-8077 Fox 831-8077 Hall 831-2329 Harding 831-8207 Haslett 831-8207 Hoffman 831-1112 Lawson 831-8206 Palmer 831-2380 Rogers 831-8480 Stalker 831-8204

Courses that satisfy Arts and Science Group Requirements

Group A: 100 Philosophies of Life; 101 Great Western Philosophers; 102 Introduction to Philosophy; 201 Social and Political Philosophy; 202 Contemporary Moral Problems; 204 World Religions; 216 Introduction to Feminist Theory; 241 Ethical Issues in Health Care; 444 Medical Ethics
Group B: 301 Ancient Philosophy; 310 Chinese Religion and Philosophy
Group D: 205 Logic
Course that satisfies Arts and Science Writing Requirement: 444 Medical Ethics
Courses that satisfy University Multicultural Course Requirement: 204 World Religions; 298 Introduction to Jewish Philosophy; 216 Introduction to Feminist Theory; 307 Black Thought and Philosophy; 310 Chinese Religion and Philosophy; 392 Racism, Sexism and Speciesism Note: Some Honors Colloquia may satisfy the Group or Multicultural requirements. Check on that with the Honors Program office, 186 S. College Avenue.

PHIL - PHILOSOPHY 031 - Registration Code for PHIL

PHIL 100 Sec. 010 Philosophies of Life MWF 10:10-11:00 am Hall Sec. 011 MWF 2:30-3:20 p.m. Hall

Philosophies of life are philosophically argued views about how we ought to live. Visions of utopia, what the ideal society would look like, are obvious sources of such views. From Plato's famous account of the ideal state and individual at the beginning of the Western philosophical tradition to Skinner's behavioral solution to all of society's problems a few decades ago, the philosophical literature is full of philosophies of life. This course will critically examine a number of these views, along with some attacks on utopian views in general and some suggested alternatives to utopia, using literary as well as philosophical resources.

PHIL 100 Sec. 012 Philosophies of Life TR 11-12:15 Rea

PHIL 100 Sec. 013 Philosophies of Life TR 12:30-1:45 Staff Sec. 014 Philosophies of Life TR 3:30-4:45 Staff

PHIL 100 Sec. 015 Philosophies of Life M 7:00-10:00 Flint

This course covers historical and contemporary philosophies of life from several interrelated perspectives. We examine theories of human nature as embedded in such culturally significant viewpoints as Marxism, Christianity, Buddhism, evolutionary theory, behaviorism, and psychoanalysis. Certain specific issues, such as free will and determinism, the mind-body problem, and survival of death, are explored as part of our quest. We also examine alternative ideals of living. This includes comparing and critiquing various proposals concerning the good life and happiness, such as hedonism, self-realization, existentialism, and naturalism.

PHIL 101 Sec. 010 Great Western Philosophers MWF 2:30-3:20 Rogers

Western Philosophy began over two thousand years ago in Greece when people began to ask, "What is really real?" How can I know anything?" and "What am I doing here, anyway?" In Great Western Philosophers we take an introductory look, in chronological order, at some of the most important thinkers and ideas from ancient Greece to the present, including, for example, Aristotle on the Happy Life, Thomas Aquinas on God, Descartes on doubt and certainty, and Sartre on Freedom. The course is divided into four sections with a multiple choice test after each section.

PHIL 102 Sec. 010 Introduction to Philosophy MWF 9:05-9:55 Dilley

We will discuss three philosophical problems. Are we free and responsible for our actions? Is consciousness something that goes on in our brains or outside them? Are there good reasons to think that a personal God exists? We will look carefully at opposing views. The tests are essay, and the reading is difficult. Students who have difficulty attending class regularly should think before enrolling for the course.

PHIL 102 Sec. 080 Honors: Introduction to Philosophy MWF 8:00-8:50 Dilley

(Permission required from Honors Program) This seminar style section will explore four philosophical problems, determinism and freedom, dualism and materialism (on how mind and brain are related), rationalism and empiricism (can reason give us certain knowledge about the world?), and theism and atheism. Readings are from standard western philosophical sources and are difficult. Tests will be essay, and oral reports will be expected. Regular attendance is advised.

PHIL 102 sec. 011 Introduction to Philosophy MWF 1:25-2:15 pm Hall

This course is an introduction to some of the basic problems of philosophy. Readings are taken from classical and contemporary sources. Some of the problems are as old as philosophy itself. Some arise out of research in artificial intelligence during the last two decades. Problems to be examined include the following: Skepticism about human knowledge. The nature and justification of scientific belief. The relation of the human mind to the human body. The possibility of duplicating human mentality by means of digital computers. The existence of free will in a deterministic universe. The nature and justification of moral principles. The existence of God and the existence of evil. Required reading for the course is not long but is frequently very difficult. There will be three essay exams covering both reading and lecture material. Required text: Hall and Bowie, The Tradition of Philosophy

PHIL 105 sec. 010 Critical Thinking MWF 9:05-9:55 am Stalker sec. 011 MWF 10:10-11:00 am

This course is designed to improve your skills in thinking critically about claims and arguments. We study deductive arguments, inductive arguments, and fallacious arguments in detail. Topics include: statistically syllogisms, arguments from analogy, arguments based on samples, causal arguments, causal fallacies, probabilities and inductive logic, using probabilities to plan a course of action, the confirmation of hypotheses, testing hypotheses with Bayes' theorem, conditional arguments, logical connections among sentences, categorical syllogisms, relational arguments, definitions, ambiguity, and vagueness. The course will involve doing homework exercises and taking four tests. The textbook is 350-plus pages and has no cartoons; it is, however, a first-rate book that a student should be proud to own and study from. It is: Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking (3rd edition) by Merrilee H. Salmon. Critical Thinking is not a remedial course nor a fluffy free elective course; it is a course for those students who wish to improve their anayltical abilities and who are truly willing to work hard at this by study, regular class attendance, and persistent work on assigned exercises.

PHIL 201 sec. 010 Social and Political Philosophy TR 9:30-10:45 am Hoffman

This course is a survey of western social and political philosophy with particular focus on the social contract tradition of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, Marxism, and contemporary philosophical philosophies. Critical material from feminist and non-western perspectives will also be considered. Questions to be addressed include: How can political authority be justified? How do assumptions about human nature shape political theories? What are the characteristics of a good society?

PHIL 202 sec. 010 Contemporary Moral Problems MWF 12:20-1:10 pmHaslett sec. 012 MWF 2:30-3:20 pm

This course evaluates alternative solutions to contemporary moral problems. The methodology of sound moral thinking is examined, and applied to the solution of moral problems such as those that arise from abortion, criminal punishment, preferential treatment, sex and drugs. Class discussion is encouraged.

PHIL 202 sec. 011 Contemporary Moral Problems MWF 1:25-2:15 pmRogers

As individuals and as a society we face difficult choices on a number of hotly debated moral problems. In Contemporary Moral Problems we attempt to take a cool, philosophical look at some of these questions, presenting and assessing the arguments for the different positions. The course is divided into five sections, one on ethics, one on abortion, and the other three selected by the students. There will be four multiple choice tests.

PHIL 202 sec. 014 Contemporary Moral Problems TR 2:00-3:15 pm Brod (Cross listed: WOMS 203 sec. 014) sec. 080 Honors: Contemporary Moral Problems TR 3:30-4:45 pm (Honors section requires permission from Honors Program.) (Honors section cross listed with WOMS 203 sec. 080)

This course applies philosophical methods to contemporary moral controversies, such as the topics of enivironmentalism, the death penalty, abortion, gay rights, pornography, sex and race discrimination, and economic justice. The course emphasizes issues of race, class, and gender in applied ethics.

PHIL 202 sec. 015 Contemporary Moral Problems W 7:00-10:00 pmFlint

This course considers several categories of questions concerned with how we ought to live. The first category is about individuals: What makes an individual life worthwhile? What is happiness? Is dying an evil? The second category concerns interpersonal relationships: What is friendship? What are acceptable sexual relationships? What is an acceptable concepts of marriage? What are the duties and responsibilities of parent and children? The third category is intrasocietal: What is an acceptable account of distributive justice? What is discrimination? Is preferential treatment acceptable? Is capital punishment acceptable? Should we legalize illicit drugs? The fourth category is international: What obligations do we have to the needy around the world? What justification is there for intervention in foreign countries? What is an acceptable approach to waste and use of environmental resources? Finally, we consider intergenerational issues: Should we permit genetic engineering of people? Under what conditions, if any, is abortion acceptable?

PHIL 203 sec. 010 Ethics TR 12:30-1:45 pmStaff

PHIL 204 sec. 010 World Religions MWF 11:15-12:05 pmFox sec. 011 MWF 1:25-2:15 pm (Both sections satisfy University Multicultural Requirement)

In this course we will take a critical yet sympathetic view of a wide range of religious traditions, including Native American Religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This will require that we allow ourselves both to identify with and maintain our distance from each of the traditions covered. We propose to explore textual and historical roots and fundamental concerns, and to look for similarities and differences. We will not be experts on World Religions after taking this course, but we will be more sensitive to the kinds of issues at stake in the study of religion, and more familiar with the origins and evolutions of today's living religions, both Eastern and Western.

PHIL 205 sec. 010 Logic TR 2:00-3:15 pmBoorse

This course will be a basic introduction to formal logic. The student will learn to recognize basic argument forms and how to represent these argument forms symbolically. The student will be introduced to the primary rules for the two basic systems of formal logic: sentential logic, and the more powerful predicate logic.

PHIL 208 sec. 010 Introduction to Jewish Philosophy TR 11:00-12:15 pm Brod (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement) (Cross List: JWST 208 sec. 010)

This course examines fundamental classic and contemporary issues and texts of Jewish philosophy from both specifically Jewish and broader philosophical perspectives. In so far as the course tries to reach an understanding of Judaism, it does so through exploring Jewish thinkers' attempts to articulate and develop Judaism's basic principles in a reasoned and systematic way.

PHIL 209 sec. 010 Philosophy of Religion MWF 12:20-1:10 pm Rogers

Is there a God? What does the term "God" mean, anyway? Can a reasonable person believe in God? Must a reasonable person believe in God? And if there's a God, why in the world does He permit all this evil? We'll discuss these and related question in Philosophy of Religion. Grades will be based on four essay tests. Discussion is encouraged.

PHIL 216 sec. 010 Introduction to Feminist Theory M 2:00-5:00 pm Harding (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement) (Cross List with WOMS 216-010)

What changes should be made in public policy and everyday social relations between men and women in order to end sexism and androcentrism? Why have feminists come up with different and sometimes conflicting answers to this question? What resources do political philosophies contribute to these issues? This course examines answers to such questions provided by Liberal, Marxist, Radical, Multicultural and Global Feminists.

PHIL 241 sec. 080 Honors: Ethical Issues in Health MWF 11:15-12:05 pmDurbin Care (Requires permission from Honors Program) (Cross List with CSCC 241 sec. 080)

Do physicians have a right, or an obligation, to assist a terminally ill patient with an intolerable disease to commit suicide? Is every person morally entitled to treatment needed to prevent serious health problems? The questions have been discussed in ethics courses for years; now they are in the national news. In this course these questions, as well as other questions about confidentiality, issues of death and dying, informed consent, transplants, etc. will be discussed. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the important ethical issues facing health care professionals and to the philosophical resources available to help individuals (and society) to deal with them. Problem-based-learning format.

PHIL 301 sec. 010 Ancient Philosophy TR 11:00-12:15 pm Palmer

This course is designed to introduce the students to the main themes of ancient philosophy from its beginning to its glorious development in Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The course emphasizes rigorous and critical analysis of the primary sources. In addition it will show how the ancient philosophy of the Greeks and the Romans has contributed to the foundations of the scientific, moral and social thinking of our culture. Throughout the term the antiquity of modernity and the modernity of antiquity will be stressed. The course is divided into three units. The first unit emphasizes the thought of the Presocrates and the transition from Mythological to Scientific Thinking. In this unit we shall read the original fragments of the early philosophers. The second unit we shall study the thought of Socrates and Plato. Roughly this section is devoted to the analysis of man's perennial question regarding himself and his place in society. In this unit we shall read the Early Socratic Dialogues and Plato's masterpieces The Republic and the Phaedo. The third unit will consider Aristotle's great system and the origin of a new type of humanism in the Hellenistic Period. The works of Aristotle and some of the Post Aristotelians will be read. If time allows we shall conclude the course with an understanding of the origin of a new form of Humanism in the Stoics, the Sceptics and their criticism of the Epicureans. Policies - No final exam. The requirements of the course are fulfilled by two in-class exams and research paper. This paper will be considered in the competition of the Philosophy Dept.'s Prize Paper. The in-class exams count 30% each of the complexive grade, the prize paper shall count 40%. The student is required to do the assigned reading every week. This is an extremely important point in your preparation and should not be taken lightly. The instructor shall lecture for about an hour and then entertain a Socratic dialogue with the students. Participation which shows reading and understanding shall count toward your final grade.

PHIL 301 sec. 011 Ancient Philosophy TR 2:00-3:15 pm Rea

PHIL 307 sec. 010 Black Thought and Philosophy MWF 11:15-12:05 pmLawson (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement) (Cross List with BAMS 307 sec. 010)

This course has as its goal to illustrate how the Black experience has served and can serve as a source for philosophical speculation and analysis. In order to accomplish this goal students will be introduced to the writings of Black American philosophers to see how they have used the discipline of Philosophy to understand and to articulate the Black experience. We will discuss and read articles expressing the need for members of diverse ethnic and cultural groups to add questions that arise out of their unique historical and social experience to the philosophical literature. We will focus on the qustion of political obligation to the state by oppressed minorities and the effects that political and social struggle have on members of the oppressed. We will be concerned with questions involving the concepts of self-respect and self-esteem and how these concepts are to be understood in the struggle for social and political equality in America, particularly for Blacks. We will look at the writings of contemporary Black philosophers whose works often critique the method and role of philosophy in the social and political sphere of American social life; such writers include Cornell West, Howard McGary and Bernard Boxill. While this course presupposes no prior knowledge of Black history or philosophy, it does, however, require a willingness to read. The course will be ideal for students in the areas of History, Psychology, Political Science, Prelaw, Sociology, or individuals interested in learning more about the diversity of American intellectual thought. Readings will be from: handouts in packet available in Library. Required Texts: McGary and Lawson, Between Slavery and Freedom and Appiah, Early American Classics.

PHIL 310 sec. 010 Chinese Religion and Philosophy MWF 9:05-9:55 am Fox sec. 080 Honors: Chinese Religion and MWF 9:05-9:55 am Philosophy (Honors section requires permission from Honors Program) (Both sections satisfy University Multicultural Requirement)

In this course we will read and discuss the works of several important thinkers in the Chinese philosophical tradition, including Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi from the Confucian tradition; Laozi and Zhuangzi from the Daoist tradition; the Huayan and Chan Buddhist traditions; and Zhuxi and Wang Yangming from the Neo-Confucian tradition. We will also discuss representative figures from Neo-Daoism, Chinese Yoga, and trends in Modern Chinese Philosophy. No knowledge of the Chinese language is necessary. There will also be an Honors subsection for 310 this fall which will be limited to 10 students. Students for this subsection will be selected through the Honors program, and will meet biweekly in a seminar format to go into greater depth on issues raised in class.

PHIL 392 sec. 080 Honors: Racism, Sexism, Speciesism TR 12:30-1:45 pmPalmer (Requires permission from Honors Program) (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement) (Cross List: WOMS 392 sec. 080)

This colloquium is designed to introduce the students to the contemporary phenomena of Racism, Sexism and Speciesism. Particular attention shall be paid to understanding what each phenomena is, what are its origin and its historical development. Most of all we shall evaluate the philosophical and moral theories offered to explain and often to justify these phenomena. In addition we shall devote a considerable part of the course to assess the moral problems these phenomena generate and how these problems may be resolved. The students may expect to learn a large amount of moral philosophy together with some understanding of the concepts of Personhood, Justice, Desert, Rights, and Equality. The course is divided into three parts, at the end of each there shall be a take-home essay paper. The reading is from classical philosophical sources, contemporary scholarship and some readings from contemporary literature.

PHIL 444 sec. 010 Medical Ethics T 7:00-10:00 pmBoorse (Satifies A&S Writing Requirement) (Cross List with CSCC 444 sec. 010)

PHIL 448 sec. 010 Environmental Ethics W 7:00-10:00 pm Durbin 648 sec. 010 W 7:00-10:00 pm (600 Level Section Meets with 400 Level Section) (PHIL 648 Cross List with URAF 648 sec. 010/MALS 648 sec. 080)

An introduction to the principal contributions to the field. Focus is the relationship between the urgency of perceived environmental problems and the likelihood that any particular approach will help provide an ethical solution. Emphasis is not on philosophical analysis but on dealing with urgent problems in an ethical fashion. True seminar format: that is, student papers presented and discussed in class.

PHIL 667 sec. 010 Advanced Feminist Theory M 7:00-10:00 pmHarding (Cross List: SOCI 667 sec. 010)

Feminist theorists have provided diverse and sometimes conflicting analyses of social relations between the genders and their effects on the larger social order. This course will look at recent important examples of Liberal, Marxist, Radical, Multicultural, Global and Poststructuralist feminist theory.

PHIL 667 sec. 011 Directed Readings: Sexuality, T 7:00-10:00 pmHarding Queer Theory/Feminist Theory (Cross List: SOCI 667 sec. 011)

Students will select and write brief reports on six recent books (from a provided list) on current issues about sexuality, and will meet together and individually with instructor. Recommended readings include Abelove et al. Gay and Lesbian Studies Readers; Duberman et al. Hidden From History; Snitow, et al. Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality; Vance, Pleasure and Danger; Exploring Female Sexuality; Parker et al. Nationalisms and Sexualities; Butler, Gender Trouble; Sociological Theory Issue on "Symposium: Queer Theory/Sociology."

PHIL 667 sec. 012 Philosophy and American Slavery T 7:00-10:00 pm Lawson (Cross List with MALS 667 sec. 012)

Slaves in the United States certainly ranked among the most powerless and oppressed people in modern times. Contrary to popular opinion, slaves reflected deeply on every aspect of their lives. In this course, we will focus on the experience of American slavery and the issue of social justice.

PHIL 105 Sec. 010 Clear Thinking MWF 9:05-9:55 Stalker

This course is designed to improve your skills in thinking critically about claims and arguments. We study deductive arguments, inductive arguments, and fallacious arguments in detail. Topics include: statistical syllogisms, arguments from analogy, arguments based on samples, causal arguments, causal fallacies, probabilities and inductive logic, using probabilities to plan a course of action, the confirmation of hypotheses, testing hypotheses with Bayes' theorem, conditional arguments, logical connections among sentences, categorical syllogisms, relational arguments, definitions, ambiguity, and vagueness. The course will involve doing homework exercises and taking four tests. The textbook is 350-plus pages and has no cartoons; it is, however, a first-rate book that a student should be proud to own and study from. It is: Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking (3rd edition) by Merrilee H. Salmon. Clear Thinking is not a remedial course nor a fluffy free elective course; it is a course for those students who wish to improve their analytical abilities and who are truly willing to work hard at this by daily study, regular class attendance, persistent work on assigned exercises.

PHIL 201 Sec. 010 Social and Political Philosophy MWF 10:10-11:00 Lawson

An examination of the use of the social contract to justify political obligations. Readings will draw from classical scholars Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau--and contemporary political theorists--who defend or question the value of the social contract model of political obligations.

PHIL 202 Sec. 010 Contemporary Moral Problems MWF 1:25-2:15 Rogers

PHIL 202 Sec. 011 Contemporary Moral Problems TR 9:30-10:45 Hoffman

Situations arise for us as individuals and members of a community in which different values support different courses of action. How is it possible for us to address these conflicts productively? This course explores a variety of suggested philosophical answers to this question as they apply to abortion, sexual morality, affirmative action, pornography, world hunger, war or other issues of contemporary interest. We will consider classical texts as well as contemporary materials.

PHIL 202 Sec. 012 Contemporary Moral Problems TR 11:00-12:15 Boorse Sec. 014 TR 2:00-3:15 Sec. 016 R 7:00-10:00

This course will survey major positions and arguments regarding such contemporary moral problems as abortion, euthanasia, surrogate motherhood, sex, and pornography. Requirements: 4 objective tests and an optional paper on an issue of the student's choice.

PHIL 202 Sec. 013 Contemporary Moral Problems TR 12:30-1:45 Haslett

This course will begin with a consideration of general ethical theory, and thereafter relate general ethical theory to the solution of contemporary moral problems dealing with such issues as abortion, criminal punishment, preferential treatment, violence, homosexuality, poverty, etc. Class discussion is encouraged.

PHIL 202 Sec. 015 Contemporary Moral Problems W 7:00-10:00 Flint

This course considers several categories of questions concerned with how we ought to live. The first category concerns individuals: What makes an individual life worthwhile? What is happiness? Is dying an evil? The second category concerns interpersonal relationships: What is friendship? What are acceptable sexual relationships? What is an acceptable concept of marriage? What are the duties and responsibilities of parents and children? The third category is intrasocietal: What is an acceptable account of distributive justice? What is discrimination? Is preferential treatment acceptable? Is capital punishment acceptable? Should we legalize illicit drugs? The fourth category is international: What obligations do we have to the needy around the world? What justification is there for intervention in foreign countries? What is an acceptable approach to waste and use of environmental resources? Finally, we consider intergenerational issues: Should we permit genetic engineering of people? Under what conditions, if any, is abortion acceptable?

PHIL 204 Sec. 010 World Religions TR 12:30-1:45 Fox (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement)

PHIL 204 Sec. 011 World Religions TR 2:00-3:15 Brown, L. (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement)

In this course we will examine a range of religious traditions, including tribal religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For each tradition, we will review the religion's historical context, key theological concepts, liturgical practices, other forms of religious behavior (especially ascetic behavior), and the religious understanding and role of women. We will also explore (1) a variety of ways in which religion has been studied, (2) influences which various religious traditions have had on each other, and (3) contemporary issues facing religious communities.

PHIL 205 Sec. 010 Logic MWF 1:25-2:15 Tidman

PHIL 207 Sec. 010 Inductive Logic and Scientific MWF 11:15-12:05 Stalker Methods

Most real-world reasoning is inductive reasoning. Most scientific reasoning is inductive reasoning. Anyone who ignores inductive reasoning is intellectually "at risk." This course is a critical survey of basic concepts and forms of inductive reasoning, with applications to the physical, social, and biomedical sciences. Topics include: reasoning with probabilities, probabilistic fallacies, methods of statistical induction, logic of hypothesis testing, judging correlations, criteria of causation, experimental design, and critical evolution of study reports. There will be three tests. Textbooks: Understanding Scientific Reasoning (3rd edition) by Ronald Giere; Inductive Logic: Probability and Statistics by Davis Baird. Counts for Group D credit.

PHIL 216 Sec. 010 Introduction to Feminist Theory TR 3:30-4:45 Brod (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement) (Cross List: WOMS-216-010)

This course examines alternative theoretical accounts of the relations between women and men. It examines the theoretical frameworks provided by liberal, radical, socialist, multicultural and global feminisms, as well as by ideologies such as conservatism and Marxism. It examines such issues as economics, families, and sexualities, and such concepts as equality, freedom, sex/gender, patriarchy, and the nature of theory itself.

PHIL 229 Sec. 010 The Nature of Science TR 11:00-12:15 Williams (See Course Catalog for Prereq/Coreq.) (Cross List: CSCC-229-010)

The purpose of this course is to give students a glimpse of how science works--to strip away the myth of science as an ever-increasing collection of facts by studying the process of building scientific knowledge. It will discuss how the logical structure of science works to maximize the reliability of scientific knowledge, as well as how non-logical elements form an ineradicable (and indeed essential) part of science. It will begin with David Raup's The Nemesis Affair, an account of the development of an exciting and still controversial theory, and will use this as a case study to illuminate the discussion given in Understanding Science: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues, by Arthur Strahler.

PHIL 241 Sec. 010 Ethical Issues in Health Care W 7:00-10:00 Williams (Cross List: CSCC-241-010)

Do physicians have a right, or an obligation, to assist a terminally ill patient with an intolerable disease to commit suicide? Is every person morally entitled to treatment needed to prevent serious health problems? These questions have been discussed in ethics courses for years; now they are in the national news. In this course these questions, as well as other questions about confidentiality, issues of death and dying, informed consent, transplants, etc. will be discussed. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the important ethical issues facing health care professionals and to the philosophical resources available to help individuals (and society) to deal with them. Textbooks for the course will be Health Care Ethics: Principles and Problems (2nd Edition), by Garrett, Baillie and Garrett and Ethics on Call, by Dubler and Nimmons.

PHIL 246 Sec. 010 Philosophical Perspectives MWF 11:15-12:05 Durbin of Medicine (Open to Majors and Minors) (Not Open to Freshmen) (Cross List: CSCC-246-010)

Problem-based-learning (PBL) course--meaning that students educate themselves and one another in small groups--that uses classical cases in biomedical ethics to raise issues of scientific validity as well as to emphasize social and political dimensions of health care today. Grading based on small group participation and a final paper.

PHIL 267 Sec. 010 Cross-Cultural Environmental Ethics W 12:00-3:00 McCagney

A critical and global study of the ethics of human/environment relations as suggested by the science of ecology, Western philosophy, science, the worldviews of the Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Native American traditions, ecofeminism and American law with a special emphasis on the concept of property.

PHIL 267 Sec. 080 HONORS: Utopias M 3:35-4:25 Rogers (Permission Required from Honors Program) (This is a one-credit course.)

Humanity seems to be in a terrible mess. Can we fix ourselves? In PHIL 267 we will look at utopians and anti-utopians from Plato to the present. There will be four short take-home tests, and class participation will be encouraged.

PHIL 302 Sec. 010 Medieval Philosophy MWF 2:30-3:20 Rogers

Can you prove that God exists? Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) thought so. Can you show that God had to become a human being? Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 A.D.) gives it his best shot. And why should we bother to be good? Thomas of Aquinas (1225-1274 A.D.) offers a plausible answer. In medieval philosophy we will study the great philosophical questions from the perspective of thinkers who had faith in God and in the human intellect and who saw the world as infinitely meaningful and human existence as infinitely valuable. Four essay tests, two papers, and lots of discussion.

PHIL 309 Sec. 010 Indian Religion and Philosophy TR 11:00-12:15 Fox (Satisfies University Multicultural Requirement)

This course will cover the philosophical and religious traditions in the Indian culture, including the Vedic tradition, Jainism, and the various philosophical schools of Hinduism. Special emphasis will be placed on Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. We will also cover various more recent developments in Indian thought, including Sikhism and the works of modern thinkers such as Gandhi, Ramakrishna, and Aurobindo.

PHIL 317 Sec. 010 American Philosophy MWF 9:05-9:55 Norton

The guiding idea in the design of this course is that "American experience" is distinctive (as is "Japanese experience," "Irish experience," "Nigerian experience," and so on), and can contribute distinctively to the self-understanding of humankind. We will focus on conceptions of human nature, individuality, community, society, knowledge, and values in American philosophy, and especially in two schools of thought--New England Transcendentalism and Pragmatism--that by general agreement are most "American." Core texts will be by Emerson, James, and Dewey, with possible supplementation from Thoreau, Peirce, Rawls, Rorty, and others.

PHIL 320 Sec. 010 Experience, Knowledge and Reality MWF 10:10-11:00 Tidman Sec. 080 HONORS: Experience, Knowledge and MWF 10:10-11:00 Reality (Sec. 080 Requires Permission from Honors Program)

In this course we will concern ourselves with central themes in contemporary epistemology. The issues we will discuss include skepticism, the analysis of knowledge (including what is known as the "Gettier Problem"), foundationalism vs. coherentism, and competing accounts of what it is for a belief to be justified. We will begin the course with a look at the history of epistomology, focusing especially upon Plato, Descartes and Hume. The bulk of the course, however, will be devoted to contemporary work on the issues mentioned above. There will be 3 tests and some short papers. Those taking the course for honors credit will write a research paper in consultation with the instructor.

PHIL 390 Sec. 080 HONORS:CLQ: Philo/Religious Themes MWF 9:05-9:55 Brown, R (Permission Required from Honors Program)

Given the evil in the world, should we believe in God? What are we to make of extraordinary suffering, such as in the Holocaust, or in racial persecution? How is our identity shaped by interactions with others? Is human existence mainly individual or mainly social? These and other issues are examined in novels by Camus, Lewis, Schwarz-Bart, Chopin, Morrison, Gordimer, Dostoevsky and Piercy.

PHIL 444 Sec. 010 Medical Ethics T 7:00-10:00 Williams (Section Satisfies A&S Writing Requirement) (Cross List: CSCC-444-010)

This course will introduce students to issues of medical ethics which modern health professionals must struggle with (the physician-patient relationship, the justice of the U.S. health care system, euthanasia, appropriate care for the dying, etc.). It will be focused around a set of principles providing an ethical framework for dealing with these issues. The classroom emphasis will be on working in small groups to dig out the meaning of the texts or to figure out the appropriate use of ethical considerations in analyzing particular cases. The writing assignments will develop the student's ability to develop principled arguments for his/her position on the ethically correct action in particular cases, to criticize the arguments of others, and to answer arguments refuting his/her own position. Textbooks for the course will be Principles of Biomedical Ethics, by Beauchamp and Childress, and First, Do No Harm, by Lisa Belkin.

PHIL 465 Sec. 010 Virtues Ethics R 2:00-5:00 Norton (Section Satisfies A&S Writing Requirement) (Open to Majors and Minors)

Our focus will be the newly emerging school of "virtues ethics" and its contrasts with "duty ethics" (Kantianism, contractarianism) and "interest ethics" (utilitarianism). Our texts will be MacIntyre's After Virtue, Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, and Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals. One or two photocopied essays by others will be included. A good acquaintance with Kantianism and utilitarianism is prerequisite. As a seminar, classes will consist primarily in discussion, not lecture, and to serve this format enrollment is limited to 15. As per specifications for A&S Writing Requirement, writing assignments will add up to a minimum of 4800 words, in the form of five or six shorter papers. Grading will be on writing and class contribution. There will be no exams.